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 of life; […]

A clear warning of how far to the extreme left the Democratic Party has moved is the recently introduced New Way Forward Act. This immigration bill would totally uproot the rule of law, provide amnesty for illegals here and import dangerous criminals into the United States. By allowing foreign citizens who committed serious felonies to […]

As you merge onto the Workforce Superhighway in search of that dream career, don’t venture into dead ends or get lost at malfunction junction. Instead, look for signs directing you to AlabamaWorks! There are several ways to enter the workforce superhighway and get on the right path. On-ramps include the Alabama Department of Labor’s Career […]

Throughout the years, advancements in technology have altered and changed the world we live in. Talented and bright minds are constantly pitching new ideas in industries all across the board, but it is the ability to protect these intangible creations that gives them their value. As technology has changed over time, so have the policies […]

The only two sure things in life, according to the saying, are death and taxes. Should businesses profit when one of their employees dies? They can avoid taxes, and this reduces our prosperity. I first read about “Janitors Insurance” or “Dead Peasants Insurance” in Harvard Professor Michael Sandel’s What Money Can’t Buy. Professor Sandel used […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On February 4, I was honored to be on the House Floor as President Donald J. Trump delivered one of the most moving and remarkable State of the Union addresses in American history. In a speech titled, “The Great American Comeback,” President Trump highlighted not only our booming economy and strengthened military, […]

The federal government is just too big and too intrusive in the daily lives of the American people. Our Founders never intended for it to have the gross overreach that it does today. Indeed, they had just won their independence from an overreaching English king, and they wanted their new government under the Constitution to […]

The 2020 legislative session, which began last week, will be the second session of Governor Kay Ivey’s administration. For the second straight year, she and the legislature will be facing a major obstacle. The prison problem is the paramount issue for the year. The state must address and resolve this dilemma or the federal authorities […]

The pervasive use of online pornography is having a negative impact on our society, reaching almost every aspect of daily life and creating an unrecognized web of harm. Today’s mainstream pornography is not the magazine of past decades. Instead, it is primarily violent, rape-themed, incest-themed, sexist, racist and dehumanizing hardcore material. The large-scale use of […]

From our American press corps to major political parties, and in some cases even state and national government, American institutions appear less and less competent and trustworthy by the day. In my adult life, the first taste of it was in 2000 with the dangling-chad disaster in Florida’s general election. Granted, statewide margins had probably […]

Last week was President Trump’s best since moving into the White House. After giving a well-received State of the Union Address, the president was acquitted by the United States Senate, announced the killing of a major terrorist [and received a great jobs report. On the other hand, Democrats suffered several significant embarrassments. It began Monday […]

Have you heard that there’s a new argument which has found a previously untested Achilles heel in Roe v. Wade — and it’s being considered before the Supreme Court of Alabama? In the infamous Roe vs Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to address the issue of when life begins. Specifically, the Supreme Court […]

In a recent op-ed, al.com columnist Kyle Whitmire made light of the passage by the Alabama Senate of a resolution proposed by State Senator Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook) declaring pornography a health crisis. He even posted a video on social media mocking the resolution. I have met Kyle on a few occasions, and I usually […]

Economic freedom allows people to buy, sell, invest and use their property to pursue life goals. Many Americans aspire to exercise this freedom to start a business. Where someone wants to open this new business makes a big difference for the burden of government licenses, regulations and taxes. The Center for the Study of Economic […]

The Coronavirus outbreak which originated in China has taken over news headlines across the world during the past few weeks. I recently attended a briefing for members of Congress on the Coronavirus, and this outbreak does raise direct concerns for us in the United States, as the virus is not currently spreading across our country. […]

Two terrorist leaders killed. Two Supreme Court Justices confirmed. Two trade deals signed into law. Throw in a record-breaking economy and what do you get? Two terms for President Trump. That’s what Alabamians heard loud and clear from President Trump’s State of the Union Address this week. With the 2020 election just nine months away, […]

This year, state prison officials are seeking a $42 million budget increase, which would push general fund prison spending to over half a billion dollars for the first time. Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn made his case for more money at recent legislative budget hearings, where the specter of federal takeover of Alabama’s unconstitutional prisons hovered. […]

The 2020 legislative session begins this week. It will be an interesting three and a half months. There are a myriad of important issues that legislators have to address this year, as always. However, standing in the way of substantive state issues each year is the necessity to address local bills. Our 1901 constitution is […]

This week is one for the history books as President Trump gives his State of the Union address only hours before he is acquitted of impeachment in the Senate. There could hardly be a greater contrast between work being done for the American people and a sham scheme to prevent it. The president can tout […]

A coronavirus outbreak in China has sparked fears of a global pandemic, as communicable diseases do not respect national borders. Governments use quarantines and isolation to limit such threats, measures which libertarians find objectionable. Property rights offer helpful guidance here. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus appeared last year in China’s Hubei province. The new coronavirus originated […]

The first district Congressional race is probably the best race in the state in this year’s March 3 primary. The winner of the March 31 GOP primary runoff will go to Congress. The famous first district is a Republican congressional seat and has been since Jack Edwards won the seat in the Southern Goldwater landslide […]

Education is one of the most critical components of our society today. It is how we formulate opinions and perspectives, gain exposure to different ideas and cultures, and develop new skills. With the knowledge and understanding gained from a solid education, we are able to learn how to be successful in our careers, family lives, […]

It should come as no surprise that our state is in need of serious criminal justice reform. In July, Governor Kay Ivey established a Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, and it has been an honor to serve as chair and representative on her behalf as we seek solutions for the complex issues facing our […]

Alabama residents are using their mobile devices more than ever before to connect to everyone and everything around them. Between 2014 and 2017, wireless data traffic increased by nearly four times nationwide. 5G — the next generation of mobile broadband — will offer Alabama residents a better wireless experience and jumpstart the next wave of […]