WASHINGTON — Alabama’s congressional delegation on Wednesday voted unanimously to nullify the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) so-called Waters of the United States Rule, which imposes federal environmental regulations on small bodies of water, even puddles. Alabama farmers and foresters have been particularly concerned that the rule would result in sudden and drastic increases in compliance […]

By Mary Johnson, Alabama Farmers Federation Cassandra Gifford loves pink, has a big heart and is talented working with her hands. When she tackled the task of tractor restoration, she combined all those traits by painting the tractor pink and using it to help fight breast cancer. “At the beginning, I wanted a pink tractor […]

By William J. Canary and Jimmy Parnell The Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Farmers Federation are teaming up to encourage support for the new Career-Technical Dual Enrollment Program with tax credits for scholarships for eligible high school students who enroll in college-level career-tech courses at Alabama community colleges. The benefits include well-trained employees […]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley addressed a crowd of over 1,200 farmers at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 93rd annual meeting in Montgomery over the weekend. In his speech, the governor took the opportunity to thank leaders from the state’s largest industry and to tout the technological innovations that are changing the way farmers […]

The Alabama Farmers Federation political action committee, FarmPAC, today announced their slate of endorsed candidates in the Alabama 2014 primary elections. Endorsements for candidates who have opposition in the June 3 primary are listed below. According to a release from the Farmers Federation, endorsements were recommended by county leaders following extensive reviews of their qualifications and voting records. […]

By: Chip Beeker An out-of-control Environmental Protection Agency committed to killing Alabama jobs and eradicating one of our most important industries, a liberal president determined to circumvent Congress and the U.S. Constitution in order to aid that mission, and a group of environmental extremists working to cause utility rates in our state to skyrocket to […]

The Alabama Farmers Federation, the state’s largest farm organization with 365,000 member families, today endorsed State Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, in his bid for United States Congress. Federation President Jimmy Parnell said he believes DeMarco is a fiscal conservative who has worked to make government more efficient and transparent. “Rep. DeMarco has a proven record […]

FarmPAC, the political action committee of the Alabama Farmers Federation, earlier this week endorsed candidates for Alabama secretary of state, auditor and public service commission. The Alabama Farmers Federation, an affiliate of the American Farm Bureau Federation, is the state’s largest farm organization with more than 365,000 members. FarmPAC endorsed John Merrill for secretary of […]

The Alabama Farmer Federations, ALFA, political action committee FarmPAC announced Monday their endorsements for congressional and state offices in the 2014 elections. The FarmPAC Advisory Trustees are made up of farmers representing every county in Alabama. They met with candidates and made their endorsements at ALFA’s Monday meeting, at the Federation home office in Montgomery. […]

The Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) and the Alabama Association of Realtors have both decided to not get involved in the Alabama First Congressional District Republican primary. According to sources with knowledge of ALFA’s political operation, the group commissioned a poll earlier this month in order to get a better handle on the current state of […]

Late last month, State Rep. Chad Fincher, R-Semmes, raised a lot of eyebrows when his congressional campaign received the nod from GOPAC, one of the premier organizations in the national conservative movement. Up until that time, Fincher really wasn’t widely discussed as one of the front-runners. But that endorsement is potentially only the first of […]

These policy initiatives were bad. So bad, in fact, that they either never came to fruition, or were abandoned over time. 5. Double-dipping Allowing legislators to hold down two state jobs enabled the Alabama Education Association to set up an unprecedented system of cronyism throughout state government. The two-year college system was the primary vehicle […]

Here are six story lines we will be watching closely as campaign season gets underway: 1. Will Bentley expand Medicaid? The June fundraising window is fast approaching but a credible primary challenger to Governor Robert Bentley has still not emerged. The Governor’s approval numbers remain strong. Barring something unforeseen, he is positioned to win reelection […]

The Yellowhammer Power & Influence 40 is a list of the 40 most powerful and influential players in Alabama politics. For a more in-depth explanation of the list and how it was compiled, click HERE. To see last year’s list click HERE. Here’s the schedule of when the names will be released: Monday, Feb. 18: […]

An ALFA poll that went into the field last week shows Republicans in Alabama continuing to gain strength. Most recent ALFA polling has shown Obama flirting with 40% and staying within 20% of Romney. Not anymore. Democrat Lucy Baxley has also typically been within the margin of error against Republican Twinkle Cavanaugh in the PSC […]

“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. 1. Democrat Senator Jerry Fielding (11th District — Calhoun, Coosa, Elmore, Talladega) will likely be switching parties to become a Republican ahead of the […]

This week’s “Rumors & Rumblings” are coming to you a day late because we were digging around for a little more info on a couple of rumors. Have a tip? Send it here. 1. The Mobile Bay area is buzzing with the idea of Republican State Representative Randy Davis running for Mayor of Daphne. Davis […]