The Baldwin County Republican Party is hosting their second annual summer dinner on June 14 and have chosen Dr. Ben Carson to be the keynote speaker (Get tickets HERE). Carson is the head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He made medical history in 1987 when he became the first surgeon to successfully seperate […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here. All sources remain confidential. 1. Alabama Democrats dividing an ever shrinking pie Alabama Democrat Party Chairman Mark Kennedy and long-time Democrat Party power broker […]

As we announced yesterday, we’ve teamed up with the Alabama Policy Institute to rank the business-friendliness of the state’s 50 largest cities. API’s researchers derived answers to the following questions: What cities have the best tax policy? Which have low costs of living and crime rates? What cities have experienced the most year-over-year population and […]

In order to excel in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, Alabama must be as attractive as possible to emerging as well as expanding businesses. While Alabama’s business-friendly image is usually assessed at the state level, Alabama’s individual cities must consider how they compare in economic, social, and educational categories that attract new businesses and encourage […]

Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman told Yellowhammer this morning that she will not run for higher office in 2014. Chapman in 2010 received the highest number of votes of any Constitutional Officer in state history, including governor. Insiders have speculated for some time as to what her plans might be when her second term […]

One of the most contentious issues behind-the-scenes during the first half of the legislative session was a bill that, among other things, would allow employees to leave a gun in their car at their workplace whether their employer’s policies approve or not. Negotiations surrounding the bill have been ongoing for months between representatives from the […]

Rep. Joseph Mitchell made national and international headlines earlier this week when our story about his racially charged email correspondence with an Alabama citizen went viral. An internet poll posted by AL.com asked if Rep. Mitchell should resign over his comments. A staggering 89.4% of over 12,000 respondents said “yes.” But in spite of the […]

Dale Peterson doesn’t give a rip about much, but beer and cashews apparently do make the short list of things that are not only worth giving a rip about — but also going to jail for. Here’s what we’ve got right now: Cops. Cashews. and Cowboy hats. #alpolitics — Yellowhammer (@YHPolitics) March 27, 2013 An […]

When a citizen sent a pro-2nd amendment email to the publicly available addresses of almost every member of the legislature, Rep. Joseph Mitchell (D-Mobile) decided it was time to get a few things off his chest. A Senator forwarded me the ensuing email thread, as both Mitchell and the citizen continued to CC pretty much […]

By Gary Palmer, Alabama Policy Institute In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium to block the “schoolhouse door” in order to prevent black students from enrolling at The University of Alabama. Fifty years later, there are still people trying block “schoolhouse doors.” This time, it is Alabama’s education union […]

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange is leading a national effort to convince the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to adopt broader religious exceptions to the ObamaCare mandate that all businesses and non-profit organizations purchase insurance for contraception and sterilization. Attorney General Strange wrote a letter sent today to Health and Human Services Secretary […]

When previewing the Republican primary for House Distrct 11 back in Novemeber, we pointed out that former Fairview Mayor Randall Shedd “may garner the backing of the AEA.” Shedd is now engaged in a runoff (TODAY!) with Danny Alldredge after no candidate was able to crack 50% in the primary, and AEA is leaving no […]

Alabama Accountability Act: We’ve talked about it ad nauseum, but how often do you get to tweet something like this? AEA Head Henry Mabry curses as he walks out of the room. “SH**” Just witnessed history. Major ed reform coming to Alabama today. #alpolitics — Yellowhammer (@YHPolitics) February 28, 2013 “Every parent deserves a choice, […]

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist released his NCAA Tournament bracket yesterday, picking the Miami Hurricanes to win the national championship. But this isn’t your typical March Madness bracket, Norquist chose winners and losers based on states with the most competitive tax climates. Some key takeaways from Grover’s bracket: • Miami beats Gonzaga in […]

The following letter from Priscilla Yother, the Principal of Eura Brown Elementary School in Gadsden, appeared Tuesday in the Gadsden Times. After reading the full page advertisement that AEA printed in Sunday’s newspaper assaulting Sen. Phil Williams, I felt compelled to respond. The ad was a personal attack against a good man and a tactic […]

Senator Jeff Sessions delivered opening remarks yesterday evening as the debate began on the Senate Democrats’ budget proposal, the first budget they have offered in four years. The budget debate is expected to continue for the next few days, and Senator Sessions will be managing the debate for Republicans as the Ranking Member on the […]

The above AEA ad is set to start running this morning on radio stations around the state, and it appears their disdain for Republicans is starting to cloud their judgement. Attacking a Governor with approval ratings ranging from the mid-70s to low 80s is not the way to win a debate. And going after the […]

Senator Richard Shelby earlier this week held his 1,800th career town hall meeting. Since taking office in the Senate in 1987, Shelby has made an annual visit to each of Alabama’s 67 counties. “26 years ago, I promised my constituents the opportunity to have their voices heard on Capitol Hill. Visiting each county in Alabama […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here. All sources remain confidential. 1. New ALGOP Political Director Sources on the ALGOP Steering Committee told Yellowhammer on Monday that Louisiana-based political consultant John […]

We heard time and time again from candidate Obama that he would “cut the cost of a typical family’s premium by up to $2,500 a year.” But as we inch closer to ObamaCare’s full implementation in 2014, it’s becoming abundantly clear that his promise won’t even come close to being true. In reality, premiums are […]

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to approve a bill banning 157 so-called “assault style” weapons. The committee voted 10-8 along Party lines — all Democrats approved, all Republicans voted no. On top of banning certain gun models, the bill would also limit the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. Freshman Senator […]

After over a week of confusion, lawsuits, court rulings and general chaos, Governor Bentley on Thursday morning signed into law the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013. Speculation that Bentley would send the bill back across the street with executive amendments was quickly put to rest as the Governor wasted no time in affixing his signature […]

The Alabama Education Association spent the weekend deploying their usual intimidation tactics against members of the legislature who support school choice. Radio ads have been running across the state since Friday, and over the weekend the AEA took out full page ads in newspapers accusing Republicans of “betraying” local schools. Anonymous robo calls have also […]

“Rumors and Rumblings” is a weekly feature that runs each Wednesday. It includes short nuggets of information that we glean from conversations throughout the week. Have a tip? Send it here. All sources remain confidential. 1. Foundation for Accountability in Education The biggest buzz around Montgomery right now is that Republican legislative leaders have launched […]