Autumn brings falling leaves and pine needles. I recently cleared the pine needles off my roof to ensure Santa a safe landing. Economics students learn that economics is everywhere in our lives. Including up on the rooftop. I made an economic choice, namely, not to hire someone to clean my roof. (I also do my […]

The University of Montevallo (UM) celebrated its 125th anniversary this year. Its rich history, cobblestone streets and beautiful, historic campus date back to 1896 when it was known as the Alabama Girls’ Industrial School. Later, it became the Alabama Girl’s Technical Institute until 1923 when it became known as the Alabama College for Women. In […]

Inflation is currently America’s most pressing economic concern, but I believe that our disappearing workers pose a greater long-term challenge. Almost four million fewer Americans are working now than in February 2020 despite record job openings. Yet the decline in work participation predates COVID-19 and is explored in a new Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) […]

2022 was anticipated to be an exciting competitive election year. However, it is going to be a yawn of a political year. If you thought there was no competition for the constitutional offices and the House of Representatives’ seats in next year’s elections, then you have not seen anything like the lack of turnover in […]

Just under two months ago, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) drafted a letter to the Biden administration labeling a group of concerned and involved parents in Ohio “domestic terrorists.” This past week, the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) effectively ended their membership with the NSBA, and rightfully so, but we must not stop […]

The pandemic elevated various gaps and inequities in our state, including the need to increase the number of Alabamians who possess postsecondary credentials or degrees to fulfill the workforce demands in our state. In April, the Alabama State Board of Education voted to add completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as […]

Todd Stacy will become the new host of Alabama Public Television’s weekly political news show, “Capitol Journal.” The announcement came at the retirement of Don Dailey who has covered Alabama news and politics for a quarter century – 10 years of it on APT’s “Capitol Journal.” Stacy will have big shoes to fill, but he […]

Our national well-being relies upon secure and resilient critical infrastructure. As defined by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, “critical infrastructure describes the physical and cyber systems and assets that are so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security or public […]

For the better part of this year, Congress has been working to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets the budget for the Department of Defense (DOD), nuclear weapons program of the Department of Energy, DOD elements of the intelligence community, and other defense activities in various departments. It also offers defense policy […]

President Biden’s socialist policies are continuing to harm middle class families across our nation. Americans everywhere are being faced with skyrocketing gas and energy prices. In fact, hardworking American families are paying 61% more nationally for a gallon of gas. In Alabama it is even worse. According to Yellowhammer, “Alabamians on average are paying $3.20 […]

The true crime of a censor isn’t muzzling someone’s mouth. It’s muffling everyone else’s ears. That lesson and many others on the importance of free expression and the exchange of ideas were lost recently when Samford University in Birmingham relented to the joint demands of an online petition and its Student Government Association to disinvite […]

As the college football regular season winds down, the coaching carousel heats up. So far in 2021, 28 of 130 FBS programs have had coaching changes. Coaching decisions illustrate some elements of economic and business decisions generally. Perhaps unexpectedly, imagination plays an outsized role. I will focus on coaching vacancies from firing, not retirements or […]

Folks, believe it or not, we are closing in on six months before next year’s election year. The primary election is set for May 24, 2022. In Alabama, all our major constitutional officers are on the ballot next year. The governor’s office is the premier race in the state, and that coveted and powerful post […]

The nomination of Cornell University law professor Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has drawn criticism for views offered in the professor’s research. Should expounding extreme ideas disqualify someone from government service? One of Professor Omarova’s papers proposed shifting bank deposits to the Federal Reserve. Banks would continue […]

The rate of homicides in the nation is at its highest rate in modern history based on data recently released from the United States government. Yet, there is a persistent and concerted effort to weaken the criminal justice system in Alabama. And the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles is being attacked for simply doing […]

The state’s largest farm organization, the Alabama Farmers Federation held its centennial celebration in Montgomery this week. Approximately 1,200 farmers from all 67 counties were on hand to celebrate. In addition to celebrating 100 years for the Federation, members also celebrated 75 years of Alfa Insurance Co. which was founded by members in 1946. Alfa’s […]

I’ve written several times this year about the crisis at our southern border, and it seems like the crisis is even worse each time I write about it. Since day one in office, fixing the illegal immigration crisis has been a top priority for me. I’ve cosponsored countless pieces of legislation to address the problem, […]

Ninety years ago, a remarkable thing happened: the British Parliament voluntarily ceded greater political autonomy to its dominions and provided a means for other territories to align themselves with an English-speaking commonwealth. In December of 1931, the Statute of Westminster was negotiated and given royal assent. In the growth and development of self-governing nation states, […]

The new lines are finally drawn for next year’s state legislative and congressional elections. They have just made it under the wire for the late January qualifying deadline and the May 24, 2022 primary elections. The legislature should not be blamed for the late formulation of the lines because the U.S. Census Bureau did not […]

Consider for a moment the number of times each day that you access the internet for business, school, and leisure. Many families and businesses have abandoned check-writing altogether in order to utilize quick and easy on-line bill pay and payroll services. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the state, both public and […]

As the Alabama Farmers Federation concludes its year-long centennial celebration this week, it is a time to reflect on the past, remember those who came before us and rejoice in our accomplishments. It’s also a time for recommitment to our values and vision. In 1921, Alabama farmers united to provide a voice in public policy […]

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is in the top 10% of education institutions in the world, according to U.S. News and World Report (USNWR). You read that right, not the state or the nation, but the entire world. USNWR ranked UAB No. 147 of 1,750 universities from 90 countries as one of the […]

While December is traditionally a busy month in Congress, this December is likely to be one of the busiest in recent years. For months, critical deadlines have been approaching, but the Democrat-controlled Congress has wasted time focusing on social issues and their ridiculous “Build Back Better” agenda, instead of doing its basic duties. As a […]

One of the first signs of autumn in North Alabama can be observed as the leaves on the trees turn to vibrant colors of red, yellow and orange. This significant splash of color all across the region is nature’s collage to remind us that summer is behind us on the calendar and winter will soon […]