U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) on Thursday re-introduced legislation proposing a constitutional amendment that would require Congress to have a balanced budget. This marks Shelby’s 18th time to introduce the measure, having sponsored a version of the legislation each Congress since joining the Senate in 1987. The effort is aimed at reducing the increasing national […]

The Alabama Capital Network (ACN) announced this week that Joshua Jones has been hired as its new chief executive officer, effective April 5. ACN was founded in 2017 by Charlie Perry, Sanjay Singh, Ruffner Page, Bill Terry and Bill Goodrich – five Birmingham-area executives deeply attuned to the need for access to capital to grow […]

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) on Thursday announced plans to invest $48 million in its Mobile campus to further grow its business along the Gulf Coast. According to a release, the 119-year-old Birmingham-headquartered company will expand its existing warehouse, optimize its distribution operations and install a state-of-the-art warehousing system that will benefit its associates, […]

They call it The World Games for a reason. With more than 3,600 athletes from over 100 countries competing in nearly three dozen sports, The World Games is an international athletic and entertainment spectacle. And it is all happening right here in Alabama from July 7 through 17 during the Summer of 2022. The Yellowhammer […]

7. Hot fire test successful The Space Launch System (SLS) had a successful hot fire test for the core stage. This is one step closer to going back to the moon as the rocket for Artemis 1 is scheduled to launch later this year.  The hot fire test is the final stage in the Green […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would ban curbside voting in the state. HB 285 is sponsored by Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy); it is the companion bill to SB 235, which was given a favorable report by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee two weeks ago. SB 235 is […]

NASA on Thursday successfully conducted a full hot fire of the core stage for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that is scheduled to launch the Artemis I mission to the moon, hopefully later this year. The hot fire was the final test of the eight-part, 12-month Green Run series, conducted at Mississippi’s Stennis Space […]

State government groups are conducting a survey to better identify in-demand jobs in Alabama. Business owners and executives — any that oversee employment — are asked to respond. Officially termed the Governor’s Survey on Employer Competencies, the effort is a joint product of The Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Transformation and AlabamaWorks. “As Alabama […]

The State of Alabama is mirroring a recent decision by the federal government to extend the deadline for citizens to file their income taxes until May 17. “While many Alabamians are getting their ducks in a row this tax season, they can rest a little easier knowing there will be an extension for filing both […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House on Thursday afternoon passed HB 445 as substituted and amended in committee; this is the anti-rioting bill sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris) that would create new crimes and penalties for individuals who incite or participate in riots. Treadaway, a 31-year career law enforcement officer who recently retired as Birmingham Police […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that criminalizes doctors that don’t provide reasonable care for babies born alive during abortion procedures. Rep. Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg) sponsored the legislation. Shaver has long been dedicated to the anti-infanticide cause; 2021 is the third year in a row she has introduced legislation […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate on Thursday afternoon unanimously passed a $7.67 billion Education Trust Fund budget for fiscal year 2022, the largest education budget in state history. The budget bill, SB 189, is sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), the chairman of the Committee on Finance and Taxation Education. The legislation was approved unanimously […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would require athletes in public schools to compete in athletic competitions based on the gender on their birth certificate. Sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle), HB 391 passed the House on a vote of 74-19 with two abstentions. All Republican members voted […]

Attorney General Steve Marshall, on behalf of the State of Alabama, has joined 20 other state attorneys general in filing suit to block President Joe Biden’s attempt to kill the Keystone XL pipeline project. The multistate lawsuit led by Montana and Texas was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of […]

7. Bessemer Amazon employee gets a national stage The U.S. Senate Budget Committee held a hearing over the Bessemer Amazon employees wanting to unionize, and an employee from the fulfillment center testified at the hearing, saying that unionizing would help employees be “more comfortable.” The hearing also related to overall topics of wages and large […]

MONTGOMERY — A bill was introduced this week in the Alabama Legislature to repeal the death penalty. Under existing law, a person who is convicted of a capital offense may be sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole. HB 544, sponsored by Rep. Neil Rafferty (D-Birmingham) and cosponsored by Reps. Rolanda Hollis […]

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday held a weekly press briefing, speaking about key items of interest on which he is focused in Washington, D.C. Alabama’s junior senator first built on the floor speech he delivered last week on the growing “national security and humanitarian crisis” at the United States’ southwest border. “A week […]

The front-and-center issue on the national political scene has been the turmoil underway at the U.S.-Mexico border and how the Biden administration is attempting to diffuse the situation. Some Democrats have said the crisis underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to solving the country’s immigration woes. However, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) said he […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature on Wednesday held committee meetings. Neither chamber convened, so a legislative day was not burned. The committee schedule was relatively light compared to an average week this session. Here is a rundown of the day’s proceedings:

U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) explained on Wednesday that changes made by members of the Democratic Party are the reason he doesn’t support an altered version of the Violence Against Women Act. The U.S. House of Representatives passed what is being called the “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021” on Wednesday. It contains changes […]

If you were going to make the argument that Alabama Democrats are out of touch with your average Alabamian, most people would agree with you, but some might also argue that Democrats have a chance to be relevant again soon in the state. Um … maybe? But if somebody would have told you at the […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Tourism Committee on Wednesday afternoon gave a favorable report to SB 319 as substituted. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville), would propose a constitutional amendment to legalize a lottery in the state of Alabama. The committee action came via a voice vote, with no dissension noted. McClendon referred […]

The Alabama Department of Public Health has banned over-the-counter sales of the supplement tianeptine in Alabama amid growing concerns about its addictiveness and harmful impact on citizens. Tianeptine was often at gas stations under brand names like “ZaZa,” “Pegasus” and “Tianaa.” Morgan County Judge Charles Elliott, whose profile includes the local drug court, has described […]

Public recognition for Alabama Crimson Tide head basketball coach Nate Oats continues to roll in as the recently-crowned SEC champion awaits the start of the Big Dance. Oats has been named a finalist for the Naismith and USBWA Coach of the Year awards. The USBWA is the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Naismith […]