One of the justifications for the Ivey administration to pursue a build-lease prison plan instead of the traditional bond issue for the construction of three new mega-prisons throughout the state is the legislature has not been able to reach an agreement over the past several years, and that has forced Gov. Kay Ivey to go […]

MONTGOMERY — Legislators return to the State House on Tuesday for the fourth day of the 2021 regular session. The third day of legislative business this past Thursday saw three major bills advance from their respective chambers of origin; HBs 170 and 192 passed the House and received a first reading in the Senate, while […]

MONTGOMERY — Yellowhammer News editor-in-chief Sean Ross on Thursday afternoon sat down with Alabama Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and House of Representatives Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) following the third day of the legislature’s 2021 regular session. The two legislative leaders reflected on the beginning of the session, including how the ongoing COVID-19 […]

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) voted to give Montgomery civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award during the group’s annual winter conference last week. Stevenson, head of the nationally renowned Equal Justice Initiative, was nominated by Alabama Secretary of State John Merill for the honor. “We are […]

Following the devastating EF-3 tornado that struck Fultondale and nearby areas in Northern Jefferson County recently, HomeTown Lenders’ (HTL) Birmingham branch wanted to not only give back to the community, but also bring local residents together in the trying time. The HTL Birmingham team did just that, cooking and serving 500 hotdogs and hamburgers to […]

While it was not a total surprise, Monday’s announcement from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) that he would not seek a seventh term in 2022 did send shockwaves through the political universe — not just in Alabama but around the country. Shelby served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and nearly six terms in […]

Following a vote by its membership, the Alabama Coal Association on Monday announced its expansion and rebranding as the Alabama Mining Association (AMA). AMA’s formation includes a new digital identity and website, which can be accessed here. A release from the association advised that the mission of AMA “is to promote the safe and sustainable […]

State Representative Kirk Hatcher (D-Montgomery) has introduced a bill that would allow college athletes to be paid for the use of their image, likeness and name while enrolled at any university in Alabama. This paves the way for student-athletes to receive compensation for endorsing products on social media, making public appearances, having their likeness used […]

Last week, House Democrats passed a budget resolution that provides them with a framework to pass a budget without input from a single Republican, even though Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that we are willing to come to the table and work together in a bipartisan fashion for the good of the American people. Congress has […]

Prominent Alabama leaders across the public and private sectors are reacting to U.S. Senator Richard Shelby’s (R-AL) Monday announcement that he will not seek reelection to a seventh term in 2022. Shelby made the announcement in a written statement, which can be read here. Reactions quickly poured in, including from the Yellowhammer State’s chief executive. […]

U.S. Senator Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) on Monday announced he will not seek reelection in 2022. His current term is set to expire on January 3, 2023. Shelby, already Alabama’s longest-serving senator in history, continues to have an unprecedented impact on his home state. He is now serving as vice chairman of the powerful Senate […]

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) announced an investment of $1.05 million in Alabama-based breast cancer research, bringing the organization’s total impact over 25 years to nearly $11 million. Matching their 2019 investment, the organization will support 14 research projects throughout the state, including studies at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Auburn […]

Alabama State University and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival officially became partners Thursday. Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr., ASU’s president, and Festival Artistic Director Rick Dildine signed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue an academic collaboration “enhancing the artistic education” of ASU students enrolled in the university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. In a news release distributed by ASU, […]

Working in what could be compared to a war zone, a team of UAB doctors and nurses performed an onsite amputation to save an injured man after the F3 tornado hit Fultondale Jan. 25. Sometime after midnight, UAB trauma surgeon Dr. Don Reiff received a call from Vestavia firefighter and paramedic Lawrence Pugliese. The firefighter was in […]

7. Auburn resuming full on-campus operations Auburn University has decided to start all in-class instruction on campus. The school is ending remote options for classes, and a majority of employees are also returning to work on campus. This decision was made somewhat because of the low number of coronavirus cases on campus, with only a […]

Governor Kay Ivey’s prison plan, which includes three facilities, constructed in Escambia, Elmore and Bibb Counties with the State of Alabama leasing those facilities from a private contractor that will build and own them, has been met with skepticism from state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However, last week, Ivey signed leases for […]

For decades, every legislative session begins with a question about this possibly being the year legislators pass something to initiate a lottery in Alabama. With each passing year, support for a lottery grows. This year is no different, according to State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville). During an appearance on this week’s broadcast of […]

Birmingham-based molecular diagnostics company BioGX plans to expand its R&D and manufacturing capabilities at a new corporate headquarters location in Shelby County, where it will beef up its workforce. The Birmingham Business Alliance announced today that BioGX has purchased a building on Valleydale Road in Shelby County for the move from its current location at Innovation Depot, […]

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee member Lisa Handback take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories, including: — Can anyone stop, and will anyone try to stop, Governor Kay Ivey’s prison plan? — Will the Alabama Legislature really make it more expensive to remove Confederate monuments? — Is Alabama […]

Martin J. Heslin, MD, MSHA, has been named director of the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute. Heslin is a renowned surgical oncologist and former associate director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He serves as executive vice chair of the Department of Surgery and is the chief of […]

Last week, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee gave a favorable report to SB 46, a bill brought by Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence), which would legalize medical marijuana in the state. That likely clears the path for the legislation’s passage in the Alabama Senate. Its future now rests in the Alabama House of Representatives, where it […]

A $10,000 investment in GameStop last August would have been worth a million dollars last week. How does the stock of a struggling retailer go from under $5 to nearly $500? And does this tell us about the stock market? Founded in 1984, GameStop operates 5,500 stores across the U.S. and the world. The company […]

As the 2021 regular legislative session begins, you will see new leadership in the State Senate. Republicans dominate both chambers, overwhelmingly. They have a supermajority and dominate all issues and the budgeting process. They acknowledge the handful of Democrats, but really never give them any say in decision making. Therefore, the leadership is determined within […]

According to Alabama Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington, despite the economic downturn tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many unfilled positions around the state. Washington, whose agency has been dealing with claims tied to layoffs because of the pandemic, also has been working to find skilled labor for those open positions. During an […]