It’s difficult to believe that it has been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America, closing businesses, stalling commerce and keeping people home. For frontline workers, like truck drivers, the pandemic has only intensified their work, and one year may seem like two. Truck drivers are in harm’s way every day in the middle […]

President Biden’s immigration policies have created a crisis on the border he can no longer afford to ignore. Despite his administration’s unwillingness to recognize the situation on the border as a serious humanitarian crisis, federal authorities have struggled to control this situation as a massive surge of migrants attempt to enter the U.S. illegally. Just […]

The University of Alabama System recently announced a return to normal activities for 2021-22, including full attendance at Crimson Tide football games this fall. I do not try predicting politicians’ decisions but contend that life should return to normal when we the people want it to. Vaccinations have ramped up and the nationwide seven-day averages […]

Mobile, Ala. — Last month, the Alabama House of Representatives took an important step toward keeping some of our state’s most violent criminals off of the streets by passing House Bill 130, also known as “Aniah’s Law.” Now it’s time for our senators and the voters of Alabama to finish the job. “Aniah’s Law” is […]

Fifty days ago, President Joe Biden declared in his inaugural address, “Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation.” Most Americans, myself included, listened to these first words of the new administration with hopeful ears. But as we have come to learn, […]

During my long-running personal war with corruption, setbacks seem to outnumber victories. Even so, setbacks can serve to humble our heart, open our mind and toughen our skin. When that happens, they become a delivery mechanism for wisdom and discernment, two valuable spiritual commodities that always seem to be in short supply. This never-ending war […]

Last week, House Democrats pushed through H.R. 1 – For the People Act, which should have been named For the Politicians Act, because it aims to radically transform our elections by taking election decisions away from the people and giving more power to bureaucrats. This act utilizes taxpayer money to fund campaigns, legalizes ballot harvesting, […]

Alabama’s leading health organizations are joining together to strongly recommend Alabamians get the COVID-19 vaccine. Getting the vaccine can help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus that has affected the lives of almost every Alabamian. “Protection from COVID-19 through vaccination of the majority of people is critically important in reducing COVID-19 disease,” said Dr. […]

Congress is expected to soon pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, the fourth major response to the pandemic. Did these measures save our economy from a protracted recession? Our initial response might be yes because of last spring’s economic free-fall. The stock market declined 20%. Unemployment jumped from 3.5% in February to 14.8% […]

We take freedom of conscience for granted, but, 500 years ago, accepting and practicing beliefs outside of the mainstream was deadly. The 1521 Diet of Worms was a legislative gathering held in Worms (one of the oldest cities in Europe) to consider Martin Luther’s theology. The stakes were extraordinarily high as Luther, a mere monk, […]

Last week, I had the honor of recognizing several hometown heroes in South Alabama who have made an impact in their community over the past year. This past year has been tough on millions of Americans as we battle the COVID pandemic and endure countless hardships, but I’m proud of so many folks in South […]

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced gross domestic product (GDP) by about 4% in 2020. The virus also disrupted public education, with many schools still virtual. The tabulation of GDP has missed the economic impact of the school disruption meaning that our 2020 economic performance was worse than the statistics show. GDP is the “market value of […]

It is common for liberals and other supporters of a total government takeover of America’s health care system to praise the effectiveness, lower expenditures and “fairness” of other countries’ health care delivery. Most often, they heap praise on Canada’s health care system and point to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service as models that we […]

MONTGOMERY – This is Engineers’ Week, a week during which we honor the profession of engineering and the contributions of engineers to public safety and quality of life. Whether it’s clean water you drink; gas and electricity you use to keep warm in winter and cool in summer; medical advances that add to your quality […]

In recent weeks, large portions of the South, including Alabama, were hit with unseasonably cold weather that brought cold temperatures, snow and ice to the region. In Texas, millions of people were without power, forced to huddle inside of their homes without heat or water in freezing temperatures. Alabama had unusually low temperatures too, but […]

There is no substitute for being prepared. That’s true whether you’re protecting your family in a time of crisis or ensuring your business is ready for the worst. And as we’re learning in Texas, it’s especially true when it comes to delivering power. There can be no question. What has happened – and what continues […]

Late last year, Governor Ivey urged school districts in Alabama to reopen schools and allow students the option to return to the classroom, while many school districts across the country continued with virtual learning. Alabama was ahead of the curve on what recent CDC guidance made clear – with reasonable health precautions like distancing and […]

Every society must protect against those who would use violence to steal from others. After controlling criminals, swindlers become a major fear and motivates many government regulations. Yet regulations against fraud allow far worse swindling than markets. Swindling is always wrong, but most people learn to avoid pedestrian scams like the email from an exiled […]

In only 21 short months, at the close of 2022, Alabama will lose the greatest senator in our state’s history. Those of us who are political historians will acknowledge Richard Shelby as Alabama’s most pronounced political emissary in Washington. In my 2015 book, “Six Decades of Alabama Political History,” I have a chapter titled “Alabama’s […]

President Biden has said one of his top priorities is creating new jobs and “growing the economy for all Americans.” One way he seeks to do this is by increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour between now and 2025. The unfortunate reality is such a move would result in significant increases in […]

Facts are stubborn things. The fact, for example, that electric utilities nationwide have begun to rely more on natural gas as a fuel source. Why? Because the U.S. has the world’s largest reserves of natural gas and because federal regulations and the marketplace have caused many coal-fired power plants to close in recent years. Alabama […]

Governments have taken numerous extraordinary actions to contain COVID-19. Once the pandemic is over, we can and should revisit the emergency powers laws guiding these policy decisions. How extraordinary have the activities been? Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito described them as “previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty.” Confinement of the non-sick through stay-at-home orders and […]

260 days. That’s how long it had been since the Alabama Legislature had been in session. That’s 260 days for the coronavirus to spread and 260 days for Alabamians to feel the impact of the virus and our government’s response to it. Pair that with the fact that the 2020 session was so abbreviated and […]

Last week, House Democrats passed a budget resolution that provides them with a framework to pass a budget without input from a single Republican, even though Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that we are willing to come to the table and work together in a bipartisan fashion for the good of the American people. Congress has […]