By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Several bills sponsored by state Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, passed on the final day of the 2012 legislative session on May 20.

The legislation dealt with issues ranging from senior citizen abuse prevention, attorneys’ fees and laws regulating business organization and banking statutes.

“It was a long session, and as with every session, I’m glad we did it and I’m glad it’s over. We sure covered a lot of ground this year, though,” Ward wrote in an email. “Along with the bills I personally sponsored, carried or passed, we passed pro-business and pro-education legislation like The Alabama Accountability Act and The Gulf State Park Legislation pushed by the Republican leadership – making this session an example of how to roll up our sleeves and get things done for the people of our state.”

Ward said the passage of these bills, coupled with the already-passed state vehicle fleet management bill, prescription drug legislation and the Alabama commercial aviation business improvement act, capped a “successful” legislative session.

The senior citizen abuse prevention increased penalties for those found guilty of abusing and exploiting senior citizens, and better defines financial exploitation and other senior citizen-related crimes, Ward said during an April 22 press conference at the Alabaster Senior Center.

“I want to make our intentions very clear: Abusing or neglecting, stealing from through fraud, the promise to perform work and not performing it, or outright theft will not be tolerated in our state.”

Ward said the Alabama Law Institute Bills are the result of several thousand hours of work volunteered by attorneys throughout Alabama who are experts in the fields associated with these bills. These lawyers work on ALI drafting committees to ensure Alabama laws are current and provide citizens with “the protections and opportunities they deserve.”