For many, December 14 will be just another day to cross off the calendar; it’s another day closer to the holidays and the new year. For Alabamians, it marks one of the greatest celebrations to date in the history of our state. On December 14, 1819, Alabama was incorporated into the Union as the nation’s […]

California is plagued by unreliable access to electric power, a situation that will persist for years to come. It’s happening as part of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), one component of the wildfire prevention plans implemented by electric utilities and approved by regulatory commissioners appointed by the governor. During periods of significant wildfire threat, the […]

On Oct. 27, the world learned of a raid that culminated in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. U.S. special forces and intelligence officials were able to succeed in their mission to take down a brutal murderer — one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists — through the use of sophisticated satellites that […]

Do we have any issues to be concerned about regarding access to dental care in Alabama? Everyone has a dentist who can see them on short notice if they need, right? Wrong. If you live in Birmingham or in one of the larger cities in Alabama, you might not have a problem being seen on […]

One of the toughest, yet least-talked about, challenges facing the U.S. today is how to effectively deliver affordable health care to America’s growing population of senior citizens. The U.S. Census Bureau has predicted that by 2035, the number of adults over the age of 65 will exceed the number of children under the age of […]

Part of the promise of school choice is that access to better education will result in increased economic mobility for those trapped in poverty. In our state, programs like the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) give children in underperforming schools or lower-income homes scholarships to private schools. It provides access to choices that have historically been […]

Vote on “new” math standards expected on Dec. 12 On December 12, the Alabama State School Board is scheduled to vote on revised “new” math standards. We are all acutely aware of how Common Core math standards have failed us. The recently released math scores showed Alabama at dead last. The newest proposal isn’t really […]

The first true test of the legislative branch’s impeachment powers occurred over two centuries ago in 1805. Its parallels with the current impeachment process, and the important precedent it set for determining impeachable conduct, make it worth examining today. That long-ago impeachment battle was waged against Samuel Chase of Maryland, a justice of the United […]

Editor’s note: At request of the author, this opinion piece was published unaltered from its submitted form. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles’ decision-making regarding whether to grant or deny paroles is as a detached, independent objective group, akin to a judicial body. The director has absolutely no role in the Board’s deliberations or […]

Qualifying has ended and the players are in place for next year’s elections. It is a presidential year. It is up in the air as to who will be the Democratic presidential standard-bearer. President Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. It is a foregone conclusion that Trump will carry Alabama next November. In fact, […]

With other areas of Alabama enjoying an economic boon in manufacturing and industry, one well-known area of the state has discovered its treasure lies in its fertile soil and natural resources. The Alabama Black Belt’s treasure is found in its abundant wildlife and fisheries with the multi-species hunting and angling opportunities and the significant economic […]

As Thanksgiving morphs into Christmas, the December television schedule will be filled with the usual assortment of Christmas classics, not the least of which is Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen his movie and unlike some classics that are tiresome, Wonderful Life always grabs me. […]

Governor Ivey has proclaimed Nov. 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as Small Business Saturday in Alabama. Small business really is the bedrock of Alabama’s economy. It accounts for 99.4 percent of all businesses in the state and employs about 47 percent of the workforce, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Small Business Administration. […]

Saturday will be the 84th playing of the Auburn vs. Alabama football game. The first was played in 1893, and following a tie in 1907, the game was not played again until 1948 after a mandate to resume by the state legislature. It’s as well-known as any college football rivalry, and many fans of other […]

As the year draws to a close and we enter another holiday season, I’m reminded we have much to be thankful for. First, I’m thankful for those who answer the call to service at home and abroad. It’s easy to get bogged down in the never-ending news coverage of political squabbles, but the men and […]

Each November, Americans gather with family members and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. This special day serves as a time for us to pause as a nation and remember all that we are grateful for. It can be easy to lose sight of our blessings when our attention is focused on all that is […]

Aside from Independence Day, no other holiday is as profoundly American as Thanksgiving. With its historical roots in the first English settlers to these lands and their Native America counterparts, it’s even older than our republic. Days of thanksgiving were a regular occurrence during colonial times, usually called for by the church to encourage parishioners […]

Swamp monsters in Washington think Capitol Hill is the nation’s toughest playing field. Well, they have never competed in the Iron Bowl. They have never been on the sideline in Jordan-Hare and Bryant-Denny Stadiums, where noise levels break record decibels, where the crowd’s cheers reverberate within your chest. They have never stood at the forefront […]

As we gather around the table this year to give thanks for our loved ones and many blessings, we should all pause to give thanks for the men and women of law enforcement. Every time they put on a uniform, neither they, nor their families, know if they will come home. Every day, our law […]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a prescription for high drug prices, but this is one case where the cure is worse than the disease. Her plan would let the federal government set the prices that Medicare and private health plans pay for drugs. This means that a marketplace now regulated by competition and consumer choice would […]

The Berlin Wall, the most visible manifestation of Communist oppression, came down thirty years ago. This totally unexpected event was a triumph of hope and the human spirit. How can social scientists explain a seemingly impossible event? The Wall isolated West Berlin, part of democratic West Germany, almost 100 miles inside communist East Germany. The […]

Alabama is in good hands with John McMillan. A good man is in the job of state treasurer of Alabama for the third straight quadrennium. Young Boozer served two successive four-year terms from 2010-2018. Mr. Boozer did an excellent job as treasurer. He was perfect for the job. He had been a successful banker. He […]

I remember when it was tolerance and equal protection under the law that LGBTQ+ activists wanted. They said we could each practice our respective values, and should give one another the constitutionally-afforded space to do so. It was a fair ask, in a nation built on the ideas of individual liberty and pluralism. Now a […]

There is no shame in being the first to try out a new idea that ends up failing. There is great shame, however, in politicians wasting hard-earned tax dollars on an idea that has been tried and failed repeatedly. Unfortunately, the latter scenario is playing out right now on the Gulf Coast. The Southern Rail […]