The Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA) board of directors this week announced the hiring of Paige Green Hutto as the organization’s next president and CEO. CCAA consists of chambers of commerce, their executives and staff, and members of business and community organizations that directly serve chamber of commerce work across the Yellowhammer State. The […]

Google products last year generated a total of $1.17 billion in economic activity in Alabama, according to the company’s annual economic impact report released on Thursday. The report advised that 17,700 businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators and developers in the Yellowhammer State used Google products to increase their online presence and connect with the local people […]

U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) are cosponsoring the Death Tax Repeal Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) last week. The legislation would repeal the federal estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Research from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has shown that 44% of small business owners […]

The Supreme Court of Alabama on Friday issued a ruling that affirms the Montgomery Circuit Court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit by three Jackson County residents against Governor Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris over the state’s mask order. The mask mandate has been in place since July 16, 2020, and is […]

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) on Thursday re-introduced legislation proposing a constitutional amendment that would require Congress to have a balanced budget. This marks Shelby’s 18th time to introduce the measure, having sponsored a version of the legislation each Congress since joining the Senate in 1987. The effort is aimed at reducing the increasing national […]

The Alabama Capital Network (ACN) announced this week that Joshua Jones has been hired as its new chief executive officer, effective April 5. ACN was founded in 2017 by Charlie Perry, Sanjay Singh, Ruffner Page, Bill Terry and Bill Goodrich – five Birmingham-area executives deeply attuned to the need for access to capital to grow […]

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) on Thursday announced plans to invest $48 million in its Mobile campus to further grow its business along the Gulf Coast. According to a release, the 119-year-old Birmingham-headquartered company will expand its existing warehouse, optimize its distribution operations and install a state-of-the-art warehousing system that will benefit its associates, […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would ban curbside voting in the state. HB 285 is sponsored by Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy); it is the companion bill to SB 235, which was given a favorable report by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee two weeks ago. SB 235 is […]

NASA on Thursday successfully conducted a full hot fire of the core stage for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that is scheduled to launch the Artemis I mission to the moon, hopefully later this year. The hot fire was the final test of the eight-part, 12-month Green Run series, conducted at Mississippi’s Stennis Space […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House on Thursday afternoon passed HB 445 as substituted and amended in committee; this is the anti-rioting bill sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris) that would create new crimes and penalties for individuals who incite or participate in riots. Treadaway, a 31-year career law enforcement officer who recently retired as Birmingham Police […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday afternoon unanimously passed a $7.67 billion Education Trust Fund budget for fiscal year 2022, the largest education budget in state history. The budget bill, SB 189, is sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), the chairman of the Committee on Finance and Taxation Education. The legislation was approved unanimously […]

Attorney General Steve Marshall, on behalf of the State of Alabama, has joined 20 other state attorneys general in filing suit to block President Joe Biden’s attempt to kill the Keystone XL pipeline project. The multistate lawsuit led by Montana and Texas was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of […]

MONTGOMERY — A bill was introduced this week in the Alabama Legislature to repeal the death penalty. Under existing law, a person who is convicted of a capital offense may be sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole. HB 544, sponsored by Rep. Neil Rafferty (D-Birmingham) and cosponsored by Reps. Rolanda Hollis […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday held a weekly press briefing, speaking about key items of interest on which he is focused in Washington, D.C. Alabama’s junior senator first built on the floor speech he delivered last week on the growing “national security and humanitarian crisis” at the United States’ southwest border. “A week […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Wednesday held committee meetings. Neither chamber convened, so a legislative day was not burned. The committee schedule was relatively light compared to an average week this session. Here is a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Tourism Committee on Wednesday afternoon gave a favorable report to SB 319 as substituted. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville), would propose a constitutional amendment to legalize a lottery in the state of Alabama. The committee action came via a voice vote, with no dissension noted. McClendon referred […]

The Montgomery City Council on Tuesday night unanimously voted in favor of Mayor Steven L. Reed’s landmark initiative to reinvest $50 million in capital projects, spanning neighborhoods, community centers, public safety infrastructure, public transportation and more. The proposal was announced Monday by Reed and is made possible by the City’s success in advantageously restructuring existing municipal […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday evening passed HB 167 as amended; this bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Blackshear (R-Phenix City), would prohibit an individual from voting multiple times in a single election. Under current state law, it is already illegal to vote more than once in Alabama in the same election; […]

MONTGOMERY — Legislation has been introduced to further advance innovation and the 21st-century economy in Alabama. HB 540, sponsored by State Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), was introduced last week; SB 339, sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper), was introduced on Tuesday. The companion bills would establish the Alabama Innovation Corporation. This proposal comes in […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday met for the 15th day of its 2021 regular session. This marked the halfway point in legislative days for the session. Here is a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

Governor Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency for all 67 counties ahead of potential severe weather from Tuesday evening through Thursday morning. The state of emergency goes into effect Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. CST and will allow the State of Alabama to rapidly respond to any consequences that may arise from the weather […]

Birmingham-based Robins & Morton in recent days won three 2020 National Excellence in Construction Awards in the health care and institutional categories. The honors were announced at the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Construction Award Gala held March 10. Projects are eligible to compete for a national excellence designation after earning award-winning status […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced HB 445, the anti-rioting bill sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris). In a party-line vote, the committee gave a favorable report to the bill as substituted and then amended once. Reps. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa), Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) and Prince Chestnut (D-Selma) voted against the legislation. […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Monday took to the floor of the United States Senate regarding H.R. 1, a bill passed by House Democrats that seeks to usurp states’ control of their own elections. “Democrats have labeled the bill the For the People Act, but it really should be called ‘For the Democrats Act.’ […]