The Alabama Boys State and Girls State programs have been the spawning ground for Alabama political leaders for generations. It is a marvelous civic contribution that the American Legion has sponsored for almost a century in our state. The prominence that Boys State has played is immense. However, Girls State may very well be eclipsing […]

Owning an electric vehicle (EV) has transformed my driving experience and also left a lasting impression on my family. My children have grown up in a Tesla, and our journey together has been nothing short of electrifying. Since I first purchased a Tesla in 2013, I’ve definitely experienced my fair share of early-adopter issues, such […]

Economists think about jobs in a seemingly counterintuitive way. While noneconomists see job creation as a primary goal, economists view labor as a scarce resource to be conserved. This leads to differences of perspective on everything from government incentives to businesses to the impact of automation, including artificial intelligence (AI). To understand the economic perspective, […]

Responsible energy and infrastructure development can help create jobs, support local businesses and industries while attracting new ones to our state, and strengthen Alabama’s entire economy. However, there is a major roadblock standing in the way of these critical efforts: Our broken, far-too-complicated federal permitting process. The permitting and approvals process for new infrastructure and […]

On Christmas Day, 1952, Sgt. Arthur Hullett received the news that his 22-year-old brother Ervin had been killed in Korea. They had grown up in a close-knit family, as two of eight children. The news understandably came as a shock. He realized that he’d never see his brother again. Both Hullett brothers had faced unimaginable […]

It is hard to imagine that it was only a little over 100 years ago that women were given the right to vote in the United States. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women full suffrage was finally ratified in 1920. In recent decades, many folks have lamented that there are very few women […]

As the CEO of the Business Council of Alabama and a former banking executive, I can confidently say that Alabama is one of the best states for conducting business. With the opportunity to host the U.S. Space Command, we have the potential to advance and protect the interests of our nation right here in Alabama. […]

One of the biggest reasons I started the series “Elevating Young Voices” is to, obviously, elevate the voices of the youth in Alabama. There are so many young people throughout this state that have so much to offer their communities, their state, and their country. But the biggest goal that I have for this series […]

It is graduation season. Social media is saturated with photos of new graduates from every institution of learning. Some of these graduates have so many colored ropes draped over their shoulders they can barely turn their heads. Others are just happy to get school behind them. Some of them are going off to a university […]

Over the last decade, there have been multiple convictions for absentee ballot fraud across the state of Alabama. As a Probate Judge, a legislator and now as Secretary of State, I am committed to eliminating election fraud in our state. HB209, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, makes incredible strides in protecting the rights of Alabama […]

A lot of attention has been focused this session on the Alabama Legislature’s efforts to cut taxes. Bills have been introduced to lower or eliminate a large portion of the state’s grocery tax. Also, there are bills to lower the state’s top income tax rate and eliminate the lowest rate. I had hopes that the […]

Last week, I joined dozens of my colleagues from the House and the Senate at a press conference urging President Biden to work with us and start negotiating a responsible solution to our nation’s debt limit crisis. For weeks, Speaker McCarthy has been asking the President to sit down with him to negotiate, but President […]

The United States faces potential default in June as we run up against the debt ceiling, currently at $31.4 trillion. Whether the debt ceiling is good policy depends largely on one’s attitude toward Federal spending. Is our national debt sustainable? I will defer to the judgment of financial markets. Interest rates compensate savers for being […]

Kay Ivey is Alabama’s second female governor. Lurleen Wallace was the first. Appropriately, Kay Ivey’s idol and impetus for striving to be governor was Lurleen Wallace. Kay’s first involvement in state politics was as a campaign worker for Gov. Lurleen’s 1966 race for governor when Kay Ivey was a student at Auburn. It was 55 […]

Technology has revolutionized our lives over these last three decades, and it has also revolutionized eye care. Yet, in Alabama, optometrists are still subject to a 28-year-old Optometry Practice Act which no longer reflects the level of training and expertise of today’s optometrists. Educators at the UAB School of Optometry and optometry schools across the […]

Since President Biden took office, there have been over 5 million illegal crossings at our  southern border, and more than 1.3 million illegal immigrants have avoided apprehension  at the border, according to Border Patrol sources. The extreme open border policies we have seen from this administration and Democrats in Congress have turned every city in […]

If you followed state news in 2022, you would have seen dozens of stories about Alabama’s successful economy. Nearly every month we at the Alabama Department of Labor were announcing some sort of economic record. In fact, the amount of positive economic news may have also been a record. While I am extremely proud of the progress […]

When Alabamians need surgery, especially on something as complex and important as their eyes, they should be able to trust that the medical professional providing their care is knowledgeable and highly trained. Yet Alabama legislators are now considering a bill that threatens to break that trust and put Alabamians’ eyesight at risk. House Bill 349 […]

The Biden Administration is battling what it terms “junk fees.” Is this consumer protection, or will it simply create additional costly regulation? The answer depends largely on how one views competition in markets. The term junk fees include bank overdraft fees, credit card late fees, airline baggage and seat selection fees, hotel resort and destination […]

On May 15, 1972 – 51 years ago today – Alabama Gov. George Wallace was shot and paralyzed during an assassination attempt while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, and this anniversary offers an appropriate time to share the story  of a stunning historic discovery that I made while working for him almost 25 years […]

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is an abysmal failure and President Joe Biden is even worse. Thanks to their treasonous open border policies, our country has become decidedly more dangerous. Biden ensured this would happen in his first days in office with a set of executive orders that reversed most of President Trump’s […]

Last month, Gov. Kay Ivey finalized “The Game Plan,” signing into law several bills aimed at supporting job-creation projects, investing in more industry-ready sites, and solidifying Alabama’s edge in securing such endeavors against our neighboring states. Thanks to the governor’s initiative and innovation, and the Legislature’s support and hard work, Alabama now has a secure […]

Most if not all of us grew up hunting and fishing with our parents, grandparents, and friends. Some of my best memories with my kids and grandkids are when I have taken them hunting and fishing, and this is when some of the best life lessons and family stories are passed on from one generation […]

Economic development, job creation and business recruitment are a top priority for elected officials, community leaders, and business leaders like myself who want to see our communities grow and economies thrive. Given the huge importance of a growing – or conversely, a shrinking – economy, it might sound strange to think of economic development as […]