In the wake of the recent horrific school shootings in Santa Fe, Texas, and Lakeland, Florida, and today’s tragic events at a middle school in Noblesville, Indiana, I found myself reviewing another opinion piece that I wrote in December of 2012. That one was written in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut. […]

For some time, I have been working on the draft of an opinion piece I loosely entitled “Fortress Alabama.” The impetus for the piece was the deep concern I have for the loss of conservative positions in national politics and the feeling that Alabama could become one of the last bastions of defense for those […]

Across our nation there is a deafening debate about the “rights” of those who claim a gender preference or identity other than the one with which they were born. Make no mistake: it is a debate that is happening even here in the very conservative state of Alabama. As I write this, a big-box retailer […]

I carry a simple photograph in my wallet. The picture was taken in early 2004 and at first glance it is not a remarkable image. But the story behind it is profound. The image is of a group of men sitting around a conference table deliberating the mundane items of local governance. Those men were […]

As I write this opinion, I am a few days removed from the final round of Alabama’s budgeting melee. It was a thorough and exhausting process and while I am not entirely satisfied with the result, I recognize that there were some solid victories in the process. It calls to mind a quote I’ve retained […]

The Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist transcends time and was a catalyst for social change in its day. As we enter the second special session of the Alabama Legislature to focus on the anemic and malnourished General Fund budget, I am reminded of a specific, iconic scene from Dickens’ novel. Young Oliver, underfed and with circles […]

By now I’m sure that you’ve heard Alabama has a budget problem. As the Chairman for the State Senate Committee for Fiscal Responsibility I firmly believe that the budget woes we face this year can be fixed without raising taxes or relying upon gambling. But to do so we will have to make some repairs […]

The State of Alabama is facing a fiscal challenge right now unlike any that we have had in contemporary memory. Regardless of how big the hole in the General Fund budget really is, the fact is that there is a hole. The debate rages on how to fill it and there are ideas, opinions, and […]

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” …or in this case the money behind the green energy push that is advancing its way into Alabama. If you haven’t noticed there is a great deal of green behind the green. I consider myself a pragmatic optimist. I believe that we should always be searching […]

In 2002, in the early days of the war in Afghanistan, I had a great conversation with an Afghan man on the outskirts of the Coalition area of operations. He was amazed by the technology, values and freedom that I described to him in the land that I came from. I will never forget the […]

It was with real interest that I watched (and participated in) the Chick-Fil-A wars yesterday. I read many postings, articles and comments on both sides, but here is my personal perspective: I believe that this is about far more than just how you feel about gay marriage. It is several key things all wrapped up […]