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During the special session, the House Rules Committee didn’t meet, leaving the resolution no place to land for consideration.

Undeterred, Allen refiled the measure once again Tuesday, with its future still somewhat uncertain for several different reasons.

However, one reason not likely to get in the way of the resolution will be opposition from the rest of Tuscaloosa County’s legislative delegation.

Allen had not responded to requests for comments as of the publication of this story, but did tell Patch last week that Luther Stancel Pate III was a much-loved family man and devoted father whose life was tragically cut short.

“He lived for his children, was an active member of his church, and represented the values of hard work and integrity,” Allen said. “Things that are part of the fabric of American society.”

Indeed, Pate told Patch that his father was a great man, before insisting that he did not request the bridge be named in his father’s honor or to highlight his family name.

“I still miss him and think about him every day,” he said, reflecting on the memory of his father always wanting to own a farm and doing so, but having to work a night job to make ends meet.

Apart from Allen, Patch spoke to every member of the Tuscaloosa County delegation whose districts are in Tuscaloosa County, with only two willing to go on record or offer comment to discuss an issue seemingly viewed as a political buzzsaw. It’s important to point out that there are other elected members of the Tuscaloosa County delegation from nearby districts in the smaller surrounding counties.

Many in Tuscaloosa’s political circles immediately questioned the true intention of the resolution, which would rename a stretch of interstate bridge visible from the beleaguered McFarland Mall property. The mall building itself was demolished last spring, with the property sitting mostly derelict apart from the Dollar Tree store — a point of contention for many in the City of Tuscaloosa.

As one source put it while speaking on background, “Name it what you want, but everybody knows this is going to be Stan Pate’s Bridge.”

This fits the well-crafted public persona of the controversial developer. His generosity in the community is undeniable and has been widely publicized, but he’s often been criticized for being petty, spiteful and overly litigious.

Pate’s political activity is far from a secret and he’s spent millions over the years pumping campaign money into races at the local, state and national levels. A chemical engineer by trade, he has mostly focused on engineering winning campaigns after making his fortune in real estate.

Indeed, an independent analysis of campaign finance records by Tuscaloosa Patch shows the developer spent approximately $745,000 on candidates and political action committees (PACs) in Alabama during 2022 alone.

It’s worth noting that this doesn’t cover his political king-making activities outside of Alabama.

Pate’s most recent donation was made to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on March 9, in the amount of $50,000 — the same amount he paid out to the governor in July 2022. And staying on the governor’s good side would appear to align with Pate’s interests as he aims to open a large-scale medical cannabis grow operation on Industrial Park Drive in Tuscaloosa to serve as a supplier once the state begins giving out business licenses for dispensaries.

The cliché goes that “money can’t buy happiness,” but it certainly can buy power and access, which has been displayed throughout Pate’s years of behind-the-scenes political activity.

Remember the airplane banner calling for the impeachment of former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley that flew around Pasadena in 2010 ahead of the BCS National Championship Game?

Or maybe you’ll recall the myriad ads campaigning against Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox?

It’s a stark reality faced by the Tuscaloosa County legislative delegation at present, with several lawmakers just now setting out on their first terms in Montgomery. This was a lesson Riley learned the hard way, after Pate had initially supported the former governor during his 2002 run, only to swiftly turn heel when Riley proposed changes to the state’s tax code.

With the Senate resolution moving easily through a chamber where Allen is one of its most powerful members, the Tuscaloosa delegation on the House side is not likely to break ranks, seemingly out of fear that Pate could come after them with negative attack ads or even a well-funded primary opponent come election season.

For whatever reasons, though, Allen’s resolution to rename the bridge initially failed to reach the House Rules Committee for consideration, coming up short on every attempt. One non-elected political insider speculated the different possibilities for this, before saying it could be parliamentary tactics geared toward getting through the 2023 regular session without the resolution making it through both chambers of the legislature.

Legislators, for the most part, were apprehensive to go on record when asked by Tuscaloosa Patch for comment. However, several expressed frustration with how Allen pushed the resolution through the Senate without discussing the matter with his fellow Tuscaloosa County delegates.

To explain, the measure is sure to be fast-tracked through the legislature once it makes it to the House and will be voted on by representatives from the entire state. This effectively robs the local delegation of control over a strictly local issue.

As one lawmaker put it, “it wasn’t a local issue to begin with” — referring to the delegation having no input before Allen introduced the resolution.

Indeed, Patch confirmed from numerous sources that were present Tuesday during the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s Public Affairs Committee meeting that Allen apologized for not effectively communicating the measure with his elected colleagues before it was introduced.

And while some lawmakers were willing to discuss their specific issues with the resolution on background, others were noticeably measured in their responses.

“It’s still in the Senate,” State Rep. Bill Lamb, a first-term Republican from Tuscaloosa, told Patch Wednesday when asked if he would support the bridge resolution if it comes to a House vote. “I’m in the process of listening to the people of my district for their input.”

What’s important to note in these discussions is a prevailing desire to have more community input when considering naming things such as roads, highways and bridges.

The only lawmaker among the Tuscaloosa delegation to publicly support the bridge renaming is State Rep. Curtis Travis, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa.

“I have no problem with it, I think it’s fine and I’ll be supporting it,” Travis told Patch. “I’ve known Stan a long time. I didn’t know his father, but I think it’s a tremendous honor that they’re recognizing his father. He lost him at such an early age and the impact that has had on his life was huge. Not everybody agrees with Stan and there is no perfect man or woman. But given all the great things he’s done, I think he deserves it.”

According to campaign finance reports filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, Pate donated $10,000 in April 2022 to Huntsville-based North Alabama PAC, which paid out more than $15,000 in contributions to Travis during the same calendar year.

Pate and Travis are reportedly very close friends, so these contributions can be contextualized and interpreted in several different ways. And while the aforementioned practices are perfectly legal, their longtime friendship does seem to shine light on the policymaker’s willingness to break ranks with the local delegation and voice public support for the bridge resolution.

Pate’s biggest spending on an individual PAC during the last year can be seen with his four contributions to Montgomery-based BIZPAC, which totaled $170,000.

Among the candidates to benefit the most from BIZPAC during the last election cycle was current Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen — the son of State Sen. Gerald Allen — who received nearly $100,000 from the political action committee.

Only two Republicans from the Tuscaloosa legislative delegation have received low-level payouts for their campaign coffers from BIZPAC, in the amount of $2,000 each over the last two years — State Rep. Ron Bolton, a Republican from Northport, along with fellow Republican State Rep. Kyle South of Fayette.

It’s important to note that Pate dabbles in politics at all levels, spending more on the 2016 election campaign of Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb, $3,500, than BIZPAC did on each of the two aforementioned west Alabama lawmakers.

And the donations, as seen with Travis, don’t always go to the conservative side of the aisle.

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Indeed, Pate in 2014 paid out $7,500 to State Sen. Bobby Singleton, a Democrat from Greensboro, while BIZPAC in 2014 and 2017 donated a total of $3,000 to then-State Rep. April Weaver — now the Republican state senator for parts of Bibb, Chilton and Shelby counties.

While these donations range from large to small, one must realize this practice is perfectly legal so long as certain ethical boundaries are not crossed. Rather, it underscores Pate’s involvement not just among the local delegation from Tuscaloosa, but through the seats of power at all levels.

This seems to validate lingering fears in the halls of the Alabama legislature, as lawmakers worry about their political futures if they buck the will of the biggest political kingmaker in Alabama.

Still, in speaking with Pate, he took a much softer tone and focused more on the memory of his father than the political buzz around the bridge resolution.

“I know one day my father will win,” he said of the proposed bridge renaming.

The Alabama Senate is set to reconvene at 3 p.m. Thursday, while the House will convene at 8:30 a.m.

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