Vicious assault. Brutal rape. Cold-blooded murder. These are some of the crimes that will get you thrown into prison, but what if they’re also what could happen to you once you get there? Sadly, a federal investigation found this is happening in Alabama’s prison system, and part of the problem is we’ve simply run out […]

Father’s Day has come and gone, and sadly so too has the concept of fatherhood in many parts of Alabama. Nearly half of all babies born here are to unmarried women, according to the latest information from the Alabama Department of Public Health. This is a crisis. It is a crisis that researchers have shown […]

Alabama has been in the news lately for recently passing the nation’s strongest anti-abortion law, but it also just enacted what is being hailed by one expert as “one of the most comprehensive and effective campus free-speech laws in the country” Last week Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law requiring the state’s public colleges and […]

Lottery supporters were left saying “so close …” last week after the latest attempt to establish the game in Alabama collapsed under the weight of competing interests and power plays. It was reminiscent of the failed lotto player, successfully matching his numbers one-by-one until his hopes are dashed when that final digit proves ever elusive. […]

Did you know that it’s against the law to braid hair, wash hair or even plant flowers professionally in Alabama without a license? That’s because occupational licensing, originally meant to protect consumers, has gotten way out of hand. A video recently produced by the Alabama Policy Institute illustrates just how ridiculous it has become. Sure, licensing certain […]

If only Alabama’s leaders had a magical Medicaid “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, so they could flip ahead and see the different outcomes we could expect by expanding the government insurance program that was originally designed for the poor and disabled. Would it end in a stronger economy, more jobs and a vibrant system of […]

An atheist group from Wisconsin has implicitly or directly threatened to sue more than 40 Alabama school systems, local governments, and elected officials during recent years over what they claim are violations of the Constitution’s ban on the establishment of religion. The organization, called the Freedom from Religion Foundation, is often successful. Many give in […]

Can Alabamians support raising our gas tax for better roads while remaining true to our belief in limited government and protecting a beneficial, low-tax environment for our businesses, our families and our future? Yes … if taxes are lowered elsewhere so that the overall amount of money taken from the people doesn’t increase. The concept […]

The U.S. Supreme Court recently signaled that it’s ready to limit the government’s power to confiscate things like cars, houses, and cash that prosecutors have proven, or maybe just reasonably suspect, were involved in crimes. The court heard oral arguments related to Indiana’s use of the power, known as asset forfeiture, to confiscate a $42,000 vehicle — […]

We often hear that the rich should be made to pay their “fair share,” but the top 20 percent of earners are already paying about 84 percent of our nation’s income taxes. Some say that’s a reasonable apportionment from each according to their ability, but here’s a modest proposal for consideration: maybe it’s time for […]

Liberals seeking a future in Alabama politics don’t have many options nowadays, but that’s not all good news for conservatives. If the state’s Republican Party is the only game in town (and it is), then it’s bound to attract all sorts of players, from liberal candidates to liberal special interests and everything in between. Take […]

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s wife, Bridgette Gentry Marshall was confirmed dead Sunday, following “a long struggle with mental illness,” according to a statement from Marshall’s office. When untimely death strikes, our natural tendency is to immediately want to know what happened and be tempted to listen to and spread gossip. But Steve Marshall and […]

Ivy League professors don’t normally write nice things about Alabama, especially when the topic veers into discussions of race and past (and current) injustices. But not all Ivy League professors come from here. Thankfully Imani Perry does, and in next month’s print edition of Harper’s Magazine the Birmingham-native and current professor at Princeton University pens a beautifully honest […]

Earlier this month the Democrat Party’s nominee for governor, Walt Maddox, responded to a questionnaire about his views on many issues facing Alabamians, but his answers about abortion proved to be the most revealing, although probably unintentionally. The Tuscaloosa mayor began by writing that he was “personally opposed to abortion,” a slippery term if there ever […]

Conservatives have spent a great deal of time recently decrying the double standard we face over the appropriateness of our behavior. The debate surrounding Roseanne Barr can be read elsewhere, but the basic complaint is this: Conservatives, and even those who half-heartedly support conservatives, are held accountable for things that progressives routinely get away with […]

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle proved three things during his failed campaign for governor: First, that he’s the best mayor in the state of Alabama by nearly every measurable indicator. Second, the people of North Alabama believe he’s doing a great job — they gave him plenty of votes. Third, business and industry interests in North […]

Near the end of the Korean War novel “The Bridges of Toko-Ri,” an American military commander is mourning the death of some of his best men, but also remembering their strength, their courage, and the devotion they shared for one another. Staring alone out at the morning sea, he reflects on how fortunate our nation […]

With just 34 words twisted together in cruel and bitter intent, Alabama State Rep. Patricia Todd – our first openly gay lawmaker and a professional human rights activist – has shown us everything that’s wrong with politics, journalism and the awful thing called Twitter. Here’s what Todd tweeted Tuesday night: https://twitter.com/reptodd/status/996549238665379841 Folks, decent people just […]

Hardly anyone is paying attention to the race for the Republican Party’s nomination for governor this year. That’s because the campaign is sort of boring. All four candidates are qualified, rational, reasonable and respectable people, and we lack a serious crisis or pressing issue upon which to contrast their differences. But isn’t that a good […]

This evening we’re introducing Yellowhammer University, a regular series of posts that will highlight information we find educational and believe advances the conservative movement. The university’s “curriculum” will include subjects that stretch across politics, faith, and culture, and will be comprised from a mix of content — interviews, lectures, speeches, videos, articles and books. Tonight’s inaugural installment […]

On a day like today, many sons and daughters across Alabama can appreciate Coach Bear Bryant’s famous television commercial for South Central Bell. “Have you called your mama today?” the Bear asked, after explaining how he encouraged his players to keep in touch with their families. “I sure wish I could call mine.” Me too, coach. […]

It’s been six months since Rachel and I began editing Yellowhammer News, bringing with us a traditionally conservative focus on politics, culture and faith, a new and experienced team of writers, and an innovative new website design. And the response has been incredible – Yellowhammer News articles are now being read more than half a million times […]

Everything one needs to know about foreign policy can be learned by watching the three-minute negotiation scene between the Rebel outlaw and the Comanche chief in the film “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” Wales offers both life … and death … with utmost sincerity, and because the outlaw is willing to die in battle, the warrior chief […]

The president has repeatedly insulted Alabama’s Jeff Sessions, calling him “weak” “disgraceful” and an “idiot” along with mockingly nicknaming him Mr. Magoo. To add injury to insults, many fair-weather conservatives have echoed these jeers or said nothing, failing to defend a man who has faithfully defended us and our values for decades. Oh well, at […]