COVID-19 cases have spiked across Alabama, hitting our state’s low-income and African American counties with a vengeance. Perry County now has per-capita infection rates exceeding peak levels in New York City, while Lowndes County – with its long, storied history of civil rights’ struggles – has also suffered enormously. Throughout the country, telemedicine grew astronomically […]

Alabama State Parks have long served as Alabama’s backyard. That’s been more evident than ever in recent months, as Alabama’s 21 state parks remained open thanks to the wisdom of Gov. Kay Ivey, Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship and other state leaders. The number of day-use and camping visitors soared this summer, drawn by the variety […]

Some of you may wonder how many past governors we have in Alabama who are still living and how they are doing. We have six living past governors. Governor John Patterson is our oldest living chief executive. Patterson is 99-years-old and living on his ancestral family farm in rural Tallapoosa County in an obscure area […]

Governments have implemented a range of unprecedented policy measures to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Whether “non-pharmaceutical interventions” have slowed infections or produced health benefits exceeding their enormous cost are important questions. Today, I will consider whether these emergency measures will permanently diminish our freedom. The policies of the COVID-19 lockdown were not […]

Students of all ages from kindergarten to college are starting back to school, whether with in-person instruction or virtual learning. Every school across the state continues to adapt to accommodate students’ return, all while keeping them as safe as possible during this pandemic. Although the start to this school year looks quite different than most, […]

“What a stupid question.” That was the callous response that Sen. Doug Jones gave when asked if he would support a federal law banning abortion after five months. Consider that for a moment. When confronted with a serious question about the wholesale murder of unborn life, Jones gave a flippant answer and laughed while he […]

Apparently, I and the rest of the House of Representatives are being called back to Washington for a series of votes this Saturday. Has Speaker Pelosi finally reached an agreement with President Trump and Senator McConnell on the next phase of coronavirus legislation? No, her intransigence killed those negotiations and President Trump was left having […]

All across the state, there are schools starting back up for the fall. As we are all eager to get our kids back to school, many parents and school officials are facing difficult decisions about whether to teach kids in person or move to an all-virtual or hybrid model. While this will present challenges for […]

Allow me to open this column by sharing some words from the governor of Alabama: Huntsville, Alabama is to the Space Age as Detroit, Michigan is to the Automobile Age. We are living in the Space Age. We must think big and do big tasks. We must let the rest of the world know that […]

Knowledge is the basis of economic prosperity, and the knowledge contained in a COVID-19 vaccine or cure would be enormously valuable. We have traditionally relied on patents to reward innovation, but an alternative exists that could be appropriate for vaccines during pandemics. Patents reward knowledge creators with a temporary monopoly. Monopolists generally charge high prices, […]

On August 18, we commemorate 100 years since the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which guarantees and protects women’s constitutional right to vote. This centennial anniversary is a significant milestone in our nation’s history. This landmark event gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate a pivotal moment in our past and recognize the progress that has […]

Prominent epidemiologists and medical professionals are advocating the introduction of an inexpensive rapid antigen immunoassay tests similar to a home pregnancy test. Prototype COVID-19 tests are being developed and are under evaluation to be commercially available later in the year. The demand for rapid tests is based on the reality that highly sensitive lab-based molecular […]

Affordable health care has long been a cause of concern for small business across our country with the cost of coverage has consistently ranked at the top of small business owners’ concerns. And now, amid a global health crisis, health coverage is more important than ever. As someone with years of experience working in the […]

On August 18, the U.S. will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to our Constitution which guaranteed women’s right to vote. The women’s suffrage movement in our country began in the 1840s as women abolitionists saw the parallels between the effort to free enslaved Americans and their own desire to […]

Parents and other observers have many understandable questions about how their local school districts are responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19. At this juncture, I don’t think it’s helpful to lay much blame on anyone. There will be plenty of time for that in the future, and when the dust settles, we’re likely to […]

Our world is more prosperous than ever, or at least was before the economic disruption from COVID-19. The ongoing search for a vaccine or cure illustrates how knowledge is the source of prosperity. For an even more prosperous future, we must ensure that people have the incentive to create and apply knowledge. Economists and historians […]

Let’s start with clearing the air … generally speaking, I don’t hang out in bars. This is not a puff piece to defend pub crawls. So before any of my folks, fans or friends think that I’m writing this because I was hoping for one last round after 11 p.m., the answer is “no.” What […]

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the month of August, and summer will be ending soon. Although many schools have delayed start dates or chose to begin the school year virtually, students across the state will soon be back to school in some form or fashion. Typically, we are gearing up this time […]

America is under attack by liberal fanatics. Violence, arson, looting and vandalism are becoming commonplace from socialist mobs, and scenarios once seen only in movies like “Mad Max” are happening in real-life on the streets of Portland and other major, Democrat-controlled cities. If we are going to restore law and order across the country and […]

In July of last year, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched a new initiative to help young adults in underprivileged communities. President Donald Trump’s pledge to help those who need it most through the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative reaffirms that commitment. The FYI initiative helps vulnerable young adults […]

Last week was pretty frustrating in Washington. While the House frittered away at useless Democrat messaging bills which have no chance of passage in the Senate, Speaker Pelosi refused negotiations with the Senate on a $1 trillion dollar bill to address the nation’s ongoing needs as a result of COVID-19. At the end of the […]

All of the personality traits, values and life lessons that we carry with us as adults were shaped and instilled in us by the people we encountered in childhood. For many, the strongest influences came from our schoolteachers, who opened new worlds of knowledge and taught us skills that remain with us today. Consider for […]

Before Congress heads out for August recess, members of Congress must pass the next round of coronavirus relief. As American families are struggling to make ends meet, there are a host of issues that need to be addressed. For Alabama businesses, reasonable liability protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits will be key to help protect small businesses […]

Experts in public health and epidemiology have driven policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. How much should we trust experts? Critics dismiss Republicans who voice distrust of experts as anti-science. Yet even experts know very little about complex economies and societies. Frustration with experts does cross party lines. New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo recently remarked […]