The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed State Rep. Matt Simpson’s (R-Daphne) bill that would alter certain sexual abuse sentencing in the Yellowhammer State. HB 237 deals with second-degree sexual abuse, which is currently a Class A misdemeanor. Simpson’s bill would elevate the crime to a Class C felony if the victim is 12 […]

As the Supreme Court of the United States considers whether the Trump administration may follow through with plans to ask about citizenship as part of the 2020 census, one Alabama state representative is leading the effort among state policymakers to support the requirement. State Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy) has sponsored a resolution in the Alabama […]

After FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s report was released on Thursday morning, Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan concluded that it “confirms what we’ve known all along – no Russian collusion, no conspiracies and no White House interference.” In a statement, the ALGOP chair continued, “In fact, the report shows complete cooperation by the White […]

Even though President Donald Trump gave Jeff Sessions a lot of flack during his tenure as attorney general for recusing himself from the FBI special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election cycle, the Robert Mueller report’s release on Thursday shows why Sessions had an incontrovertible conflict of interest: He was personally under […]

Republican members of Alabama’s congressional delegation are celebrating after the public release of FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, with Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03) calling the investigation “tantamount to an attempted coup.” Meanwhile, the two congressional Democrats from Alabama were silent immediately following the report’s release. “It is worth reiterating that during the first two […]

MONTGOMERY — During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s public hearing on a constitutional carry bill on Wednesday, a Democratic state senator accused Second Amendment advocates of wanting people with mental illnesses to be able to purchase and possess firearms, leading the senator to assert that these same advocates themselves have “some mental problems.” State Sen. Gerald […]

A new poll released Wednesday morning by a non-partisan national research firm showed that Governor Kay Ivey, President Donald Trump and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) enjoy varying degrees of positive job approval ratings in the Yellowhammer State. The poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, which has offices in Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville, FL, was conducted […]

University of Alabama System Chancellor Finis “Fess” St. John has countered recent remarks by Auburn University Trustee Jimmy Rane, who said Friday that Governor Kay Ivey’s proposed Education Trust Fund budget is “not kind to Auburn.” As chair of the Auburn Board of Trustees’ governmental affairs committee, Rane outlined, “With record revenues and the largest […]

MONTGOMERY — State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Spanish Fort) is continuing his strong advocacy for legislation that would allow for harsher penalties against those who commit acts of violence against a law enforcement officer. Yellowhammer News has previously reported on SB 36, Elliott’s bill that essentially makes employment as a law enforcement officer a protected class, […]

MONTGOMERY — The August 2019 mayoral race in Alabama’s capital city is heating up and already features a highly competitive lineup of candidates. Perhaps most well known among the motley field are former Congressman Artur Davis, Montgomery County Probate Judge Steven Reed and WCOV’s David Woods. Reed is the son of Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) […]

Former State Sen. Bill Hightower (R-Mobile) is running to represent Alabama’s First Congressional District on Capitol Hill. Hightower made the announcement in a fundraising email on Tuesday morning. He ran in the Republican gubernatorial primary in the 2018 cycle, finishing fourth with five percent of the vote. The seat is currently held by Congressman Bradley Byrne […]

A new poll released Tuesday morning by a non-partisan national research firm confirms that Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) is facing nearly impossible demographic barriers to re-election. The poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, which has offices in Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville, FL, was conducted April 9-11 and surveyed 625 registered Alabama voters by telephone. The […]

Led by Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05), members of Alabama’s U.S. House delegation are fighting simultaneously on behalf of Alabama’s aerospace industry and to maintain the military’s commitment to its national security space launch program. On Friday afternoon, a bipartisan group of 27 representatives of the U.S. House of Representatives signed onto Brooks’ letter to Air Force […]

With Monday being Tax Day, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) continued his longtime advocacy for a national flat tax, re-introducing a bill in Congress known as the “Simplified, Manageable, and Responsible Tax (SMART) Act.” Shelby has introduced the SMART Act in each congressional session since his election to the U.S. Senate in 1986, strongly pushing for a […]

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) just filed his Federal Elections Commission (FEC) financial report for the first quarter of 2019, and the contents of the disclosure are only going to fuel the criticism that Jones is beholden to out-of-state – and even international – interests. First, only 12 percent ($107,122) of Jones’s itemized individual donations came […]

In an address to Auburn University’s Board of Trustees on Friday morning as chair of the board’s governmental affairs committee, Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc. founder and CEO Jimmy Rane lamented that Auburn received the lowest percentage increase among all colleges and universities in Governor Kay Ivey’s proposed Education Trust Fund budget. The proposed budget […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a regular feature on Yellowhammer News. It is a compilation of the bits and pieces of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Enjoy.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL) has confirmed to Yellowhammer News that he will not seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate seat currently held by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) in 2020. In a statement, Ainsworth said, “Over the past few months, I have been touched and honored by the citizens across Alabama who […]

The future of SB 230, the so-called comprehensive ethics legislation sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range), could be in jeopardy given Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) had proclaimed the bill wouldn’t leave his committee this session on Wednesday. On Thursday, despite Ward’s statement, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) has reportedly […]

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday making it a misdemeanor to drive in the leftmost lane on an interstate for more than 1.5 miles without passing another vehicle, with exceptions. The vote was 61-24. HB 212, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) and entitled the “Anti-Road Rage Act,” would be effective […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed SJR 29, a resolution authored by State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) and cosponsored by every member of the Senate honoring the historic accomplishments of Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), especially relating to his impact on higher education and research in the Yellowhammer State. Hailing Shelby […]

Episode four of The Insider with Sean Ross features breaking news from Senate Judiciary Chairman Cam Ward (R-Alabaster), who spoke on the phone with Yellowhammer News on Wednesday evening regarding SB 230.

Local businessman Wes Lambert is set to announce his Republican candidacy to succeed Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) in representing Alabama’s First Congressional District, joining State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) and Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl in the race. Lambert will hold a kickoff campaign event at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday at the Dumbwaiter Restaurant in […]

Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-4), as ranking member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee on Appropriations, participated in the questioning of Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday regarding the Mueller report. In a statement afterward, Aderholt said, “Despite what many Democrats promised their voters during many television appearances during the last two years, the Mueller […]