If you work more than 40 hours a week in Alabama, your overtime paycheck might look a lot healthier if a new proposal is signed into law. The Alabama House Ways & Means Education Committee moved forward a bill Tuesday that would un-tax work performed in excess of 40 hours in any week from being […]

On April 15, a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in downtown Dadeville left four people dead and more than 30 wounded.  Six people were arrested in the following days and each were charged with four counts of reckless murder: Johnny Letron Brown, 20; Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17; Travis McCullough, 16; Wilson LaMar […]

A bill to stop the Chinese ownership of land within the Yellowhammer State has been filed by House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen. The Alabama Property Protection Act, or HB379 as it is known, will protect the state’s agricultural interests and military facilities from Chinese ownership and interference, according to Stadthagen (R-Hartselle). “I don’t believe we […]

It’s often said the Legislature is technically only required to do one thing each session: Pass a budget. On Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives unanimously passed a General Fund budget, on track for a 6% increase in spending from the previous year, making it the largest budget in state history.  Gov. Kay Ivey proposed […]

A bill has been introduced that would give local school boards more flexibility over required instructional days throughout the year. If passed, districts would have the option to include an additional 30 days of instruction on top of the existing 180 days per year. That would open the door to a year-round school calendar. But […]

The deteriorating Saturn rocket at the I-65 Welcome Center in Limestone County has garnered state headlines for months. The widespread attention has caused lawmakers and other officials to consider various options in how to proceed with what Sen. Tom Butler has called a “monument.” Butler, in an effort to confront the issue, has introduced Senate […]

President Joe Biden officially kicked off his re-election campaign Tuesday for 2024. Instead of doing a speech at the White House or a campaign rally in a swing state, Biden posted a video on his social media with the statement: “Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To […]

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday he’ll seek another term, extending his lurch as America’s oldest president. In a three-minute video announcement, he asked for voters to help him finish the job he started four years ago. Several elected officials in Alabama questioned what kind of job that is. Here’s what they said: Lt. Gov. Will […]

Citing a “legacy of excellence,” Sen. Katie Britt praised the Yellowhammer State’s contributions to space exploration. Her comments were to NASA Administration Bill Nelson during a recent hearing of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations with NASA. “They (Marshall Space Flight Center) have created a legacy […]

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is continuing his fight to block the Biden administration’s proposed changes to Title IX. Last week, the U.S. House passed Tuberville’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would ensure Title IX protection for female athletes and fair, safe competition in women’s sports throughout the United States. So […]

There’s no doubt Washington has a spending problem. President Biden and my colleagues across the aisle are constantly looking for new ways to raise taxes on hardworking Americans, but the truth is Washington has plenty of money, and it’s just not spent well. There is so much waste up here because the federal government loves […]

As the risk of backlash and boycotts further cripples nationwide sales of Bud Light in response to its controversial partnership with a transgender influencer – America’s female Republican governors – including Gov. Kay Ivey – rolled out some new branding of their own. Gov. Sarah Sanders (R-Arkansas) announced the new line of koozies, saying, “Real […]

Judith Ann Neelley, convicted of a heinous murder 40 years ago, is slated for a parole hearing next month. And Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter is having nothing of it. Neelley was found guilty of kidnapping and killing 13-year-old Lisa Millican of Rome, Ga., and sentenced to death in the electric chair in 1983. However, […]

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) joined his fellow Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee this week in advancing a plan they believe would help secure the border. The Border Security and Enforcement Act, H.R. 2640, pass the Judiciary Committee Wednesday by a vote of 23 to 15. Thursday on WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program,” Moore touted […]

Dr. Barbara Cooper, secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education,  has resigned, following direction from Gov. Kay Ivey over “concerning content in a Pre-K educator resource book” that was approved by Cooper. According to a release from the governor’s office this afternoon, the book “contained a woke agenda, invokes ideas for teachers that […]

When it comes to Alabama’s tool kit of economic incentives, plenty of praise comes from lawmakers and state leaders. But local economic developers — in particular, mayors — are on the front lines of bringing business into the state and creating jobs. Following the renewal and expansion of the Alabama Jobs Act and Growing Alabama […]

This week marked some major victories for Alabama’s tourism industry with the passage of two major pieces of legislation. The Dram Shop Bill and the Sweet Home Alabama Tourism Investment Act, a new provision of the Jobs Act, were both signed into law this week. Both bills were major priorities for the Gulf United Metro […]

In an unlikely twist, two Democrat secretaries of Agriculture have endorsed a central part of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s FARM Act. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and former Secretary Mike Espy backed the provision in Tuberville’s legislation that would add the position to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Espy believes the […]

All four components of the landmark renewal and expansion of Alabama’s economic incentives program passed the Alabama Senate today. The package’s counterpart bills passed the House unanimously last week. Gov. Kay Ivey signed off on all this afternoon. Today’s passage marks a key victory for what Ivey coined in her State of the State Address […]

Comparing the Department of the Interior to a forest fire, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl criticized Interior Secretary Debbie Haaland’s out-of-control agency. The criticism came Thursday during a House Committee on Natural Resources hearing. .@RepJerryCarl to @SecDebHaaland: “Your department has become this huge forest fire and you’re consuming everything you touch. You’re burning it up.” 🔥🔥🔥 […]

In the wake of the mass shooting in Dadeville where four people were killed and 32 others injured, some Democrats in the Legislature are pushing for stricter gun control laws. “Thoughts and Prayers alone are NOT enough!! WE MUST ACT NOW!” State Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) said on Twitter. Thursday on Capitol Journal I said, […]

The U.S. House passed Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on Wednesday. It will now move onto the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle. The bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). The legislation’s goal is to ensure both Title IX protection for female athletes […]

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore joined a resolution of disapproval Wednesday against the D.C. City Council’s recently enacted legislation that some are calling an anti-police law. The legislation is known as the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Act of 2022. It was introduced during anti-police protests in the summer of 2020. The legislation would eliminate […]

The use of economic development incentives by state and local governments is a common practice intended to attract private investment, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. As academic researchers, our work at the Hoover Institution focuses on studying these incentives, measuring how much local economies benefit after incentives are granted, and evaluating ways to increase […]