Johnny Curry
Johnny L. Curry (born April 26, 1951) is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives, serving from 1986 to 2002, and a former president of the Hueytown Historical Society.
Curry graduated from Hueytown High School. He was elected to the state legislature representing Alabama House District 50 in 1986 and re-elected in 1990. After the 1990 census, his district was reassigned as Alabama House District 15, and he was reelected in 1994 and 1998.
In 1999 Curry sponsored a bill that would have removed professional exemptions from Jefferson County's occupational tax. The exemptions were challenged by a lawsuit brought against the state. Representative John Rogers tussled with Curry in a power play designed to divert all occupational tax funds toward construction of a domed stadium in Birmingham. For his futile efforts, Curry was awarded the "Recurring Road Kill Citation" in a 2000 legislative resolution drafted by Jim Carns.
In 2002 Curry supported a resolution calling for a Constitutional Convention to replace the Alabama Constitution of 1901. He won a runoff for Jefferson County Tax Assessor in the 2002 Republican primary, but lost a close race to Dan Weinrib in the general election.
Curry, a member of the board of trustees for the American Village in Montevallo, also sponsored the 1998 legislation enacting a 2% lodging tax in Shelby County which funded initial construction of the attraction.
While in office, Curry also served as chair of the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee. He retired from BellSouth in 2006 joined the staff of American Village as an assistant to executive director Tom Walker. He was later promoted to Special Projects Manager.
Curry has served on the board of advisers for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Alabama, on the foundation board for Alabama Public Television, and as a member of the Hueytown Chamber of Commerce, the Telephone Pioneers of America and Valley Creek Baptist Church.
In 2007 Governor Bob Riley appointed Curry to the Alabama Ironworks Historical Commission which oversees Tannehill Historical Ironworks State Park and Brierfield Historical Ironworks State Park. He and his wife, Mary Ruth have one son, Jay.
References
- Plott, Bill (September 26, 2007) "Johnny Curry appointed to Ironworks Commission." Birmingham News.
- Carns, Jim (May 15, 2000) "Designating the Recipient of the 2000 Shroud Award." House Resolution 593