What’s on your mind, Cullman County?

Apparently, a lot of the same things we have in common with the rest of the country.

Friday’s State of Our Communities luncheon with a few of our local representatives was a bit more than an explanation of where we are as a county. It offered a chance for state representatives — Corey Harbison, Randall Shedd and Tim Wadsworth, in addition to Sen. Garlan Gudger, were in attendance — to hear concerns directly from our communities.

Those concerns included:

• School safety. With recent mass shootings at educational facilities, it was no surprise that this topic was a front-burner for many. And it likely will continue to be one: Like the rest of the nation, school safety is something that Alabama has been, and continues, addressing. An increase in school resource officers, ensuring that recommendations from a 2017 task force are taken seriously and innovative measures such as bulletproof mesh curtains were all discussed and seconded.

• Social media. From cyberbullying to voluminous misinformation, social media has proven to be more bane than boon for everyone from state officials to everyday citizens. Harbison noted the truism that bad information tends to get shared much more prolifically than accurate news, leaving “us putting out fires.” And, it goes without saying, wasting resources.

• Inflation. Guess what? It’s not only us residents who are being hit with rising prices, the governments of our communities are feeling the pinch, too. Some rainy day preparation has helped to mitigate the current climate, but the concern is how long the rainy season will last. Also, Wadsworth noted that despite the law of diminishing returns — smaller districts, such as his District 14, tend to get overshadowed by the build up of infrastructure in more populated areas. A helping hand from one to the other could be in order, he said.

• School choice. SB 140 would create the Parent’s Choice Act and provide for creating, funding and utilizing education savings account. Gudger noted that legislators are approaching the issue “cautiously.” What looks simple on paper doesn’t always match reality, Gudger admitted. We agree that the pros and cons of educational choice require significant scrutiny, and we look forward to a full discourse on the subject from our state officials — with significant local input, of course.