“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here. 1. Speculation is starting to make the rounds about Secretary of State Beth Chapman’s next move. She has spoken openly in the past about […]

MONTGOMERY – Last week, SB450 passed out of the committee on Governmental Affairs. The bill would merge the Department of Industrial Relations and the Department of Labor into one department. This bill is a part of a larger initiative to streamline state government. Merging these two departments into one department of labor is a more […]

Bonus points this week to anyone who recognizes the gentleman in the picture. “Hate Mail of the Week” is a weekly feature on Yellowhammer Politics in which some of the hate mail submitted through our contact page is published exactly as it was received. The only edits made are to remove expletives — this is […]

This is the fourth video in our new series called “One Thing to Watch.” Each week, we point out one important issue to look out for during the coming week in the Alabama legislature. Last week’s “One Thing to Watch” was Governor Robert Bentley’s engagement with the legislature to help pass some of the priority […]

Things took a turn for the worst in the aftermath of Wednesday’s House Economic Development and Tourism Committee meeting as a lobbyist for the Alabama Farm Wineries let her emotions get the best of her. Claire Austin, a long-time Montgomery lobbyist and President of The Austin Group, was lobbying the committee to pass a bill […]

Immigration: For the first time this session, Republicans invoked cloture in the House. Vote was 61-25. Final immigration bill vote imminent. — Yellow Hammer (@YHPolitics) April 19, 2012 Not that it matters, but Dems often ask Republicans to cloture them and shut off debate. So who is really running the charade? #alpolitics — toddcstacy (@toddcstacy) […]

WAPI’s Matt Murphy invited me on his radio program again this morning to discuss the latest happenings in Montgomery. We hit on a lot of issues including Sen. Cam Ward’s ballot access bill (0:35), changes to the immigration law (4:03), social issues the legislature is taking up (9:15), charter schools (11:45), and cock fighting (12:53). […]

MONTGOMERY- A bill that would bring unprecedented transparency and awareness of school performance is scheduled to be debated Thursday, April 19 in the Alabama House of Representatives. House Bill 588, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur), would establish a simple, comprehensive and consistent system to grade school performance, allowing parents and community leaders to better […]

Legislative pay has been a hot issue over the last couple of weeks. It was actually the topic of our very first “One Thing to Watch” video back on April 1. Rep. Mike Ball’s bill to repeal the pay raise the Democrats passed themselves in 2007 flew through the House of Representatives on a vote […]

MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Wednesday praised the work of a multi-state and federal council that has finalized plans for a first round of Gulf Coast restoration projects. The projects that will move forward in Alabama include a Marsh Island restoration project in Mobile County. Also, a dune restoration project will benefit portions of […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a new weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Enjoy. 1. Yesterday in the Senate during debate over repeal of the 2007 legislative pay raise, the Senators tied 17-17 on a vote to table an amendment by Sen. […]

This is the third video in a new series we’ve started called “One Thing to Watch.” Each week, we point out one important issue to look out for in the coming week in the Alabama legislature. Last week’s “One Thing to Watch” was the General Fund Budget which went on to pass out of the […]

“Hate Mail of the Week” is a weekly feature on Yellowhammer Politics in which some of the hate mail submitted through our contact page is published exactly as it was received. The only edits made are to remove expletives — this is a family show, after all. If you feel like you hate this site, […]

In the video below, Barbara Rountree, Director of Capitol School in Tuscaloosa, speaks in favor of the Education Options Act in a house committee meeting. Meanwhile, Henry Mabry of the AEA sits in the corner plotting a defense of the status quo.

A version of this article appeared April 14, 2012, on page A13 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Tornado Recovery: How Joplin Is Beating Tuscaloosa. By DAVID T. BEITO AND DANIEL J. SMITH Last April 27, one of the worst tornadoes in American history tore through Tuscaloosa, Ala., killing […]

MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Saturday issued the following statement on the Capitol rally organized by the Alabama Education Association: “The AEA has criticized the budget I recommended without providing a better alternative. My budget proposals protect funding for proven education programs while also protecting critical services such as dialysis for Medicaid patients and […]

Bo bikes bama 4/24-4/28! – y’all support! honor victims of ’11 tornadoes & raise disaster relief $ bit.ly/HvVIba — Philip Bryan (@j_philipbryan) April 7, 2012 The only thing worse than an egomaniac is a passive aggressive egomaniac. — Shana Kluck (@ShanaJean) April 8, 2012 Today is the day that Alabama Democrats welcome Louis Farrakhan to […]

MONTGOMERY — Attorney General Luther Strange today launched a major cooperative initiative among state agencies to fight public corruption. The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Alliance brings together partner agencies to pool their resources and expertise, guided by a new Special Prosecutions Division within the Office of Attorney General. “Crimes involving the breach of trust by […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a new weekly feature that runs each Wednesday (a day late this week). It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Enjoy. 1. Where is Chief Justice Chuck Malone going to land? Some are saying they expect him to end up in Tommy Bryan’s seat […]

This is the second video in a new series we’ve started called “One Thing to Watch.” Each week, we point out one important issue to look out for in the coming week in the Alabama legislature. We’ll also take one reader question in each video. You can submit a question HERE. If your question is […]

“Hate Mail of the Week” is a weekly feature on Yellowhammer Politics in which some of the hate mail submitted through our contact page is published exactly as it was received. The only edits made are to remove expletives — this is a family show, after all. If you feel like you hate this site, […]

One of the primary components of the GOP’s jobs package this session is HB 159/160. This constitutional amendment allows voters to give the Governor and the Alabama Development Office the authority to offer incentives like those used on the Mercedes project to recruit new industry to Alabama and prevent existing industry from leaving the state. […]

Proposed revisions to Alabama’s immigration law are focused on clearing up misconceptions and correcting any portions that might be vague or require additional definitions. Many revisions are merely technical, while some are more substantive. All changes are aimed to maintain the strength of Alabama’s illegal immigration law, while making the law more workable for local […]