By SLADE BLACKWELL / Guest Columnist

The fall is an exciting time for my family and me. It is the start of something new and like many of you, we are settling into a new school year and getting back in a normal routine.

Soon we will be spending weekends cheering for our favorite teams and wondering where the summer went. Since ending the legislative session in May, I have enjoyed spending time with my family and making the most out of these last few weeks of summer.

However, for me, the summer and fall always present the opportunity for me to focus on the issues that are important to District 15 and how to approach these issues in the upcoming legislative session.

The legislature begins the 2014 session in January and will last through April. While it may seem like January is far away, it will be here before we know it. Since being elected as your state senator, I am most proud of the relationships I have formed with the people in my district. The town hall meetings and the Coffee and Conversation series have been an excellent resource in developing relationships throughout Jefferson and Shelby counties.

More importantly, these events have given me the opportunity to find out about the issues that are most important to the people I represent.

This fall, I look forward to coming back to the cities and towns in Shelby County to have more town hall meetings and Coffee and Conversations.

However, until then, I encourage you to contact me personally to talk about any issue that is important to you and your family. The decisions made in Montgomery begin with the people and families I represent in District 15.

Slade Blackwell is serving his first term in the Alabama State Senate representing Jefferson and Shelby Counties in District 15. For more information about Slade, please visit Sladeblackwell.com or follow him on Facebook or on Twitter @sladeblackwell. To reach him by phone, please call (334) 242-7851 or email him at sb@sladeblackwell.com.