Every election for every public office is important in a democracy. In the upcoming election, the election for Secretary of State throughout the country has become especially important since the Secretary of State is the chief election officer for the state and is, thus, responsible for providing elections in which citizens of the state can have confidence in free, fair and accountable elections.

Therefore, we, Dr. Wayne Flynt, Auburn University emeritus professor of history, and Dr. Gerald Johnson, Auburn University emeritus professor of political science, endorse the candidacy of Ed Packard for Alabama Secretary of State.

We have each known Ed throughout his career as a friend of the family, former student and State of Alabama Director of Elections. Without exception, Ed has served the state well, and, through his 30-some years of experience as an election administrator, he is exceptionally qualified to assume the office of Secretary of State, Alabama’s chief election officer.

Ed is committed to providing leadership for the construction, maintenance and administration of fair, honest and accountable elections for every citizen of Alabama. He understands that voter confidence in the electoral processes of government at all levels is essential to the maintenance of our democracy and he is committed to assuring that those processes are in place and are administered fairly and accountably.

We also know Ed has the personal qualities that model the best in public service — caring, responsible, honest, with integrity and commitment.

We endorse Ed Packard and solicit and encourage your vote for Ed Packard, Alabama Secretary of State.

Dr. Wayne Flynt is an emeritus professor of history at Auburn University. Dr. Gerald Johnson is an emeritus professor of political science at Auburn University.

Last Tuesday, I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to listen to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy address Congress via video from a secure location near Kyiv. President Zelenskyy thanked the United States for our support, but he also asked for increased assistance in two ways – he asked for more defense systems and fighter jets, and he asked us to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

I agree with President Zelenskyy that the United States, as well as our NATO allies, should provide Ukraine with more military aid. Whether this comes directly from us or through our allies like Poland, we can and should give Ukraine the tools they need to counter Russian aggression. Poland has MiG-29 fighter jets they can give to Ukraine, and we can in turn provide Poland with American F-16s to replace their jets. Thankfully, there is bipartisan support for this in Congress, and President Biden is set to visit Poland and meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda later this week.

Although I support providing Ukraine with increased military aid, I am strongly opposed to the United States enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. A no-fly zone is very tough to enforce and would likely lead to a shooting war with Russia. If the United States were to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, it would take just one Russian aircraft crossing into the airspace or just one American fighter jet being shot down for World War III between nuclear powers to start. This is the last thing we need right now.

I’ve been encouraged and inspired by the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people, and I truly believe Putin’s power and position on the global stage are diminishing as a result of this war. Regardless of the outcome, Putin has majorly miscalculated and has sustained far more losses than he ever expected. Putin has a time clock on him, the Russian people are beginning to wake up, and I truly don’t know what his end game is.

From the start of this conflict, I have argued that we should do more to help Ukraine and its people, but Europe and our NATO allies need to take the lead, especially when it comes to boots on the ground. Our commitment to our NATO allies has been strong, but for years, the United States has gotten too involved in foreign conflicts. I’m tired of us fighting other people’s fights and unnecessarily putting our folks in harm’s way.

Let’s give Ukraine the tools they need to fight and aid to help struggling families survive, but let’s keep ourselves out of the conflict. President Zelenskyy has made clear he does not need American troops, but he does need American military aid. This is Ukraine’s fight – not America’s. Let’s do what we can to help.

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

World Water Day is March 22. The essential importance of water to public health and safety, the economy, and the environment has become more aware to the public since the pandemic, recent droughts, and the attack on Ukraine. While these reasons are unfortunate, a greater understanding of the value and essential role of water is beneficial.

At the turn of the previous century, the time of my grandfather’s birth only 125 years ago, most people got their water from a well and used an outhouse. These were often near one another, contributing to the spread of disease. As an adult, he had a farm and on-site water supply was essential to produce crops.

At about the same time, the industrial revolution was in full force and thousands were flocking to cities for manufacturing jobs. Birmingham is known as The Magic City because her early years were so robust the city grew “like magic.”

The need for clean and sanitary public water and wastewater systems was the genesis of the cast iron pipe industry in Birmingham. The presence of necessary resources such as iron ore, coal, and limestone within our region made north central Alabama an ideal location. Cast iron pipe manufactured in Alabama has built public water systems and ensured public health and safety all across America and even around the world. At the same time people were leaving family farms for manufacturing jobs in the cities, larger scale agriculture was developing to feed a growing nation and world. Iron and steel pipe for transmission of vast quantities of water great distances contributed to our prosperity and our ability to win two World Wars. It’s not at all a stretch to say that clean water is the greatest advancement in public health in the history of mankind. It’s also true that transfer of clean water is necessary for economic development, agriculture and industry. I’m grateful and proud to have spent my entire career in such a noble and beneficial industry.

Today, modern ductile iron pipe is made in Birmingham, and steel used for water pipe and construction of water facilities is manufactured across Alabama. Instead of ore, today we recycled scrap and thereby contribute to sustainability in a significant manner. No other pipe material is as sustainable, environmentally friendly, and resilient as iron and steel. Alabama’s iron and steel industry directly employs 14,900 manufacturing jobs and 76,388 indirect jobs providing a multi-billion-dollar payroll and tax base and economic impact of more than 10 billion dollars. Average wages of iron and steel industry workers are very near six figures. A recent study by Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business documented this impact.

So, when you continue to wash your hands with soap and water each hour, when you cook and bathe, when you relax in your pool, when you enjoy indoor plumbing, think of and be thankful for ductile iron and steel water pipe and the iron and steel industry here in Alabama that manufactures it.

Maury D. Gaston is Chairman of the Alabama Iron and Steel Council, a council of Manufacture Alabama, and a Director and past Chairman of the state of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. Manufacture Alabama is the state’s only trade association dedicated exclusively to manufacturers and their supplier/vendor partners. AISC member companies include AM/NS Calvert, AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company, CMC Steel, McWane, Inc., Nucor Steel, Outokumpu Stainless USA, SSAB Americas, U.S. Pipe & Foundry, United States Steel, Alabama Power Company, ERP Compliant Coke, OMI-Bisco Refractories, O’Neal Manufacturing Services, Reno Refractories, Spire, Inc., Southeast Gas, and Southern Alloy Corporation. Gaston is a mechanical engineering graduate of Auburn University and Manager of Marketing for American Cast Iron Pipe in Birmingham.

Alabama is past due for an education overhaul. In nearly every national publication that scores and ranks education systems, Alabama finds itself dead last. This must change.

Data from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama found that over half of public-school students in grades 3-8 are not proficient in grade-level reading and math. The proficiency rate for science, which is tested in the 5th and 7th grades, is much lower.

Much of the responsibility for classroom and curriculum issues falls on the State School Board. Instead of focusing on the critical problems affecting our teachers and our students, the State School Board appears to be deadlocked on topics that do not improve the status of Alabama’s education system.

Because of the State School Board’s lack of initiative, most curriculum issues are taken up in the legislature instead. The State School Board needs a fresh perspective. It needs to seriously address the pitfalls of Alabama’s education system. Only by electing qualified and dedicated individuals can we turn the tide and start supporting our children again.

In addition to general curriculum issues, the State School Board has done little to support teachers and administrators throughout the pandemic. As COVID-19 ramped up, and schools began to close their doors, there was no response from the State School Board. Just as our students and parents felt the strain from online schooling, our teachers and administrators worked nonstop to ensure Alabama’s students could continue learning despite the circumstances.

The time has passed for the State School Board to support our teachers and administrators during the pandemic. As we have moved on from COVID-19, we must recognize what could have been done better in Alabama’s schools throughout the pandemic and turn those problems into solutions.

Most importantly, the lack of concern to improve the quality of education in Alabama’s classrooms only puts our students at a disadvantage. As a result, there is a significant effect on Alabama’s economy. This begins with college and career readiness. According to a US News ranking, Alabama students are 45th in college readiness. Close to 30 percent of college freshmen that came from an Alabama public school need remedial classes.

How can we justify economic prosperity in Alabama when jobs in the 21st century require higher levels of education and skill than ever before? The simple answer is for the State School Board to begin identifying technical programs that may be implemented into the school curriculum beginning in elementary school. Generally, by the 4th or 5th grade it is evident how well a student absorbs and processes information. At that stage in a student’s education, we can assess whether that student may be better suited for a technical or skills-based career field.

Governor Ivey’s Office has done a great job of understanding the lack of technical programs in Alabama’s public education system. With the development of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, as well as the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation, the state is setting up a framework to utilize local businesses to train students as apprentices in skills-based jobs. By retaining those skills-based workers in Alabama, positive economic implications follow.

The reason I’m running for the Alabama State School Board is to provide new perspectives and enhanced awareness of the challenges our schools face. As a 36-year public educator, I have witnessed the problems our students, teachers, and administrators encounter on a daily basis. Alabama needs solutions to these problems, and as your State School Board member, I will work tirelessly, visiting all 172 schools in the district every year to see how to provide the solutions we need.

It is up to Alabama voters to decide that they are tired of the status quo in their children’s classrooms. We must set a new standard for education in Alabama, and that begins with capable and dedicated State School Board members.

Priscilla Yother is a candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education (BOE), District 6.

Some lawmakers in the Alabama Legislature are again showing that their “law and order” campaign promises do not necessarily match their actions in the state capitol.

This past week, a bill being pushed by Alabama Appleseed that would weaken the state’s ability to suspend driver’s licenses for those who do not pay their traffic tickets passed the Alabama House Judiciary Committee. The Alabama Senate has already passed a version of this bill.

The bill raised strong opposition from the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The concern is if this bill becomes law, it will take away a punishment to deter those that break the law from being held accountable for traffic violations and associated fines. Further, law enforcement argues that there are already ample safeguards in place that indigent offenders can take advantage of, such as requesting a payment plan for their fines.

Despite efforts to convince lawmakers this legislation was not in the best interest of public safety; a version of this bill passed the full Senate and the House Judiciary Committee.

Notably, the State of Alabama is in active litigation against the Southern Poverty Law Center which has tried, and failed, to have Alabama’s current law on driver’s license suspensions struck down.

Thus, both Alabama House and Senate members have voted to help the SPLC in their efforts to dismantle the State’s hard-earned victory in court to pass legislation that public safety officials were fighting.

Hopefully, this bill will die in the few remaining days of the Alabama legislative session, but shame on Alabama legislators — particularly Republicans — for either not doing their homework or for putting the interests of a liberal advocacy group above public safety.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives

French economist and journalist Frederic Bastiat wrote, “When goods don’t cross borders, soldiers will.” That international trade contributes to peace is a tenet of classical liberal and contemporary libertarian thought. How might trade accomplish this, and what does the evidence show?

Trade reduces conflict in two ways. First, war disrupts trade; goods are unlikely to be shipped across a battlefield. Both exports and imports benefit a nation. The larger the volume of trade, the greater the pain from disruption.

Second, doing business can change attitudes and perceptions. Nations do not trade; individuals and businesses do. The individuals engaged will get to know citizens of the other nation. They will see each other as real people. Peaceful interactions break down hatred and create friendships.

Other social and cultural exchanges can also do this. Exchange students, scientific collaborations, sporting events and art exhibitions help erase nationalistic attitudes which politicians exploit for personal benefit. Cultural exchanges help inoculate populations against opportunistic, power-hungry leaders.

The impact of trade disruption is real but only deters fighting if national leaders carefully weigh benefits and costs. Emotions can cloud rational thought. Overconfidence is often prevalent; both warring nations often expect a quick and easy victory. Overconfidence may also lead to underestimation of the costs from trade disruption.

International trade generates enormous economic benefits independent of its impact on war and peace. Economists since David Ricardo have recognized comparative advantage as the basis of beneficial trade. We benefit from buying the best and most affordable food, furniture, clothes, minerals, and computers from around the globe. And we need not trade only with our close friends; businesses might trade with foreigners we consider untrustworthy.

What does history show? World War I violates the trade and peace thesis. The global economy would not attain 1914’s level of trade again for almost 75 years. England, France and Germany had significant scientific and cultural exchanges, and as Barbara Tuchman observed in The Guns of August, their royal families were even blood relatives. Commerce and cultural ties did not prevent the Great War.

International trade fell considerably by World War II. The Great Depression and the ensuing trade war left little trade in place. Few goods crossed European borders in 1939.

NATO and Soviet bloc nations engaged in little commerce during the Cold War. Extensive trade occurred on each side of the Iron Curtain, but few goods crossed. International trade does not explain the U.S. and Soviet Union avoiding World War III.

Formal tests of the trade and peace thesis must include countries that never fought. Statistical tests examine “dyads” or pairs of countries to identify factors affecting the probability of conflict. A 2008 study confirmed that higher trade volumes reduced conflict. The worldwide increase in trade between 1970 and 2000 reduced the likelihood of conflict between a pair of nations by 20 percent.

We must be careful about causality when two peaceful nations trade. The potential for disruption matters for establishing trade relations. For instance, Mcdonald’s has suspended operations in Russia over the Ukraine invasion. Mcdonald’s will not open restaurants they expect to close soon. Businesses do not desire supply chain disruption and so will not source parts from a nation with which conflict is likely.

The 2008 study employed several statistical methods to these alternatives, increasing confidence in its results. Still, it may be impossible to “grow” trade between two hostile nations to make war less likely.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may provoke a new Cold War. Is international trade crucial to maintaining future peace? In the near term with ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, a suspension of trade is justified, if merely to signal our moral outrage. In the longer term, trade increases the cost of war. The libertarian argument is technically correct. Unfortunately, the economic benefits of trade appear minor in the political calculus leading to war.

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.

Being an incumbent state senator in Alabama is like owning that seat. The level of reelectability odds is probably better than that of an incumbent congressman, which is about the same as being elected to a seat in the Russian Communist Politburo.

Being a freshman state senator in Alabama is a more powerful position than being a freshman U.S. congressman. Especially if you want to affect public policy.

Many times, a 50-year old, successful person, who is interested in seeking a representative role will approach me and seek my advice about running for either a State Senate seat or an open congressional seat. I will quickly advise them that as a state senator you are one of 35 and you immediately have an impact in your first year as a state senator. However, if you win a congressional seat, you are one of 435 and because of the seniority system, it will be 15 years before they know your name in Washington and 25 years before you are chairman of a committee and then it is time to retire.

In the 35-member Alabama Senate, there are 27 Republicans and eight Democrats – a pretty super majority for the GOP. Twenty-four of the 27 Senate Republicans are running for reelection. Republicans Jimmy Holley, Del Marsh and Jim McClendon are retiring. These seats will be filled by another Republican. Therefore, when the Senate organizes next January, the 27 to eight super majority will remain the same. The lines are drawn to protect incumbents on both sides of the aisle. The Constitution provides the power of the pencil for legislators to draw their own legislative districts.

Seventeen of the 24 Republican incumbents have no opposition in the Republican Primary. Of the seven Republican senators who drew a Republican opponent, they only got an opponent the last day of qualifying and their opposition is token at best. All 24 Republican incumbents will be reelected. If my prognostication is correct, that is a 100% reelectability rate.

There are only two GOP incumbents that were first thought to have viable opponents. Tom Whatley at first blush was rumored to have a race. However, polling and fundraising reveals he will win easily. The only interesting race may be in the Huntsville area where incumbent Tom Butler is being challenged by Bill Holtzclaw, who previously served in that Senate seat.

The rule of incumbency also prevails on the Democratic side of the aisle. There is only one Democratic seat open. Priscilla Dunn holds the post in name only. She has never attended a Senate day in Montgomery for this entire quadrennium. The Senate has in essence been operating with 34 senators. In actuality, the Democrats have only seven Senate seats. There are 150,000 residents of Jefferson County who have had no voice or vote in the Alabama Senate for four years. There are two Democratic House members vying to fill this seat, Merrika Coleman and Louise Alexander. Ms. Coleman is favored to win this open Senate seat.

The cadre of leadership on the Democratic side will return, including powers Bobby Singleton, Rodger Smitherman and Vivian Figures. Hank Sanders will return to represent Selma and the Black Belt after a four-year sabbatical. His daughter was in the seat this last quadrennium.

The entire leadership of the Republican-led Senate will return unopposed, including Greg Reed, Jabo Waggoner, Clay Scofield, Arthur Orr, Greg Albritton, Steve Livingston, Gerald Allen and especially Clyde Chambliss. They will be joined by a superstar freshman class, who will become even more powerful. This class of leaders includes Will Barfoot, Garlan Gudger, April Weaver, Sam Givhan, Donnie Chesteen and a trio contingency of Baldwin/Mobile Senators Chris Elliott, Jack Williams and David Sessions. Another member of this sterling class, Dan Roberts of Jefferson, has an opponent but will be reelected.

The three open Republican seats and one Democratic open seat will give us some interesting Senate races to follow.

One of, if not the most important ingredients which creates the power of incumbency, is the almighty campaign dollar. Money is the mother’s milk of politics. Most of this campaign money comes from Special Interest Political Action Committees. Ninety percent of those special interest dollars goes to incumbents. Thus, over 90% of Alabama state senators are reelected.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.

Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation that would compromise patient safety by allowing non-physicians to perform surgeries on one of the body’s most complex and delicate organs – the eye.

As a medical doctor and surgeon, I urge state legislators to vote down this reckless Senate Bill 120 and preserve the physician lead team-based approach to medical care that puts patient safety first.

If Senate Bill 120 becomes law, optometrists, who are not surgeons, will be able to perform surgery on the eye, eyelids and face using lasers, scalpels and needles. Optometrists are not medical doctors. They do not complete medical school, and they do not complete an accredited residency in eye surgery.

Optometrists are valued members of the eye care team. They provide primary eye care services such as checking for common vision problems as well as prescribing glasses and contacts. However, they do not have the medical education, years of surgical experience or training necessary to perform eye surgery.

If Senate Bill 120 passes, non-surgeons will be able to ablate (destroy) tissue inside of the eyeball using lasers. They will be able to inject medication directly into any part of the eyeball using a needle and will be able to remove lesions such as malignant cancers from much of the face using a scalpel.

Currently in Alabama and most of the United States, these types of surgeries are only performed by ophthalmologists who are licensed medical doctors that have completed four years of college, four years of medical school, passed a three-part medical licensure examination, completed four to six years of residency in eye surgery and upon completion passed a comprehensive board certification exam in eye surgery.

So how can Alabama lawmakers possibly justify lowering the standard of patient care and putting the safety of Alabama patients at risk? Surely there must be some benefit that outweighs this potential risk? There is not.

Proponents of the bill argue that it will expand access to health care. Currently in Alabama, we do not have a problem with access to surgical eye care. Medicare claims data demonstrate that 91% of Alabama’s population is within a 30-minute drive to an ophthalmologist, and 99.7% of Alabama‘s population is within the same or shorter drive to an ophthalmologist than they are to a Walmart Supercenter.

Furthermore, many rural counties that do not have ophthalmologists also do not have optometrists. For example, Wilcox, Lowndes and Perry Counties in the Black Belt do not currently have optometrists. In addition, 92% of ZIP codes in Alabama with optometry offices are within a 30-minute drive to an ophthalmologist.

Another argument that supporters of Senate Bill 120 make is that optometrists are leaving Alabama to go to one of the small numbers of other states that allow them to do procedures. The data show the opposite. If you examine the population data, you will find that the number of optometrists in Alabama has actually been increasing in recent years and has significantly outpaced the percentage growth of the overall state population. UAB graduates roughly 40 optometrists every year and only 5 ophthalmologists.

In short, this dangerous bill is a reckless solution to a problem that does not exist. There is no problem with access to surgical eye care in Alabama and there is no shortage or net loss of optometrists. Lowering education and training standards for surgery simply lowers the bar for quality patient care.

Senate Bill 120 is a step backward when it comes to patient safety and addressing Alabama’s health care challenges. Rather than pushing dangerous legislation that attempts to pit optometrists against ophthalmologists. Alabamians would be better served if our legislators focused on promoting the highest standards of medical care for the people of our state.

Senate Bill 120 does exactly the opposite and should be stopped.

Dr. Wyatt is President of the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology.

What a rollercoaster the last two years have been! The Alabama Department of Labor, along with the rest of the country, has certainly experienced this period of historical significance, and we are hopeful to be finally emerging on brighter days.

I’m proud of this recovery. It took a lot of hard work on the part of many, not the least of whom is our state’s unbelievably amazing workforce, who rose to the challenge to help get things back on track. Governor Ivey and her administration, including our workforce partner agencies throughout the state, also came together to assist businesses and workers. The entire staff at ADOL also worked harder than ever before to meet an oftentimes unsustainable demand.

In 2021, our unemployment rate dropped to a yearly record low of 3.1%, only two-tenths of a percentage point away from our previous record low unemployment rate of 2.9% in June 2019. That’s just amazing. When you remember that our unemployment rate jumped to 13.7% in April of 2020, it’s quite wonderful to see that return to near-record lows in such a short period. Also in April of 2020, Alabama saw the number of people counted as unemployed skyrocket to all-time high of 298,920, but by the same period last year, that number had dropped to 81,599, representing a decrease of 217,321 people. By the end of the year, that number had dropped even more to just under 70,000 people, getting us back in pre-pandemic range.

In fact, Alabama had the lowest unemployment rate in the entire Southeast for the last 15 consecutive months. Our unemployment rate annual average for 2021 ranked 5 in the country at 3.4%. This is not to say we don’t still have work to do; I don’t think I’ll ever say that our work is done. There will always be challenges and we must continue to rise up and meet them. Pre-pandemic, even with record breaking economic conditions, there were labor shortages. Those still exist today. We will continue to educate our workforce, train our workforce, and give opportunities to our workforce. That’s part of ADOL’s mission, and we will constantly strive to meet it.

Partly due to circumstances arising from the pandemic, Alabama also saw major wage gains over the past year. In August of 2021, our average weekly earnings rose to a brand-new record high of $988.89. That’s $138.16 a week HIGHER than in August 2019 – before we’d even heard of COVID-19. Throughout the year we saw various sectors reach and break wage records, including the construction sector, which saw wages go above $1100 a week, and the manufacturing sector, which saw wages of more than $1200 a week. In traditionally lower wage industries, such as leisure and hospitality, we saw over-the-year increases of nearly $50. To see that kind of increase in such a short time frame is fairly remarkable. It just doesn’t happen.

When you look at the jobs count in Alabama, there’s even more good news. From January 2021 to December 2021, we saw an increase of 61,800 jobs. That means employers added more than 60,000 jobs, despite lingering economic pandemic-related concerns. We are working towards reaching our pre-pandemic record high jobs count, and I’m extremely hopeful that we will be able to bypass that record this year.

Many of our metro areas landed in the top #100 nationwide for lowest unemployment rate – Huntsville, Decatur, Auburn/Opelika, and Daphne/Fairhope/Foley. There are jobs – good jobs – in Alabama, and employers are willing to offer incentives to attract a quality workforce.

We are in the business of providing a quality workforce. It’s one of Governor Ivey’s major goals. We at ADOL are happy to do our part in helping to achieve that goal. To that end, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to remind everyone of the many free services our Career Centers offer. We’re now up to 55 locations statewide, and we touch each of Alabama’s 67 counties. If you’re a job seeker, we can help you with your résumé, work on interview skills, or get you enrolled in just about any type of educational or vocational training. Want to be a truck driver? A nurse? A welder? We can help with all of that. For employers, we can help you find qualified employees – we prescreen for you, provide you with interview space, and can even help with salary credits. Check us out at www.labor.alabama.gov– we’re here to help!

Fitzgerald Washington is the Alabama Department of Labor secretary

Alabama’s efforts to expand rural broadband in the last five years have given us a head start on bringing additional households online supported by $276 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars that the state legislature appropriated in January.

Representative Randall Shedd (R-Cullman) and I chair both the Rural Broadband Oversight Committee and the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority, which provide bipartisan oversight of all functions of the new broadband division within the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). With broad bipartisan support in both legislative chambers and leadership from Governor Kay Ivey and ADECA Director Ken Boswell, we have invested in a state-of-the-art mapping process that will be key to unlocking where we invest our money in the future.

The legislature recently approved two bills designed to further our efforts. The first bill amends the current Alabama Digital Expansion Authority and allows the authority to enter into nondisclosure agreements with Internet Service Providers (ISP). This legislation will increase the map’s accuracy by making it easier for ISPs to anonymously share proprietary business information about their current service areas. It also increases the minimum threshold speed, keeping up with federal trends. The second bill revises the current Broadband Accessibility Act by giving more flexibility to a grant program that is an 80-20 private/public match, in which state money is only expended once the project is complete. When competitive applicants apply for these funds, more points are given to the applicant who proposes to build a future-proof fiber network or offers higher speed levels to customers such as 100/100. Just to give you an idea of those speed levels and how fast they are changing, when we first started under five years ago, we were happy with 10/1, then 25/3. Technology changes quickly, and here in Alabama, we are changing with it.

Our early investment in ADECA’s Broadband Accessibility Grant Program helped us understand the intricacies of identifying truly unserved areas in our state when we created the Accessibility Fund in 2018. For the last four years, we have been tweaking that original program. The legislation we already have in place sets a framework few other states can match. Since 2018, close to $38 million in state money has garnered nearly $89 million in private investments in predominantly rural, unserved areas, and a total of 94 projects have been completed. Nobody is pointing to Alabama as being last, or even close to last, when it comes to broadband development. In fact, they are looking to replicate what we have already accomplished.

A second wave of federal money to come later this summer will also be partially invested in broadband, and voters will have a chance in the fall to give their county commissioners an opportunity to use ARPA funds to contract locally with Internet Service Providers at the community level. Governor Kay Ivey has recommended an additional $25 million in state education dollars in 2023 be dedicated to the Broadband Accessibility Grant Program, and both she and our legislative leadership are committed to following through on this program. We will not stop until Alabama is 100 percent covered.

Click here to view the ADECA Alabama Broadband Map and learn more about your own coverage area.

Clay Scofield is the Alabama Senate majority leader. He represents District 9, which includes portions of Blount County, DeKalb County, Madison County and Marshall County. 

March Madness is in full swing in Washington with power-mad Democrats oblivious to the multiple crises plaguing Americans on their watch.

How oblivious? This week, while Rome burns, fiddle virtuoso Nancy Pelosi is bringing to the House floor the CROWN Act – a bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture or hair style – and legislation written by this guy to limit arbitration rights.

It’s difficult to imagine a Speaker more out of touch and unresponsive to the threats facing American families, but that’s what Americans have come to expect from this Go Woke and Go Broke Democratic Congress.

Congress did manage to fund the government last week after almost a six-month delay (we passed three short-term spending bills since funding expired last September just to keep the government’s doors open), but it did so through a massive, dangerous $1.5 trillion bill – yes, trillion with a “t” – that only gets us to Sep. 30. We’re only $30 trillion in debt, so I guess what’s another $1.5 trillion? It is highly unlikely this Congress passes appropriations bills on time during an election year, so yet another short-term continuing resolution to get us through the election is heading our way.

Not that Pelosi wants us in Washington doing our job. After this week’s session concludes, the House is scheduled to convene a mere 56 days before the November elections. With 31 Democrats already announcing retirements and dozens more seats up for grabs, Pelosi wants her folks back home campaigning (as if that’s what we are paid to do).

So what will Congress do the rest of the year? Well, let’s kick off our Beltway bracketology with what we won’t do.

For starters, don’t expect Democrats to call a play to meaningfully address the inflation crisis. Despite unchecked government spending fueling our economic and inflationary woes, President Joe Biden and his cellar dweller economists won’t give up on his multi-billion dollar Build Back Better agenda, laughably trying to resurrect it as a tool to fight inflation. Inflation surged a whopping 10% last month compared to a year prior – and that does not even include gas!

Speaking of gas, don’t expect any proposals to solve our energy crisis. When asked what they’ll do about skyrocketing gas prices, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries said “that issue hasn’t come up.” I can promise the daily record-high gas prices have come up around kitchen tables like yours and mine, so Democrats’ Sgt. Schulz defense is a little puzzling to me.

When addressing the issue at all, Democrats simply blame it all on Vladimir Putin, desperately hoping Americans will forget the continual climb of prices since Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and ordered drilling moratoriums on American energy the day he took office.

What about the border crisis? Forget about it, despite the historic chaos under the Biden administration. Last year, deportation of illegal immigrants dropped to the lowest level in 26 years despite record high border crossings. Last fiscal year, Biden deported just 59,011, compared to 185,884 the previous fiscal year.

You don’t have to be a basketball fan to know that giving up more points while also scoring less will get you run out of the gym.

But the Democrats won’t try to secure the border because the anarchy is all by design. According to the liberal Washington Post, this drop in deportations directly corresponds to instruction by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, saying “Mayorkas has also met personally with teams of ICE officers to urge them to use more discretion before making an arrest.”

So, what can we expect this year from Congress?

If you’re keeping score at home, don’t expect anything meaningful to become law. There is only one thing that will dominate the House calendar: the November elections. Almost everything Pelosi brings to the House floor for the next eight months will be repackaged, duplicative, or strictly for messaging purposes.

The truth is that every single crisis we see is either the intentional result of Democratic policies or something they’ve no answer for.

If things keep up, Democrats will watch from the sidelines this November as Republicans run up the score.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore is a Republican from Enterprise representing Alabama’s second congressional district

March is National Women’s Month, so it is fitting that the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame (AWHOF) held its annual induction ceremony this month. Housed at the University of West Alabama, each year the hall “selects up to two women for induction who have made significant contributions on a state, national, or international level . . .” Only those deceased two years or more are considered.

Members of the AWHOF come from every avenue of life. They include such notable names as Rosa Parks, Tallulah Bankhead, Kathryn Tucker Windham and Harper Lee. This year’s inductees are Vestal Goodman and Allison Wetherbee.

Goodman was from Fyffe and known as the Queen of Gospel Music. She was the lead singer for the Happy Goodman Family who won multiple Grammy Awards, Dove Awards and had 15 No.1- songs. Both Goodman and the group are members of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame.

Southern gospel music great Bill Gaither said Goodman had the “most dynamic and greatest voice in the history of gospel music.” He proclaimed her a “national treasure.”
Goodman was also one of the first female preachers to travel the state and nation preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Allison Wetherbee was born in Selma and raised in Camden. She was born with quadrilateral tetra-amelia, a syndrome characterized by the absence of both arms and legs. But that never stopped Wetherbee.

She received a B.S. degree at Auburn University in Montgomery and earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling. She was a tireless advocate for multiple noble causes including March of Dimes, Easterseals and Camp ASCCA where she visited as a camper as a child and later became an employee as an adult. Wetherbee shared her inspirational story on the camp’s behalf across Alabama in 67 counties.

Wetherbee’s autobiography “I Was Born This Way” was recognized by Anytime Fitness as a national member success story.

These two women, though totally different, represent the work ethic and spirit of the Alabama woman. Their names are now enshrined in the hall of honor, but their works continue to live and change lives every day even though they are no longer with us. Thank you to the AWHOF for choosing to induct them this year.

Beth Chapman is Alabama’s former State Auditor and 51st Secretary of State. She now owns and operates Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC. This is her weekly column, “Around the Capitol” published in newspapers and blogs across the state. She can be reached at Beth@bethchapman.com.

Several times in the past few months, I’ve written about the House of Representatives keeps failing to do its basic duties because Democrats have backwards priorities. One of our most important duties is passing an appropriations bill each fiscal year to keep the federal government funded and running. This is important for so many reasons, including keeping our nation safe and secure from threats across the globe.

Over the course of the past several months, the Democrat-led House has passed multiple temporary funding bills and narrowly avoided multiple government shutdowns. These temporary funding bills, which we call continuing resolutions, are not a proper way to do business because they cut off important programs like Social Security and are dangerous for our national security.

Thankfully, last week the House finally passed a legitimate appropriations bill to keep the government funded and running. Even though it took five months into the fiscal year to get it passed, I’m thankful this task finally got accomplished. Although this legislation is not perfect, I voted for it for multiple reasons – primarily because it includes more than $1 billion in funding that will come directly to south Alabama and because it is good for our national security.

This important funding will go toward important initiatives in our district, including four Navy ships to be built at Austal USA; expansions and improvements at the Port of Mobile; construction and improvements to Brookley Airport; economic development projects to revitalize our rural and downtown areas; infrastructure improvements to our roads, bridges, railways and waterways; plus renovations to the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and expansion of their research facilities.

This legislation is also good news for the entire nation. We were able to stop the Biden admin’s reckless spending efforts by cutting their proposed increase to domestic spending by nearly two-thirds. Our border security will be improved because it gives increased funding for the Department of Homeland Security to address the border crisis while stopping the Biden admin’s plan to cancel existing border wall funding, plus it increases funding for ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and additional border patrol agents.

Our defense spending will get a much-needed boost to ensure we can counter aggression from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Meanwhile, all our servicemembers will be receiving well-deserved pay raises. This is great news for our national security and our defense interests around the world.

Despite efforts by my colleagues across the aisle, we were able to keep multiple amendments in this legislation – including the Hyde Amendment – which keep your tax dollars from funding abortion services at home and abroad. I’m a firm believer that our tax dollars should never be spent to perform or promote abortions, so this is especially encouraging to me.

These victories would not have been possible without tons of hard work by many of my colleagues in the House and the Senate, especially Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Appropriations Committee ranking member Kay Granger (R-Texas) who successfully fought to secure so many wins for our district, our state and our nation. I’m proud to work alongside them, and I couldn’t be more excited to see all Americans benefit from this legislation.

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

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life in many ways. Governments across America assumed new powers without explicit authorization. But laws restricting businesses were also suspended. As the pandemic ebbs, we should evaluate this deregulation experiment and consider permanent changes.

Americans for Tax Reform counted 846 suspended federal and state rules. Some were narrow matters, like allowing ambulances to transport patients to urgent care facilities. Others were more substantial, to enable the production of ventilators and not require the CDC to perform all COVID tests.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel famously opined, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Many politicians have taken this to heart during the pandemic. As the research of economic historian Robert Higgs shows, “crises” are frequently used to permanently expand government.

I totally oppose exploiting crises for political gain. Temporarily adjusting rules when changed circumstances alter the benefits and costs is prudent and wise. But deceptive wording to make a temporary suspension permanent undermines social trust. We should be helping each other during a crisis, not guarding against dirty tricks. Politicians who try doing so deserve our scorn.

The hundreds of waived rules provide natural experiments, and we should evaluate the evidence. Many proponents of government rules fear that unregulated markets would produce disaster. What happened without government supervision during pandemic deregulation?

Economists are undertaking such research and the results will emerge in published studies. Sober deliberation might lead us to amend or abolish some of these laws. This is how a crisis should change policy.

What already seems clear? Allowing restaurants to sell cocktails to go provided important relief. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia permitted this during the pandemic with more than a dozen making this permanent. Alcohol can account for over one third of sales and has high markups over cost and take-away food sales alone could not make up for this revenue.

The value of cocktail freedom going forward is unclear. Customers probably valued their favorite cocktails when forced to dine at home. To-go drinks will need to be distinctive to remain attractive to take-home customers given the steep markups.

Health care has featured some significant rule waivers. Telehealth has received an enormous boost. Like remote work, the required technology has existed for some time. Legal restrictions were holding telehealth back. The pandemic forced experimentation for patients fearful of catching COVID at a doctor’s office.

Telehealth, though, offers enormous benefit going forward, particularly for residents of underserved rural areas. Safety is also a factor: individuals with health conditions can avoid potentially dangerous drives to doctors’ offices. Patients with rare illnesses or difficult cases can consult more specialists.

State licensure creates barriers for virtual consultation across state lines. State medical boards claim to uphold quality in licensing, but this is only true if other states license unqualified quacks. I read about a Pennsylvania patient again facing a two-hour drive to Johns Hopkins in Maryland with the end of the pandemic exemption. Does the Pennsylvania medical board truly think that doctors at Johns Hopkins – one of the nation’s leading medical schools – are not qualified to treat Pennsylvanians?

Pandemic deregulation waived limits on medical professionals known as scope of practice regulation. For example, physician assistants were allowed to practice to the extent of their training. Scope of practice limits are driven by profits, not safe medicine and simply keep professionals from fully employing their expertise. Researchers will determine if these exemptions increased misdiagnoses; if not, this would demonstrate the limits’ lack of medical purpose.

Liquor stores have opposed takeaway cocktails and offered a safety rationale: customers might imbibe while driving home. But so could thirsty liquor store customers. Pandemic deregulation’s most enduring benefit may prove to be exposing bogus rationales for rules benefitting one group of businesses over another at the expense or inconvenience of consumers.

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.

I was nine years old when I first met my father, Leldon Ball. He was standing in the middle of a small gaggle of relatives gathered at the airport in Birmingham to welcome my older sister and me to our new home in Alabama. Nine years earlier, I was an unborn child when my mother fled to California with their three-year-old daughter. Nobody knows what she was fleeing from, but most likely it was the chronic mental illness that would plague her throughout her life.

California didn’t work out well for my sister and me. We eventually became wards of the state. By the time authorities located my father and arranged for him to assume custody, I had already been committing petty crimes. But my father immediately began instilling a moral standard in me based on honesty, compassion, courage, humility and a strong work ethic.

For the next few years, we were almost constant companions as he continued to impart those values to me with countless personal demonstrations and illustrations. He continually imparted his wisdom while we worked, played and worshipped together.

During the 60s, Jim Crow set an opposite standard in Alabama that separated people according to race with mandates that included separate schools, public restrooms and restaurants. Segregation was the hot-button political issue of the day, and opportunistic politicians knew how to make the most of the fear generated by those who refused to conform to the societal norm.

My father didn’t care about politics. He didn’t even vote. He was preoccupied with how to live and have a positive effect on those whose path crossed his. I can’t count the times that he took time to help a stranger without regard for pigmentation.

He had many friends because he wanted to be a friend. He was respected by others because he was respectful to others. He was loved by many because he freely shared the love within him without discrimination. He was a beacon of light in a world of darkness.  He was not pretentious enough to think he could save the world, but he saved me. In August 1969, Leldon Ball gave his life while saving mine.

There are scornful Christians who might scoff at me for describing a man in terms they would use to only describe Jesus, but I am describing another example of the same thing. Religious dogma, like political edicts, tend to create bitterness, resentment and contempt while they attempt to enforce conformity for the sake of peace and order.

Love does not seek to enforce conformity. Instead, it brings peace and order with its power to transform pain into gratitude, which gets me to the main reason that I have spent nearly fifty years trying to serve others. Serving others allowed the supernatural power of love to heal my pain discretely and continually by transforming it into gratitude, instead of allowing it to fester into bitterness and contempt.

Gratitude is the primary byproduct of love, and gratitude is what caused me to spend most of my life trying to repay a debt that has no price. It was the driving force that guided me to serve in the Marine Corps, the Alabama State Troopers, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and finally the Alabama House of Representatives. Although each period of service prepared me for the next one, none brought me any closer to retiring the debt. It just keeps piling up.

Love is the opposite of money. In the world of love, debt is a good thing. It isn’t supposed to be saved; it is meant to be spent. The more we spend, the more we have; and we gain it by giving it.

As my political career draws to a close, I gaze down the homestretch of my journey with a curious sensation of contentment. Maybe it’s because I’ve stopped worrying about the debt.  I’ve learned that the larger my debt of gratitude, the happier the ending I can expect.

Incumbency is a potent, powerful, inherent advantage in politics. That fact is playing out to the nines in this year’s Alabama secondary constitutional and down ballot races.

Several of the constitutional office incumbents do not have Republican or Democratic opposition. Of course, having a Democratic opponent is the same as not having an opponent in a statewide race in Alabama. A Democrat cannot win in a statewide contest in the Heart of Dixie.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth will be elected to a second four-year term without opposition. He will be waiting in the wings to follow Kay Ivey as governor.

Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate will be reelected without opposition. He has done a good job in this important state post.

State Treasurer Young Boozer is running unopposed for another four-year term. He does an excellent job and is uniquely qualified for the Treasurer’s job.

State Supreme Court Justice Kelli Wise is running for reelection unopposed. Kelli is popular and is a good jurist. She is home free for six more years on the state’s high tribunal.

Attorney General Steve Marshall has token opposition in his run for reelection. One Republican and one Democrat qualified against Marshall. However, he will coast to reelection.

There are two seats up for election on the Alabama Public Service Commission. There are three seats on this regulatory panel. The President of the PSC runs in a presidential year. Twinkle Cavanaugh is president and pretty much runs the ship. The two incumbents are Jeremy Oden and Chip Beeker. Oden has two unknown Republican opponents. Beeker has two opponents in the GOP primary. One has some name identification, who has run before. Beeker and Oden will probably win reelection.

There are only three hotly contested and interesting secondary statewide races. That is because these three posts are open without an incumbent on the scene.

Popular Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin, the former Probate Judge of Jefferson County, is term limited by an antiquated law that prohibits a judge from running for the court after age 70. There are two qualified candidates seeking to follow Judge Bolin. Birmingham Defense Attorney Greg Cook is facing Anniston Circuit Judge Debra Jones. Cook appears to be the favorite to win. It is apparent that the business community in the state is backing Cook. He has also been endorsed by the Alabama Farmers Federation. The latest campaign finance reports reveal Cook has $552,000 to spend compared to Jones’ $15,000.

The State Auditor position is open. Jim Ziegler has served his eight-year stint. This will be an interesting three-man race for this benign position. Former Mobile State Representative and State Senator Rusty Glover is facing Muscle Shoals State Representative Andrew Sorrell and Jefferson County Pastor Stan Cooke. All three are getting out and working the state.

The race to succeed John Merrill as Secretary of State will be a good race. Merrill is term limited after eight years. State Auditor Jim Ziegler is wanting to move next door in the Capitol and become Secretary of State. Because of his name identification advantage, Ziegler will be favored to win the race. However, he will get a significant challenge from State Representative Wes Allen.

Young Wes Allen has been running for over a year and has a good many significant endorsements including Alfa. He has an impressive resume having served a decade as Probate Judge of Pike County and four years as a State Representative. He also has two home bases. He has lived and served in office in Troy in Southeast Alabama and was born and raised in Tuscaloosa where his father Gerald Allen has been a long time state senator.

Ed Packard, who has run the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office for decades, is also running. He is very well qualified.

The aforementioned current Secretary of State, John Merrill, is not seeking any elective office in 2022, even though he is still relatively young. I have said this before and it holds true today, Merrill is currently the best and most prolific retail politician in the state and one of the best I have seen in Alabama. He has a real grassroots organization in Alabama. He is literally everywhere. Even though he is not on the ballot running this year, he is outworking every candidate mentioned in this column. You have not heard the last of John Merrill.

Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama Newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.

The harm to our economy caused by Joe Biden’s socialist wish list is growing worse every day. Self-inflicted crises have dominated the first 15 months of the Biden administration. From inflation skyrocketing to a 40-year high, to violent crime running rampant through major cities, to soaring gas prices, to a wide-open lawless border letting millions of illegal immigrants and deadly fentanyl onto our streets, to endless federal mandates threatening our individual liberties, the Biden administration is a disaster.

When President Trump was in office, he made America energy independent. He unleashed America’s can-do attitude to build the Keystone XL pipeline. He also opened our vast abundance of natural gas and oil and allowed responsible drilling on federal lands. At the end of President Trump’s term, gas was a little over $2.00 a gallon.

Biden’s policies just don’t make sense. One of his first acts as president was to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and to stop drilling on federal lands. He then removed all of President Trump’s sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream II pipeline. I have repeatedly pushed President Biden to ban Russian energy imports and support American energy production. Yet, according to reports, after banning Russian oil imports President Biden is now looking at buying oil from anti-American regimes in Venezuela and Iran. It seems like Joe Biden would rather beg Venezuela and Iran for oil than simply buy American.

Under Biden, the national average for gas has soared to over $4.00 a gallon with estimates for it to be even higher by Memorial Day. Think about it, if you usually spent a hundred dollars a month of your family’s budget on gas, now you are spending over $200. That’s a big hit for folks.

Every Alabamian is feeling the pain when they go to the gas station. High energy prices caused by Biden’s reckless policies are a tax on every hard-working family in Alabama. The more we must spend on gas the less we can spend other necessities.

The radical left that really runs the Biden administration are determined to push their socialist agenda on every American family, and America is currently suffering because of it.

We will not let that happen. As President Trump famously said, “America will never be a socialist country.”

Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-03) serves in the United States House of Representatives, where he is the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee

The COVID-19 pandemic hammered workforce participation, and it’s still recovering—especially with women. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men have recovered their labor force losses since February 2020, while in January 2022, over 1 million fewer women were in the labor force as compared to February 2020.

The contrast between the current workforce numbers could be a result of women taking on more caretaking responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concurrently, women in the workforce still typically earn just 84% of what men earn on average. However, there’s one industry with practically no pay gap, where women earn an average of 94.3% of their male counterparts’ earnings—construction.

Annual wages in construction are also higher than most other industries. In fact, the average hourly earnings are over $2 more per hour than all other private industries, and those earnings are up 5% from January 2021. Construction is one of the few industries where you can earn a paycheck while beginning, continuing, or completing your education. It’s a profession where you can establish a well-paying career that provides for your family while learning a lifelong skill set.

When I came to America in 1985, my transition was extremely difficult, but over time, I learned that in this country you have the freedom and the opportunity to achieve anything you set your mind to. I found construction, and since starting my company, Building & Earth Sciences Inc., in 1999, we’ve grown to 240 employees in 18 offices in 9 states. Though seemingly a male-dominated field, there is plenty of room for women to succeed in the construction industry.

At ABC Alabama, we are committed to putting the best talent on the construction field. Achieving an inclusive, culturally diverse, and competent workforce that is welcoming to all people—where employees are limited only by their own potential, work ethic and desire to succeed. This is the essence of the merit shop philosophy, and that’s who we are. To learn more about career opportunities in construction during 2022 Women in Construction Week, March 6-12, visit abc-alabama.org.

Deepa Bhate, the CEO of Birmingham-based Building & Earth Sciences, currently serves as the chair of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama.

I‘ve been clear on the record: Joe Biden disappoints me every day when he wakes up in the morning.

Last week during his first State of the Union address, President Biden reaffirmed to the American people that he is delusional.

Like the career politician that he is, Biden took credit in spite of the results of his actions. Biden’s sanctions did not deter Russian dictator Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine, nor did he properly arm Ukraine with enough weapons despite knowing for months that Russia was planning to attack.

Instead, the Biden administration famously offered Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a ride out of the country, to which this brave leader said, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”

The heroes are not President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, but rather Volodymer Zelenskyy, heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky and all the people in Ukraine who have stayed to defeat Russia and Vladimir Putin.

Russia started a war with Ukraine because they saw from Afghanistan how weak President Biden is. They saw how Biden abandoned our European allies, left behind over 900 Americans, and gave control of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Back home, Biden’s policies aren’t faring much better, as inflation is increasing at a pace that we haven’t seen since 1982. The costs of food, electricity and gas have all risen because the reckless spending policies from the Biden administration and the Democrats who run Washington have made inflation worse. Biden has served in office since 1972, so he remembers the Carter era. But apparently, he learned nothing from it.

Additionally, crime is out of control across our country. From New York City to right here in Birmingham, our cities are becoming less safe, and violent crime is on the rise. Despite the change of tone in his address last week, Joe Biden has spent the last two years standing with the radical left who wants to “defund the police.” That’s nonsense. We need to elect leaders who will always stand with law enforcement and back the blue, not politicians who pander to the liberal extremes.

It’s no secret that due to the decisions by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we have a humanitarian crisis on our southern border. Every month, we set new records for illegal crossings at the border all because of Joe Biden’s policies of open borders, tax dollars for illegals and allowing violent gangs into our country. President Trump made it clear on day one: they’re bringing drugs and they’re bringing crime. We stop it all by building the wall.

Despite all of Biden’s gibberish during the State of the Union, here’s some plain English that we can all understand. President Joe Biden has proven himself to be an incompetent leader in the White House and the State of our Union was undoubtedly much stronger under President Donald J. Trump. Now more than ever, we need to get rid of the career politicians in Washington and return to the America First agenda to restore our great country.

Mike Durant is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama

Americans witnessed an economic boom unlike any other in our nation’s history under President Donald Trump, whose presidency was marked by record low unemployment rates and robust job creation, massive deregulations for American businesses and workers, historic trade deals that put America first, prioritization of energy independence, a secured southern border, modernization of the military by establishing the U.S. Space Force, and a future of increased opportunity and greater promise for all Americans. Now, just over one year after President Biden assumed office, inflation has reached a nearly 40-year high, gas and energy prices have more than doubled, violent crime rates have inundated cities across the nation, and foreign countries like Russia and China are rising to dominance in an effort to threaten democracy.

President Joe Biden and his administration’s liberal agenda and socialist policies are solely to blame for the turmoil that has become our new reality. Specifically, President Biden’s abrupt decision to cease production of American fossil fuels signaled to the world his willful lack of concern for energy independence. Within hours of his inauguration, Biden signed a series of executive orders that forced his radical climate agenda on the American people. He killed the Keystone XL Pipeline, rejoined the Paris Climate Accord to add new regulations and increase oil costs, directed the Environmental Protection Agency to review all regulations and policies by the Trump administration, and terminated new oil and gas leases on federal land and waters, further restricting national production and driving steep inflation at the pump. President Biden also supported removing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, giving Russia a competitive advantage in oil access and pricing. The United States today is producing around one million barrels of oil a day less than we were in 2019, an alarming statistic that directly demonstrates the extremist path taken by the current Democrat administration to diminish American energy security.

Alabamians are feeling the effects of President Biden’s socialist climate agenda right here at home as gas prices in the state have reached historic highs. The people of Alabama are currently paying nearly double at the gas pump what they were a year ago. This has significantly affected working Alabama families and individuals, especially those who are living on fixed incomes. People across the state are struggling to afford everyday items and necessities, and this is a direct result of the irrational policies imposed by the Biden administration.

The President warns Americans that gas and energy prices will continue to climb, placing the blame on anyone but himself. He will tell you that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is what’s driving up oil prices. Prior to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, working American families were paying about 30 percent more at the gas pump than they were last year, and just this week, national average gas prices hit an all-time high of over $4.10 per gallon. If you look back in history, the times when we achieved energy independence were the times when gas was affordable and we could withstand commodity price shock. In actuality, liberal policies are at fault for constantly increasing gas prices. Democrat leaders want to follow in the footsteps of European officials, bowing to climate activists and forcing socialist policies on Americans like substituting unreliable and costly renewable energy for oil and gas. If we continue down a resembling path, we will find ourselves excessively reliant on Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other hostile nations for oil.

American energy independence delivers more affordable and reliable energy to our families, but it also strengthens our position in an increasingly volatile world. Now is not the time to erase decades of progress; President Biden must open back up our energy sector and reinstate our energy independence. While the President should be working to implement ‘America First’ policies, he is instead actively working against the oil and gas industry, hurting both producers and consumers. Although Biden’s America is our current reality, it does not stand a chance against the flood of exasperated voters who will take their dissatisfaction to the polls in November.

Will Ainsworth is the lieutenant governor of Alabama

As the world watches the slow moving brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine in abject horror, people around the world are repulsed and stunned, but as the arbitrary carnage against innocent civilians unfolds, that disgust and shock harden into anger and resentment. Many are asking how this could happen. The short answer is western nations have lost the convictions of their principles of democracy and freedom, have grown lazy and weak, and again deluded themselves into thinking evil may not exist. Western leaders erroneously believe they can accommodate, control, or negotiate with evil. And that’s exactly where evil wants you when evil pounces.

Europeans have had little control of their destiny since WWII without American leadership and strength, so when the United States left the world stage with a corrupt decrepit president that has been clueless and gutless for half a century, evil actors around the globe knew their opportunity had come. Everyone knows Biden’s corruption, indecisiveness, and weakness invited Putin’s current depredation and emboldened China, but that’s where we are, and we can’t change that embarrassment anytime soon. So, what can, or should we do now?

First, we must assess what we know. Vladimir Putin is a dictator, murderer, and thug, and now he is a certifiable war criminal attacking a peaceful neighbor without cause and indiscriminately slaughtering civilians in his pure lust for power. Putin has made no secret of his goal to restore the Russian empire. He cheated and murdered his way into power and installed himself as dictator for life. We should have recognized his evil designs when he would not leave power and as he gobbled up Georgia and Crimea. Proving again he is ruthless by indiscriminately targeting Ukrainian civilians and trying to assassinate Ukrainian President Zelensky, no one should be surprised.

There are no easy answers after the United States has so grossly misplayed its hand and thrown away too many cards, but there is a shameful hypocrisy for the U.S. to just watch Ukraine cruelly slowly beaten into submission. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine had the third-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to nuclear disarmament because the United States guaranteed that it would assure their sovereignty and defend an independent Ukraine. Twenty-eight years later, Ukraine is begging for help and realizing aid may be too late if it even comes at all. We were probably stupid for making that promise, but we should be ashamed for not keeping it in the face of such a senseless vicious attack.

Putin is certainly evil, and he may be an evil genius. He is calculating the west lacks resolve in the face of naked aggression. Contrast Iraq’s 1991 invasion of Kuwait with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are arguably inconsequential to vital American interests, but both unprovoked invasions destabilize their regions and naked aggression left unchecked only invites more naked aggression. President Bush the elder assembled an international coalition to oust Saddam Hussein and did so in short order. Why is not a similar response galvanizing for Ukraine? The short answer is Russia has nuclear weapons.

Putin has insinuated he will resort to nuclear weapons if the west intervenes, so we cannot ignore that grave threat and that only emphasizes the importance of strong policies to preempt this almost impossible situation. But it also illustrates that diplomacy will not resolve this crisis. Russia can only be stopped militarily and maybe economically if Ukraine can hang on for weeks, but economic sanctions probably need months to have an effect.

At this point, economic sanctions are the only tool on the table, so it’s imperative we get serious immediately and stop the flow of Russian oil. As long as we buy Russian oil, we are financing their military operations in Ukraine. Biden’s dithering on sanctions is cowardly and unconscionable. Until we cut off Putin’s oil money, there’s no reason to take us seriously.
Russia must and should be isolated, but the international community must also call out China for supporting Putin and his military adventurism in Ukraine. They are buying Russian coal and other goods and helping Russia move money since international banks are locking them out. China is watching closely and calculating its designs on Taiwan by how the world handles Ukraine. China must be put on notice and held accountable for complicity.

Russia surely thought they could conquer Ukraine in days, but they are stumbling, and Ukrainian resistance is much stiffer than anticipated. While the Russians are still quite dangerous, we are learning the Russian bear is not as capable as we or they thought. Again, Putin only responds to military strength, so NATO must put some teeth into their demands. NATO does not have to engage, but they can arm Ukraine and provide them with military intelligence now. And to really get Putin’s attention, NATO should mobilize now and show they are absolutely serious about containing this catastrophe and that his aggression is intolerable.

NATO understandably wants to avoid a nuclear confrontation, but NATO must understand that Putin will not stop in Ukraine. It may take a while, but Putin will not be satisfied and will come for more. Until someone puts a dagger to Putin’s throat, he will not relent. There is hope if Putin is thwarted in Ukraine, the Russian threat will be neutered for at least a generation.

Ukraine has been a den of corruption and therefore a dilemma, but Putin is the embodiment of evil – he must be challenged. These are all very difficult decisions, but WWII taught us that if we don’t confront evil early, the price later will be exorbitantly high and sooner or later we will have to pay a price to defeat evil. With the knowledge of WWII, would the world have moved to stop Hitler in 1936 when he took Austria or 1938 when he invaded Czechoslovakia? We are facing the same situation again, so there is no time for inaction or tepid action. The world must act boldly to face down evil, or it will continue to advance.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or on MEWE @PeteRiehm or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.kraien

Riehm is also a Republican hopeful for Alabama Senate District 33

Had she lived, the Queen of Soul would have been 80-years-old this month. For at least 60 of her 76 years, Aretha Franklin shared her vocal gift all over the world. In addition to bringing her both critical and commercial success, her voice became a symbol for a new generation of Americans.

Older generations rooted in staid and static smugness frowned upon popular culture for breeding new forms of entertainment and activism which promoted an expression of unique, differing and contrasting ideas.

Utilizing the appeal of her voice, Aretha would challenge numerous pre-conceived notions, and the acceptance of her music would push boundaries that had previously limited others based upon race, sex, religion and politics. She created a following that was first attracted to her vocal virtuosity but later came to accept her change agent status.

After her birth in Memphis, her family joined the throngs of the Northern Migration to Detroit to escape the overt racism of the day and embrace the promise of greater economic opportunity. Her first performances were at the church that her father pastored, and while she considered Detroit her home, she never became part of the “Motown” sound. Commenting on her life, Barry Gordy recalled seeing her sing and play the piano as a little girl. How she escaped Gordy’s talent search is remarkable.

Initially, her commercial success was not readily apparent as her first records under the Columbia label failed to chart. It was only when she switched to Atlantic records and the influence of Jerry Wexler that her career took off. After almost 10 lackluster Columbia albums, Wexler paired her with Rick Hall’s Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After that providential decision, her career took off and she never looked back.

Remembering Aretha requires focusing on more than just the appeal of her music; it is also about her as a person, the times in which she lived, and the influence she had. For most musicians, having a voice with a range of Aretha’s would be enough, but she also understood the nuances of music and how to write songs from her life experiences that conveyed strong emotions with a powerful cadence and drew people to her.

She was also talented enough to realize that she could take the works of others, change them, and make them her own. In fact, her signature song, “Respect,” was written and initially recorded by Otis Redding. Aretha’s interpretation changed the song and the meaning to not merely ask for respect, but to demand it.

This respect was not limited to Redding’s spousal relationship, but was about American society at large, the dignity of the individual and being accepted as an equal. After all, what most people really want is respect; an acknowledgment that they are significant and that they matter. In the 1960s, that was strong medicine.

Her songs increased the acceptance of the civil rights movement among baby boomers but also caused friction in families caught in the middle of cultural and social change. It is hard to believe now, but initially, her record covers avoided featuring her photo so as not to offend parents of white youngsters. But Aretha, like Miles Davis and other black artists, demanded this “white washing” cease, and the album covers that followed removed another vestige of racism in the recording industry.

Aretha’s support for social change was more subtle in that she crashed through racial barriers because her music appealed to all audiences. The clear implication of her concerts and the success of her records was that racial discrimination had no place among the new generation. Her support for racial equality would become more pronounced as she used her broad appeal to advocate for change and equal opportunities.

And the breadth of her success and the popularity of her music would support the notion that raw talent could defeat discrimination. Her acceptance in the world at large helped spread American popular culture and promoted American values not only among our allies but also our enemies.

In fact, it was a custom among Russia and its Soviet Union to dwell on issues that divided Americans. The Kremlin was a master at sowing seeds of discord among and within western democracies. Popular culture was one vehicle to highlight the shortcomings of the West in general and America in particular. But culturally Russia was unable to compete with American post-war pop culture. In the past, it was a matter of strategy to invite a Paul Robeson or Marian Anderson to perform and point out how they were mistreated in their home country, but Soviet youths, much like American teenagers, were ready for something different. Not everyone accepted Soviet entertainment, and any Soviet pop culture had a sell-by date of 1930 something.

Aretha, among other artists, was their worst nightmare. From her style of music to her success and acceptance, there was nothing to exploit. The Soviets would try to create their own statist Russian pop culture, but it simply could not compete with Aretha and America. The sounds of young America flooded the worldwide airwaves, and there were not enough jammers to stop the infiltration of these new sounds and innovative musicians.

Initially, there was an attempt to ban the music, but few could resist Aretha and so many others. But worst for Soviet ideology, she represented the democratic spirit of America that accepted musicians based on performance ability and popular appeal. There was no way to use Aretha as an example of talent suppressed based on race to contrast America and Russia. Even their young people liked what they heard and attempted to imitate the music and style of Aretha, but under the Soviet system, there was no chance for a Russian popular artist to achieve similar success.

While there are myriad causes for the end of the Cold War, Aretha and other scions of American popular culture helped win the global culture war one note at a time.

Will Sellers was appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey to the Supreme Court of Alabama in 2017. He is best reached at jws@willsellers.com

Americans across the country are frustrated and disappointed with President Biden’s performance for the past year, so it’s not surprising his approval ratings are at historic lows. Last week, President Biden gave his State of the Union Address, where he struck an optimistic tone and claimed numerous so-called “victories” he has scored during his first year in office. Despite this, the truth couldn’t be clearer: President Biden has failed the American people, and his constant lying is an insult to everyone.

My biggest criticism is the president’s unwillingness to secure our southern border so we can stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into our communities. President Biden brought up the border crisis in his address, saying, “We need to secure the border and fix the immigration system.” If this is truly a priority for him, why has he done nothing for the last 14 months? Every month since he has been in office, we’ve seen an increase in border crossings, but we have seen zero action from the Biden admin. Getting the border crisis under control has been a top priority of mine since I took office, and it’s why I’ve cosponsored and introduced countless bills to fix this situation. President Biden can pretend he cares about fixing the problem, but he has done nothing except make the situation worse.

President Biden also made a big emphasis on buying American-made products. I agree, but he is being dishonest with the American people yet again. If he cares so much about buying American-made products, why did he immediately shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, stop new oil and gas lease sales on federal land, and make us dependent on Russia for oil? There’s no good reason – especially now – for the United States to continue importing nearly 600,000 barrels of oil a day from Russia when we have the ability to produce clean energy right here at home. Let’s unleash American energy and end our reliance on Russia.

The president has also lied to the American people about the runaway inflation we are all experiencing. He brags about wages being up, but inflation is eating away at any raises folks have gotten. When inflation reached 4% in February of 2021, the Biden admin said, “inflation is transitory.” When it reached 6% a few months later, they claimed inflation is good. Just a few months later, they blamed it on corporate greed. Now, they claim it’s Putin’s fault. President Biden can point the finger all he wants, but the truth is inflation is being driven by the outrageous spending the Democrats have been pushing. Common sense tells us we cannot spend ourselves out of debt. It’s time to reign in the spending and get our economy back on track.

The bottom line is Americans are worse off today than they were a year ago because of President Biden’s failure to be the leader our country needs. His constant lies and finger pointing are an insult to the American people, and we should not tolerate it. Thankfully, the American people are incredibly tough and resilient, and I have no doubt we will make it through these crises stronger than ever before.

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

Last week, the Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine. The resolution declared support for Ukraine, its government, its democracy and its people.

Russia’s military crossed Ukraine’s border on Feb. 24 and invaded its country misplacing thousands of people. It’s estimated that 4 million Ukrainians will eventually leave their country. This monstrous military act has created a true refugee crisis and has the potential to be the largest European war since World War ll.

The conflict is an accumulation of years of efforts by Russia to minimize the legitimacy of Ukraine while moving in to take over its sovereign territory.

In 2014, Russia took Crimea by force. Crimea is a Ukrainian province of natural beauty with a vast deep-water port and a population of 2.4 million. The takeover has been one of Russia’s long-term priorities dating back to the 17th century. Since the takeover, Russia has arrogantly and incorrectly assumed the entire Ukrainian territory belongs to them. Russia has caused civil unrest, and distrust, using armed forces to weaken Ukrainian forces and their government.

Ukraine has been a democratic, productive, peaceful country but must now defend its territory, freedom and the lives of its people.

A portion of the House of Representative’s resolution read, “Let it be known that the great state of Alabama stands firmly in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, our brothers and sisters in democracy.” It also stated, “this body condemns the Russian Federation for its unjustifiable military invasion of Ukraine and hereby declares its support for the proud nation of Ukraine, its people and its brave defenders, and urges the United States government and the state of Alabama to take action to demonstrate support to Ukraine.”

One such way to support Ukraine would be to do what we in the South do best in times of trouble and conflict. Let’s lift the Ukrainian people and their leaders up in prayer.

A special thank you goes to Rep. Gil Isbell of Etowah County for presenting the resolution. Another special thank you goes out to Gov. Kay Ivey who also condemned Russia’s actions and called upon our state for a day of prayer for Ukraine.

Beth Chapman is Alabama’s former State Auditor and 51st Secretary of State. She now owns and operates Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC. This is her weekly column, “Around the Capitol” published in newspapers and blogs across the state. She can be reached at Beth@bethchapman.com.