MONTGOMERY — After a weekend-long standoff with the governor, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Kent Davis has resigned.
His resignation, effective Dec. 31, comes after an earlier refusal to step down at the request of Gov. Kay Ivey and a looming vote by the State Board of Veterans Affairs to remove him from his position.
Davis’ decision was the product of a meeting with Ivey and her senior staff Monday, ending a showdown with his agreement to step down from a role he has held since 2019.
“Caring for our country’s veterans is something I have been passionate about throughout my life, and especially throughout my tenure as lieutenant governor and now as governor. Alabama veterans are a priority for the Ivey Administration, and we cannot let anything stand in the way of their care,” Ivey said Monday afternoon. “Our meeting with Commissioner Davis today was respectful, frank, and informative, with both sides gaining new perspective and insight about the challenges each of us face in fulfilling our respective roles. I appreciate Commissioner Davis’s record of service as commissioner, and I appreciate him doing the right thing for our state and the future of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
“As I have said before, we have important work to continue doing, and I want to see nothing get in the way of us remaining focused on the thing that truly matters here – improving veterans’ care.”
The governor cancelled a meeting of the State Board of Veterans Affairs scheduled for today, and will work with members of the to make preparations for filling the post when it becomes vacant at the end of this year.
The situation developed last Thursday when Ivey formally requested Davis’s resignation, citing “ample cause” for his removal. The governor pointed to mishandling of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program as the primary factor.
According to Ivey, the ADVA had proposed uses for the ARPA funds that were ineligible under federal guidelines and jeopardized the state’s compliance with federal regulations.
Davis ignored a 5 p.m. deadline set by Ivey last Thursday to tender his resignation and continue to serve until the end of this month.
Also last Thursday, Ivey removed John Kilpatrick from the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs, which oversees the VA.
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