At a recent church service, the sermon focused on the 12th chapter of Mark’s gospel, which describes Jesus’ answer to a question from a scribe about which Commandment is “first of all.” In it, Jesus replies with the Shema. He says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall […]

There have been several exciting, noteworthy developments for our district, state, and country lately. For starters, now that November is upon us, President Trump has again declared this month the second annual National Veterans and Military Families Month to “salute the brave and dedicated patriots who have worn the uniform of the United States, and… […]

Traditional social media have been criticized recently for purveying fake news. California may form a commission to investigate stemming fake news, while Congressional hearings have implored Facebook and Twitter to act. Is the news market failing? Classical liberals back to John Milton and John Stuart Mill have stressed freedom of speech and expression as crucial […]

Here is a fact that Democrats are desperately trying to keep from the public: Not only do Republicans support providing health insurance coverage for those with preexisting conditions, but Republicans in the House actually passed legislation that did just that. The American Health Care Act included an amendment that Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) and I introduced. […]

This past week, I had the pleasure of visiting many fine farmers and foresters throughout Southwest Alabama to learn more about the incredible work they do on a daily basis. This was part of my annual “Ag Matters” agricultural tour, which brings me to farms and forests in each of the six counties that make […]

With Congress out of session for an October district work period, I have taken this valuable time to be on the road in Alabama’s Second District visiting with the people I represent and sharing with them an update from Washington. I believe this time we spend together is truly invaluable. It’s so important for me […]

In addition to selecting our governor, constitutional officers and lawmakers like me, voters in the November 6 general election will have the opportunity to cast their ballots on four proposed statewide amendments to our 1901 Alabama Constitution. Amendment Two on the ballot allows all of us to take a stand in support of the traditional morals and values […]

Rarely in today’s world of instant communication and “the loudest voice wins” politics do we hear positive stories in the news cycle. Now, though, I would like to draw attention to a story that has proven to be good news, but has, for the most part, not received the coverage it deserves: conservative policies are […]

Protecting ratepayers and ensuring that we have a reliable, secure and affordable supply of electricity in Alabama is the lens through which I view energy policy. It was through this lens that I saw the Obama administration’s so-called Clean Power Plan (CPP) as a significant threat to our state and that I now see President […]

As Hurricane Michael recovery efforts continue, we are gradually learning the full scale of damages portions of our district are facing. The setback for the agriculture industry is severe, to say the least. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, I traveled to the Wiregrass to see firsthand what some of our farmers are experiencing. […]

It’s a day of reckoning as sure as a sunrise.  This week, the City of Opelika sold its city-owned broadband system for pennies on the dollar (or, to be fair, nearly a quarter on the dollar).  With $43 million in debt and about $15 million in cumulative losses, the city (or rather its constituents) has […]

“The sky is falling, the sky is falling,” cried Chicken Little in the ancient European folk tale about a manic chicken who believes the world is coming to an end. The expression “the sky is falling” has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or inaccurate belief that calamity is looming. Twenty-five centuries later, lets cue, […]

There are very few places in the United States that can boast the sort of diverse infrastructure we have here in Alabama. There are 11 interstates, over 3,000 miles of freight rail, 5 commercial airports, and more than 132,000 miles of rivers and stream channels in our state. One of our state’s most important pieces […]

Hurricane Michael, the third most powerful hurricane to ever make landfall on the United States mainland, ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia on October 10th. While only early estimates are available at this point in time, it has been reported that more than 650,000 homes and businesses across the Southeast lost power, and 60,000 […]

It’s not clear to me how or why it happened, but running for elected office has become a #MyTurn movement. #MyTurn went mainstream with the failed candidacy of Hillary Clinton. She had no policies, no vision for America, no apparent rationale to be elected president – except one: she thought it was her turn. So […]

Rental bikes and scooters came to Troy University this fall, courtesy of the rental company Spin. Similar efforts by Spin, Bird, and Lime across the country, however, have been met with controversy. The so-called “Scooter Wars” reflect how government permission affects innovation and growth. Technology makes such rentals, long available in resort locales, economical. The […]

One of the things we pride ourselves on as Alabamians is taking care of each other. Not only should this mean we take care of those we know or our next-door neighbors, it should also mean taking care of all those throughout our region, especially those experiencing hardships. According to the Centers for Disease Control […]

While the news of the day and partisan bickering often distract from the issue, it is important that we remember our nation is in the midst of an urgent public health epidemic that is ravaging virtually every community in this country. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been cut short by opioid addiction and abuse […]

Russia is in the business of mind control. They’re not doing it through sinister headgear, satellite interference, or dream invasion like in Inception, though. Instead, Russia seeks to control the minds of Americans through something we all have and spend arguably too much time on: social media. This isn’t news to many of us. For years […]

Some commentators and politicians have proposed regulating Facebook, Twitter and Google as public utilities. To make sense of this proposal, let’s consider the economic role of public utilities. Today’s social media giants might meet the popular definition of monopoly, namely having a very large market share. Economists, however, use a much stricter definition, and public […]

When we go to bed at night, whether we think about it or not, we are safe knowing that our servicemen and women stand at the ready throughout the world; ready to defend our nation, our values, and us here at home. But, without the appropriate funding, our military does not have the necessary equipment […]

“When angry, count to 10 before you speak; if very angry, count to one hundred.” If only we followed the advice of the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson, who expressed this sentiment, knew first-hand how politics can lead to indignation. Today, one glance at cable news or Twitter affirms that we too are accustomed to an […]

As a society, our children are perhaps the greatest, most precious responsibility given to us. They are vulnerable, innocent and wholly dependent upon the adults surrounding them for protection. While horrible and unthinkable, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone takes this responsibility seriously, and there are even those who would do children harm. The […]

Recently, I led a group of local leaders in Calhoun County, including Alabama Senate President pro tempore, Del Marsh, to visit and tour the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston. While the CDP has a huge local economic impact, it is so much more. Since 1998, the CDP has trained over a million first […]