the world around us

Fight with your Dollars: Alabama Abortion Ban Edition

Posted on by Lindsey

This week, the Alabama State Senate voted for a complete abortion ban that makes no exceptions for rape or incest. The law would penalize women who get abortions and completely ignore men who contributed to the pregnancy. The state’s governor signed it into law yesterday.

I am outraged. I spent much of the last week fretting about what I can do to stop this assault on our rights. I saw this Guardian article naming and shaming all the male state senators who voted to ban abortion. I wondered what we could do.

If this century’s late-stage capitalism has taught me anything, it’s that the only thing the oppressor responds to is threats to its capital. That is why I’ve compiled this list of businesses interests of the Alabama senators who voted to ban and criminalize abortion in their state. It’s not enough to “boycott Alabama”—it’s also too much. Regular people live there, people who want access to reproductive care, and they need our monetary support. However, we should do everything we can to not give money to people who vote to deny us rights. It’s obvious to me that these men don’t consider us to be people. There’s no amount of pleading and sharing experiences that will get through to them. We have to demonstrate that their actions have consequences that will cost them money.

This post provides a list of businesses first then more detail about who is associated with what and links to the places where I found this information.

Disclaimer: I am just a regular person with a strong sense of moral outrage and very good research skills (thanks, master’s degree in library and information science). I am providing this information as a resource. I cannot tell you what to do with it. I do not encourage anyone to harass these individuals or their families.

List of Businesses to Avoid

I compiled this list based on research of public information that is online. I am certain it’s not comprehensive, but it is a strong starting point for people looking to grab back. I have included businesses that these senators own and businesses for which they occupy senior management positions. I have also included businesses belonging to top donors to the senator’s campaigns. Only businesses related to senators who voted to ban abortion are included. If you have a tip or something to add, please leave a comment and I will update the list.

If you stop doing business with one of these companies, I highly recommend calling or writing a letter to them explaining exactly why you are no longer a customer. They should know why they are losing your business.

Here is the list of companies to boycott:

List of Individual Senators

I researched each senator to find out what they own. Many state on their own websites that they own businesses. I made frequent use of the Alabama Secretary of State’s Business Entity Record search, LinkedIn, Ballotpedia, and Votesmart.org.

I thought I was cynical about politics before I started this research. I had no idea how much worse that could get. One of these senators owns a company that makes ultrasound equipment. The same senator also proposed a bill requiring women to get transvaginal ultrasounds before getting an abortion. I’m learning that there is no deep strategy here. These people are out to make money and that’s it.

Andrew Jones (R), Senate District 10

Andrew Jones says on his website that he is the founder of Deep South Coffee Factory, a “craft coffee roasting company.” He is also a shareholder of Paul Jennings Farms, according to votesmart.org.

Arthur Orr (R), Senate District 3

Arthur Orr is the Executive Vice President/Chief Administration Officer of a company called Cook’s Pest Control, where his responsibilities include “oversight of all of the company’s administrative duties including the areas of Accounting, Human Resources, Property, Marketing and Advertising, as well as handling all legal matters.” This company operates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Their website lists, along with a mission, their “position:” “Cook’s has been dedicated to God, and we are entrusted to operate it for His honor and glory. We are committed to principals [sic] of honesty and integrity.” Yikes.

Ballotpedia lists Orr’s top campaign contributors in 2014 (although note that none of these are especially large contributions, relatively speaking):

  • Alabama Power Co: Utility company
  • Alabama Bankers Association: Professional organization
  • Cosby Co: Seems to be some kind of lobbying group or PR firm for politicians.
  • Medical Association of the State of Alabama: Professional organization
  • Alabama Trucking Association: Professional organization

As far as I can tell, these are professional organizations and a utility company (Alabama Power Co). Frankly, I do not know how one would go about boycotting these organizations. In fact, nearly all of these senators had professional organizations among their top donors. This is an example of how these people are deeply entrenched in our institutions. If you are a member of one of these organizations, I recommend looking into who decides how to spend your funds and how you can influence that.

Cam Ward (R) Senate District 14

Cam Ward, according to his personal website, seems to have worked in the public sector for his whole career. In 2014, his top campaign donors were:

  • Alabama Power Co: Utility company
  • Alabama Nursing Home Association: Professional organization
  • Boatright Companies: This company has an empty website, but this AL.com article explains that Boatright Companies includes Boatright Vegetation Management, Service Industrial Rail Car, Service Rail Group, Boatright Rail Gear, and Boatright Safety Solutions.
  • Alabama Bankers Association: Professional organization
  • CAN PAC: I cannot find anything useful about this PAC because its name makes for confusing search results.

Ward has a company called House Republican Caucus, LLC registered in his name. The nature of the business is “any lawful activity,” so it’s anyone’s guess what they really do. This is extra puzzling to me because Ward is a state senator, not a state representative. 

Chris Elliott (R), Senate District 32

Chris Elliott, according to his own LinkedIn page is a partner at Elliott Development LLC, President of the Elliott Companies (which includes Service Master Restore, Elliott Builders, and Elliott Catastrophe) and Vice President of Elliott Builders. The Elliott Companies, according to their website, “provide multidisciplinary construction and development services to clients throughout Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.”

  • Elliott Development: “owns and manages professional office spaces primarily in fast growing Baldwin County, Alabama”
  • Service Master Restore: a company that “provides guidance and expertise in disaster restoration” for residential and commercial customers.
  • Elliott Builders: a company for building custom homes
  • Elliott Catastrophe: This sounds similar to the Service Master Restore company. There is a focus on restoring property amid damage, but more information about how they work with insurance companies.

Clay Scofield (R), Senate District 9

Clay Scofield does not have much of an internet presence. As far as I can tell, he is not associated with any businesses.

Ballotpedia lists the following as Scofield’s top campaign donors in 2014:

  • New Alabama Leadership Committee: This is a political committee or political action committee (PAC). The only information I have found about it is in articles like this one, which asks whether PACs are financially up to no good.
  • Alabama Power Co: Utility company
  • Alabama Bankers Association: Professional organization
  • Alabama Trucking Association: Professional organization
  • Alabama Rural Electric Association: A co-op of electric distributors

Clyde Chambliss (R), Senate District 30

Clyde Chambliss, according to his LinkedIn profile, spent 20 years as the “Principle Engineer” at Chambliss Engineering, LLC, “a civil engineering firm providing services to water and sewer systems, local governments, and real estate developers in Alabama.” I don’t know for certain if Clyde Chambliss owns the company. It was incorporated by Tara Chambliss, according to the state’s Business Entity Records search. Based on the header image on Tara’s twitter (which I am NOT linking because I am not trying to encourage DDOSing or abuse), it is reasonable to assume that she and Clyde are related somehow.  

One of Chambliss’ top campaign donors in 2014, according to Ballotpedia, was Joe and Geraldine Chambliss. These two individuals donated $20,000 to the campaign. My best guess is that these are Clyde’s parents, but again, I am not sure. Joe Chambliss is a Partner at Gulf South Culinary Marketing.

Dan Roberts (R), Senate District 15

Dan Roberts is, according to votesmart.org, a board member of Briarwood Christian School. Probably anyone sending their children to Christian school is okay with their legislators banning abortion, but if not, you know what to do. In fact, every organization that Roberts is involved with, perhaps, the exception of the Alabama Policy Institute, is explicitly religious.

David Sessions (R), Senate District 35

David Sessions is, according to votesmart.org, the president of Grand Bay Water Works (a waste management company) and Producers Gin Company (a farming company).

Del Marsh (R), Senate District 12

Del Marsh’s campaign page says he is a “small businessman” who owns “an Oxford, Alabama-based engineering services and aircraft part repair company that employs roughly 150 people in the Calhoun County area.” That company appears to be Aerospace Coatings International, however, it is “privately held” according to Bloomberg and other business sites, so I can’t say with total certainty that Marsh is the owner. This article states that Marsh sold the company to the Wencor Group, so Marsh may no longer have any stake in ACI. The Alabama Secretary of State Business Entity Record search shows registered agent changes in 2015 and 2017.

Donnie Chesteen (R), Senate District 29

Donnie Chesteen used to teach P.E. and coach football. Boycott football, I guess.

Garlan Gudger (R), Senate District 4

Garlan Gudger owns Southern Accents Architectural Antiques, a company his dad started. He also owns Gudger Properties.

Gerald Allen (R), Senate District 21

Gerald Allen owns a business called Cashco Marketing, according to votesmart.org. I cannot find much about the company, but this 2002 news article alleges that Allen was withholding grant money from schools that refused to do business with the company.

Greg Albritton (R), Senate District 22

Greg Albritton seems to not have any business interests. His votesmart.org profile shows a lot of military and public-sector experience (boycott the military?). One of Albritton’s top donors in 2014 was a company simply called “Speed.” There are, predictably, a lot of companies with “speed” in the name on the Alabama Business Entity Records database, but there is one simply called Speed, LLC. I cannot find out what this company is, but the address associated with the record seems to be a beach house. I do not know if this is the same company that donated to Albritton.

Greg Reed (R), Senate District 5

Greg Reed is the current vice president of a company called Preferred Medical Systems, which produces ultrasound equipment. Here’s a 2012 article from Rewire News discussing the apparent conflict of interest of introducing bills mandating transvaginal ultrasounds while having a company that sells ultrasound machines.

Jabo Waggoner (R), Senate District 16

Jabo Waggoner owns a real estate investment company called Birmingham Business Consultants, LLC. Votesmart.org says Waggoner is also the Vice President of Healthsouth Corporation, but Healthsouth has since been acquired by Encompass Health. Based on this description of the rebranding, I would assume that Waggoner is still involved in and profits from the business, but I do not know for certain.

Jack Williams (R), Senate District 34

Jack Williams owns Twin Oaks Nursery, now merged with Tom Dodd Nurseries (per the Alabama Business Entity Records database). I do not know what role, if any, Williams currently has in the merged company, but votesmart.org states Williams is a “former owner” of Tom Dodd Nurseries. Williams is also listed as owning the JBarW Cattle Farm, but I cannot find any records of this farm.

Jim McClendon (R), Senate District 11

Jim McClendon has a private optometry practice. I’m not able to discover if he owns his own optometry business.

One of his top 2014 campaign donors was Swatek Azbell Howe & Ross, which donated $20,000 to the campaign. This is a group of lobbyists.

Larry Stutts (R), Senate District 6

Larry Stutts is a doctor and, according to his own website, opened Colbert OB-GYN in Sheffield, Alabama. One of Stutt’s top donors in 2014 was Anesthesia Consultants Medical Group, which donated $10,000 to the campaign.

Randy Price (R), Senate District 13

Randy Price’s website says he is a small business owner. He runs a “family farm” and “he started a custom homebuilding business and commercial trucking company.” Based on what I found in the Business Entity Records database, I believe the housing company is RLP Homes, LLC. There is also a Randy Price listed as the incorporator for R. Price Company, Inc. and Ontime Solutions, LLC. I cannot say for certain if this is the same Randy Price as the senator, but these may be the businesses he mentions in his profile.

Sam Givhan (R), Senate District 7

Sam Givhan says on his website that he practices real estate and business law. He practices with and, according to votesmart.org, is a shareholder of Wilmer & Lee: A Professional Association. Votesmart.org also says Givhan is the owner of Houston Land Company and SHG Development.

Shay Shelnutt (R), Senate District 17

Shay Shelnutt has been a realtor and a math teacher. He was also his own top donor for the 2014 campaign.

Steve Livingston (R), Senate District 8

Steve Livingston owns, per votesmart.org, two companies: The Fuel Center, Inc. and Discus Oil Company.

Tim Melson (R), Senate District 1

Tim Melson owns a Sheffield, Alabama company called Shoals Medical Trials, Inc., which seems to be dedicated to running clinical trials.

Tom Butler (R), Senate District 2

Tom Butler is a registered pharmacist and works for Rite Aid Pharmacy, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Will Barfoot (R), Senate District 25

Will Barfoot is the owner of the law firm Barfoot & Schoettker.

Share This Post!

Please share this post on all your internet places! The more we arm each other with information, the stronger our fight will be.

, , , , , , , , , ,
Lindsey