The NCAA has announced that its Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC), in conjunction with the NCAA office of inclusion, is recognizing Auburn University Director of Athletics Allen Greene and four other individuals as “Champions of Diversity and Inclusion for their work in supporting ethnic minorities and other underrepresented groups and individuals.” According to a release, […]

MONTGOMERY — Talk 99.5’s “Matt & Val Show” broadcast live from inside the Alabama State Capitol on Thursday morning, interviewing Governor Kay Ivey, members of her cabinet and prominent state legislators. The interview came ahead of the third day of the legislature’s 2021 regular session and two days after Ivey’s annual State of the State […]

U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) early Friday morning joined their Republican colleagues in voting against Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, the Fiscal Year 2021 budget reconciliation package. The Senate vote split evenly on party lines, 50-50, however, Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie to adopt the resolution. The budget reconciliation package […]

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin this week filed his 2020 year-end finance report, showing $1,003,783 raised so far with $1,000,756 cash on hand for his upcoming campaign. Woodfin officially announced his reelection bid last week and already has a big cash advantage. In fact, the recent donations to Woodfin are records for any Birmingham municipal race […]

Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) on Friday announced his reappointment to the influential House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for the 117th Congress, which runs through January 3, 2023. At the subcommittee level, Brooks has been reappointed to Strategic Forces and appointed to Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. The North Alabama congressman has served on HASC […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday morning passed Senator Arthur Orr’s (R-Decatur) SB 30, which would provide limited liability protections to businesses, health care providers and other entities against civil lawsuits related to COVID-19. The vote was 28-1, with Senator Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) as the only “no.” The bill would provide a “safe harbor” […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday quickly and unanimously passed a legislative package that is designed to further improve the federal military presence and investment across the Yellowhammer State. The legislative package is the result of work by the Alabama Military Stability Commission, a panel that is chaired by Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL). […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Wednesday met for the second day of the 2021 regular session. Both chambers gaveled in for relatively brief periods of time, but the day’s committee schedule was pretty packed. Here’s a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday was appointed to four Senate standing committees. The news came after the Senate adopted a power sharing agreement that determined the two caucuses would get an equal number of senators on each committee during the 117th Congress due to the 50-50 split in the chamber. Tuberville, as a […]

Prominent plaintiff’s attorney Alexander Shunnarah on Wednesday announced the launch of Shunnarah Vail Trial Attorneys, P.C., a joint venture with former Hollis, Wright & Clay, P.C. attorney Tyler Vail. The new firm will be separate from Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, P.C., of which Shunnarah is the founder and continues to serve as CEO. According to […]

U.S. News & World Report this week released its rankings of the top 25 hotels in Alabama, and the biggest winner was the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The rankings are based on an analysis of travel expert and user opinions, per U.S. News. Alabama’s top five hotels were as follows:

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution honoring the life and legacy of baseball legend and Mobile native Hank Aaron. The measure was introduced last week by U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) following Aaron’s death at age 86.

MONTGOMERY — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning gave a favorable report to Senator Arthur Orr’s (R-Decatur) SB 30, which would provide limited liability protections to businesses, health care providers and other entities against civil lawsuits related to COVID-19. The committee vote was 9-2. The bill would provide a “safe harbor” against frivolous coronavirus […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning gave a favorable report to a bill that would allow the delivery of sealed beer, wine and liquor from grocery stores, restaurants and other licensed retailers to residences across the Yellowhammer State. The bill, SB 126, would provide that the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board […]

Alabama Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) on Tuesday announced that he has hired Caroline Franklin to serve as his communications director. Franklin, a Montgomery native, most recently served as communications director to then-U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02) in her Washington, D.C. office. Prior to her work with Roby, Franklin served on the Capitol Hill […]

U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Tuesday voted against two more cabinet nominations made by President Joe Biden. Alabama’s senators on the day opposed the confirmations of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Buttigieg — the former presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Indiana — was […]

Outgoing Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan on Tuesday evening released a statement reacting to Governor Kay Ivey’s 2021 State of the State Address. “Governor Kay Ivey set forth an agenda with big goals and a bold vision,” said Lathan. “I have no doubt she will work with the Legislature to have deep discussions to […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday began its 2021 regular session. Both chambers gaveled in at noon to begin the third year of the current quadrennium, ahead of Governor Kay Ivey’s State of the State Address being delivered virtually at 6:30 p.m. instead of the usual fanfare inside the State Capitol. Across the street […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday evening delivered her 2021 State of the State Address. The address was delivered virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read Ivey’s remarks as prepared as follows:

MONTGOMERY — Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) on Tuesday submitted to the body updated Standing Committee assignments made by the Senate’s Committee on Assignments. The changes follow the departure of former Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) from the chamber, as well as the leadership changes atop the Senate that also affected a committee […]

MONTGOMERY — Senator Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) on Tuesday officially became the majority leader of the Alabama State Senate. The ascension was formalized minutes after the start of the legislature’s 2021 regular session when newly elected Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) resigned his former post as majority leader and delivered to the Senate a letter notifying […]

MONTGOMERY — Governor Kay E. Ivey (R-AL) will deliver her 2021 State of the State Address at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2. Normally, the address is delivered to members of the legislators and other dignitaries assembled in the Old House Chamber inside the State Capitol. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivey will deliver […]

MONTGOMERY — State Senator Greg Reed (R-Jasper) on Tuesday was elected by his colleagues to serve as president pro tempore of the Alabama Legislature’s upper chamber. The pro tem is the highest ranking senator in the body; while the lieutenant governor presides over the chamber, the pro tem is widely viewed as the most powerful […]

The Alabama Education Association (AEA) board of directors on Monday announced the unanimous selection of Amy Hubbard Marlowe to serve as executive director of the state’s de facto teachers union. Marlowe has been serving as AEA interim executive director since January 2019. She reacted to being appointed on a permanent basis in a written statement. […]