Robert J. Bentley facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Robert J. Bentley


53rd Governor of Alabama
In office January 17, 2011 – April 10, 2017
Lieutenant	Kay Ivey
Preceded by	Bob Riley
Succeeded by	Kay Ivey
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 63rd district
In office January 3, 2003 – November 3, 2010
Preceded by	Tim Parker
Succeeded by	Bill Poole

Personal details
Born	Robert Julian Bentley (1943-02-03) February 3, 1943 (age 82) Columbiana, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Dianne Jones (m. 1965; div. 2015)
Children	4
Education	University of Alabama (BS) University of Alabama at Birmingham (MD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1969–1975
Rank	Captain

Robert Julian Bentley (born February 3, 1943) is an American former politician and doctor. He served as the 53rd governor of Alabama from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Bentley was elected governor in 2010 and again in 2014.

He was born in Columbiana, Alabama. Bentley earned his medical degree (M.D.) in 1968. He then joined the United States Air Force as a medical officer. He left the Air Force as a captain. After his military service, he opened several skin care clinics. These clinics were located across the southern United States.

Bentley was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002. He served two four-year terms, from 2003 to 2010. In 2010, he decided to run for governor. He won the Republican nomination. He then faced Democrat Ron Sparks in the main election. Bentley won with over 58% of the votes. This was a very large win for a Republican in Alabama at that time. In 2014, Bentley was re-elected. He won with 63.6% of the vote, which was the highest percentage for a Republican governor in modern Alabama history.

On April 10, 2017, Bentley resigned as Governor of Alabama. This happened after he faced issues related to his time in office. As part of an agreement, he accepted that he would never seek public office in Alabama again.

Early Life and Education

Robert Bentley grew up in Columbiana, Alabama. This town is in Shelby County. His parents did not finish school past junior high. His father worked at a sawmill. At one point, Bentley lived in a house without electricity or running water.

He attended Shelby County High School. He was part of the state championship debate team in 1961. He also became student body president in his senior year.

After high school, Bentley went to the University of Alabama. He studied Chemistry and Biology. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in just three years.

Medical School and Marriage

He then started medical school at The University of Alabama School of Medicine. During his first year, he met Dianne Jones. They got married on July 24, 1965. He graduated with his M.D. in 1968. He completed a one-year internship in Birmingham.

Air Force Service

Bentley joined the United States Air Force in 1969. He served as a captain. He worked as a general medical officer at Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He even served as an interim hospital commander for a short time.

Dermatologist Career

After his time in the military, Bentley trained for three years in dermatology. He then opened his own dermatology practice in Tuscaloosa. He started a successful business called Alabama Dermatology Associates. This practice grew to be one of the largest in the Southeastern United States.

Bentley is a certified dermatologist. He served two terms as President of the Alabama Dermatology Society. He was also named one of the "Best Doctors in America" by his peers. He is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology. He is also part of the Medical Association of Alabama.

Time in the Alabama House of Representatives

In 2002, Bentley was elected to the Alabama State House of Representatives. He represented Tuscaloosa County. He won with almost 65% of the votes. In 2006, he ran for re-election without anyone running against him.

What He Did in Office

In the Alabama House, Bentley focused on healthcare. He worked to train more primary care doctors. He also wanted to increase organ donation. He helped change Alabama's organ donor laws twice. One change was for corneas. The other made sure organ donors' decisions were respected.

Bentley also helped create the Alabama Medical Educational Consortium. He worked on laws to offer more scholarships for medical training.

He is against raising taxes. He signed a pledge to not create new taxes. In 2010, a law he wrote, the Reemployment Act of 2010, was approved. Governor Bob Riley signed it into law.

In 2008, Bentley was chosen as a Republican Presidential Delegate for Mike Huckabee. He represented Alabama on the Republican Platform Committee. For the 2016 presidential election, Bentley supported Governor John Kasich.

Committees He Served On

During his time in Montgomery, he was on several committees. These included the Education Appropriations Committee and the Boards and Commissions Committee. He also served on the Agriculture and Forestry Committee. He was the Vice-Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee.

Governor of Alabama (2011–2017)

Becoming Governor in 2010

In the Republican primary election on June 1, 2010, Bentley surprised many. He finished second, which allowed him to go to a runoff election against Bradley Byrne. Bentley won the runoff election on July 13. This made him the Republican candidate for governor.

In the main election, Bentley won against Democrat Ron Sparks. He received 57.9% of the votes.

Bentley has said he does not approve of gambling in Alabama. However, he supports letting citizens vote on whether to make it legal.

Re-election in 2014

On November 4, 2014, Bentley easily won re-election. He ran against Democratic candidate Parker Griffith. Bentley received almost twice as many votes, 63% to 36%. This was the highest percentage of votes for any Republican governor in modern Alabama history.

After he was sworn in, Bentley made a comment at a church. He later apologized for his remarks. He said he would be a "governor of all the people."

What He Did as Governor

Bentley's time as governor was largely marked by challenges. However, he was praised for his response to deadly tornadoes in Alabama in Spring 2011. He also pushed for more money for pre-K programs. In 2015, he played a big part in removing Confederate flags from the State Capitol. He also supported a 2% pay raise for teachers. In 2015, he suggested a plan to raise over $700 million in taxes.

His Political Views

Budget and Money

Bentley believed in a balanced budget for the state. He wanted to cut taxes by 15-45% in 2011. He also wanted to protect important services.

Civil Rights

In 1998, he supported affirmative action for colleges and state contracts. As of 2010, he did not support gay marriage or civil unions.

Education

He supported a moment of silence in schools. He also wanted local school boards to have more power to make decisions.

Environment and Energy

He supported offshore drilling and the oil and gas industries. He believed that forests were important for the economy and jobs.

Jobs

Bentley refused to take his governor's salary until the state's unemployment rate dropped. In his first three years, Alabama gained almost 60,000 jobs. He also helped bring in over 55,000 new jobs for the future.

Government Changes

He believed there should be no limits on how much money campaigns could spend. He also thought candidates should not receive state funding.

Gun Control

Bentley was against gun control. He supported the right to buy, own, carry, and use firearms.

Health Care

He was against the Affordable Care Act. He supported making Medicaid rules more flexible. He was also against expanding Medicaid, even with federal money.

Immigration

In June 2011, Bentley signed Alabama HB 56 into law. This law was meant to be very tough on illegal immigration. Parts of the law were later found to be unconstitutional. In 2014, Bentley and other governors wrote to President Barack Obama. They shared their concerns about the border crisis at that time.

Leaving Office Early

On April 10, 2017, Robert Bentley resigned as governor of Alabama. He faced issues related to his campaign finances. As part of an agreement, he accepted that he could never hold public office in Alabama again. He was also given a suspended sentence and probation.

Bentley was the fourth Alabama governor to resign. Kay Ivey, who was the Lieutenant Governor, became the new governor the same day.

Personal Life

Robert Bentley and his former wife Dianne had four sons. They also have six granddaughters and one grandson. He was an active member of First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa. He served as a deacon and a Sunday School teacher there. In 2016, the church stated that both Governor Robert Bentley and Rebekah Mason were no longer members.

As governor, he was on the board of trustees for Alabama's colleges and universities. He also served on the board of trustees for the Alabama Medical Education Consortium. He helped start this group. In 2009, he received the Statesmanship Award from the Christian Coalition of Alabama.

In August 2015, Dianne Bentley filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized on September 29, 2015.

Images for kids

Robert Bentley in 2008