 On November 30, 2016, Robinson abruptly announced he was leaving his seat and permanently retiring from politics.In a press release, he said he wanted to vacate his seat so that his daughter, Amanda Robinson, could keep a job to which she had been appointed as liaison between the Alabama legislature and Governor Robert Bentley's office, and thus avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.He pointed out that his daughter would be the first African-American and the first female in Alabama history to hold that position, and said, "This is why I am retiring now, to give my child every opportunity to succeed."