By Staff
Staff reports
When Frank P. &#8220Skippy” White first ran for the Alabama Legislature in 1982, he campaigned on a platform to improve Escambia County's highway system with a four-lane highway connecting Brewton and Atmore.
As he kicks off his re-election campaign, that goal is inching toward reality, he said.
White, 64, has qualified to seek the Democratic nomination in the June 6 primary for the legislative seat he has held for the past 24 years.
As a member of the Joint Highway Committee, a life-time appointment White will hold as long as he's in the Legislature, the four-laning of Highway 31 from Brewton to Atmore is moving forward.
Construction has been completed from Brewton to the Skippy White North Bridge which crosses over Little Escambia Creek near Flomaton and preliminary engineering work is under way to continue the highway from Flomaton to Atmore.
White was first elected in 1982 and due to reapportionment, he was forced to run again in 1983. He has since be re-elected to five consecutive four-year terms, giving him high seniority in the Alabama Legislature.
A native of Pollard, White graduated from Pollard-McCall Junior High School and Flomaton High School. He attended Pensacola Junior College and worked as a fireman for the city of Pensacola for 11 and a half years.
White said despite some past health issues, he's ready and able to represent the district for another four years.
During the current legislative session, Rep. White continues to serve on the House Rules Committee, which sets the working agenda for the House of Representatives.
In a rare issue facing the legislature this year, is a surplus of money. However, Rep. White said now is not the time to spend all of that extra money.
But White said the state has to be careful not to allocate all of the surplus.
Rep. White said he supported legislation that puts back about $550 million into two rainy-day accounts for those lean times.
He said the rainy-day accounts would allow the education budget to withstand proration without cutting services or education material.
White also joined the overwhelming majority of the legislature this year in giving state troopers a raise.
Escambia County residents are still reaping the benefits of one of Rep. White's first pieces of legislation he got passed when he first went to Montgomery. Using windfalls from oil and gas severance tax money, White established the county's Oil and Gas Trust Fund. Today the trust fund has a principal balance of more than $6 million and the county is able to use 80 percent of the interest generated.
White also created the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor and serves as the chairman of the committee which oversees which law enforcement officers receive the honor.
He said one of his goals over the next four years is to work closely with the county commission and city governments to attack the growing problem of littering and illegal dumping.
White and his wife Clara have three children, Todd (Kris), Hugh (Traci) and Sarah Anne (John Fountain) and four grandchildren, Blakelee, Cade, Mattie and Jack. The Whites are members of the Pollard United Methodist Church.