It was the first week of the 2011 regular legislative session. It was a world of difference from the last 16 years for me and others. The legislative landscape has changed and we all move differently.

I arrived at the Alabama State House a half hour before the opening session. For the past 16 years, I would arrive several hours earlier as we planned legislative strategy for the week. I would have participated in at least three and sometimes four meetings before the noon session. This time I did not participate in any. I didn’t miss the meetings; I didn’t miss the coming early.

I usually have a stack of bills to introduce during the first week of the legislative session. This time I did not have any.

On Wednesday I needed to be in court in Greene and Tuscaloosa counties. In the past, during the session, I would have tried to reschedule court matters set Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to a Monday or Friday. Wednesday is generally the day set for committee meetings and the Senate is usually not in session. When I chaired the Finance and Taxation and Education Committee, I had weighty responsibilities on Wednesday. This time, there are important responsibilities but they do not seem as urgent.

The Senate recessed at 11 a.m. for the day with an automatic adjournment in the mid-afternoon after bills were introduced. There is little to do on the second legislative day except receive committee reports, elect members to positions, introduce bills, and consider resolutions. Therefore, I intended to leave at 11 o’clock. However, the minority leader announced a Senate Democratic Caucus meeting and I stayed. After about an hour of the meeting, I left to handle an urgent matter in Greene County. In the past, I could not have left and would have been there the entire afternoon participating in meeting after meeting.

Leadership is a heavy load in so many ways. It is difficult under the best of circumstances to help the Alabama Senate to move forward.

The old folk often say, “In every dark cloud, there is a silver lining.” The dark cloud is the change of the legislative landscape.

The silver lining is limited leadership responsibilities, which allows me to handle other things in ways I could not during the past 16 years. Yes, the legislative landscape has changed and we move differently.