A new group fighting back against what it calls “lawsuit abuse” in Alabama is starting to flex its political muscle heading into 2026. On Wednesday, Alabamians for Legal Reform, “a professional advocacy organization focused on promoting fairness and balance within Alabama’s civil justice system,” announced that governmental affairs veteran Harrison Proctor, previously a lawyer-lobbyist for […]

Republican State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) is running for a different district seat in reaction to a court ruling that he thinks makes “no sense.” Barfoot announced Monday that he plans to run for the District 26 legislative seat rather than the District 25 seat that he currently holds. The state lawmaker had said […]

Madison County Commission Chairman Mac McCutcheon notified Governor Kay Ivey today that he will retire from his post effective March 1, 2026. The longtime North Alabama elected official has a career that has spanned law enforcement, state government, as well as local county leadership. A native of Madison County, McCutcheon served 16 years in the […]

On Tuesday, businessman and former educator Scott Ortis announced he’s running for Alabama State Senate District 15, lighting up a Republican primary challenge against incumbent State Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook) in 2026. Roberts was first elected in the 2018 cycle and faced a serious GOP primary challenge in 2022 against Dr. Brian Christine, who […]

The past year has certainly been a memorable one—and, more importantly, a rewarding one. Beginning the year by leading the Laken Riley Act through the Senate and to President Trump’s desk—and seeing it become the first bill he signed into law in his second term—was just the start of what we have accomplished for Alabamians […]

Alabama’s rural communities are getting a infusion of $203,404,327 under the Trump administration’s state-led rural health transformation plan. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday that all 50 states will receive awards through the program, which CMS says was established under President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. Awards for 2026 average about […]

HUNTSVILLE — With the Alabama Legislature set to convene Jan. 16, State Rep. Rex Reynolds says the upcoming session will be fast-paced and focused, with lawmakers facing a compressed calendar that includes only one scheduled break. As chairman of the General Fund budget, Reynolds (R-Huntsville) said preparation for the session has been underway for months. Passing a conservative General Fund budget Reynolds said his top priority this session is passing a conservative General Fund budget while preparing for tighter fiscal conditions ahead.

Manufacture Alabama, the state’s leading voice for manufacturers and industrial employers, today announced its endorsement of two political newcomers with business backgrounds seeking election to the Alabama State Senate: Doug Harwell in Senate District 34 and John Roberts in Senate District 2. According to the group, their endorsements reflect Manufacture Alabama’s confidence in both candidates’ […]

Recently, I had several of Governor Kay Ivey’s closest friends and confidantes invite me to visit with them. Over lunch, they posed the question to me, “Do you think Governor Ivey has become a legacy governor?” My response was that she has been an outstanding governor, but I need to give some thought to the […]

A homemade video shows former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) on the Alabama-Georgia state line. He explains his very first issue in his newly-announced campaign for Governor in the 2026 election: Legalizing the lottery in Alabama. Alabama’s four surrounding states – Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida – all have legal lotteries and are members […]

U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) are lauding the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026, which made it through the Senate by a bipartisan 77-20. “The NDAA has passed annually for 65 years in a row and is one of our nation’s most important pieces of legislation. I’m proud […]

First Solar is an American solar manufacturing company, unlike most of the industry which makes its panels in China. Last year, First Solar opened a plant in Lawrence County, which brought more than 800 manufacturing jobs to Alabama. Its entire steel supply chain is within a 25-mile radius of the factory. In Alabama, it isn’t a “solar” story so much as it […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville met with members of the Alabama National Guard deployed in Washington, D.C. earlier in December as many of the troops concluded their mission and returned home to their families ahead of Christmas. Tuberville shared a message following the visit, saying, “Honored to meet some of the brave men and women from […]

State Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) believes that if you want to get a drivers license in the Yellowhammer State, you should be able to read English. Pettus has pre-filed a legislation that would require the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to conduct driver’s license exams only in English. The bill is expected to come up […]

State Sen. Arthur Orr is once again calling attention to what he views as a fundamental flaw in the nation’s food assistance program and says he plans to take action when lawmakers return to Montgomery. Orr posted a picture of high-end Godiva truffle chocolate available for purchase on Amazon as “SNAP EBT eligible.” “This is […]

A brand-new, out-of-state dark-money group launched an attack on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama over the past week, and has already invested over $320,000 in negative television advertising alone.  During some of this weekend’s largest SEC football matchups, including Alabama vs. Oklahoma, the group ran a shock-style message that is now being pushed […]

Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc. in Montgomery, which bankruptcy filings have described as carrying between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities, filed a lawsuit last week against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, claiming they are to blame for the hospital’s impending closure. In the December 18 filings, Jackson makes sweeping and accusatory […]

State Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield) and State Rep. Chris Blackshear (R-Phenix City) were named the 2025 Legislative Leaders of the Year by the Alabama Association of Regional Councils during the organization’s annual conference in Point Clear. The annual conference brought together AARC members, staff, and supporters from across Alabama to discuss policy issues affecting local […]

It appears likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn a prior ruling that could have major ramifications for political parties and federal campaigns in Alabama and across the country. The justices heard oral arguments Tuesday on a case that stared in Ohio and includes Vice President J.D. Vance. The Republican-led lawsuit challenges the limits […]

Governor Kay Ivey highlighted the Moseley family of Wilcox County this month as an example of Alabama families using the CHOOSE Act, the state’s education savings account (ESA) program. Laura Moseley has two children, Christopher “Cayden,” a 10th grader, and Kynslie, a seventh grader, who attend Wilcox Academy. “Laura Moseley’s story embodies exactly what the […]

In bygone years in politics, at least in Alabama politics, when you were a young, aspiring, learning politician, the old veterans would instill traditional rules and truisms that you should understand and adhere to. One was “all politics is local.” If you were elected to be a state or national legislator, you looked after homefolks […]

Longtime benefactor Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. has gifted the first endowment to support The University of Alabama School of Leadership and Policy through the Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. Endowed Professorship in Leadership and Policy. Culverhouse’s $500,000 gift will help the School attract and retain nationally recognized scholars and experts in public policy and leadership. The endowment is […]

The Alabama Republican Party will open candidate qualifying for the 2026 election cycle on Monday, January 5, 2026, marking the formal start of a campaign season that will determine control of Alabama’s top state and federal offices. Qualifying will begin at 8:30 a.m. and remain open through Friday, January 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ALGOP Chairman […]

Governor Kay Ivey signed an order on Thursday creating the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group, which is designed to “hit the ground running” if Alabama secures federal approval for a sweeping new rural-health overhaul tied to President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. “The creation of the Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group enables Alabama […]