In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set a new goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The costs and consequences of aggressive action against global warming basically exceed comprehension. Recent research in sustainability buttresses this point. Estimates put the level of energy use “compatible with avoiding 1.5ºC of global warming without […]

There are few things in everyday life that teach our kids life lessons better than sports. As they grow up and play for different teams they learn about commitment, hard work, how to win with grace, and how to pick yourself up and move on after a loss. These lessons stay with them forever, and […]

The American Dream is fueled by the aspiration that all Americans should have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves through work ethic, grit and the content of their character. This opportunity should not be defined by gender, race, religion, political belief – or zip code. Unfortunately, that Dream is being shackled for […]

The most basic responsibility of any elected lawmaker is to show up and vote, even when it’s tough. I’ve been in Congress for a little more than six months now, and I have lost count of the times I’ve had to vote against legislation that is bad for my district and bad for this country. […]

Beef has been on the dinner table throughout our history in modern society. When humankind transitioned from being hunters and gathers to farmers and ranchers, efficiency of our food supply chain increased. The efficiency of producing food has continued to increase throughout our recent past generations. Statistics show that in the 1930s one farmer fed […]

Last week, the effort to disassemble the giant wall around the United States Capitol Building began. While this is an important step as our nation returns to normal, the Capitol itself remains closed to the public with no signs of reopening soon. Since pandemic shutdowns in the United States began back in March of 2020, […]

A highlight of my Fourth of July is the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. This year Joey Chestnut devoured 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, breaking his world record. This competition illustrates how commercialization allows people to earn a living fishing, playing cornhole, or even eating. The hot dog competition is the premier event […]

Alabama lost its oldest past governor when John Patterson passed away last month. He died on the same land where he was born in rural Tallapoosa County. Patterson was 99 years old, and he would have been 100 in September. He was the epitome of the greatest generation. He was a veteran of World War […]

Something just short of miraculous is happening in Alabama’s prisons. The number of incarcerated young people has been cut in half since 2005. Buried within statistical reports on the Alabama Department of Corrections, the numbers are clear: In 2005, prisons housed 9,827 people ages 15 to 30, or 36% of the ADOC population. By March […]

This past weekend as we celebrated Independence Day, many of you likely traveled to visit friends and family, or maybe even spent a relaxing day at the beach. If you traveled any distance, whether short or far, you probably noticed we have significant infrastructure needs as our region continues to grow and tourism traffic increases. […]

State and local governments lure businesses with incentive packages. Yet these governments impose rules stifling entrepreneurs starting new businesses, forgetting that Amazon, offered multi-billion dollar deals for its HQ2, started out of Jeff Bezos’s garage. A new Cato Institute study, “Entrepreneurs and Regulations” by Chris Edwards, details the state and local government burdens on startups. […]

Alcohol was on the minds of many Alabama lawmakers this year as the legislature considered an abnormally high number of alcohol-related bills. Several of the bills passed. Most notable was legislation that made it possible for Alabama businesses to deliver beer, wine and liquor to customers’ homes, and separate legislation that allows state residents to […]

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Two hundred forty-five years later, these words that powered a revolution continue to fuel America, the greatest power for good […]

Recent heavy rains put the spotlight on one of the most common yet extremely difficult to resolve environmental concerns – untreated or partially treated sewage getting into our rivers, lakes and streams. Inflow of rainwater through cracked pipes or faulty manhole covers and infiltration of groundwater through deteriorated sewer lines can overwhelm a sewer system […]

Like many of you, I have lost several friends to COVID-19, and I know of countless others who fell seriously ill, lost their job or lost their business because of the virus. Unfortunately, virtually everybody in the United States and across the globe has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. From the earliest days of this […]

The Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA), cosponsored by Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, passed the Senate last week, a victory for Alabama’s farmers and environmental activists alike. The GCSA is common-sense environmental legislation that lowers the barriers to entry into carbon credit markets for America’s farmers. By lowering these barriers farmers can easily buy and sell […]

The unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in NCAA v. Alston portends change for college sports. This case involves education-related benefits and is separate from cases about athletes’ “name, image and likeness.” The NCAA’s 100-year effort to not pay student-athletes is close to ending. Justice Neil Gorsuch authored the opinion, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurring opinion […]

The 2021 legislative session ended last month with an impressive slate of legislative accomplishments. A goodly amount of the credit for the success of the session goes to the leadership of the new President Pro Tem, Senator Greg Reed of Jasper, who just completed his first session in this role. The Senate was deliberate, effective […]

Last week, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Obamacare. In fact, this is the third time that they have upheld it as law. If there is one thing for certain, it is that the court is not going to change their mind on this one. Chief Justice Roberts has said before that this a legislative issue, and […]

For months, we have been inundated with stories of a federal proposal named by the Democrat Party as the “For the People Act.” Upon closer examination of this mammoth piece of legislation, it should be renamed the “From the People Act” because this legislation clearly seeks to take the election process out of the hands […]

Last week, the world watched as President Biden traveled to the G7 Summit. While overseas, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss several important issues. I had high hopes for the meeting because there was much on the agenda for the two presidents to discuss, and it was President Biden’s first time as […]

There were two major issues not resolved during the just completed regular legislative session. Gambling and prisons were left on the table and up in the air. It is foolish to not address a resolution to get some revenues for the state from gambling which currently exists in Alabama. However, it is not imperative that […]

After schools throughout the country closed in spring 2020 due to COVID-19, homeschooling increased significantly in the 2020-21 school year. The surge has been accompanied by some calls to ban homeschooling. According to the Census Bureau, 11% of households with school aged children homeschooled this year, double the level in April 2020. Alaska had the […]

The City of Birmingham will use nearly a quarter of its first round of federal stimulus payments from the American Rescue Act to provide one time bonuses to all full and part-time city employees. The bonus payments received final approval from the Jefferson County Personnel Board last week. Full-time employees are set to receive $5,000 […]