James R. Bennett (1940-2016) was an Alabama state representative and senator and two-term Secretary of State before Gov. Bob Riley appointed him commissioner of the Alabama Department of Labor in 2003. Bennett also chaired the Governor's Commission on Constitutional Reform.
![](https://bunny-wp-pullzone-5vqgtgkbhi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/m-4650.jpg)