Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced her support for a major, bipartisan package of bills that have been introduced in the Alabama legislature upon recommendation from the Governor’s Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy. Ivey established the study group in July 2019, which came after the Department of Justice concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that […]

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has announced that the Birmingham-Jefferson County Port Authority will receive $840,000 for inland port capital improvement initiatives. The grant is being awarded through the Alabama Inland Port Infrastructure Program, which focuses on capital improvement initiatives such as activities to facilitate and coordinate inland port development, improvement, […]

MONTGOMERY — Spearheaded by Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, the Alabama Senate last week passed a package of bills designed to enhance the state’s climate of military-friendliness. However, on the Senate floor during consideration of some of the bills and in the aftermath of the votes, some have expressed confusion as to why the bills were […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill as substituted that would allow prosecutors and judges broader discretion in requesting and denying bail to those accused of committing violent crimes. HB 81, sponsored by State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Mobile), would be known as “Aniah’s Law” if enacted, named after the late […]

Workforce development has become a well-known priority on the state level, with Alabama’s recent efforts garnering international attention. Indeed, the issue has become such a focus that job training is now playing a major role in policy discussions — and in elections — on the local level. The perfect exemplar of this is a candidate […]

Work done at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has led to the investigational drug remdesivir, which is now being used to treat select infected patients in the United States and China who have been afflicted with novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). As outlined by UAB, remdesivir was developed through research conducted through the Antiviral Drug […]

MONTGOMERY — The respective health committees of the Alabama House and Alabama Senate on Wednesday separately approved the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act as amended. The legislation, HB 303 and SB 219, would make it illegal for doctors to prescribe puberty blocking medications or opposite gender hormones to minors. The companion bills would […]

Three recently announced investments alone in West Alabama amount to almost $1.4 billion in funds being spent on the area’s coal industry. Last week, Brookwood-based Warrior Met Coal announced a historic expansion of its operations. A “world-class” longwall mine will be built near the company’s existing mines located on the Blue Creek reserves. The company expects […]

MONTGOMERY — Alabama House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) on Wednesday led other members of the House and Senate leadership in announcing a major legislative package designed to expand and improve the mental health services available to citizens of the state. Leaders on hand on Wednesday included the majority and minority leaders in both chambers, […]

Manufacture Alabama (MA) this week announced that the organization’s board of directors has elected Carl Gunter as the new board chair. Gunter, the mill manager of International Paper in Prattville, will serve a two-year term effective February 4, 2020. Gunter succeeds David Hendrixson, executive vice president and plant manager of Decatur’s Daikin, America. Hendrixson will […]

With just six days to go until Alabama’s March 3 primary election, Yellowhammer News has obtained new non-internal polling in the AL-02 Republican contest to succeed U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-Montgomery). A national polling firm conducted a survey on behalf of the Alabama Forestry Association, which has not endorsed in the race, from February 20-25 of […]

Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday announced the latest television ad in his bid to return to the U.S. Senate. Sessions is running in a competitive March 3 Republican primary field that includes former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville, Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01), former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore […]

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) on Tuesday voted against advancing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill failed to get the 60-votes needed to end debate, with Jones one of 44 senators voting “nay.” Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) voted to support the legislation. The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation […]

Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Greg Shaw has released a second television ad in his reelection bid to Place 1 on the state’s highest court. Shaw is facing a tough intra-party Republican challenge from State Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) in the March 3 primary, which is now only seven days away. The ad features Shaw […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved a substitute version of a bill by State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) that would enhance the penalty provision of the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act. The committee vote was 11-1, with State Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Birmingham) being the lone “nay vote” (and the sole Democrat […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved a bill as substituted that would eliminate the Office of the State Auditor. The committee vote was 6-5. The bill, SB 83, now heads to the full Senate for consideration. SB 83 would not affect the current officeholder, State Auditor Jim Zeigler. As a […]

The Alabama Nursing Home Association (ANHA) on Monday announced the selection of Brandon Farmer as the association’s new president and CEO. He officially began his new role at the beginning of this month. Farmer succeeds Bill O’Connor, who retired from the role on December 31. Farmer brings two decades of health care and political experience […]

The Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons will be performing at KultureBall 2020 in Birmingham, according to a press release obtained by Yellowhammer News on Monday. KultureBall, to be held this year on June 27, is a night of celebration of promoting sensory accessibility and acceptance and inclusion for those with invisible disabilities. The annual gala […]

Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl on Monday announced the release of his fourth television ad in his Republican bid in Alabama’s First Congressional District. Entitled “Pelosi,” the ad features Carl speaking directly into the camera about his commitment to work with President Donald Trump to get the wall built on the United States’ border with […]

Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-03) spoke to Yellowhammer Radio Network’s Scott Chambers Monday about the federal government’s decision not to quarantine coronavirus patients at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston. Rogers confirmed that the potential U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plan to bring patients to the CDP has been canceled following […]

Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) appears to have delivered for his home state of Alabama once again. In a tweet on Sunday afternoon, Shelby advised that he just spoke with President Donald Trump about the plan to potentially house passengers of a Diamond Princess cruise ship who tested positive for the coronavirus at a FEMA facility […]

PRATTVILLE — The Alabama Republican Party on Saturday held the 2020 winter meeting of its state executive committee. Video of the entire meeting can be viewed here. The agenda, which can be read here, featured eight resolutions, of which only resolution No. 6 failed. This resolution was “in opposition to the H1-B Visa Program.” The […]

In the latest fundraising disclosure he filed this week, Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) reported raising over twice as much from individuals in California and New York alone than he raised from constituents in Alabama. The latest Federal Election Commission report covered January 1 – February 12 and was due on Thursday. Jones raised a total […]

MONTGOMERY — State Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy) on Thursday filed the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, HB 303. The legislation would make it illegal for doctors to prescribe puberty blocking medications or opposite gender hormones to minors. Allen’s HB 303 would also ban hysterectomy, mastectomy or castration surgeries from being performed on minors. […]