Phil Williams (Alabama senator)

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Not to be confused with Phil Williams (Alabama representative).
Phil Williams
Member of the Alabama Senate
from the 10th district
In office
2010–2018
Preceded byLarry Means
Succeeded byAndrew Jones
Personal details
Born (1965-03-20) March 20, 1965 (age 56)
Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Charlene Williams
Children2
EducationUniversity of South Alabama (BS)
Birmingham School of Law (JD)
ProfessionAttorney
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army Reserve
RankLieutenant colonel

Phillip W. Williams Jr.[1] (born March 20, 1965) is an American politician and attorney from the state of Alabama. He served in the Alabama Senate, representing the 10th District, from 2010 until 2018, as a member of the Republican Party. Since leaving the state legislature, Williams has served as a policy director for the Alabama Policy Institute and hosts a conservative radio program, Rightside Radio.

Early life, education and military service[]

Williams was born in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey on March 20, 1965.[1] He attended Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama, and went to the University of South Alabama after graduation,[2] from which he received a Bachelor of Science in 1989.[3][4]

A graduate of both the Combined Arms and Service Staff School and the United States Army Command and General Staff College,[5] Williams ​served in the United States Army Reserve and was a part of several airborne units, as well as the 20th Special Forces Group, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel.[6] He served two combat tours, one in Afghanistan in 2002 and one in Iraq in 2004. In between these two tours, Williams received his Juris Doctor from the Birmingham School of Law in 2003.[4]

Career[]

From 1993-1999, Williams served as an area director for Young Life, an Evangelical youth ministry organization.[4] He was also the chief operating officer of TaxBreak in Gadsden, Alabama, as well as the managing partner and trial attorney for Brunson & Associates.[5] Williams later pursued his own private law practice and founded Williams & Associates, a firm based in Gadsden, in 2011.[7][8]

Alabama Senate (2010–2018)[]

In 2010, Williams, described by The Gadsden Times as a "political newcomer" at the time, ran for the Alabama Senate's 10th district as a Republican. After defeating Paul Peloquin in the primary, Williams advanced to challenge incumbent Democratic state senator Larry Means in the general election, stating that he would "promote fiscal conservatism and limit government intervention in daily lives."[4] Williams defeated Means and was elected to the state Senate; a month before the general election, Means was indicted in a corruption case, which he claimed contributed to his loss to Williams.[9]

After his inauguration, Williams supported a bill in 2011 that would remove racist language in the Alabama state constitution, including references to segregation and poll taxes.[10] In 2012, he defended a controversial immigration bill and criticized Zayne Smith, the director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, for referring to Alabama as a "hateful state" because of the bill, claiming she was misrepresenting the state of Alabama.[11] Williams authored SB-117, a bill that became law creating the position of an information technology secretary to restructure the state's IT functions, in 2013.[12]

In the 2014 election cycle, Williams faced a rematch against Means, who was seeking to reclaim his old Senate seat. During the campaign, Means accused Williams of lying about voting to reduce his own salary, which The Gadsden Times said was a false accusation and that "Means' accusations bounce off Williams and splatter all over Means."[13] Williams ultimately prevailed against Means in the general election, by a margin of four percentage points.[14]

An outspoken opponent of abortion,[15] Williams first mounted an effort to define life as beginning at fertilization, and to classify abortion under the same laws as murder, in 2011. He proposed a bill that passed in the Senate, but died in the Alabama House of Representatives on the last day of the session.[16] Williams voted for stricter regulations on abortion clinics in 2013.[17] In 2016, Williams sponsored SB363, a bill outlawing dismemberment abortions, which was later passed in both the state Senate and House of Representatives.[18] The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit over the passing of SB363, which Williams criticized, calling it a "misguided legal challenge."[15] The next year, Williams also supported a bill for a state constitutional amendment declaring the right to life for unborn children.[19]

In January 2016, the Alabama Political Reporter published a story that claimed Williams had retained 43 consulting clients with his law firm on an ethics filing in 2014.[20] Williams denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the blogger who wrote the report, Bill Britt, had made unfounded attacks against his character. He also asked the Alabama Ethics Commission to review his client list.[8] The Alabama Political Reporter reported in June 2016 that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency had opened a criminal investigation into Williams,[21] which he had denied.[22] In July 2018, former Governor Robert J. Bentley gave testimony that affirmed Williams was under investigation at the time. Williams was eventually cleared of wrongdoing by the Alabama Ethics Commission.[23]

Williams was interviewed by then-Governor Robert Bentley for the United States Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Jeff Sessions in 2016, but was ultimately not selected.[24] In January 2017, Williams filed the Alabama Privacy Act, described as a "bathroom bill" by Alabama Political Reporter.[25] Williams served in the Alabama State Legislature at the same time as Representative Phil Williams, both Republicans who coincidentally shared the same name.[26] The two disagreed on HB-317, a bill exempting "economic development professionals" from requiring registration as lobbyists; Senator Williams sponsored the bill in the Alabama Senate, while Representative Williams opposed it in the Alabama House of Representatives.[27]

In May 2017, Williams announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018, and would be stepping away from seeking public office in the future.[3] He was succeeded by Andrew Jones.[28]

Alabama Policy Institute[]

After leaving the Alabama Senate, Williams became Chief Policy Officer of the Alabama Policy Institute. Williams was involved in the launching of the institute's media wing; he is the founding and current host of the conservative talk radio program Rightside Radio on WVNN.[29]

Williams also publishes a weekly column on 1819 News, a magazine that he was involved in the development of.[29][30] Williams released an article on January 17, 2022, criticizing Governor Kay Ivey, Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin and Springville mayor and gubernatorial candidate Dave Thomas, accusing them of "[providing] cover for breaking the law," specifically in reference to gambling and marijuana offenses. In response, Woodfin posted a Tweet stating that he "would not be lectured" by Williams, and referenced a Facebook post by Williams that questioned the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. Williams stated that Woodfin should "be able to take the criticism as a public official" and invited him onto Rightside Radio.[30][31]

Personal life[]

Williams resides in Rainbow City, Alabama, with his wife Charlene; the couple have two children.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Phil Williams (Alabama Senate)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Williams, Phil (January 10, 2022). "Phil Williams: Why do you live here?". 1819 News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. ^ a b LaPorta, Jordan (May 16, 2017). "Conservative Alabama lawmaker to step away from public office: "No one owns the position of State Senator"". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e Carter, Kendra (October 17, 2010). "Means, Williams vying for state senate seat". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Thornton, William (October 29, 2014). "Senate District 10: Former Senator Larry Means faces current Senator Phil Williams". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  6. ^ Sims, Cliff (September 23, 2013). "Alabama state senator's new ad highlights his experience as a decorated soldier". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "Gov. Bentley Interviews Sen. Phil Williams for Attorney General". Alabama News Network. February 10, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Savage, Lisa (January 10, 2016). "Williams asks ethics commission to review client list". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  9. ^ Beyerle, Dana (August 29, 2012). "Three politicians acquitted in bingo case elected". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Beyerle, Dana (March 8, 2011). "Racist language targeted in state constitution". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Rawls, Phillip (April 26, 2012). "Alabama immigration law revisions head to Senate". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  12. ^ Chandler, Kim (May 12, 2013). "Almost all over but the shouting: A look back at the 2013 legislative session so far". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "LETTER: Means' accusations bounce off Williams". The Gadsden Times. September 18, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  14. ^ Lyman, Brian (November 5, 2014). "Republicans extend majorities in Alabama Legislature". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Patton, Elizabeth (June 8, 2016). "Phil Williams takes stand against ACLU lawsuit over pro-life law". Alabama Today. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  16. ^ Beyerle, Dana (June 20, 2011). "More abortion bills ahead for Legislature". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Rawls, Phillip (April 3, 2013). "Alabama Senate supports abortion standards". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  18. ^ Moseley, Brandon (May 5, 2016). "Alabama Legislature Passes Ban on Dismemberment Abortions". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  19. ^ Cason, Mike (April 20, 2017). "Alabama Senate passes anti-abortion constitutional amendment". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Britt, Bill (January 4, 2016). "Senator Claims 43 Contracts are "Reoccurring Litigation Clients"". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  21. ^ Britt, Bill (June 16, 2016). "Investigation Into Sen. Phil Williams Back On". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  22. ^ Gattis, Paul (January 12, 2016). "Alabama senator denies report he's under investigation". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  23. ^ Britt, Bill (July 30, 2018). "Testimony confirms Sen. Phil Williams lied about criminal investigation". Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  24. ^ Little, Jim (December 28, 2016). "Gov. Bentley interviews six more candidates for Jeff Sessions' senate seat". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  25. ^ Brownlee, Chip (January 11, 2017). "Sen. Phil Williams: Alabama "bathroom bill" has been misinterpreted". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  26. ^ Gattis, Paul (April 6, 2016). "Alabama Governor Robert Bentley scandal: Who are the legislators seeking impeachment?". AL.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  27. ^ Whitmire, Kyle (March 29, 2018). "You don't have to break the law when you make the law". AL.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  28. ^ Khalil, Byron (December 17, 2020). "Sen. Andrew Jones proposes legislative action to halt animal rendering plant in Gadsden". ABC 33-40. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "API launches media arm, former State Senator Phil Williams to host inaugural radio program". Yellowhammer News. June 22, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Williams, Phil (January 17, 2022). "Phil Williams: When our mayors - and governor! - provide cover for breaking the law". 1819 News. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  31. ^ Koplowitz, Howard (January 18, 2022). "Randall Woodfin: 'I will not be lectured' by ex-state senator over marijuana pardons". AL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
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