U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions paid a visit to Scott Park in Linden on Wednesday during a softball game between the Linden Youth Advisors and the Linden Department of Public Safety with proceeds going to the Marengo County Relay for Life.

He took a turn at bat, taking pitches from Marengo Academy pitcher Jessica Brock, and was given a gift basket from the Easter bunny as portrayed by Jasmine Rembert.

Sessions talked about the possible widening of U.S. Highway 43, saying it was up to the state transportation department to work out the details and for the federal government to provide the funding. He also discussed other topics.

“The biggest thing that’s going on is that a huge chunk of the stimulus money has not been spent,” he said. “The most disappointing thing about the stimulus is that less than 4 percent of that money went to roads and bridges. The state will receive extra money over the next couple of years. It’s been slow; it didn’t get out as fast as it should. You basically have to compete through the state system to get the money.

Among other items of discussion were several nominations coming before Sessions’ judiciary committee.

“There are several coming up that I believe are problematic,” he said. “They reflect a philosophy of judging that I don’t think is appropriate. We’ll have to oppose those. We need to move away from this idea of transcendent moral truths and the more cultural understandings of how to interpret the law. The law contemplates the fairness, objectivity, the neutral umpire who calls balls and strikes without trying to favor one team or another, one political philosophy or another.”

Sessions also discussed President Barack Obama’s announcement on Wednesday to expand offshore oil drilling, and if that is an attempt at bipartisanship.

“It’s not bipartisanship for the sake of bipartisanship so much,” he said. “To me, it’s what do you believe about the future of the country? Which direction should we go? Health care to me was a matter of our principles, and divisions were deeply over whether you thought it’s a good idea for the federal government to go this far into health care.”