Last week’s announcement by U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) not to seek reelection in 2022 was not a huge surprise to many political watchers. However, it has triggered speculation as to who might seek to fill that vacancy. Among the names mentioned as possible candidates on the Republican side include U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), […]

One of the possible beneficiaries of State Sen. Del Marsh’s (R-Anniston) comprehensive gaming legislation unveiled earlier this week is Macon County’s VictoryLand facility, which at times has been the subject of controversy in Alabama’s decades-long gambling conundrum. The legislation, SB 214, if passed, would allow for the expansion of gaming at VictoryLand. That is a welcome […]

Earlier this week, State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) introduced so-called comprehensive gaming legislation, which, if enacted, would establish an education lottery in addition to casino gaming and sports betting at five designated areas throughout the state. On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate Tourism Committee gave a favorable report to the legislation, SB 214, and now it awaits […]

On Tuesday, State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) introduced what he deemed comprehensive gaming legislation, which, if enacted, would establish an education lottery in addition to casino gaming and sports betting at five designated areas throughout the state. On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate Tourism Committee gave a favorable report to the legislation, SB 214, and now […]

A quick Google search would reveal Alabama has an official state symbol for almost everything — state amphibian, state bird, state crustacean, state mammal, state reptile, state tree, state spirit, etc. However, in a state with such a heavy agricultural presence, there is no state vegetable. A group of homeschoolers sought to change that with […]

With a new Biden administration and Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, there are uncertainties regarding the protection Second Amendment rights and federal measures in the name of gun control that could erode those rights. State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Satsuma) seeks to shield Alabamians from state or local governments from being mandated to enforce federal […]

One of the justifications for the Ivey administration to pursue a build-lease prison plan instead of the traditional bond issue for the construction of three new mega-prisons throughout the state is the legislature has not been able to reach an agreement over the past several years, and that has forced Gov. Kay Ivey to go […]

While it was not a total surprise, Monday’s announcement from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) that he would not seek a seventh term in 2022 did send shockwaves through the political universe — not just in Alabama but around the country. Shelby served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and nearly six terms in […]

Governor Kay Ivey’s prison plan, which includes three facilities, constructed in Escambia, Elmore and Bibb Counties with the State of Alabama leasing those facilities from a private contractor that will build and own them, has been met with skepticism from state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However, last week, Ivey signed leases for […]

For decades, every legislative session begins with a question about this possibly being the year legislators pass something to initiate a lottery in Alabama. With each passing year, support for a lottery grows. This year is no different, according to State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville). During an appearance on this week’s broadcast of […]

Last week, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee gave a favorable report to SB 46, a bill brought by Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence), which would legalize medical marijuana in the state. That likely clears the path for the legislation’s passage in the Alabama Senate. Its future now rests in the Alabama House of Representatives, where it […]

According to Alabama Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington, despite the economic downturn tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many unfilled positions around the state. Washington, whose agency has been dealing with claims tied to layoffs because of the pandemic, also has been working to find skilled labor for those open positions. During an […]

Last month, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) was appointed to the House Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs committees, which compliments his second congressional district’s military and agriculture presence. Moore, a freshman lawmaker just over one month into his first term, noted how the assignments lined up with his military service and agricultural science studies at Auburn […]

Last month during a budget hearing before the Alabama Legislature began the 2021 regular session, State Reps. Rich Wingo (R-Tuscaloosa) and Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) called on Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn to reveal more details about Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to lease three new mega-prison facilities. At the time, just days before […]

Last week, SB 97, legislation brought by State Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that would limit the power of the state health officer and add a check on the executive branch under a state of emergency, advanced through the Judiciary Committee by a 7-4 vote. Complaints surfaced during the […]

Earlier this week, State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island) introduced legislation that would withhold state tax abatements or credits and economic incentives from companies that engage in censorship. Brown’s HB 213 Anti-Censorship Act has 10 other co-sponsors. The language of the bill explicitly states censorship would pertain to anything outside of incitement to violence. Tech […]

While some Republican voters have lamented the outcome of the 2020 election, given the circumstances they felt were questionable, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) says those voters are about to get a wake-up call as the Biden administration enacts its policies. During an appearance on Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5, Palmer predicted job losses would […]

Earlier this week, Gov. Kay Ivey signed 30-year lease agreements for two new mega-prisons, one in Escambia County and the other in Elmore County. The announcement drew some objections from members of the Alabama Legislature but nothing in the form of legislation that might prevent the Ivey administration from proceeding with the project. Wednesday, during […]

For whatever reason, Democrats and the media have sought to get as many Republican elected officials to offer their thoughts on U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a controversial freshman lawmaker who has reportedly taken views considered far outside of the mainstream. Among those questioned was U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), who declined to comment […]

On Monday, State Rep. Mike Holmes (R-Wetumpka) announced he would back legislation that would strengthen the existing Alabama Memorial Preservation Act. The controversial law, which was passed in 2017, protects “monuments, markers, and other historical remembrances from removal, relocation, and destruction.” During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” the […]

For the third consecutive year, the Alabama Legislature will consider legalizing medicinal marijuana. Efforts have made progress in both chambers of the legislature in previous years but stalled out. State Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence), an anesthesiologist, leads the effort once again in 2021. During an appearance on Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5, Melson insists the […]

On Tuesday, the Alabama Policy Institute announced it was launching a so-called “legislative scorecard” for the 2021 legislative session that would grade members of the legislature in three areas, which include votes, attendance and public profile. Topics for “key votes” for the 2021 session’s scorecard involve what API says efforts to restore the “balance of […]

Despite a continuous troop presence in the nation’s capital city and a heightened level of rhetoric that has not decreased since the 2020 election or President Joe Biden’s inauguration, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) indicated he was optimistic a level of calm could come in time. Carl, who is one month into his first term […]

Among the executive orders issued by Gov. Kay Ivey toward the end of 2020 included waiving state tax liabilities related to benefits received under the federal CARES Act. The order came under the assumption the Alabama Legislature would follow suit promptly after gaveling in for its 2021 regular session. One of the efforts to codify […]