Politics — Page 189

State Senate OKs final payment to Trust Fund

Fulfilling a resolute commitment made to taxpayers, the Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 1 (33-0) Tuesday, which transfers $59.9 million from the State’s General Fund budget to the Alabama Trust Fund. The Alabama Trust Fund (ATF) was created as a “rainy day” account to be used only in times of fiscal crisis and is funded […]

The Legislature is convening in special session through Thursday, with both chambers looking to answer a $1 billion question. The House meets at 1 p.m. today to vote on the $1.1 billion American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) appropriations package (HB1), after receiving approval from committee last week. The Senate will gavel in at 3:30 to […]

Sen. Katie Britt hit the lack of regulators’ oversight leading to the recent failures of the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. A member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Britt (R-Montgomery) said Monday she has not been satisfied with the federal government’s response to the situation. “My office and I […]

Rep. Jerry Carl: Let's lower energy costs

In each Congress, the majority party’s highest priority legislation is labeled as House Resolution 1 (H.R. 1), declaring it the most important issue facing America. Last Congress, Democrats controlled the House, and their H.R. 1 was called For the People Act. It really should have been named For the Politicians Act because it was an […]

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth said Gov. Kay Ivey didn’t go far enough in support for school choice during her recent State of the State speech. “It’s important we continue to have meaningful discussions on school choice,” Ivey said. “That must begin with improving the school choice we already have: Our charter school options and the […]

State Rep. Matt Simpson  got some support from Gov. Kay Ivey recently for his fentanyl mandatory minimum sentence bill. “Tonight, I am also urging you, our legislators, to pass House Bill One so I can sign it into law as soon as possible,” Ivey said during her State of the State speech last week. “By […]

DeSantis dinner breaks ALGOP record

The Alabama Republican Party has set a fundraising record. With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the headliner, the annual Alabama GOP Winter Dinner raised nearly $700,000 for the party. More than 1,700 people gathered last Thursday for the annual event at the Finley Center in Hoover. At the record-breaking event, DeSantis discussed what he called […]

Bill aims to make Alabama Trust Fund whole again

State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) introduced a bill that would transfer $59.9 million from the state’s General Fund to pay down the Alabama Trust Fund. The state has been steadily repaying a $437 million diversion enacted in 2012 at a time when the government was struggling amid the nationwide recession. To stay operational, the Legislature […]

Britt: Biden, budget plan 'out of touch'

Sen. Katie Britt is unimpressed by President Joe Biden’s newly proposed budget for 2024. In fact, she said the president “is completely out of touch with the harsh reality Alabamians are facing everyday of his term.” “Prices have already skyrocketed 14.4% since he took office, while Americans’ personal savings have fallen to a nearly 15-year […]

Thursday, President Joe Biden released his $6.8 trillion budget proposal, which includes raising taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals. Members of the Alabama Congressional delegation criticized the President over the high spending, misplaced priorities, and increased taxes that are a part of the plan. Chairman @RepMikeRogersAL: "The President’s incredibly misplaced priorities send all the wrong […]

DeSantis brings law and order to ALGOP dinner

The Gov. Ron DeSantis unofficial pre-presidential announcement tour rolled into Hoover to headline Thursday night’s Alabama GOP Winter Dinner. An unannounced presidential candidate for the GOP nomination, DeSantis touched on a number of topics – one of which DeSantis referred to as “law and order.” “I know the folks in Alabama feel the same way, […]

Justice Sarah Stewart is touting that her campaign hauled in more than $157,000 in campaign funds and spoke to standing-room only crowds across the state. Stewart reported 304 contributions from individuals and small businesses. She raised  $42,380.27 through her online efforts and said her average contribution was $516.71. “I am incredibly thankful for the support […]

Tuberville presses general on Space Command

The day after a heated debate on the Senate floor over Alabama’s abortion law and relocating the U.S. Space Command headquarters to the Yellowhammer State, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville pressed Gen. James Dickinson on the Air Force’s decision to move the command to Redstone Arsenal. In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, Tuberville questioned […]

ARPA bill passes committee hurdle

The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved legislation Thursday to appropriate more than $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session to isolate the last portion of ARPA funds from spending talks around the two other state budgets, which are in surplus, but poised for an 8.4% […]

Although Gov. Kay Ivey called for tax rebates during her State of the State speech Tuesday, some in the Legislature aren’t sure if that has a chance of passing this session. Ivey said she wants “one-time rebates of $400,” which means “$800 for our working families.” Thursday on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” State Sen. […]

State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) is hopeful that his school choice bill will be able to make its way through the legislature this year, but admits it won’t be easy. Yarbrough is carrying the Parental Rights in Children’s Education (PRICE) Act in the State House, which would allow parents to get $6,000 in state tax […]

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong took to the House floor Thursday for his first ever speech as a congressman. In it, Strong called for the Biden administration to resume building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. “My bill will resume border wall construction and ensure the president cannot withhold resources while sending our troops to the […]

Today, on National Slam the Scam Day, Sen. Katie Britt is helping to raise awareness about Social Security scams. Scammers typically target individuals by using deceptive tactics and techniques designed to persuade, her office said. In a government imposter scam, an individual will say that they are a representative of the Social Security Administration or […]

A new magnet high school may be on the horizon for Alabama. And Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins is “as giddy as a schoolgirl.” In her State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey proposed establishing a fourth magnet high school for the state – the School of Healthcare Sciences. To be established in Demopolis, […]

Sen. Tommy Tuberville introduced legislation Wednesday to help the U.S. regain control of the southern border. Fellow Alabama Sen. Katie Britt was a co-sponsor of the bill. The Border Safety and Security Act is designed to place more responsibility on the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. It would […]

Bennet calls out Tuberville on Senate floor

The argument between Colorado and Alabama over who will be home to Space Command spilled out into open view. On the Senate floor Tuesday, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) spoke directly to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, calling upon him to lift the holds on Department of Defense civilian and general flag nominees. Tuberville placed the holds in […]

Last night after Gov. Kay Ivey’s State of the State address, Bill Poole, Alabama’s top finance official, spoke with Yellowhammer News about his leadership in the ARPA planning and delivery process. As money is transferred from the federal to state level, he said other states have expended significant resources to outside firms and consultants — […]

During her State of the State Speech Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey called for a one-time tax rebate for Alabamians. “I am calling on you to put nearly a billion dollars back into the hands of hardworking, taxpaying Alabamians through one-time rebates of $400,” Ivey said. “That means $800 for our working families, and it couldn’t […]

Britt addresses 'kitchen table crisis'

Calling inflation the highest she has seen in her lifetime, Sen. Katie Britt questioned Fed Chairman Jay Powell on the nation’s economy and “generationally high inflation.” “Over the past two years we have seen the highest inflation of my lifetime – driving up costs for American families across the board,” she said. Powell spoke Tuesday […]