State Sen. Arthur Orr represents constituents in Alabama’s 3rd Senate District. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), who serves Alabama’s 3rd Senate District, recently contacted constituents with his thoughts and plans for the 2015 regular session of the Alabama State Legislature.

Orr wants the state to exit the retail liquor business. “With almost 600 private retail liquor stores, why do we have 170-plus state stores competing to sell the same product?” he said. “We could save the state $15 to $20 million by eliminating employees, leases, equipment, utilities and insurance.”

At the same time, the state could “ramp up enforcement to insure underage drinking doesn’t increase,” Orr said.

Orr wants to allow teleconferencing for state meetings. “Without violating the open meetings law, we can save the state millions of dollars each year in transportation and expense reimbursements by allowing people to attend electronically” by phone or Skype, he said.

He hopes to establish a notification law for data breaches. “Alabama is one of three states with no law to require large corporations … to notify you that your confidential information has been compromised,” Orr said. “I will introduce a bill to require notice to consumers so you can take defensive measures to preserve your credit and identity.”

With another bill, Orr hopes to define standards, like those that apply to alcohol, to keep drivers under the influence of drugs off roadways. He sees the need to set “clear presumptive standards, like .08 blood alcohol content for DUI, to get those off the road who would endanger us all by driving while impaired with drugs.”

In addition, Orr will promote bills to increase funding for gifted education, create a scholarship program for early graduates of high school to enter junior college, designate financing for roads and bridges and moderate payday and title-loan lending rates.

Orr is encouraged with the upcoming opening of the County Line Road/I-565 interchange in Madison, Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur and Robotics Technology Park in Limestone County, along with the commitment from Polaris.

To contact Orr, call 256-260-2147 or 334-242-7891 or send email with the website arthurorr.com.