By ADAM DODSON | The Selma Times-Journal

State Senator Hank Sanders is recovering well after a recent stint in the hospital.

Sanders was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 22 after showing signs of a heart condition and at the urging of his doctor.

Sanders was released from the hospital the day before Christmas Eve, but without a true understanding of what is causing his shortness of breath, swollen limbs and trembling.

According to Sanders, the tests on all his vital organs, including heart and kidneys, showed healthy results for a 75-year old man.

Sanders and his wife Rose were advised to go to Birmingham for further evaluation of his health. However, Sanders says his health has significantly improved. The swelling in his legs and ankles has diminished, and he believes he will be back at work the first week of January.

Sanders has served in the Alabama Senate since 1983 and is the longest-serving budget committee chairman in state history. He said his health would not impact his ability to serve and he looks forward to the session starting on Feb. 7.

“There is nothing that would stop me from being in the Senate,” Sanders said. “The resting over the holidays did wonders for my health.”

Sanders vows to continue his work in the Senate fighting for issues he has been passionate about for decades, such as voting rights, removing the sales tax for food and fixing Medicaid to increase expansion.