For many, Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement on Tuesday to roll back some of the coronavirus restrictions on commerce was welcomed news as it means many businesses can reopen, just with some manageable limits. However, churches and other venues of worship, along with restaurants, bars and breweries, have facilities that must remain closed until further notice […]

Earlier this month, State Finance Director Kelly Butler told Alabama Public Television he did not anticipate proration for either the state’s budgets for this fiscal year. That trend appears to be a trend that will be able to continue for the time being, according to State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), who chairs the Senate Education […]

As the coronavirus shutdown has had a severe impact on the Alabama economy, another component beyond the livelihood, small business and job loss has been cash flow into government coffers. At some point, lawmakers in the Alabama legislature will be determining how to make do with some of these shortfalls, not only for the current […]

Last week, Goodyear announced the final death blow for its manufacturing presence in Alabama with the closure of its Gadsden facility, which had been an institution in that area for over 90 years. However, where one door closes, another opens, according to State Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Gadsden), who says the closure presents an opportunity for […]

For some small businesses, promises from the government to help bridge the economic gap created by a mandated halt of activity have gone unfulfilled, which according to former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville, illustrates the shortcomings of the government. On Monday in an interview with Huntsville, AL radio’s WVNN, Tuberville, a Republican candidate for […]

As election politics have taken a back seat as Alabama grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl, a candidate for the Republican nomination in Alabama’s First Congressional District election, is using his campaign platform to urge action against China. In a letter released to the public on Monday, Carl called on Alabama […]

It will not be one single thing that determines when Alabama will open back up for business, but several different things according to State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. On this week’s broadcast of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” when asked by host Don Dailey about Alabama’s neighbor Georgia moving forward with reopening, Harris explained […]

Like many state governments, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has made COVID-19/coronavirus statistical information available on a dashboard website, complete with the statewide totals and county-by-county totals. Last week, the ADPH changed how it classified virus deaths, which, according to reports, was done to conform to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National […]

As public officials and policymakers wrestle with the right approach for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the narrative has shifted to reopening the economy, which is a decision thus far is being left up to the individual 50 states. In Alabama, there is some division as to when the time is right to reopen. However, […]

There’s a movement afoot in Democratic Party ranks around the country to allow for voting by mail given the coronavirus pandemic. For critics, it has been seen as Democrats using a crisis to score a political advantage. U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) is not opposed to the vote-by-mail movement. However, he argues early voting […]

As Alabama is awaiting direction from state officials on the specifics of reopening Alabama’s economy amid the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been rumblings about the lack of details coming out of Montgomery. One of the first to step out and be openly critical of Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Scott […]

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the government has used powers that have put restrictions on rights, especially on the state level. That has not gone unnoticed by State Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison). During an appearance on Friday’s broadcast of Huntsville radio WVNN’s “The Jeff Poor Show,” Ball said he suspected life in this phase […]

Even though the federal government has the spigots wide open in attempting to pump money into the American economy as it was forced to shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, that assistance is not getting into the hands of the people that need it. That is a chronic complaint of business from one […]

We are a long way from knowing what the grand tally for Alabama will be because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is sure to be a sizeable one from both a health and economic standpoint when it is all said and done. Despite those unknown and “unexpected” elements about which many are concerned, State Sen. […]

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) is not impressed with the state of Alabama’s hospitals because of mandated government policies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, state officials anticipated a woefully inadequate amount of hospital beds because of COVID-19, which forced hospital administrators to cease elective surgeries, which has, in turn, deprived many hospitals […]

Hardly anyone will come out a winner once Alabama has emerged from the suffering inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic and the measures put in place to limit the spread of the virus. Every corner of the state will be economically impacted by the shutdown order put into place by the state government in some way, […]

In recent days with the presence of the threat of COVID-19 in our lives, Medicaid expansion advocates have doubled down on their efforts to encourage policymakers in Alabama to adopt their position on the issue. Estimates range from $150 million and upwards for the initial expansion of Medicaid rolls in the state. Proponents have offered […]

As Gov. Kay Ivey and her administration continue to work through the process of reopening Alabama’s economy, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) urges a continued “measured approach.” Earlier on Tuesday, Ivey told the media she was still working through a timeline to reopen, warning that there was not enough testing capability in Alabama. “We’re […]

Despite proclaiming to open regardless of the consequences of defying a state-order mandate that closed all businesses deemed by the state of Alabama to be non-essential, The Male Room barbershop in North Shelby County did not open on Friday. During an interview that aired on Birmingham radio WERC’s “Alabama’s Morning News” with JT Nysewander, The […]

Despite recommendations from a task force led by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) seeking the immediate rollback of economic restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, state officials at the executive level are not giving any indication that they are willing to budge on the end of the month […]

The reopening of Alabama’s economy may have to wait two more weeks based on comments from Alabama State Officer Dr. Scott Harris, who has the statutory authority to make judgments about reopening businesses forced to close as part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak. That seems to contradict the recommendations of Lt. Gov. Will […]

As the country continues to practice social distancing and other guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19/coronavirus, America’s supply chains have been thoroughly tested as many people are opting for home delivery of goods they may have once traveled to a store to purchase. That transition has increased the burden on American trucking, which […]

If there is any consensus from the right and left on what will have to be done post-COVID-19, it pertains to the United States’ relationship with China in minimizing domestic manufacturing reliance on the Asian superpower. Should the federal government pursue policies requiring or incentivizing production back stateside, former State Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), a […]

On Friday, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth alongside State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) unveiled the Alabama Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force’s “Subcommittee to Reopen the Economy” report, which offers a roadmap for getting the state’s economy back up and running after a shutdown to stem the spread of the COVID-19/coronavirus. The task force’s efforts have the […]