MONTGOMERY – Both chambers of the Alabama State Legislature met on Thursday for the ninth day of its 2021 regular session. The Senate met for around 90 minutes in the morning and moved quickly through a limited calendar, much of which was left over after a filibuster prematurely ended the chamber’s Tuesday business. Most notably, […]

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of over $3 million in rural Alabama on Tuesday. Five Alabama projects related to telemedicine or distance learning will receive a share of the investment, which was publicized by the Department’s Office of Rural Development in Montgomery. “USDA is helping rural America build back better […]

Time is running out to book your vacation rental or hotel for the coming warm-weather months, however it is not because things are returning to a non-COVID “normal.” The pandemic has put the national tourism and travel industry under siege for the last year, and Alabama’s 32 miles of white sands on the Gulf Coast […]

Huntsville-based Dynetics on Thursday announced it has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of the Dynetics Human Landing System (HLS) for NASA’s Artemis Program, marking another major milestone in human spaceflight and Alabama’s continuing, indispensable contribution to space exploration. The Rocket City company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, was named last year […]

The Department of Defense (DoD) this week announced the launch of the Aerospace Education Research and Innovation Center (AERIC) at Macon County’s Tuskegee University. According to a release, the center will support undergraduate research in materials and aerospace sciences relevant to the defense and aerospace sectors. AERIC’s launch was funded by a $2 million appropriations […]

MONTGOMERY — Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) is already fighting against Rep. Allen Treadaway’s (R-Morris) bill to create new crimes and penalties for individuals who incite or participate in riots. Although that bill has not even been heard in front of a House committee yet, Smitherman took to the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon to speak out […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday gave an update on his work in Washington, D.C. and some critical issues facing the state of Alabama. Speaking to reporters on a teleconference, Tuberville first outlined the tours he took last Thursday and Friday of the Wiregrass and Mobile, respectively. As those visits reflected, the bulk of […]

The Alabama Legislature on Wednesday met for the eighth day of its 2021 regular session. Neither chamber gaveled in for a particularly long period of time on the floor, due to most of the day being occupied by a lengthy and productive slate of committee meetings. Here is a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Wednesday wasted no timing in passing a bill that would legalize medicinal cannabis, commonly referred to as medical marijuana, in the Yellowhammer State. The upper chamber passed Senator Tim Melson’s (R-Florence) SB 46 in a bipartisan 20-10 vote, with two floor amendments tacked onto the legislation. Those voting against the […]

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners announced Wednesday that the number of licensed professionals with whom a practicing Alabama physician can professionally collaborate is increasing from four to nine. Examples of collaborators, or advanced practice providers, include certified registered nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives and physician assistants. Physicians can collaborate with nine individuals or their full-time […]

MONTGOMERY — Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL) on Wednesday joined with a bipartisan group of legislative leaders, military officers and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed to highlight the importance of a pending package of bills that is designed to retain, safeguard and improve the military presence and investment across Alabama. The legislative package, which has already […]

A report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published recently noted that 12 confederate symbols that had been publicly displayed in Alabama were removed in the last year. “2020 was a transformative year for the Confederate symbols movement. Over the course of seven months, more symbols of hate were removed from public property than […]

One of Mobile’s most famous locations, Bienville Square, is set to receive several improvements as a restoration project gets underway. Bienville Square, located in the heart of the downtown Mobile area, suffered a great deal of damage including the uprooting of several of the park’s famous oak trees when Alabama’s coastal area was struck by […]

The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday completed its first Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch of 2021, marking the 237th such maneuver since testing of the Boeing-built strategic deterrent began in August 1970. The Minuteman III, which is managed by Boeing’s Huntsville-based Missile and Weapon Systems division, is as fast as a seismic wave, traveling […]

MONTGOMERY — The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave a favorable report as amended to HB 237, State Rep. Ginny Shaver’s (R-Leesburg) “born-alive” bill that would be known as “Gianna’s Law.” Shaver has introduced a version of this bill for three consecutive sessions. The legislation is named after a survivor of an attempted abortion who now […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) this week announced 14 appointments to his Alabama state staff, as well as the five physical office locations from which they will serve the people of Alabama. The freshman senator’s in-state team will be located across the Yellowhammer State and includes regional directors, caseworkers and subject matter experts on diverse […]

U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Tuesday voted to support the confirmation of Tom Vilsack to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nominee of President Joe Biden was confirmed in a 92-7 vote. Vilsack served in the same position during the Obama administration from January 2009 through January 2017. Tuberville was […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday met for the seventh day of its 2021 regular session, with the chambers working off of respective special order calendars. The return to action came following a scheduled one-week break for the legislature as part of COVID-19 protocols. Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and Majority Leader Clay […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives passed several bills on Tuesday; among them were several involving criminal justice, including one that would create a Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights. Other notable pieces of legislation approved by the lower chamber included the unanimous passage of “Aniah’s Law” and the passage of a bill requiring students […]

MONTGOMERY — Senator Del Marsh (R-Anniston) on Tuesday afternoon provided an update on the status of his comprehensive gaming proposal that is currently awaiting the consideration of the Alabama Senate. Before the legislature took a scheduled one-week break last week, the Senate Tourism Committee gave the legislation a unanimous favorable report and the full upper […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would require students in Alabama to complete kindergarten or meet certain achievement standards in order to enroll in first grade. State Rep. Pebblin Warren (D-Tuskegee) sponsored the legislation, HB208, which passed by a vote of 83-17. A fiscal note prepared for the […]

MONTGOMERY — Alabama Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) on Tuesday unveiled key priorities the Senate plans to pursue for the rest of the legislature’s 2021 regular session. A release outlined that these priorities – agreed upon by Senate and House leadership – include efforts to support economic recovery, […]

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) on Tuesday came out in support of a constitutional carry bill that was recently introduced in the Alabama House by State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals). Sorrell’s bill, HB405, would allow citizens of Alabama to carry a concealed pistol on their person without a permit. The National Rifle Association (NRA) […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed a two-bill package that would create “Aniah’s Law,” an expansion of the criminal offenses where a judge could deny a defendant bail. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island) and is named in honor of Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old Homewood resident […]