Friday on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” Alabama Policy Institute director of policy strategy Phil Williams, also a former state senator, followed up on his organization’s suggestions on the state legislature’s possible gas tax hike in the upcoming legislative session. Williams highlighted a number of ideas, including the potential for a tax swap to offset […]

United States Steel Corp.’s plans to invest $215 million to install a technologically advanced electric arc furnace at Fairfield Works is expected to provide a boost to Alabama’s steelmaking industry in its historic home. U.S. Steel had initiated construction of the EAF at its Tubular Operations in Fairfield in March 2015 but suspended construction in December 2015 […]

Late Saturday afternoon, Gov. Kay Ivey issued a State of Emergency “for several counties due to flooding caused by heavy rains over the past several days and ongoing severe weather this weekend.” Among the counties included are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, Dekalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Walker and Winston. […]

BIRMINGHAM — After a harmonious slate of officer elections Saturday, the Alabama Republican Party’s annual winter state executive committee meeting got heated. The festivities came to a head when a resolution authored by Morgan County’s Tom Fredricks was brought to the floor. The resolution, aimed at the upcoming state legislative session that begins March 5, […]

During the recent week-long February district work period, I had the opportunity to travel around Alabama’s Second District to spend time on the ground meeting with constituents and local leaders, visiting schools and businesses, and ultimately listening to the views and concerns of the people I represent. Having this time to hear firsthand from the […]

Restaurateurs and friends Reginald “Reggie” Washington and Duane Nutter opened Southern National in 2017, serving “globally inspired Southern food” in the historic Wilkins-Higgins Building in Mobile’s lively arts district. The buzz leading up to the opening was big; the response after they opened was even bigger. After only about four months in business, the restaurant was named […]

With the 2019 Alabama legislative session set to begin on March 5th you can be sure governmental affairs staffers and consultants across the state are rushing to prepare for a busy season. Fortunately for these politicos, Dragonfly, an innovative and affordable legislative tracking platform, is prepared up to make life in the state house a […]

BIRMINGHAM — The Alabama Republican Party’s state executive committee elected party officers Saturday, with Chairman Terry Lathan winning re-election by acclamation as a new senior vice-chair and secretary were chosen. The elections occurred during the annual ALGOP winter meeting at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. Outgoing Senior Vice-Chair Sam Givhan, who decided not to seek […]

BIRMINGHAM — Friday night before a packed ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel, the Alabama Republican Party hosted its annual winter dinner with not just one, but two featured guests. As advertised, retired Col. Mark W. Tillman, who served as the commander of the Presidential Airlift Group and chief pilot for the president of the United States […]

Nearly 80 years after Walker Evans and James Agee shined a light on life in Hale County, Alabama, Greensboro and its environs are taking center stage again, this time in RaMell Ross’ Oscar-nominated documentary film, “Hale County This Morning, This Evening.” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” follows Daniel Collins and Quincy Bryant, and their […]

One of the mantras adopted by those who love the outdoors is “pass it on,” which means introducing somebody to hunting, fishing or other outdoors activities when you get the opportunity. For the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, one facet of that effort comes in the form of the Adult Mentored Hunting Program, […]

An Alabama lawmaker from the Birmingham-area is reportedly trying to make it easier to access public records regarding police body cameras. Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) and her staff are rewording a bill that first stated access to public recordings should not be accessible. “Why isn’t that body cam treated like any other public document? Why […]

Alabama’s law on legal notices and public notification is not that different than the laws of other states that require state and local government must advertise in local print newspapers for matters of the public interest. This means government entities must take tax dollars and hand them over to media companies in exchange for advertising that […]

Can Alabamians support raising our gas tax for better roads while remaining true to our belief in limited government and protecting a beneficial, low-tax environment for our businesses, our families and our future? Yes … if taxes are lowered elsewhere so that the overall amount of money taken from the people doesn’t increase. The concept […]

More assistance from the Trump administration is now being made available to Alabamians affected by the severe weather and tornado that occurred in the River Region on January 19. Governor Kay Ivey, along with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) Director Brian Hastings, announced Friday that businesses and residents […]

A former Alabama Senate leader has been charged with felony theft. The Cullman Times reports that 50-year-old Zeb Little was arrested Thursday on three theft charges. He was booked into the county jail and released on bond.

Alabama’s homegrown behemoth in the lumber business has added another world-class talent to its board of directors. O.B. Grayson Hall, Jr. has been elected to the board of Great Southern Wood Holdings, Inc., according to a release from the company.

“940,353 full times jobs are completely dependent on Alabama’s transportation network. If we want to recruit new industry and create more jobs, we need a road and bridge system that supports economic growth in Alabama. It’s time to take this issue seriously and invest in Alabama’s future. Let’s take action and rebuild Alabama’s roads!” #FixALroads

Some roads are covered with water in the Tennessee Valley and schools are closed after days of heavy rain. Nearly a dozen city and county systems in north Alabama and southern Tennessee canceled classes Friday.

7. The White House isn’t waiting for lawsuits to be resolved, dares courts to stop Trump — Because a portion of the money for new wall construction is tied up in potential court cases, President Donald Trump will not spend any of the funds that are hung up on his national emergency declaration yet. While […]

In an appearance on Birmingham’s Talk 99.5 radio on Thursday, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) discussed the possibility of entering the 2020 U.S. Senate election for the seat currently occupied by Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook). Brooks did not completely rule it out but said the odds were against the run. He also noted his polling numbers […]

President Donald Trump and Governor Kay Ivey’s respective administrations are still trying to clean up after former President Barack Obama’s devastating “War on Coal.” The day after Alabama Power Company announced that Plant Gorgas in Walker County will be forced to close because of punitive Obama-era mandates, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) Thursday lauded the Appalachian Regional […]

MONTGOMERY — Fresh off his announcement in Mobile that he is running for the United States Senate in 2020, Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) is already crisscrossing the state and sharing his campaign message directly with voters. Thursday morning, Byrne visited Ray’s Restaurant in Dothan before heading to Alabama’s capital city for lunch at Yellowhammer Cafe, […]

The way the potential gas tax increase is talked about in Alabama, even on conservative talk radio, it appears that the higher tax is almost inevitable. This seems to be the conventional wisdom of politicians and media outlets. But if recent events in American politics have taught us anything, it is that conventional wisdom might be […]