The City of Birmingham on Friday announced that Veo shared bikes and electric scooters have launched in a wide service area that includes downtown and many neighborhoods. The Illinois-based company has a presence in many cities around the nation, now including the Magic City. Individuals may download the Veo app to identify available bikes and […]

In conjunction with Governor Kay Ivey’s proclaimed Embrace Alabama Kids Week, a new mural was unveiled this week in downtown Montgomery. Embrace Alabama Kids, a 501(c)(3) faith-based agency based in the state’s capital city, commissioned the project and joined Mayor Steven Reed, city officials and local artists at an unveiling on Wednesday. The mural, located at […]

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL) on Thursday visited MGMWERX, the state-of-the-art innovation hub in Alabama’s capital city. Brig. General (Ret.) Trent H. Edwards, the incoming MGMWRX director, led Ainsworth on a tour through the collaborative space and introduced him to the impressive services provided by MGMWERX. “It was our pleasure to host Lt. Governor Ainsworth at […]

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington on Friday announced that the state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 3.8%, down from February’s rate of 4.0%. The latest rate is still above March 2020’s rate of 2.6%, however it is much better than the pandemic high of 13.2% unemployment in April 2020. Alabama […]

With just a handful of days remaining in the Alabama Legislature’s 2021 regular session, getting a gaming proposal through the Alabama House of Representatives that the Alabama Senate passed this week could prove to be a difficult challenge. However, State Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville) argues his House colleagues could have an added incentive to push ahead […]

MONTGOMERY — More than six weeks after unanimously passing the Alabama Senate, SB 215 finally got a hearing in the House Urban and Rural Development Committee on Thursday morning. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) and carried in the House by Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), is viewed as a “transformational” piece of legislation aimed […]

The Alabama Legislature on Thursday gave final passage to legislation that would create “Aniah’s Law.” The legislation, sponsored by State Rep. Chip Brown (R-Mobile), would allow prosecutors and judges broader discretion in requesting and denying bail to those accused of committing violent crimes. HB 131 is a constitutional amendment and will be up for a […]

Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-03) on Wednesday released a scathing statement regarding House Democrats blocking consideration of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Rogers announced that he has signed onto a discharge petition that would force Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to bring this legislation — H.R. 619 — up for a vote in the House. “As […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed HB 391, which would would prohibit biological males from competing in public school female sports — and vice versa. The legislation, which only applies to public K-12 schools, would prohibit competition by one gender against another, unless the event specifically is intended to include both genders. HB […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed SB 358, which would create the Alabama Second Amendment Preservation Act. Sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), the bill would outlaw state and local governments — including law enforcement agencies thereof — from enforcing any federal firearms act, law, order, rule or regulation that becomes effective after […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama CEO Tim Vines as an at-large member of the Auburn University board of trustees. He will complete the final three years of the unexpired term of Gen. Lloyd Austin, who resigned from Auburn’s board in January after he was […]

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday joined the Alabama State Parks Foundation, local corporate leaders and other stakeholders at Oak Mountain State Park to announce unprecedented efforts aimed at investing millions of dollars into park improvements. The governor spoke about an $80 million bond issue for park improvements that must be approved by voters through […]

Even as the number of individuals vaccinated for COVID-19 is on the rise, health officials are still insisting the stringent guidelines established at the onset of the pandemic are maintained or even increased. On Sunday, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC that people who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 should still […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Wednesday held committee meetings. Neither chamber gaveled in, so a legislative day was not burned. The Senate’s committee day was highlighted by Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development giving a unanimous favorable report to HB 521, which is sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wood (R-Valley). The bill would generally require health care […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday held his weekly press call, discussing topics that included President Joe Biden’s so-called infrastructure proposal, the president’s “skinny” budget proposal for fiscal year 2022 and the importance of protecting the Senate filibuster. Alabama’s junior senator also briefly reacted to the Alabama Senate on Tuesday evening passing legislation that […]

The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) will meet in Baldwin County in August as the nation’s lieutenant governors and other seconds-in-command gather for the association’s first in-person meeting since 2019. The meeting will convene state No. 2’s from across the country to discuss policy ideas, initiatives and best practices. “Tourism is a top industry in […]

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians on Wednesday praised the State Senate for passing legislation the day previous that would allow Alabamians to vote in a referendum on whether to legalize a lottery, casino gaming and sports betting in the Yellowhammer State. The legislative package would also allow the State of Alabama to negotiate and […]

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) has introduced the Col. John McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act. The bipartisan legislation, announced on Wednesday, is cosponsored by Democratic Rep. David Trone (MD-06), and a companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT); Moran serves as ranking member and Tester […]

The field has not formed quite yet, but the Washington, D.C.-based “Senate Conservatives Fund” (SCF) has already picked its horse in Alabama’s 2022 U.S. Senate race. SCF on Wednesday morning endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) for the seat currently held by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), who is retiring at the end of this term. […]

HHQ Ventures this week announced that Hamilton Bloom has joined the boutique advocacy and advisory firm as its vice president. Bloom, an Alabama native, for the past six years has worked on Capitol Hill in varying capacities for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and the Senate Committee on Appropriations. This includes Bloom from 2019 until […]

Engineered Plastic Components (EPC) is investing $8.05 million in a 125,000-square-foot facility in Bessemer, its second facility in the Birmingham region. The company is a provider of thermoplastics and thermoset products that serve automotive, appliances, consumer products and medical industries. Specific products include automotive instrument panels, medical products like test tube holders and more. EPC […]

Earlier this month, a head-on collision just north of Mobile on U.S. Highway 45 killed four, including a couple and an infant child. For years, those types of accidents have plagued the narrow stretch of roadway from the Alabama-Mississippi state line to Prichard that has been neglected by administration after administration over the past half-century. […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday convened for the 22nd day of its 2021 regular session. Both chambers had busy days, lasting into the night. Here’s a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Tuesday passed a historic package of legislation that would legalize, regulate and implement a lottery, casino gaming in select locations and sports betting in the Yellowhammer State. The effort has been spearheaded by Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston), whose SB 214 fell two votes short in the upper chamber earlier […]