DOTHAN — Fresh off his announcement of a run for U.S. Senate days earlier, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) made a stop in the southeastern corner of the state on Thursday to woo GOP voters more than a year ahead of the 2022 Republican primary. In his 2017 bid for U.S. Senate, Brooks struggled in […]

Next week could be another make-or-break week for State Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gaming proposal as far as the 2021 regular session goes. After a week away from the State House in Montgomery, lawmakers in the upper chamber are set to debate a revised proposal that will reportedly include the so-called enabling legislation sought […]

As the tourist season revs up for 2021, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon hopes for an improvement over a season hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic a year earlier. However, his approach to government mandates has turned defiant as the pandemic has seemingly become more politicized. During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The […]

Earlier this month, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a record $2.4 billion general fund budget. Following the passage, House Ways and Means General Fund Committee chairman State Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) said he expected things to “go smoothly.” However, his Senate counterpart State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund […]

It has been nearly two years since Gov. Kay Ivey declared the last incarnation of the Interstate 10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project “dead.” However, a new proposal sprung to life on Monday after the Eastern Shore and Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) offered a new $725 million plan. The plan would include a […]

During an appearance on Friday’s broadcast of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) laid out his plan to proceed on a comprehensive gaming bill once the Alabama Legislature returns from spring break on March 30. Marsh acknowledged one of the hang-ups that led to the failure of his last effort was […]

Saturday, during the March virtual meeting of the Madison County Republican Men’s Club, Ivey chief of staff Jo Bonner addressed Gov. Kay Ivey’s objective with the gaming issue as the Alabama legislature grapples with the ins and outs of the so-called comprehensive approach put forth by State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston). Ivey had signaled her […]

Reportedly, the Alabama State Senate will take another look at the elusive gaming issue when members return from a week off later this month, which, if successful, could add a lottery and increase the availability of casino-style gaming around the state. Legislation offered by State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) fell two votes shy of clearing […]

On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed HB445, a bill that increases criminal liability and penalties for those who incite or participate in various elements of rioting. The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris), who recently retired from a 31-year-long law enforcement career and was formerly an assistant police chief for […]

The front-and-center issue on the national political scene has been the turmoil underway at the U.S.-Mexico border and how the Biden administration is attempting to diffuse the situation. Some Democrats have said the crisis underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to solving the country’s immigration woes. However, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) said he […]

One of the “no” votes that was thought to be a possible “yes” vote on State Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gambling package, which included a constitutional amendment that fell just two votes shy of meeting the three-fifths majority required, was State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road). Barfoot, similar to his Montgomery-area colleague State Sen. […]

Last week, State Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gambling proposal fell two votes short of the required three-fifths needed for a constitutional amendment, which would have laid the groundwork for a lottery, the proliferation of casino gaming and opened the opportunity for sports gambling in Alabama. The outcome was a surprise to political watchers, and […]

Nationally, some states have pushed to adopt so-called “constitutional” permitless carry, which, according to proponents, would allow someone to exercise their Second Amendment rights and carry a firearm without restrictions on the state level. Despite a vocal effort supporting the practice, Alabama policymakers have been resistant to adopting the policy. State Rep. Proncey Robertson (R-Mt. […]

Last week, the Alabama Attorney General’s office announced it was partnering with U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) in a suit against the U.S. Census Bureau to prevent the Census data from allegedly being manipulated, as the results are slow-walked to the individual states. During an appearance on Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5, Alabama Attorney General […]

Last week’s failure by Alabama Senate to pass a comprehensive gambling bill has made the future for gaming uncertain. If the legislature cannot pass a bill this year, history suggests it is unlikely to be considered in the fourth year of a quadrennium with elections on the horizon. However, State House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter […]

Uncertainty prevails over the decades-long saga of the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Alabama, but some clarity could be forthcoming, according to State Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro). During an appearance on Huntsville radio’s “WVNN Afternoons,” Livingston said he anticipated a ruling from U.S. District Judge Liles Burke that could determine whether or not the […]

The failure of State Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gaming legislation last week has led to some lawmakers scrambling for a simplified back-up plan that could lay the groundwork for at least a lottery in Alabama. Among those are State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), who along with Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville), has proposed a so-called […]

Immediately upon the failure of Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gambling legislation earlier this week, Marsh’s colleague, Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville), dropped a bill with a stated objective of creating a “simple lottery.” The legislation, SB320, which is co-sponsored by Marsh and Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), also includes a provision for five locations with so-called […]

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to protest an effort underway led by congressional Democrats to expand background checks on gun purchases. According to the Coffee County Republican, if Democrats are successful in their bid, it could increase the waiting period associated with the […]

Last week, Gov. Kay Ivey announced she was extending elements of her emergency order to deal with the threat of COVID-19 through April 9. Shortly before that official announcement, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth called on Ivey to end the mandate, which has been underway nearly a year. During an appearance on Huntsville radio’s “WVNN Afternoons” […]

Last month, on the heels of U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby’s (R-Tuscaloosa) announcement that he would not seek a seventh term in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) acknowledged she was considering a possible bid for that seat. In a follow-up appearance on MSNBC to commemorate the 56th anniversary of Selma’s “Bloody Sunday,” Sewell […]

FLORENCE — With the third month of the 117th Congress now underway, House Democrats have pushed forward in their efforts to pass H.R. 1, which would impose so-called reforms to the country’s voting system. Also among the priorities for Democrats, who control the White House, House and Senate, are immigration measures that could include amnesty […]

FLORENCE — Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has banned the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except in the extreme case of saving the life of a pregnant woman or terminating a pregnancy that resulted from incest or rape. The Hyde Amendment has stood the test of time, most recently during the 2010 […]

Earlier this week, Secretary of State John Merrill insisted he had never been a proponent of so-called no-excuse absentee voting, arguing that he was only looking to improve upon a proposal offered by State Rep. Laura Hall (D-Huntsville). Merrill, a rumored candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat up in 2022, told […]