Last week’s dust-up between U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) and the Alabama Farmers Federation is still having ripple effects throughout Alabama’s political landscape. Shortly after FarmPAC, the Alabama Farmers Federation’s (ALFA) political arm, announced its slate of endorsements, which included former Business Council of Alabama president and CEO Katie Britt for U.S. Senate, Brooks had […]

A portion of the financing for the $1.3 billion new prison construction plan passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this month was to come from federal COVID-19 relief money. As much as $400 million is believed to be eligible for the prison construction plan from money set […]

One of the leading advocates for gambling legislation that would pave the way for a lottery and detente between the various gaming interest in Alabama over the past few years has been State Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston). However, if legislation is offered between now and the end of this quadrennium, it won’t come from Marsh. […]

Some Republican lawmakers have suggested an upcoming special session for the purposes of reapportionment may include more than matters related to reapportionment. According to State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals), Gov. Kay Ivey may include language in the call of the special session that would allow the Alabama Legislature to push back against President Joe […]

Add U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) to the list of Republicans that take issue with U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks’ (R-Huntsville) categorization of Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) as pro-open borders and ALFA-supported candidates as “Republican RINOs.” During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “Midday Mobile,” Carl insisted he was not a pro-amnesty politician and […]

At the end of last week’s special session, the prison plan proposal offered by Republican leadership and Gov. Kay Ivey’s administration sailed through both chambers of the legislature before it was signed into law. In the Alabama Senate, the final product passed with bipartisan support by a 29-2 margin. Among the two no votes were […]

During last week’s special session of the Alabama Legislature to deal with prison construction, some Democrats argued against new prisons and said state government should focus more of its efforts on criminal justice reforms to alleviate problems plaguing the current prison system. Two so-called criminal justice reform measures were considered that would retroactively apply previously […]

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted along party lines 50-48 to pass an agreement to raise the federal debt limit by $480 billion through December 3. The Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will now consider the measure. To get that vote, a group of Republican Senators joined Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to reach […]

Thursday, the University of South Alabama revealed its shortlist of candidates to fill its presidential vacancy. According to a post on the USA website, Gov. Kay Ivey chief of staff Jo Bonner is named among the finalists for the opening. “Our search for the next president of South, which yielded significant interest from a broad […]

Thursday, the 2022 U.S. Senate campaign for U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) announced it had earned the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). In the endorsement, Cruz asked his fellow conservatives to back Brooks. “Mo Brooks is a proven conservative who will fight to protect Alabama from Joe Biden’s radical agenda,” Cruz said in […]

Earlier this week, Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a blistering op-ed hammering Alabama’s policymakers for being “completely and utterly detached from what law enforcement and prosecutors see day in and day out” when it comes to the push for so-called criminal justice reform. Marshall’s commentary comes on the heels of Sheffield Police Department Sgt. Nick […]

Recently, ALFA’s FarmPAC endorsed U.S. Senate hopeful Katie Britt for Alabama’s U.S. Senate seat up in 2022, and on Monday, the Britt campaign released radio and digital advertisements touting the endorsement. The endorsement of Britt continues a long streak of ALFA endorsements for opponents of U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), who is one of Britt’s […]

Friday, Sheffield Police Department Sgt. Nick Risner was one of two officers shot while on duty. A day later, he died from that injury. Just hours before, the Alabama Legislature ended a special session by passing HB 2, a sentencing reform bill, which Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law, along with a $1.3 billion prison […]

Although the 2020 elections were a disappointment for Republicans because of losing the White House, their party was still able to make gains in the U.S. House of Representatives. Had it not been for those gains, in addition to U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may have […]

On Saturday, the Sheffield Police Department announced Sgt. Nick Risner, one of two officers shot while on duty a day earlier, had died from those injuries. According to reports, Risner had been on the force for nine years. Gov. Kay Ivey offered her condolences and said flags would be lowered to half-staff on the day […]

While there are still a few skeptics of a plan to use $400 million in federal COVID-19 relief money on new prison construction, State Rep. Tracy Estes (R-Winfield) insists the legislature still had to act on the plan. During an appearance on Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5’s “The Jeff Poor Show” on Friday, the prison […]

Many Republicans were surprised when Gov. Kay Ivey included two measures that would retroactively apply so-called criminal justice reform measures in her prison construction special session call. One proposed bill would allow those convicted prior to a successful 2013 sentencing reform effort to have their sentences re-evaluated. Another would expand the number of felons that […]

Early this month at one of the first forums of the 2022 election cycle, Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) and former Business Council of Alabama head Katie Britt had a tense exchange over the 2017 election cycle and the support for then-GOP U.S. Senate nominee former State Supreme Court Chief Justice […]

Monday, Talladega Superspeedway announced Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Katie Britt would serve as the honorary starter for the YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Talladega Superspeedway. Britt, who will be the guest of title sponsor YellaWood, will wave the green flag to set the race in motion from high above the start-finish line. […]

During an appearance on this week’s broadcast of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) previewed the special session of the legislature called by Gov. Kay Ivey set to take place this week. Daniels acknowledged the importance of the new prison construction component was a necessity. However, he took aim at […]

Included in the prison special session call released by Gov. Kay Ivey’s office last week were two additional provisions dealing with criminal justice reform. One calls for legislation to make 2013 sentencing standards apply retroactively to those sentenced prior to 2013, and the other would apply a 2015 law on mandatory supervision of inmates retroactively […]

Another one of the Alabama Senate districts that could be a net loser if the legislature passes the prison proposal before it in next week’s special session is the Alabama Senate District 6, currently represented by Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia). The Hamilton Aged and Infirmed Center, operated by the Alabama Department of Corrections, is located […]

Part of the prison proposal set to be discussed in next week’s special session of the Alabama Legislature is the state’s purchase of the long-discussed Perry County Correctional Center just east of Uniontown on U.S. Highway 80. The 700-plus bed facility is owned by GEO Group and has been mostly unoccupied since its construction was […]

State Sen. Billy Beasley’s (D-Clayton) Senate District 28 could be one of the big losers if a proposed prison plan is approved during a special session next week by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. Senate District 28 is home to three prison facilities —  Easterling Correctional Facility in Clio, […]