Office of House Speaker Mike Hubbard

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Legislators from 15 Southern states today elected Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard as chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference, an organization that fosters cooperation and collaboration among state legislatures.

At the SLC’s annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, Speaker Hubbard was the unanimous choice to succeed West Virginia House Speaker Rick Thompson, previous chairman of the Conference. As chairman, Speaker Hubbard has the privilege of hosting next year’s SLC meeting, which will be held in Mobile.

“I’m honored to have been selected by my fellow lawmakers from across the South to serve as chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference,” Speaker Hubbard said. “SLC has always played an important role for me and my colleagues in the Alabama Legislature. No matter which side of the aisle you’re on, no matter how big or small an issue is, we’ve been able to count on SLC for quality interstate legislative research and information, particularly when it comes to best practices. I’m committed to maintaining this organization’s value as a resource for Southern legislators.”

Founded in 1947, the Southern Legislative Conference is the largest of four regional legislative groups operating under the Council of State Governments. The 15 member states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The SLC provides a forum which allows policymakers to share knowledge in their area of expertise with colleagues from across the South.

The SLC has six standing committees: Agriculture & Rural Development; Economic Development, Transportation & Cultural Affairs; Education; Energy & Environment; Fiscal Affairs & Government Operations; and Human Services & Public Safety. By working together within the SLC and participating on its committees, Southern state legislative leaders are able to speak in a distinctive, unified voice while addressing issues which affect their states and the entire region.