Cooler weather has been ushered into Alabama and the frenzy around the recent election cycle has begun to calm ever so slightly. While the lack of a crimson tidal wave at the ballot box has created concern for conservatives across the nation, there remains hope in Montgomery and Washington better days are still ahead.

In short, I am saying there is still reason for Thanksgiving in Alabama and the U.S. Certainly, we are being led at the national level by a president who seems more concerned with appeasing the environmentalists who backed his campaign.

These same individuals have influenced his decisions to shut down the Keystone pipeline while also failing to renew drilling leases off the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. President Biden seems to be less concerned with meeting the ever-growing needs of the average American household. Yet there remains hope.

We remain under threat from within our own borders, not only due to our inability to protect our physical borders, but because of leadership within the national Democratic Party who seem content on placating those with extreme social issues. This seems to warrant more attention from national Democratic leaders than working toward strengthening the American family and undergirding the foundational principles upon which this nation was founded. But there is still reason to believe.

News headlines are filled with wars and military confrontations around the world—from the continued battle between Russia and Ukraine to the Chinese saber-rattling toward Taiwan. Even this fails to mention the continued nuclear weapons tests by North Korea. I am fearful our nation is witnessing a withering of international respect among our peers—both friend and foe. Countries who once turned to the United States for direction and support are now seeking such refuge from others, most of whom do not have America’s best interest at heart. But take heart, my fellow Alabamians.

There remain those in Washington who continue to take pride in America and the values many of us still hold dear. There are those in Montgomery who cherish our Christian heritage and long for a return to an honest interpretation of the words, “One Nation Under God.’’

Despite our numerous shortcomings as a union, the union still remains intact, as battles lie ahead. Control of Congress is critical, as will be returning a Republican to the White House in 2024. I can attest to the fact the majority of the Legislature still seeks and pursues what is good for Alabama and those who call it home. I pray this brings some comfort to those who watch our actions from afar and often must wonder do our leaders understand their daily obstacles.

We will be looking to improve education even more in the upcoming, session, as I pray to play a critical role in the process, while partnering with leadership as the plan is being drafted and implemented. Much improvement is needed in our educational system. But be grateful the shortcomings are now being recognized, as plans are being penned to remedy many of the issues in question. Gov. Kay Ivey has exclaimed her desire to see improvement, as have key leaders in the House and Senate. This blooming attention to detail and willingness to work together should be of encouragement to those who send us to Montgomery.

The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is here and Christmas will be sliding down the chimney soon. A new year awaits in January, as new constitutional officers will take the oath of office to move our state forward. The desire is there and the leadership teams are being constructed. Plans are being drawn and the communication between the governor’s office and the Legislature about what ails this state is alive and well.

Knowing we have such an awareness to the needs of Alabama and a dedication to serve the people of Alabama should serve as a reason for thanksgiving during this special time.

From a national perspective, our surroundings would cause us to believe all hope has been lost. But from an up-close perspective as a member of the Alabama Legislature, I honestly believe our state’s brightest and most promising days lie ahead. And for this, I am grateful.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, may we think back to the cold and hungry souls who first landed on our shores with the ideal of a new beginning and an opportunity to make life better for the generations to follow? My pledge to all who call Alabama home is to play my part in Montgomery to take the necessary steps forward toward the purist American vision and promise, which I still believe can be achieved.

Tracy Estes is Alabama State House District 17’s state representative from Winfield.

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is here already. I’m thankful to have a few days to spend with Tina, my kids, and my grandkids reflecting on the past year and all the many blessing in our lives.

Thanksgiving is such an important time of year for my family, and I always enjoy revisiting how Thanksgiving got its start in America.

Just over 400 years ago, a group of about 100 people sailed from England and arrived off the shores of Cape Cod nearly two months later. Their arrival in America that November was not the first occasion of Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was actually the following year after the pilgrims had built their homes and had brought in the first harvest.

Before they landed, every adult male settler on the ships, including pilgrims and strangers, reached an agreement we know as the Mayflower Compact. This agreement organized them all as a “Civil Body Politic” by which they could “frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices from time to time….”

This was not a declaration of independence from England, but rather an agreement for how they would govern themselves in America. This agreement was used as an inspiration over 150 years later by those seeking formal independence to form a new American nation.

The Mayflower Compact was rooted in the settlers’ belief in Almighty God. In fact, it begins with the words “In the Name of God, Amen,” and says their voyage to America was “undertaken for the Glory of God, and the Advancement of the Christian Faith.”

They may have had differing views on the finer details of their religious beliefs, but their faith in God would bind them together and inspire them to hold a three-day time of thanksgiving the next year following a successful harvest.

These settlers serve as proof that despite our differences and the struggles we are facing, we are strongest when we put aside our differences and work together. Regardless of the different labels we attach to ourselves, one of the most important labels we all share is the label of being Americans. When we work together as Americans, there is no problem we can’t solve or enemy we can’t defeat.

This week, I’m especially grateful to live in this nation built on shared principles and the value of hard work and sacrifice. I encourage you to take time this week to slow down and reflect on how blessed we all are.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.

Saturday will be the 87^th playing of the Auburn vs. Alabama football game.

The stakes may not be as high this year, but there will be no shortage of passion for either team. This is the 51st anniversary of my first Iron Bowl, and I’ve attended more than half the games during that period in three different venues.

Why is it called the Iron Bowl, who named it that, and why?

In 1964, Auburn’s Coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan said the “Iron Bowl against Alabama would be Auburn’s bowl game,” and the moniker has stuck tightly ever since.

But why?

First of all, it was played at the time in Birmingham’s Legion Field, the “Football Capital of the South,” until Auburn moved their alternating home game to campus in 1989 and Alabama later followed suit.

Secondly, Birmingham is well known for her iron and steel industry. In fact, soon after the Civil War, the Magic City grew like magic from deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone in the area and resultant rapid rise of a massive iron and steel industry.

All three producers of ductile iron pipe, the primary material for our nation’s public water supply systems, have operations in Birmingham. Other iron and steel manufacturers have operations in the area and across the state producing various applications of iron and steel to build our infrastructure, automobiles, and durable goods.

Birmingham may no longer be the Football Capital of the South, but it’s surely the Iron and Steel Capital of the South, https://www.alabamaironandsteelcouncil.com/.

The primary reason the Iron Bowl is so appropriately named is that it’s a tough game, played by tough men, fighting with toughness and resilience for their teams and universities, and their fans care perhaps even more. Tough, hard-hitting, durable, resilient.  All describe both the players in the Iron Bowl and the performance of iron and steel pipe products.

What’s not as well known is that today’s modern ductile iron pipe is made of recycled iron and steel, requires less energy to pump water through, has a long and dependable service life, and is recyclable if retired from service.

Iron pipe is good for the environment, good for public health and fire protection, and good for a water utility’s long-term financial strength. It’s proven by more than a century of service to be safe and effective for public health. Many seemingly miraculous materials such as lead and asbestos have come and gone from the industry, yet iron and steel continue to perform and safely serve decade after decade.

So when you tune in to Saturday’s Iron Bowl on CBS at 2:30 Central, you can be the most clever one in the room and speak to the origin of the name as well as the attributes of ductile iron pipe from Birmingham, Ala.

Iron Pipe.

It’s what America is built on.

Maury D. Gaston is chairman of the Alabama Iron and Steel Council, a council of Manufacture Alabama.

Canada’s Fraser Institute just released the 2022 Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA) index. The good news: Alabama’s economic freedom increased slightly. The bad news: we still trail three neighboring states.

Economic freedom refers to freedoms to buy, sell, work, and start businesses. A free economy relies on “personal choice and markets to answer basic economic questions such as what is to be produced, how it is to be produced, how much is produced, and for whom is production intended.”

Free markets presumably produce prosperity; measuring how closely economies approach the free market ideal is crucial to testing the markets and prosperity hypothesis.

The state economic freedom index involves 10 component variables aggregated into three areas: government spending, taxation, and labor market freedom. Each component is scored from 0 to 10, with 10 the highest observed amount of freedom and 0 the least.

A state’s score averages the three area scores. The 2022 rankings use data from 2020 due to lags in the compilation and publication of some components.

Alabama’s economic freedom score is 6.41, up slightly from, and ranks 22 nd . The top-rated state is Florida with a score of 7.94 while New York ranks last at 4.25. We rank 32 nd on government spending, 9th on taxation, and 22 nd on labor market freedom.

Our rank is respectable but trails three of our neighbors. Florida, as mentioned, ranks 1st , Tennessee ties for 4th , and Georgia is 8th ; we beat only #37 Mississippi. Competition between states is real, so trailing our neighbors might affect the recruitment of businesses to Alabama.

Choices must be made in constructing any metric, and we should ask if plausible alternative choices might affect our score.

The minimum wage is one component of labor market freedom. Alabama does not have a state minimum wage and prohibits cities from imposing their own. Yet we do not get a score of 10 on this component because the index applies the Federal minimum wage in states without a minimum wage.

Labor market freedom also includes the percentage of unionized workers. The EFNA does not use Right-to-Work status of states. Unions in principle are voluntary organizations, but the government often sets the rules for unionization to favor unions. Our score for this component exceeds the national average but would be better if adjusted for Right-to-Work.

The average score for states increased slightly from 2019, from 6.13 to 6.23. By contrast, Fraser’s Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) reported declines due to the COVID-19 response. Why the difference?

The EFNA compiles two state freedom measures, one including national policies to parallel EFW ratings, and one using state policies. My discussion above refers to the state-focused metric. The EFNA scores including national policies declined since the COVID policies affecting measured economic freedom – trillions in spending, money supply growth, and restrictions on international travel – originated in Washington.

States enacted stay at home orders and closed businesses and schools, but these do not enter the economic freedom index. Yet many regulations were also relaxed during the pandemic, like to-go alcohol sales by restaurants, occupational licensing, and telehealth. The EFNA also misses this deregulation.

The pandemic highlights a weakness in the EFNA, not accounting for state constitutional limits. Alabama has a state income tax, but our constitution limits the maximum rate. This provides greater certainty regarding future policy than in a state with a similar top tax rate and no constitutional cap. Alabama’s constitution also limits the maximum rate and base for the property tax.

America’s founders thought that true freedom meant that government could not infringe freedom. If government can take your property but chooses not to, your property arguably is not yours by right. The Bill of Rights prohibits Congress from trespassing on our rights.

Many Americans were shocked by state business closures and stay-at-home orders. The lack of constitutional limits on emergency powers compromises our property rights and personal freedom. These constitutional infirmities should be addressed before the next pandemic.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

Jo Bonner was officially sworn in as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama on September 23, 2022.

The University of South Alabama is the crown jewel and flagship of the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is a sprawling, manicured, beautiful and functional modern campus. It is currently the third largest university in the state.

Under the leadership of President Jo Bonner, it will grow and prosper to where within the next decade it will be thought of as one of our premier “Big Three” major flagship universities along with the University of Alabama and Auburn University.

Its location as the only major university in the populous metropolitan Mobile/Baldwin growth area of our state, coupled with having the University of South Alabama Medical School and Center on the campus, portends for exponential growth and prosperity for the University of South Alabama.

The prosperity for USA is assured by the selection of Josiah R. Bonner, Jr. as President. Over the next decade, he will be thought of in the same terms and same breath as the legendary founding President of USA, Frederick Whiddon, who oversaw the first 35 years of USA.

There has never been a more perfect selection to be the leader of a major university in our state than the appointment of Jo Bonner as President of USA. His knowledge of the business, civic, and social community of the Mobile/Baldwin area is unique. Through his decade of service as their congressman, he is an integral part of the Mobile community.

He left Congress with the highest regard and admiration. He was so well respected by his congressional colleagues that he was Chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee. You can be assured that there is no university president, lobbyist, or board of trustee member who can walk the halls of Congress and bring home the bacon from the limitless federal trough than Josiah Bonner, Jr.

You can also rest assured that there is no university president in the state that has the clout and reverence on Goat Hill in Montgomery than Josiah Bonner, Jr. This is a very unique and perfect blend for prosperity and growth for USA.

It is well known in political circles that Jo Bonner is Governor Kay Ivey’s closest confidante. He served as her Chief of Staff for four years. Their families go back as friends and relatives in Wilcox County for generations.

Jo Bonner’s father, the first Josiah Bonner was Probate Judge of Wilcox County. Jo is the baby of the family, a good 15 years younger than his brother, Jim, who grew up as friends and in school together with Governor Kay Ivey. Jo’s sister, Judy, and Senator Jeff Sessions were in school together in grades K-12, then Jo came much later.

The aforementioned sister, Judy Bonner, was President of the University of Alabama. Never before in Alabama’s history has there been two siblings be president of major universities in Alabama.

Jo Bonner actually became President of USA in January. The official inaugural event was September 23. It was a magnificent program. Governor Ivey gave the keynote address. She beamed with pride as she talked about her “little brother” from Wilcox County.

Dr. Jack Hawkins the 30 year Chancellor of the Troy University System gave a brilliant address. He spoke for all of the university presidents in the state as the Dean of University Presidents.

Jo Bonner’s family was recognized, beginning with his sister, President Judy Bonner. His wife, Janee, along with his two outstanding children, son Robin and daughter Lee, were in attendance.

The Inaugural Event was held in the magnificent Mitchell Center. The Mitchell family have been major benefactors to USA. Mrs. Arlene Mitchell is Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Another Board of Trustees member is Dr. Steve Stokes, a radiology oncologist from Dothan. He and his wife Angela have been generous donors to USA, also. Stokes Hall is the newest dorm on campus.

It was truly fitting that Jo Bonner had a throng of political dignitaries attend his Inaugural Event. It was like a political gathering of Who’s Who in Alabama politics visiting on the floor of the Mitchell Center prior to Jo’s inauguration.

The list of attendees is too long to enumerate. However, in addition to Governor Ivey was Mac McCutchen, John McMillan, John Merrill, Bobby Singleton, Vivian Figures, Young Boozer, Bill Poole, Twinkle Cavanaugh, Sandy Stimpson, Will and Liz Filmore, Cathy Randall, Gordon and Ellen Stone, Jim Purcell, Victor Gaston, Chip Brown, Margie Wilcox, Alan Baker, and Judge Sarah Stewart, just to name a few.

They were all there to honor a man who is revered and respected in Alabama – Josiah “Jo” Bonner.

Steve Flowers is a former state representative, Alabama historian, and a political columnist.

Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive.

Kay Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, especially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rented mule in 2018.

Walt Maddox was the best shot and best mule the Democrats could ever dream up. Maddox is the young, articulate mayor of Tuscaloosa. He has been and had been mayor of the Druid City for a good while.

He has been an excellent mayor with an impeccable record. He ran a good well-run, well-financed campaign for governor. He got 40% of the vote. This seems to be the threshold for a Democrat for governor.

Therefore, Kay Ivey’s 2022 run may not be as impressive as her 2018 race. Although, this run has been extremely impressive. Probably the reason that 2022 has gone so well is because she ran so well in 2018.

She beat a very formidable field four years ago. She beat the popular mayor of Huntsville, Tommy Battle, in the Republican Primary. His credentials and fundraising prowess were equal to Maddox’s, if not better.

Having beaten the 2018 thoroughbreds, Battle and Maddox, so thoroughly, made serious candidates not even consider challenging her. In 2022, to compare Lindy Blanchard, Tim James and Yolanda Flowers to Tommy Battle and Walt Maddox is like comparing Mutt to Jeff.

Governor Kay Ivey has done a good job as governor during the four years, 2019-2022, and folks knew that, and they knew her. There also have not been any scandals or controversy. She had garnered one of the finest men and managers in Alabama political history, Congressman Jo Bonner, to be her right arm and Chief of Staff. They together ran a pretty solid ship of state.

Most of us who follow Alabama politics felt like Kay was going to only serve one four-year term when she won the 2018 race. She, deep down, may have thought the same thing. Therefore, she governed with the attitude of what is right for the state and not what is right for reelection.

When she decided to run, most of us were in agreement that she would win. She would be well financed, and national polls revealed that she was one of the most popular incumbent governors in the nation.

My thoughts were and I conveyed to you, that the only way Kay Ivey could lose the race was if she beat herself. If she misspoke or did a debate and made a miscue or misstep. She did none of the above.

She ran a perfectly scripted, flawless campaign. She campaigned as governor and looked gubernatorial. Most importantly, her campaign TV ads were brilliant. They were folksy with the perfect Alabama flavor. They had her looking good, speaking well and southern with a grandmotherly appeal. They made her age and demeanor an advantage.

She came out of the campaign being better liked than before. Some of her ads came close to being racist when she said, “Folks think we ought to require our schools to teach everyone to speak Spanish. Well, I say, ‘No way, Jose.’”

This prompted ultra-liberal Democrats around the nation to deride her. When Maxine Waters, the liberal Democratic California Congresswoman criticized her, Kay quipped, “I ought to give Maxine Waters an in-kind contribution proxy for her help in my Alabama Republican Primary campaign.”

The big question in the Republican Primary was whether Kay Ivey could win the May 24 Primary without having to go to a June 21 runoff to win. Some doubted that anyone could beat eight opponents without a runoff, especially given that Blanchard and James spent a total of $16 million dollars. She proved them wrong. She beat the field of eight without a runoff and got 54% percent of the vote.

My guess is that she got a higher percent than that on Tuesday.

Kay Ivey is governor, again.

Steve Flowers is a former state representative, Alabama historian, and a political columnist.

America’s Veterans Day is recognized in other English-speaking countries as Remembrance Day. With the 80th anniversary this month of both the Battle of El Alamein and the North Africa “Torch” Landings, the observance has an added meaning.

80 years ago, for all intents and purposes, the outcome of World War II hung in the balance. On all fronts, the Axis forces were advancing while the Allies suffered setbacks in almost every theater of combat. But momentum began to shift; if November 1942 began with pessimism and despair, it ended in a cautious optimism that the Allied cause had commanders who could win.

In an amazing feat of coordination and cooperation, the Allied forces under the command Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, made five surprise amphibious landings on North African beaches hundreds of miles apart. This would be America’s initial entrance into the European phase of the war. Most of the American troops boarded vessels in the United States and steamed away without being detected.

The North Africa landings would raise the profile of Gen. George Patton and set in motion the liberation of the Vichy French colonies. While the initial resistance to the landings came from French troops, they were persuaded to surrender and join the Allied cause.

This disrupted the French chain of command and caused the Nazis to realize the fickle commitment of Vichy France. Even more significantly, to prevent the repurposing of the French Fleet as Nazi vessels, the entire French Navy was scuttled.

The landings in French North Africa were the beginning of the gradual pacification of Axis hegemony. Prior to the landings, the Italians, and later the Nazis, were doing their best to prevent the British from controlling North Africa from Libya to Egypt.

When the Italians were within a whisper of losing their toehold, Hitler sent reinforcements in the form of Erwin Rommel. His active duty in the desert would earn him the sobriquet “Desert Fox.”

So even before the Torch landings, the British were directly engaged with Rommel and his Afrika Korps. And, for the most part, the Nazis were on the offense pushing the British almost to Cairo. Tired of organized retreats, Churchill sacked one commanding officer and through circumstances identified Gen. Bernard Montgomery to lead the British 8th Army.

Montgomery, too, would make his mark in the desert. While the desert war was frustratingly slow, Montgomery took his time to build up his troops, making sure he had the necessary supplies and, by surprise, take the offensive.

Rommel, on the other hand, was having a hard time acquiring supplies necessary to keep his troops fed and his equipment serviceable. The British enjoyed significant naval resources to limit shipping in the Mediterranean, and the Royal Air Force had almost complete air superiority. Waiting for the best time to engage allowed Montgomery to build up his resources and served to diminish Nazi supplies and troop morale.

80 years ago, when Montgomery did attack, he caught the enemy by surprise. Rommel had returned to Germany to fully recover from an illness, but his forces were no match for the well supplied British joint operations. Superiority in tanks, aircraft and in armor piercing artillery, ground the Nazi war machine down into a full retreat.

Having to fight a defensive battle, Rommel turned to land mines to prevent British tanks and troops from attacking his flanks. As a counter measure, Polish engineers developed an electronic mine detector that allow mine fields to be cleared in record time. This Polish invention allowed Allied troops to surreptitiously cut paths through mine fields, which further surprised the Afrika Korps.

Montgomery’s victory at El Alamein caused Churchill to famously remark that while the battle was not the beginning of the end, it was “the end of the beginning.” From this point on, the British would win battle after battle, pursing the Nazis from North Africa to Sicily and, eventually, to Rome.

As we celebrate our Veterans Day, the British will honor their war dead on Remembrance Day. At El Alamein, there will be a remembrance, as well, for it was 80 years ago that the might of the British Empire asserted itself and started the roll up of Nazi forces in Europe.

There is a cemetery at El Alamein for all the Commonwealth soldiers who died there. It is beautiful in its simplicity, and the symmetry of the marble headstones is a stark reminder of the cost of war.

To walk through the graves and read the short phrases on each marker is a moving and somber experience. There is a quiet reverence to be on hallowed ground. There are countless markers of teenagers who died for their country; but the most sobering headstones of all simply read “Known but to God.”

In past years, families of the dead would gather to remember their sons, brothers, and husbands who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Like so many other war cemeteries, it is the last touchstone many families have, and their trek to El Alamein is a pilgrimage to remember. Years ago, a father asked that his family spread his ashes at the tomb of his only son. While frowned upon, I am told this was not an infrequent occurrence.

At the Commonwealth cemetery, there is an old Egyptian warden who keeps watch over the graves. His English is slight, but he takes his job seriously and guides families to the graves of their relatives in a most reverent and respectful manner.

Of all the times in the Middle East when a tip or baksheesh might be in order, he refuses all gratuities and completely against type, acts insulted at the offer.

Remembering veterans this month is a good time to remember that 80 years ago in North Africa, American troops first engaged the enemy, and the British soundly defeated the Desert Fox while paving the way for ultimately victory. The cemetery at El Alamein reminds us of sacrifice and provides an object lesson in the cost of freedom.

Will Sellers is a graduate of Hillsdale College and an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama. He is best reached at jws@willsellers.com.

There is good news and bad news for education in Alabama. On the positive side, Alabama’s political and educational leaders recently hailed the state’s improved rankings on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card.”

This year’s NAEP assessment, administered for the first time since 2019, is a testament to the resiliency of Alabama’s classroom teachers and its young learners. The fourth grade scores were particularly notable and demonstrate that recent state investments in reading and math are already paying off.

By all accounts, student achievement remains a top priority of Governor Kay Ivey and is likely to be a primary focus of her administration during the next term of office.

By virtue of her position, Ivey also serves as chair of the Alabama State Board of Education (SBOE), which is charged with implementing various administrative issues as well as policy changes passed by the state’s Republican-led Legislature.

The remainder of the SBOE is elected by district, and they are also responsive to the people of Alabama.

However, as 2022 draws to a close, one critical challenge currently facing state leaders – from the governor’s office to school administrators in all of the state’s 67 counties – is a persistent and well-documented shortage of teaching professionals.

Data published in a recent report from the Alabama Commission of the Evaluation of Services (ACES) demonstrate that the state’s teaching colleges are not graduating candidates at historical rates.

At the same time, districts are becoming more and more reliant on hiring teachers on emergency certificates in order to staff their schools.

The Alabama Legislature has searched high and low for ways to help solve this challenge, but progress toward filling teacher gaps is no overnight matter.

In the most recent legislative session, both the House and Senate voted unanimously on legislation that would cut red tape on the existing teacher certification process and also open the door for alternative teacher preparation organizations to operate in the state.

For those changes to have any measurable impact over time, the SBOE must act to ensure that the intent of the Legislature is carried out so that Alabama school systems have more access to certified teachers.

Failure to take this critical and common-sense action would be a disservice to school administrators, existing classroom teachers and, most importantly, students across Alabama.

Every student deserves high-quality instruction, but to achieve that we must first have education leaders who are committed to the idea that actions speak louder than words.

Dick Brewbaker is a former Republican Alabama state senator from Montgomery

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI) is a sovereign nation with our own system of government, and the only federally recognized Tribe in the state of Alabama.

PCI is an active partner in the state, contributing to economic, educational, social, and cultural initiatives benefiting both our nation and our neighbors in local communities and nearby towns.

As Chairwoman of the Tribe, I am proud of the economic investment that we have made in Alabama. From the development of retail businesses to our award-winning tourism and hospitality properties, our goal is to grow our economic footprint while making Alabama a better place to live, work and play.

I am proud of our economic diversity, especially our focus on investing in the government contracting and manufacturing sectors of business. We are honored to support Alabama’s growing aerospace industry through PCI Aviation and Muskogee Technology, subsidiaries of PCI Federal Services.

Since Alabama is one of the top locations in the world for aspiring individuals to launch a career in aviation, we see the value in partnerships such as the one between Lockheed Martin and Airbus to produce their version of an aerial refueling tanker, the LMXT.

This investment in our state’s economy hinges on the Air Force moving forward with the KC-Y competition, a planned competition for their next tanker. The Request for Proposal is expected in 2023, with the projection that the Air Force will award the contract in 2024.

The heart of the LMXT is Airbus’s already successfully A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport platform, or MRTT, that is in service with our European allies today.

Recently, Airbus announced that their automated boom transfer system is the only certified automated air to-air refueling boom in the world. This state-of-the-art, proven design would be the cornerstone of the LMXT and produced proudly by Alabamians.

Lately, the Air Force has started to walk back on the planned competition. Thankfully, Senators Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville, along with Congressmen Jerry Carl and Mike Rogers, have been leading the charge encouraging the Air Force to move forward with the KC-Y competition allowing Alabamians the opportunity to compete.

Competition is the best method to contain costs and deliver on value. A reliable aerial refueling tanker that can supply our forces in the air with on-demand fuel is critical.

At a time of increased global tension, when our aerial forces are fielding fifth generation fighters all over the world, our tanker fleet cannot continue operating obsolete platforms with persistent delays and cost overruns.

It is inspiring to think that if the Air Force moves forward with the KC-Y competition, Poarch Creek Tribal members, and Alabamians alike, could have the opportunity to play a vital role in building this aircraft for our men and women in uniform.

An Alabama-built tanker that delivers on its promised performance would make our nation safer and more secure while creating job opportunities for skilled Alabamians. Our men and women in uniform deserve the best that we have to offer, and Alabama businesses have a proven history that we can deliver.

Now more than ever, the Air Force needs to follow through. Thank you Senators Shelby and Tuberville along with Representatives Carl and Rogers for always speaking out on the needs of Alabama and our nations’ defense.

Stephanie Bryan serves as Chairwoman of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama

His name is Fred.

He was adopted into the Johnson family in 1977 and has been a faithful and beloved member ever since.

Fred is a 1961 Chevy shortbed, step-side Apache 10.

He delivered me to my high school graduation, countless dates, prom, college, and, with bride and children riding in the bed, scouting Springfield’s Christmas Tree Farm for 40 years.

Fred is pretty easy to work on and, since I am anything other than a mechanic, that is a good thing. At some point during my college years, he needed new brakes.

Being that I was too broke to even pay attention, this meant I had to replace them myself.  With my few tools scattered on the ground I jacked him up and went to work. After removing the wheel and hub I was confronted with something I had never seen. The inner workings on drum brakes look like metal spaghetti. Staring back at me were springs, pistons, wires, wheels, and two worn out brake pads.

Not be outdone by early 1960s technology, I began removing parts. Some required the flexibility of a French Quarter contortionist. Here I was – too proud to stop, too dumb to know better, and too broke to do otherwise.

Sometime that morning I made an important discovery about myself. It seems that I am better at taking things apart than putting them back together.

After several agonizing hours I got it back together and found that I was able to improve upon the original design! The engineers back then had installed parts that were not needed for proper brake operation.

On to the other side!

There I discovered the same dish of spaghetti as the other wheel. This time I was armed with that which money can’t buy – EXPERIENCE!

True to form, the engineers had made the same errors in overbuilding this side as well.  They just added a few different/extra parts on this side. With a pocket full of spare parts I hopped in and fired him up ready to prove my expert brake skills.

I headed up the gentle northern slope of Stephens Street in Boaz, Alabama, with a lot of newfound wisdom and a lot less brake. When I stepped on the pedal it went to the floor and stayed. Right there on the floor. Have I mentioned that these were not air brakes?  Nothing!

Fortunately, the old truck has a hand-operated emergency brake located under the dash. In an instant I understood why they call them “emergency” brakes.  Using this manual braking system, I gently guided Fred to the local Chevrolet dealer.

Casually, I walked in and told them my brakes needed to be checked. In a rare occurrence, they could see me immediately. They told me it would only take a minute. Yeah, they had not seen my handiwork yet.

When the mechanic lifted Fred, I walked out to watch. As soon as he saw the brakes he stepped back and said things I dare not write. Looking at me, he shouted, “Who the *#@+! has worked on these brakes?” I convincingly told him they were like that when I bought it. He understood sarcasm.

“Son,” he said, “the secret to working on brakes is to have the right tool.”

He produced a twisted tool with one flat end and a cup with a tiny lip on the other.

With a smile of pure superiority he said, “This tool is the trick son, won’t fix a brake without one.”

I nodded in complete agreement; like that tool would have done anything other than accelerate my arrogance.

In mere seconds he had disassembled the right side and began rebuilding it. I sheepishly held out my hand with a palm full of spare parts. One by one he took them from me and in only minutes he finished. The other side went even more quickly since he left off the tutorial.

That day I learned several truths. The first is that arrogance and ignorance is a lethal mixture. The second is that the right tool makes all the difference in the world.

We are all like all the tools in a master mechanic’s tool bin. We are all different and all made for different things. Some of us don’t look very impressive. But I promise you, when you need a twisted, bent, flat ended, cup topped lip-bearing brake tool, nothing else will do. It was made for a specific purpose, and it performed it well.

We are each made for a special purpose that nobody else can do as well as we. The world is crying for you to use your gift.

One final thing I learned that day – the tool was useless unless held by a master.

Choose your master wisely.

Dr. Aaron Johnson is the pastor of Christ Redeemer Church in Guntersville, Alabama.  

Sometimes laws become outdated and begin to have negative consequences for the people they were originally meant to help. When that happens, it becomes necessary to vote out the old law to make way for an improved system.

It’s a situation dozens of cities around Alabama are facing, and we need the public’s help to change it.

A decades-old provision deep within Alabama’s legal system requires certain municipal governments go into debt and pay interest when they want to take on specific capital projects like building new parks and roads. It means some cities must borrow money with interest to build a fire station rather than pay for it with their revenues.

There is no longer a reason for this. In fact, it hurts the citizens of Alabama when their local governments must take on cumbersome levels of interest and loan closing costs in situations when they should be able to pay for capital projects as they go.

Here is where you, the voters, come in. We are asking you to vote “yes” on Amendment 6 when you go to the polls on Nov 8. If approved by the people, Amendment 6 would free a number of Alabama’s cities from an antiquated system and allow us to be more responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

We recognize this may not be the most compelling issue for many voters. That doesn’t change the fact that this policy change is needed for city governments to be more nimble, efficient and effective.

One last thing. Amendment 6 is not a Democratic or Republican issue. When the bill proposing this amendment came before the state legislature, it passed both chambers unanimously. Every member in attendance – representatives and senators from both parties – believed it to be a good idea.

Similarly, the mayors of the cities involved agree that a “yes” on Amendment 6 is the way to go. Don’t forget to flip over your ballot on election day and help support good fiscal management in local government.

Tommy Battle, Ron Anders and Randall Woodfin are the mayors of Huntsville, Auburn and Birmingham, respectively.

This 2022 election year in Alabama has been monumental and memorable.

Any gubernatorial year is big in the state. It is the brass ring of Alabama politics to be governor. However, the race to succeed our senior Senator Richard Shelby has been the marquee contest. This year will be the last hurrah for our two leading political figures in the state.

Senator Richard Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the U.S. Senate at age 88. Governor Kay Ivey will be elected to her final term as governor at 78.

An observation that occurred to me during the year that many of you may not know or realize is the power that Jimmy Rane, the legendary successful businessman from Abbeville, possesses. He is known to many Alabamians as the famous friendly giant sitting atop a horse as the Yella Fella on the ads of yesteryear promoting his Great Southern Wood Company.

In my years of observing Alabama politics, I do not believe there has been an individual that has been the closest confidant and friend to the two most powerful political people in the state.

Senator Shelby and Governor Ivey are unquestionably the two most powerful political people in the state, but they are arguably two of the most important political figures in modern Alabama political history. If you sat both Ivey and Shelby down and asked them to tell you their best friend and confidant, they both would probably say Jimmy Rane.

Governor Ivey and Rane have been friends and allies since their college days at Auburn University 60 years ago. Shelby and Rane have been bonded for at least 36 years.

As busy as Senator Shelby has been as one of the most important leaders in Washington and world affairs, over the last 10 years a week does not go by that Shelby and Rane do not talk.

Rane knows when Shelby has a cold before his wife Annette knows. Rane has been Ivey’s and Shelby’s benefactor and ally for not what they can do for him. He does not get anything out of his relationship with Shelby and Ivey. He is just their friend.

He is also loyal to his hometown of Abbeville and Henry County. The Great Southern Wood is the main thing in Abbeville and a mainstay for the entire Wiregrass. His benevolence to his hometown is unparalleled.

Another development I have watched this year is some good old fashioned hardnosed hard work on the campaign trail by some of the 2022 candidates. It is understandable that those running for office on this year’s ballot would be on the campaign trail.

However, one Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, the President of the Public Service Commission, has canvassed the rural counties of Alabama more extensively than most of the successful candidates running statewide this year.

And, folks, her name was not even on the ballot this year. She runs for reelection to the PSC Presidency in 2024. To say that she will be unbeatable for reelection to her post as head of the PSC would be an understatement.

Twinkle Cavanaugh is probably the best known political figure in the state going forward in the post Richard Shelby/Kay Ivey era. She has run statewide numerous times and has been successful in most of those races. When you run that many times, you build a grassroots organization.

Then you add that she has been chairman of the Republican Party and a loyal supporter of popular past Republican presidents. She has not let any grass grow under her feet this year. She has watered that grassroots organization during this off year with one-on-one visits, especially to the remote rural counties of the state.

Her diligence will pay off in future years. She is still young and a good bet to be governor or U.S. Senator one day.

Folks in Montgomery and throughout the state are glad to see State Senator Billy Beasley run again, successfully, for another term. He is one of the most well-liked and respected members of the upper chamber in the State Capitol.

Billy is the only white Democrat in the Alabama Senate. Do not bet on his not running again in 2026. He is the youngest looking 82 year old I have ever seen and his brother Jere is the youngest 85 year old I have ever seen. They must have pretty good genes.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is a former state representative, Alabama historian, and a political columnist.

Many liberals offer Canada’s government-run healthcare as an example for the U.S. to emulate. In 2015, Canada’s Supreme Court struck down all national and provincial bans on assisted suicide.

Reportedly, health care officials now “inform” patients of their right to die. The collision of individual rights and a collectivist medical system will always produce such tension.

The court decision is grounded in individual rights. The court held that, “An individual’s response to a grievous and irremediable medical condition is a matter critical to their dignity and autonomy. The prohibition denies people in this situation the right to make decisions concerning their bodily integrity and medical care and thus trenches on their liberty.”

This reasoning is spot-on. Individual freedom is based on people owning their lives, and ownership ultimately involving decision rights. Any concept of self-ownership must, I think, include a right to assisted suicide. But Canada also considers health care to be a human right, which I will not debate today.

Medical care is crucial for modern life, beginning with birth at a hospital. Medicine has dramatically reduced the health risks of childbearing and infant mortality, plus enabled the survival of premature babies. It is natural to want all people to receive life-sustaining medical care.

Enshrining health care as a right obligates government provision, since protecting rights is job number one of any government which serves the people. Decisions about medical care must then be made collectively by elected representatives and bureaucrats in addition to doctors and patients, since in a democracy no one person dictates policy.

Full individual autonomy over care, including end-of-life care, is inconsistent with government health care. Government officials must care about cost. Scarcity means we cannot get everything we desire and exists even with government health care. Money spent on end-of-life care is not available for other medical procedures or government programs.

And end-of-life care is expensive; 20% of all health care expenditures in the Province of Manitoba occur on average during the last six months of life.

The impact of assisted suicide on cost is a natural question. One study estimated that perhaps 4% of deaths might be assisted, with potential savings of $140 million annually. In 60% of cases, suicide would hasten death by a month or less.

These estimates, I think, strengthen the argument for legal assisted suicide. Anyone who has witnessed a loved one’s cancer death understands the pain of our current practice. Just as patients have the right to refuse medical treatment, they should be able to avoid the pain of the dying process.

Recent stories though report that Canadian health care officials now inform patients — including the non-terminally ill — of their assisted suicide option. Assisted suicide is legal in Canada for non-terminal conditions producing “intolerable suffering” with no hope for treatment. But potentially encouraging suicide to save money seems ethically problematic.

Canada’s government-run system features lengthy delays for many procedures, even relative to other government health systems and despite some wealthy Canadians coming to the U.S. for treatment. Shortages signal inadequate funding. A government struggling to provide adequate care faces the temptation to encourage euthanasia for high-cost patients.

This highlights what I suspect is a major barrier to legalization, the temptation to encourage others. Many of us might fear encouraging relatives to not squander our inheritance on expensive care and enormous guilt if our loved ones then chose this option.

We prohibit assisted suicide as a form of self-constraint: we eliminate a hard-to-resist option. This concern likely extends to medical professionals; doctors may wish to avoid any conversations with patients concerning assisted suicide.

Economics recognizes scarcity and the ensuing tradeoffs as unavoidable. Choices must be made even when facing terrible tradeoffs. The only questions are who makes these decisions and whether they reflect sober analysis.

As Canada’s struggle with assisted suicide illustrates, government-run health care means making these most personal decisions collectively.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

Believe it or not, our 2022 General Election is upon us, November 8 to be exact. It seems to be going under the radar screen of most Alabama voters.

There will be a record breaking low voter turnout because there are really no contested statewide races. Why? Because we are a one party state when it comes to state offices. All 21 of our state elective offices are held by Republicans.

The Democratic party does not field serious candidates because it is a foregone conclusion that a Democrat cannot win an elective statewide races in the Heart of Dixie. The best they can hope for is 40%.

Thus, the Democratic candidates have no money to spend because nobody takes them seriously, and the Republican candidates, who are flush with campaign cash, do not want to waste their money because it is a foregone conclusion that they are going to win. Therefore, with not much money being spent for advertising, the average voter may not realize there is an election, which equals a very low turnout.

The real 2022 election was held in May and June when the Republican Primary took place. Winning the Republican Primary is tantamount to election in Alabama. Just because the real 2022 election was held in May instead of November does not mean it is not an important election. It is a very important election. All of our constitutional statewide offices are being elected for the next four years, including Governor, Attorney General, State Agriculture Commissioner, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and State Auditor.

Governor Kay Ivey is the Republican nominee for Governor. She is seeking her second full term. This will probably be Kay’s last hurrah. She will win 60 to 40.

State Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate is the Republican nominee for this important Alabama post. He will be reelected 60 to 40. He did not even have an opponent in the Republican Primary.

Attorney General Steve Marshall is seeking his second term. He is a solid conservative Republican and will win easily.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is going to be reelected to his second term on November 8. Like Marshall, there is no doubt that he is conservative.

Marshall and Ainsworth are young and formidable. They are also from the same county. It would be interesting if they faced off against each other in the 2026 Governor’s race.

Young Boozer will be elected to his third term as State Treasurer. He served two consecutive four-year terms, waited three years, took over from John McMillan a year ago, and will win another full term on November 8. He has done a tremendous job as Treasurer and is probably the most qualified person to ever serve as Treasurer in my lifetime. He will more than likely have the longest tenure as State Treasurer in state history.

Two young Republicans were elected to constitutional offices in June, Wes Allen as Secretary of State and Andrew Sorrell as State Auditor. Both have bright futures in Alabama politics.

Even though he is only 46, Wes Allen has already spent 15 years in elected office. He was Probate Judge of Pike County for 11 years and State Representative for Pike and Dale for 4 years. Secretary of State is an important post in state government.

There will be jockeying among Ainsworth, Marshall, Pate, Allen and Sorrell to see who gets the most votes on November 8 as all are eyeing the 2026 races. All have Libertarian opponents.

Forty-year old Katie Britt will be elected to her first of many to come six-year terms as our United States Senator. She will more than likely be the top vote getter on November 8. She is already being touted as a superstar in Washington.

For those of you who do vote, we have some important Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. Our original 1901 Constitution may be one of the most flawed and is the most amended in the nation. There is outdated, overtly racist language in our Constitution that has no relevance in today’s world and needs amending out.

The Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, a group of outstanding Alabama leaders, has worked diligently to update our antiquated Constitution. I would encourage a “Yes” vote for the first constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

Hope all of you get a chance to vote.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is a former state representatives, Alabama historian, and a political columnist.

Earlier this year, during the International Space Station Research & Development Conference in Washington, I had the great opportunity to unveil my space vision for the rest of the 21st century.

Outlining the five pillars of American space power:

• Leadership – U.S. leadership and international rule building in space
• Permanence – The strong permanent U.S. presence in space
• Harmony – The cohesion between private and public sector
• Security – U.S. abilities to countering Chinese and Russian aggression in space
• Support – The workforce, supply chain, and industrial base

Focus and recognition of these pillars will not only help us in strengthening our space enterprise, but also provide us with the best basis for chartering a course to Mars in the 2030s and win this new era space race.

At the heart of this framework, is the robust engine of Alabama industry paving the way and setting an example for the nation to succeed. Within each pillar, Alabama serves a key role in ensuring American space power remains sharp and forward leaning.

Now, as our state industry gathers for the Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium, it is important to recognize these pillars and identify where Alabama will lead the way.

Within leadership and permanence, Alabama is positioned to set the standards for rules and norms relating to in-space habitation and sustainment. As we power through with the Artemis Program, the work at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is critical to these endeavors.

From the development of the Space Launch System, its development of future Block variations that are vital to the success of Artemis, and the eventual development of the Mars Transit Vehicle, Marshall will continue to be the lead NASA Center in ensuring that we get back to the Moon and onward to Mars.

In regard to harmony, Alabama is uniquely blessed with the presence of Boeing, Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, Sierra Space, and a multitude of others that demonstrate the mantra that “new space” and “old space” are obsolete terms.

With these great American companies investing in our state and workforce, and many more looking to join, Alabamians are truly at the forefront. This is especially pertinent as adversaries like China seek to solely compete with the U.S. in space through government entities posing as private companies.

Within our capitalistic system, though, the U.S. model of public/private partnerships continues to give us the edge and our Alabama industry will serve as the premiere case study.

Within the security pillar, Redstone Arsenal has demonstrated Alabama’s leadership in our national defense since the Second World War. As our nation seeks to counter a dangerous Putin led Russia and contain a rising China, Redstone and its assets to our space and missile defense will continue this rich legacy.

Through production of Javelin Anti-Tank Weapon Systems and manufacturing of rockets to carry classified National Reconnaissance Office payloads, the work in Alabama is directly assisting the American warfighter in all domains of operation.

Additionally, as the process for the home of U.S. Space Command continues, I believe the right decision will be made to place it where it is most effectively warranted – right here in Alabama.

Lastly, the support pillar, where Alabama’s excellence in STEM education shines. From our stellar universities to our innovative two-year college system to Space Camp, Alabama has a footprint in developing our workforce for the future.

As the U.S. and allies compete for global talent with China, it is now more crucial than ever to ensure that the next generation of our aerospace workforce is educated and up for the challenge of deep space exploration.

In Huntsville, in particular, we’ve seen a surge in population and business development, with countless companies and engineers seeking opportunities to advance American space from within Alabama. These trends alone demonstrate the clear desire by many Americans to join us and be a part of Alabama’s story within our country’s journey to Mars.

If the United States is to maintain its pre-eminence in space through the remainder of this century, the decisions, and investments we make this decade are paramount to that success. Those decisions and investments are going to be made here in Alabama.

Our nation’s space, defense, and technological superiority cannot advance for this era of great power competition, without our state.

As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, serving as the Ranking Member of the subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and Science and as a member of the subcommittee for Defense, it will continue to be a top priority to ensure that Alabama is leading America’s space enterprise.

Robert Aderholt represents Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District

Our Alabama Congressional delegation will all be reelected next month, as usual. We are no different than any other state when it comes to the incumbency advantage of being a congressperson.

When someone is elected to the U.S. Congress, they are usually there for life unless they run for higher office. They probably would not be defeated unless they killed someone and that probably would not be enough. It would probably depend on who they killed.

The Congress is so divided and acrimonious along party lines that if they killed another member of Congress from a different party it would probably help them and enshrine them in their seat for life.

The reelection rate for members of the U.S. Congress is over 93%. That is similar to the Communist Russian Politburo. Our Congress is more akin to the British parliament where they quasi own their seat.

Our delegation will have one new member. Dale Strong will take the Republican seat of Mo Brooks in the 5th District, Huntsville-Tennessee Valley area. He started early and stayed late. He began the campaign as the favorite and remained the frontrunner throughout the two year campaign to capture the open seat.

Strong has been a popular chairman of the Madison County Commission. He is a native Huntsvillian and was even educated grade school through college in the Madison County area. He was backed, strongly, by the Huntsville/Madison business community. They realize the importance of having a pragmatic, pro-business, conservative, who will be a GOP team player in Washington. It is imperative for the Redstone Arsenal to have a workhorse in that Seat.

They will miss Richard Shelby, who has done all of the heavy lifting for the federal growth. They are glad and fortunate to swap Mo Brooks for Dale Strong. Strong is relatively young and will probably be a long-termer.

Jerry Carl will be reelected to his first district Mobile/Baldwin GOP Seat next month. He has taken to Congress like a duck to water. He also has long-term workhorse written all over him.

Barry Moore will be reelected to his second term as the congressman from the 2nd District, which encompasses the Wiregrass and east Montgomery. It is a very Republican district.

Mike Rogers of Anniston will be reelected to his eleventh term in November. He is gaining seniority and power. If the GOP takes over control of the U.S. House as is expected next month, he is in line to possibly be chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Robert Aderholt of the 4th District is the dean of the delegation, thus under the entrenched seniority system he is our most powerful Congressman. Aderholt got to Congress at a very early age. He will be reelected to his 14th two-year term. He serves on the important and prestigious Appropriations Committee.

Gary Palmer will begin his fourth term representing the Jefferson/Hoover/Shelby GOP district. Gary is a policy and issues guy. The GOP leadership recognized this early, and he has advanced as a policy leader in the House.

The lone Democrat in our delegation is Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Birmingham. She will be reelected to her seventh term in the U.S. House in a few weeks. She has emerged as a leader within the Democratic House Caucus.

She is very well respected in Washington. She is a native of Selma and holds Ivy League undergraduate and law degrees. Hopefully, for Alabama, she is a long-timer. She has a large, sprawling district that covers most of Birmingham, Montgomery and all of the Black Belt, including her hometown of Selma.

Sewell, being the only African American Democrat in our seven member Congressional district, is the subject of a case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. Democratic leaders contend that Alabama could and should have two majority minority districts in the state rather than one.

The argument is that Sewell’s 7th District contains only 14% of the Black voters in the state. Alabama’s African American population is 27%. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, then our delegation may go from six Republicans and one Democrat to five Republicans and two Democrats.

The two prominent, powerful, young African American mayors of Birmingham and Montgomery, Randall Woodfin and Steven Reed, would both be eyeing the new Democratic Congressional Seat.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is a former state representatives, Alabama historian, and a political columnist.

The U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve are both investigating the potential for issuing a digital currency in the future in place of the dollar. A digital currency would create the new policy tools for stabilizing the economy but also poses great threats to privacy and personal freedom.

One natural question arising here may be what is truly new here. Banking already occurs mostly electronically and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin exist. Indeed, today we have stablecoins, cryptocurrencies linked to reserve assets like the dollar or gold. Is this just another example of Uncle Sam getting to a party late due to the inexorably slow pace of political decision-making?

The U.S. government is not alone in exploring a digital currency. More than 60 countries are experimenting with what are being called central bank digital currencies, or CBDC. China has already introduced a digital yuan. Proponents of CBDC’s suggest they could lower transaction costs, the costs of carrying out market exchanges.

Electronic banking lowers transaction costs, which is valuable. Transaction costs are like friction in physics, and economists often ignore them, just like physics assumes frictionless tables and pullies. Yet over time, the reduction of transaction costs represents an important driver of increasing prosperity. Global supply chains, for example, are possible now due to lower transaction costs.

Yet we do not need a digitized dollar to accomplish this. We already have electronic banking and electronic payments. Life is already much better than when you had to go to the bank while it was open to withdraw cash to make purchases.

Money is crucially important in an economy; it is half of every exchange. It is in our interest to have “efficient” money. At one time many transactions had to be done using cash and there were no ATMs. If you had no cash on you, you might have to wait until your bank opened to make a purchase. Businesses had to send an employee (or armored car) to take cash to the bank.

Money and our current dollar allow decentralized exchanges, which has benefits, but also has costs. Cash creates risks of theft. But if you found someone willing to sell you something for $100 cash, you do not need a bank or a government bureaucrat’s permission to make the exchange.

Digital dollars create two ways for the government to potentially control our actions:

First, exchanges using digital dollars could be blocked by the authorities. The government already has considerable potential control; for example, payments between banks or through PayPal can be blocked. The Canadian government restricted the sending of money to the Freedom Convoy truckers earlier this year. Without cash, though, the potential exists to control all transactions.

Second, digital dollars could have expiration dates, or be reduced in value by the Federal Reserve. Money with an expiration date could vanish from your account if not spent. People could be forced to use their money or lose it.

An expiration date would create a new tool for monetary policy, namely negative nominal interest rates. A nominal interest rate is the official rate paid on savings or for a loan, not adjusted for inflation; the interest rate when adjusted for inflation is the real interest rate. The real rate is the nominal rate minus the inflation rate and can easily be negative.

Today nominal rates cannot go below zero because people have the option of holding cash, say by putting dollars in a mattress (or safe deposit box). This provides a zero nominal rate of return. A bank offering a negative 2% interest rate will see depositors withdraw their money; nominal rates cannot fall below zero.

Some macroeconomists see value in negative nominal interest rates under certain circumstances.

Monetary policy stimulates the economy primarily through lower interest rates, which lead to more borrowing and, according to the argument, more spending, perhaps lifting the economy out of recession. After the Great Recession, nominal interest rates were close to zero, with very low inflation as well. The Fed could not use monetary policy to boost the economy, which arguably contributed to the very slow recovery.

Business cycles and macroeconomics are not my area of research, so I will not debate the potential for easy money to stimulate the economy. Certainly other macroeconomists argue that the Fed’s ability to manage business cycles is quite limited, and that monetary policy sometimes makes cycles worse. The benefit to Americans of negative nominal interest rates as a policy tool is likely very small.

From a big picture perspective, we Americans – not the policy-making elite – should decide if we will have a digital dollar. Governments control money today, but they did not invent money.

Money is one of the economic institutions that evolved spontaneously in the market. People started using rocks or precious metals or other commodities to buy and sell because it made their lives easier and better – it reduced transaction costs. Money evolved in many forms in societies across the globe.

Governments took over money, which is now viewed as a component of national
sovereignty.

According to reports, more than 60 countries are exploring some form of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). This is an important consideration for policymakers in Washington, who fear that another nation establishing a digital currency first could
supplant the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. The U.S., and particularly our
government, benefits from the dollar being used for almost 90 percent of international
settlements. Use as the international reserve currency boosts the dollar’s value and keeps interest rates low, which is particularly valuable with the national debt now exceeding $31 trillion.

Many people might think a digital dollar is similar to cryptocurrencies. Yet the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was explicitly designed to provide an alternative to government monies, due to potential devaluation. The number of Bitcoin is set according to the blockchain and will eventually reach 21 million but no more.

The Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury can increase the supply of dollars at will and
without limit, which would reduce the value of all dollars currently in circulation.

Dr. Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

Reformers have pressured police departments for years to reduce unnecessarily
dangerous conduct.

Yet departments and unions protect officers such as Derek Chauvin, who racked up 18 excessive force complaints before murdering George Floyd. Some departments have initiated meaningful changes thanks to pressure from insurance companies.

An excellent Washington Post story provides details. The St. Ann, Mo., department halted high-speed chases for traffic stops and nonviolent offenses after 19 crashes and 11 injuries in two years. One crash left a man paralyzed after the driver of a minivan with an expired license plate tried to elude police.

Insurance pays such settlements. The 2020 deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor produced $27 million and $12 million settlements, respectively.

Although cities and officers do not pay, these costs must eventually be covered through
premium increases. Departments with bad records are seeing large increases – St. Ann
would have had to lay off 10 officers – and threats to drop coverage entirely.

Coverage often comes with conditions like improved training, better policies to de-escalate violence, or ending high speed chases. Technology can sometimes substitute. As the Post explains, St. Ann’s now uses GPS “darts” so officers can safely track fleeing vehicles.

Insurers have long been helping people manage risk. Insurance first and foremost transfers risk. Suppose totaling your car would cause a $30,000 loss: buying insurance shifts this potential loss to an insurer. Because the loss would burden you more than the company, insurance makes both parties better off.

Insurance provides the victims of accidents, tragedies, and disasters help just like charity, only it is a business transaction. Assistance is based on a market exchange (regular premiums for a promise of assistance) and is arguably more sustainable than dependence on others’ kindheartedness. Shifting losses enables business activities and events. The Super Bowl would not happen if the NFL could not get coverage for potential losses through insurance.

Insurers reduce risk by reducing the probability of or loss from an accident. Companies require policyholders to take precautions as a condition of coverage or for a lower premium. A homeowner might be required to put in a security system to have expensive paintings covered. Companies also are enormous sources of information about losses and consequently can learn how to prevent losses in a cost-effective manner. They also research ways to further reduce losses.

Currently government assures product safety and professional competence, but insurance offers an alternative. Consider occupational licensing. No one wants an operation performed by a pretend surgeon. Instead of turning to government, consider this: What company would give a fake doctor malpractice insurance, or an insure a hospital letting incompetents operate?

Requiring insurance would be less prone to abuse than a licensing law. States create boards to establish standards, but the doctors, dentists, or tree surgeons serving on these boards can benefit from reducing competition through excessively strict standards (and grandfathering themselves in). Dozens of insurance companies compete against each other on price and coverage. Costly training not reducing riskshould not persist with competition.

Insurance also produces market-based introduction of new technology. Consider the use of GPS and other sensors to monitor driving. Insurers offered safe driverprograms with discounts for policyholders accepting the technology.

Such technology arguably allows “spying” on drivers. Insurers must convince policyholders to accept any innovation and will make new technology appear innocuous. Introduction typically proceeds slowly, allowing people to become familiar with the technology. And no insurer can force someone to use the technology; a company can only drop non-complying policyholders. Since insurers can still use driving records to price coverage, they lose profits not covering drivers who do not want to be “spied” upon.

What does insurer success imply for police reform? An activist told the Post reporters, “It’s an indictment on St. Ann police and their priorities that the voice of their insurers spoke louder than human lives.” Perhaps. But economics emphasizes the power of incentives. Insurers providing the police financial incentives to do the right things improves society.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.

It was a strange comment.

He was with a group who came to our church to use our facilities for a civic event. I was fairly new at the church and he told me he went to a neighboring church.

“We don’t worship like you do,” he said with a smile. I got the impression he was making a judgment about our worship.

His comment, however, reminded me that every church I’ve known worships differently. Every church is a unique mix of folks with unique social and denominational traditions.

I’ve been to a few Episcopalian services over the years and I appreciate the grand reverence of their worship. The readings and prayers highlight the majesty of God, and their services remind us of the holy God Isaiah saw in his call experience (Isaiah 6).

I had the happy experience of being stated supply at a PCA (Presbyterian) church for nearly four years. The Book of Church Order prescribed how services should be conducted. I was forced to think through the prayers I offered since the pastor prayed four or five times in each service. I appreciated the mandated petition to God for forgiveness and the assurance of pardon spoken to the people as we confessed our sin.

The PCA minister ends the service with a blessing instead of a benediction, and a kind lady gave me a document with several blessings on it after seeing my unfamiliarity with this tradition!

Donna and I served an American Baptist church in Indiana when I was in seminary in Louisville. The folks there enjoyed putting her on the piano bench and singing the gospel songs of the South. They loved gospel preaching, too, and told me their best pastors always came from Alabama and Georgia!

I have a cousin who preached in Africa and he showed a film of the people dancing and celebrating when one of their number accepted Christ. He said the celebrations sometimes would last an hour. I’ve wondered how this would go over in our time-conscious American services!

When I was a child, my mother’s only sister took us with her to a revival service one night in her Nazarene church in Georgia. I still remember my aunt running down the aisle testifying of God’s goodness to her.

Another unique phenomenon in the South is the cowboy church. Ranchers and rodeo folk enjoy worshipping together and the music is most often sung with guitar rather than organ or piano or synthesizer.

So many worship styles, yet all offer praise to the same Lord.

If we bring people into his presence, welcoming all without partiality, and if we offer a word of hope and encouragement, I believe we’ve worshipped well. -30-

Reflections is a weekly faith column by Michael J. Brooks, pastor of the Siluria Baptist Church in Alabaster. The church website is siluriabaptist.com.

As mentioned last week, all polling points to a significant Republican pickup of congressional seats in the upcoming November General Election.

It is a historical fact that the party that loses the White House in a presidential year, picks up congressional seats in the following midterm elections. Furthermore, Democrats are in disfavor because of runaway inflation.

Voters blame Biden and the Democratic Congress for the inflated price of gas, groceries and everything else. Americans vote their pocketbook. It’s the economy that counts, is what they say.

We, however, in Alabama will vote party no matter what is going on in the economy. Over 60% of Alabamians will vote Republican. Although, the libertarian party fielding a slate of state candidates may skew these numbers.

We have six Republican congressional seats, all white men and one Democratic congressional seat held by an African American woman. It would not matter if the inflation rate was 30% and a Republican was in the White House, we would still elect six Republican congressmen and one Democratic congressperson.

We do not fit into national politics. We are automatically placed in the Republican column for presidential elections, regardless of the Democratic or Republican nominees.

We are colored red way before the election night numbers are counted. Both of our U.S. Senate seats are held by Republicans. When Katie Britt won the Republican Primary in June, the race was over. This race will be on the ballot next month. However, Katie Britt will win. Winning the Republican Primary in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election.

The same was true for the Democratic Party in Alabama six decades ago. Folks, when we change, we change. We do not do things halfway. Sixty years ago, every statewide official was a Democrat. Every state judge was a Democrat. Our entire congressional delegation was Democratic.

Today, not only is our congressional delegation 6-to-1 Republican, our legislature, both Senate and House, is 75% Republican. Every statewide elected official in Alabama is a Republican. The Republican control of Alabama politics today is so dominating that we could safely be called a one party state, again, when it comes to statewide politics.

A prevailing theme has continued in Alabama for over a century and it is still pronounced today. Our state is divided politically based on race. Over 84% of whites vote Republican and almost all, 96% of Black voters, vote Democratic.

It is that simple, most parts of the country vote based on pocketbook issues, but Alabama and the Deep South vote on race and religion. Therefore, the national congressional numbers in the U.S. House may change to Republican, but we are Republican regardless.

Our legislature will not change our congressional makeup of Alabama’s delegation from 6-to-1 Republican. However, that does not mean that the Federal Courts will not.

African American Democratic lawmakers filed suit in federal court in the Northern District of Alabama late last year asking the court to change the lines to create a second Black majority congressional district.

They argued that the current six Republican seats to one Democratic seat majority, which has been in effect since 1992, blatantly violates their Constitutional rights under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. If you put a percentage of the Black citizens, who as we have said vote straight Democratic, into having one African American Democratic Congressman, that gives Black voters 13% of the representation.

The Black population of Alabama is 27%. The argument that there should be two majority minority districts has some merit.

A three judge federal panel made up of two Republicans appointed jurists and one Democratic appointee agreed with the plaintiffs and ruled in their favor. They ordered the state legislature to go back to the drawing board and map out a second African American Democratic district.

The Supreme Court intervened on January 24 and stayed the lower court’s decision. However, the stay was granted not on the merits of the case, but because it was too close to Alabama’s election, which had already begun.

Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, wrote that the high courts have set precedents that federal courts should not disrupt state election procedures close to the time of an election.

We have not seen the last of this issue. We could see our congressional line-up change to five Republicans and two Democrats in the 2024 election.

We will see.

Steve Flowers is a former state representative, Alabama political historian and columnist.

Since our founding in Birmingham more than 80 years ago, Southern Research has played a pivotal role in Birmingham’s economy and in the scientific advances that have transformed our world.

In the past year, we’ve updated our brand and refreshed our website, but we are still doing today what we’ve always done: We are “moving science.”

“Moving Science” is the essence of where we have been, and it is also the north star that guides where we are going. In celebration of our new look and vision, we recently released our Moving Science Report that showcases the organization’s legacy of scientific breakthroughs alongside the team’s modern achievements.

We are moving science to discover new treatments for the diseases that threaten our families and friends, to identify innovative solutions for the challenges that confront our world, and to create jobs for our community.

While our goals have not changed, our team has developed a new, more focused strategy that allows us to double down on our strengths in life sciences.

We have systematically corralled our assets to pave the way for a strategic expansion of our core operations in Birmingham, where 250 scientists and support staff currently work, mostly in biomedical research.

We have laid the foundation for a $108 million investment to expand and upgrade our facilities, doubling our lab space, creating room to add 150 scientists to our team, and multiplying our efforts to address devastating diseases like cancer, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, COVID-19 and Monkeypox.

Alongside UAB, we are actively working to develop a corridor that not only will foster jobs and economic growth on Birmingham’s Southside but will also become the premier biotech commercialization hub in the Southeast as a whole.

If our ambitions seem big, it may be helpful to remember our track record of accomplishments, which is anything but small.

Southern Research is responsible for nearly 700 patents in 59 countries or regions. Many of these patents resulted in products that have shifted industry perspectives and revolutionized medicine.

Years ago, Howard Skipper’s experiments with chemotherapy at Southern Research essentially ended the practice of radical mastectomies. Since then, we have developed, tested or refined more than 50% of active chemotherapies in the world. We developed seven FDA-approved cancer drugs, two of which are on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.

These numbers rival any research institute in the country.

As we work to move science, what moves us are the real people who desperately need the new treatments and cures we are looking to find.

For every discovery and breakthrough, there are real people whose lives are changed. In just one example, our scientists invented the drug Clolar® to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children like Frances Grace Hirs and 3,000 other children in the U.S. who are diagnosed with this disease every year.

COVID-19 also called newfound attention to the work we do, and we played a role on every level of our nation’s pandemic response, from testing, to developing new treatments and developing vaccines.

The Southern Research team carries this part of our mission with energy and resolve. We know our community has serious health needs and suffers disproportionately poor health outcomes. It is an honor to be the bridge between science and society, taking a new treatment from the point of being discovered in a test tube to the moment it enters an individual’s body through a shot or a pill that alleviates suffering, improves quality of life, and prevents unnecessary deaths.

We are also proudly carrying the mission we were assigned at our founding – to create jobs for our region. In an area often overlooked by venture capitalists and lagging the nation in job creation, Southern Research continues to create jobs that bolster our city and state economy.

Building on a long history of accomplishments, Southern Research is moving science to an even brighter future, for Birmingham, Alabama, and the Deep South.

Josh Carpenter, PhD, is president and CEO of Southern Research, a nonprofit scientific research organization founded in Birmingham in 1941.

100 years ago this month, Italy succumbed to a new political order that would ignite a worldwide struggle for freedom.

Completely abandoning its rightful claim as the birthplace of republican self-government, Italy embraced the fanatical politics of Benito Mussolini and embarked on a sad journey of prioritizing rhetoric over reason and ideology over experience.

The permanent scaring and disability of the veterans who suffered the horrors of trench warfare were a constant reminder of the failure of leadership that led to World War I. Each country would come to terms with its economy of this aftermath.

Initially, countries experienced internal conflicts as citizens tried to define their new role in the world. The old leadership had clearly failed, but scant options were available to replace it.

This was the age when academic discussions of government promoted communism, socialism, and nationalism in various combinations. Even though none of these systems was tried, much less true, people were restless for something new.

In Italy, this search for something new gave rise to Mussolini. Remembering his ascension to power is not something to be celebrated, but rather observed. Even after 100 years, it is hard to reconcile the positive influence of Roman civilization with the destructive ideas of Mussolini.

Nothing about Mussolini’s character is commendable. His youthful experiences revealed a bigoted bully who constantly fought his classmates; his knife play resulted in expulsion from a number of schools.

Originally a socialist who advocated against war, his opinion gradually changed as he realized that the resulting destruction created possibilities for change and advancement. He thus became an advocate for war and against neutrality.

So fervent was his newfound bellicosity that he was paid by the British to stir up Italians to fight against the Central Powers. This was not the first or last time that foreign powers would attempt to foment local support for an objective, only to have the instigator turn and become a mortal threat.

It would be unfair to say that Mussolini was created by the British, but it is appropriate to note that his politics were financed by British pounds.

Mussolini was a powerful advocate in speech and in print. He was an engaging writer and a mesmerizing orator. The cadence of his words and his soothing patronizing rhetoric gave him a following that morphed into a national movement.

He was convinced that the answer to the constant post-war strikes and riots was a strong leader. And as he read various political tracts, Mussolini became convinced that he was the only leader who could unite his country and achieve prosperity.

As Mussolini’s popularity grew and his stature increased, he forgot about any institutions of government, and concluded he could be the government. He came to believe his own rhetoric, and his followers’ applause confirmed this view. Against any sense of traditional, liberal republican government, Mussolini assembled leaders of various disaffected groups and urged them to come together to form a new party.

In giving an example of how tight their union and commitment to change should be, Mussolini advocated an image that would become the symbol of his government and an ill-used pejorative.

Harking back to ancient Roman times, the symbol of power was a bundle of wooden rods surrounding an axe. Mussolini urged his followers to be a tight knit group just like these “fascist” that surrounded the axe. Thus, the word fascist as a political movement was born.

Sporting black shirts as an appeal to unnamed and forgotten men, Mussolini’s thugs imitated their leaders’ bullying tactics. In various town and other political subdivisions, these gangs took power by force. The local leadership was not sure how to handle this development, but they were intimidated and succumbed to the demands of these unruly groups.

A century ago, the Italian trade unions called a general strike. Mussolini used this event to demand that the national government act to restore order. Failing that, Mussolini threatened to march on Rome to take control.

While simply using rhetoric as propaganda to promote himself, his words resonated with his followers. What started out as an opportunistic speech now became a rallying cry, and his followers heeded his encouragement by actually marching on Rome.

At the time, the government in Italy was akin to a constitutional monarchy like England. While the King, Victor Emmanuel III was generally respected, the prime minister and the parliament were not. When the Italian political leaders realized that Mussolini was serious about marching on Rome, they became afraid and asked the King to declare martial law. When he refused, the political leaders resigned.

For reasons still debated, the King decided to ask Mussolini to become his prime minister and form a government. Mussolini did exactly this, but not willing to completely upset the status quo, he governed in coalition with other parties. Thus, be used the trappings of official government to begin to seize power.

Using extrajudicial means, including murder, he eliminated other political parties and leaders until he achieved his goal of becoming an absolute dictator. Initially, people were willing to tolerate the new government as it did provide the benefit of centralized efficiencies that the previous parliamentary system lacked.

But eventually, when freedoms were curtailed and the economy did not prosper as promised, Mussolini did what dictators always do; he found a national cause for distraction. Mussolini did this in a series of aggressive military actions culminating in the invasion of Ethiopia.

The League of Nations tried to stop these naked aggressions, but without international leadership and with no real power, it took symbolic steps that not only failed to stop Italian atrocities but destroyed the League, opening the way, if not encouraging, other, more significant military aggressions culminating in World War II.

Remembering Mussolini’s rise to power is to recall the consequences of not confronting a national bully who became an international pariah. If, at any point in Mussolini’s infamy, someone in power had forcefully challenged him, the world would be a better place.

Will Sellers is a graduate of Hillsdale College and an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama. He is best reached at jws@willsellers.com.

Happy is an elephant at the Bronx Zoo.

The group NonHuman Rights recently brought a habeas corpus petition in state court challenging Happy’s confinement, which was dismissed because animals do not have human rights. The case reminds us of the ever-changing legal status of animals, which may eventually restructure society.

Another recent animal welfare legal action involved the rescue of 4,000 beagles being raised for lab experiments. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation of animal cruelty led to closing the breeding facility. I am very glad the beagles were saved, but the legality of animal testing was not addressed.

The first animal cruelty laws in Britain and the U.S. date to the 1820s. Anti-cruelty laws restrict ownership of animals and even protect animals being raised to be killed. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 established protection for species of wild animals (and plants) declared to be endangered or threatened.

How should we think about legal protections for animals? Should animals possess rights like people?

One argument for human rights derives from the dignity and moral value of each person. Rights protect individuals. This view of rights naturally extends to animals if they also possess intrinsic moral value.

But a second argument for human rights relates to our capacity for reason. Acting on the judgment of our minds requires freedom; rights enable the exercise of human rationality. This argument does not transfer as readily to animal rights.

Was Happy sad in captivity? At the Bronx Zoo she is fed daily, a diet guided by animal nutrition experts. Wild elephants eat grass, leaves, or whatever food is available. Happy receives veterinary care and protection from predators. Her space to roam is limited, but captivity offers some benefits.

Furthermore, the litigants wanted Happy sent to a wildlife sanctuary, not released
into the wild. The legal argument involved more living space.

Food and veterinary care are not free. Admission fees from thousands of zoo visitors pay for these. Doubling the pens of every zoo animal in America would be nice,
but also costly. What is NonHuman Rights’ plan to pay for Happy’s food, medical care,
and space without admissions revenue?

Standards of animal cruelty ultimately reflect human sensitivities. Bob Barker used to urge “The Price is Right” viewers to spay or neuter their pets. Euthanizing adorable puppies and kittens is heart-breaking.

Preventing overpopulation avoids this distress. But does this improve animals’ quality of life? My dog Diane never experienced giving birth to or nursing a litter of puppies. Would she have preferred motherhood even if her puppies were put down? Responsible pet ownership relieves human suffering.

Some critics dismiss animal rights as merely “cute” animal rights. I find this criticism valid but irrelevant. To apply an economic term, the value of animals is subjective, meaning in the eye (or heart) of the valuer. All economic value is subjective.

Objective standards of value for consumer goods do not exist; we cannot deduce the
value of Neopolitan ice cream from the separate values of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

We should not expect consistency in our preferences for food, fashion, music, movies, or protecting animals. I see no problem with requiring humane treatment of animals raised for slaughter.

Consequently, courts should not create new protections for animals. With subjective preferences, precedents imply very little. We cannot argue: “Sam likes lettuce. Lettuce and spinach are both green, leafy vegetables. Therefore, Sam must also like spinach.” People must decide which animals to protect and how.

I will never participate in dogfighting regardless of its legality. Criminalizing dogfighting imposes my preferences on others, something I am reluctant to do as a libertarian. We restrict some persons’ freedom due to the pain animal cruelty causes for other persons.

No person knows if Happy would prefer life in the wild. Maybe one day a real-life Dr. Doolittle will learn to talk with animals. If Happy then expresses a preference for freedom over comfortable confinement, I would respect her choice. Absent Dr. Doolittle, courts granting “rights” to animals merely gives some humans dominion over other humans.

Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.