Lobbyist Report

SHAA is pleased to report that we recently hired Jay Murrill who works at Riley and Jackson Law Firm as our first lobbyist for SHAA.  Jay will stay abreast of current bills in our legislature that may have an impact on our profession.  Jay has worked as a lobbyist for many different organizations in our state and is very knowledgeable. We are excited to have Jay working for our group. According to his law firm’s website,  “Mr. Murrill is a member of the Alabama State Bar and the Birmingham Bar Association.  He is licensed to practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.  Mr. Murrill routinely represents governmental officials, governmental entities, and quasi-governmental entities in litigation and non-litigation matters involving constitutional issues, employment disputes, and administrative issues.  He also represents plaintiffs in personal-injury litigation and represents individuals and businesses in general corporate and transactional matters.”

During the 2023 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, SHAA was able to secure funding in the education budget for an annual salary supplement for state-funded speech-language pathologists.  Through SHAA’s advocacy, the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Senate, and the Alabama House of Representatives all agreed that speech therapists play a critical role in education and that funding an annual salary supplement would help in recruiting and retention.  Since state budgets must be approved every year, SHAA plans to continue working to make sure the salary supplement is included in future budgets.