MONTGOMERY — Alabama State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) recently reflected on his first legislative session in an interview with The Community Journal on the House floor, calling it “a very productive and efficient session.”
Woods, who was elected in 2022, said he was proud of the work he was able to do on behalf of his constituents in Walker County. He highlighted several pieces of legislation that he helped pass, including a bill that would allow unclaimed estate funds to go to road and bridge projects, a bill that would streamline the adoption process, and a bill that would increase penalties for fentanyl trafficking.
“It would give a minimal mandatory sentence to fentanyl traffickers, all the way up to a life sentence,” he said. “Addressing that is an issue we face in Walker County In particular.”
Woods said there were a few surprises during his first year.
“What has been a little bit surprising is we’ve got a lot of different topics from everything you can imagine that come across the desk, and that’s been a little bit surprising,” he said. “I thought we would maybe hang up on a particular topic and stay on that for weeks on end, but there’s so many different pieces of business that have to be considered you don’t really have time to just dwell on one thing for weeks and weeks at a time, so I’ve had opportunities to participate in a way that I didn’t expect to have as a freshman.”
Woods said he was pleased with the state’s budget surplus, which he said would allow for significant investments in education, healthcare and infrastructure. He said he was particularly proud of the grocery tax cut, which he said would benefit all Alabamians.
“It made a lot sense to cut the grocery tax because it touches every family,” Woods said. “There were several bills that talked about cutting different taxes and rebates and incentives and abatements, and they all made sense, but this was the one that affected everybody.
“And so I think in doing that, we’ve probably made one of the most significant tax cuts in Alabama history at $300 million a year. That and in and of itself is an accomplishment,” he added.
With his first session behind him, Woods said his thoughts are always on his district, working to make Walker County better.
“I’m still extremely honored and excited and appreciative to have this opportunity,” Woods said. “I’m thinking everyday about how can we make life a little better in Walker County, and I’m working toward those things.”
Woods said he was looking forward to continuing to serve his constituents in the years to come.
“I’m going to keep working hard and trying to make a difference,” he said.
