The SEC Baseball Tournament will continue to be held at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium through at least 2028, conference and city officials announced jointly on Thursday.

An agreement between the Southeastern Conference, the City of Hoover, and the Public Park and Recreation Board of the City of Hoover ensures that the stadium, which has been a premier venue for college baseball since 1998, will remain the tournament’s home for at least four more years. There are also options to extend this arrangement for 2029 and 2030.

The last two tournaments held in Hoover set new attendance records, with over 180,000 attendees in 2024 alone.

“The SEC Tournament has become one of the premier events in college baseball and the Hoover Met is a special venue for our fans,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “We look forward to continuing a positive relationship with the City of Hoover as the home of our baseball tournament.”

The Hoover Met, which has hosted the tournament since 1998, except for 2020 due to COVID-19, recently underwent renovations, including upgrades to the entrance and parking lot. More improvements, like new stadium seats and hospitality spaces, are set for completion before the 2025 tournament.

RELATED: SEC releases game windows for ’24 CFB season to ease travel plans for fans

“The state really stepped up to help us keep this great event in Hoover and in the state of Alabama,” Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato told Yellowhammer News. “I’m grateful for the efforts of State Senator Jabo Waggoner and House Representatives David Faulkner, Rex Reynolds, Leigh Hulsey, Mike Shaw, Susan DuBose, and Arnold Mooney for helping to make this happen.”

The 2025 tournament will also feature all SEC teams, including newcomers Oklahoma and Texas in a single-elimination format. Tickets go on sale in March at SECsports.com. The SEC’s baseball success continues with five consecutive national titles since 2019 and SEC teams making the College World Series finals 15 out of the last 16 years.

“For the past 27 years, the City of Hoover has been pleased to host the SEC Baseball Tournament,” Brocato said. “Over those years, we’ve developed a great partnership with the SEC. The City has worked extremely hard to provide stellar customer service, and make sure we understand what players, coaches, fans, and the SEC expect from us. Working as a team, we believe we’ve built a brand and with all our members, we have created what we believe is the best environment in college baseball. We are so grateful that the SEC continues to support hosting the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover.”

On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation that would protect children from being exposed to sexual, or otherwise explicit, material or behavior in school or public libraries.

As defined by HB385, sponsored by State Rep. Arnold Mooney, adults who “distribute material that is harmful to minors is a public nuisance,” can be charged with a criminal offense.

Criminal offenses would also be created for anyone who engages in any “sexual or gender oriented conduct that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools or public libraries where minors are expected and known to be present without parental presence or consent.”

“The thing that I would like to point out is this is an effort to protect children,” Rep. Mooney (R-Indian Springs) explained.

“It is not a Democrat bill. It is not a Republican bill. It’s a people bill to try to protect children. What this bill does not do — it does not affect the rights of any adult to engage in sexual or gender related speech in any place where minors are not present, and which would otherwise not be defined as obscenity. Adult men and women are free to dress as choose and act as they choose as long as it is not in a place where children are expected and known to be present such as a public library or public-school library.”

In addition to removing pornographic or transgender ideology from children’s libraries, this legislation would ban stripping, drag shows, or otherwise explicit performances in libraries and schools across the state.

“We have done what we needed to do to protect children in an environment where their parents are not present and where their parents could not give consent,” Mooney said.

Democrats in the Alabama House took exception to the proposal and spoke against it on Thursday.

“So you are basically saying then is how a person dresses can be sexual in nature?” asked Rep. Artis “A.J.” Campbell (D-Linden). “That’s basically what your definition is saying.”

Mooney read that the bill bans, “Gender-oriented conduct that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in a sexual revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes or who are stripping or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools or public libraries where children are expected or known to be present without parental presence or consent.”

RELATED: Ivey seeks answers over ‘sexually suggestive’ books in public libraries

“This one is kind of stepping on some First Amendment rights,” said Rep. McCampbell. “You’re right, we don’t want the children exposed to this stuff; but the real world is full of a whole lot of stuff that we don’t want our children exposed to.”

“They are still going to be exposed to them,” said McCampbell. “We can’t build cocoons around our children. You know, that’s not real life.”

Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) brought a floor substitute version of the bill that was adopted by the body.

“We tightened up the notice provision,” Faulkner explained. “For a library, a written notice has to be given to the director of the library. For K-12 schools and public school libraries we have required that a written notice has been presented to the superintendent or a principal that there is material present in the library that is in violation of this existing act.”

Faulkner said that a copy of that notice has to “be given to the district attorney.”

Faulkner explained that written notice that material that violates this statute may be in the library and that that material, “Is not in compliance with this existing law and that if that is found and it is not removed within seven days then it can be subject to prosecuting authority. They can bring a Class C misdemeanor on the first violation, a Class B misdemeanor on the second violation, and a Class A violation for a third or subsequent violation.”

“It does not apply to colleges or college libraries,” Faulkner said.

RELATED: Alabama Senate passes bill allowing local governments to remove library board members

“You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig,” said Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile). “No matter how much we water this down it is not going to negate that this is still a pig.”

“This is about protecting our children not censoring, not book banning,” said Rep. Mark Gidley (R-Gadsden). “This is about protecting our children not putting librarians in jail.”

“We took out other public places. The original bill had that in there,” said Faulkner. “We limited it to K-12 schools or public schools”

“My fundamental concern here is First Amendment rights violations,” State Rep. Neal Rafferty (D-Birmingham) said.

The legislation passed 72 to 28 largely along party lines. It now goes to the Alabama Senate for their consideration.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com

In the next few weeks, employees at the Mercedes Benz automotive manufacturing plant in Vance, Alabama will vote upon whether to join forces with Detroit’s United Auto Workers union and bring organized labor into the facility or whether to reject the bogus snake-oil hokum that union leaders have repeatedly attempted to sell them.

As we await their decision, Alabama’s future success in economic development and industrial recruitment hangs in the balance.

If employees decide to cast their lot with the UAW, Alabama will join the list of states that industrial prospects immediately cross off of their list when looking for places to locate or expand, but if they wisely reject the siren call of the labor union, our historically low unemployment and historically high economic expansion can continue unabated.

The UAW’s last concerted effort to expand its influence into the southeast occurred roughly a decade ago, and at that time, I sponsored a constitutional amendment to demonstrate that Alabama remains inhospitable to organized labor, its tactics, and its threat to our ability to create jobs.

Since 1953, Alabama has had a right-to-work statute on the books, which prohibits making union membership a requirement for employment, but because such laws can be repealed or reversed rather easily, I sought to make that protection a constitutional guarantee.

In addition to enshrining the right to employment without being pressured into organized labor participation, the amendment also prohibited the practice of charging non-union employees a mandatory “fee” in lieu of membership dues because they, too, could benefit from  any collective bargaining negotiations with management.

The amendment also banned unions from creating monopolies and preventing competing organized labor groups from representing workers on a variety of issues.

During the statewide referendum election that followed, Alabamians ratified the amendment by a 70% to 30% margin, which removed any doubt about where our state’s citizens stood on the issue.

A few years before, Alabama also enacted a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to secret ballots in unionization elections.

Prior to the amendment, which passed by a 67% to 32% margin, labor unions could organize through a procedure known as “card check,” which allows workers to simply sign a card indicating they wished to unionize, but such efforts were often fraught with intimidation, coercion, and strong-armed tactics that forced employees to join.

Requiring a secret ballot removes the mafia-like pressure that unions often utilize and embraces the foundational liberties and principles upon which our nation was built.

For similar reasons, State Sen. Arthur Orr (R – Decatur) is currently sponsoring legislation in the 2024 regular session that takes away state economic development incentives from any employer who allows their workplace to be unionized without first requiring a secret ballot vote of employees. Because the measure is not retroactive, it would apply only to future incentives packages and ensure that current agreements are kept in good faith.

Based upon similar legislation enacted in George and Tennessee, the bill would also remove or prohibit economic development incentives for any employer who voluntarily discloses an employee’s personal contact information to a labor organization or third party acting on behalf of a labor organization without the employee’s prior written consent.

It is a commonsense approach that protects business owners, employees, economic developers, the Alabama Department of Commerce, and, most importantly, the taxpayers who allow incentives such as tax credits, abatements, exemptions, loans, grants, and others to be offered in exchange for right-to-work, open-shop jobs.

The bill is being fast-tracked by the legislative leadership and will likely become law in the coming days.

Countless factories and manufacturing plants in once-great industrial cities of the Rust Belt now sit empty as they rot and decay. The sounds of progress and the voices of eager workers have been replaced with stony silence that is sometimes interrupted only by the echoing sounds of birds flying in the rafters.

Hope has been replaced with hopelessness. Jobs have been replaced with joblessness. Opportunities have been replaced with abandonment.

And all of that sadness is the result of labor unions killing the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs in those areas.

The only way to prevent that unfortunate history from repeating itself here is for Alabama automotive workers to stand tall and deny the UAW from gaining a foothold in our state.

Please join me in praying that they make the wise and correct choice.

State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) has represented Alabama’s 43rd House District since 2014.

Rural hospitals, once beacons of care in the heartlands, find themselves in dire straits. Patient numbers are dwindling, the uninsured population is swelling, and attracting skilled healthcare professionals is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Now, some are heralding Medicaid Expansion as the remedy to their financial woes. But, after delving into the data, it’s clear that expansion is nothing but a billion-dollar boondoggle with no long-term salvation in sight.

States that have embraced Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act are witnessing a grim reality: one in four of their hospitals are on the brink of closure. Nearly fifty rural hospitals in these states have shuttered since the inception of expansion. What’s more, a 2020 Guidehouse study revealed that three out of the top five states with the highest percentage of essential community hospitals in danger are those expanding Medicaid. Shockingly, 76% of rural patients in these areas choose to seek care far from their communities in the hope of better care.

Upon closer scrutiny, it becomes evident that rural hospitals in expansion states are worse off. With adults swapping private insurance for Medicaid coverage, hospitals face reimbursement rates nearly 40% lower, plunging them deeper into financial turmoil. Far from being a cure-all, expansion only compounds all the challenges rural healthcare providers face.

Let’s be clear: the decline in hospital usage is a leading cause of closures, not the lack of Medicaid expansion. Fraud, mismanagement, low reimbursements, natural disasters, and staffing shortages are far more prevalent culprits. Even in cases where Medicaid expansion is cited as the reason for closure, it’s often intertwined with alleged malfeasance.

The notion that expanding Medicaid will rescue Alabama hospitals is pure folly. It will only balloon state spending and reliance on federal aid. Taxpayers foot the bill regardless of the funding source, but it’s state budgets that will bear the brunt.

Alabama already allocates a hefty chunk of its budget to Medicaid, about 20%, to cover around 1.2 million enrollees. Expansion is estimated to add 200,000, with a staggering cost of $208 million. History shows us that expansion states consistently exceed enrollment projections and incur costs well above initial estimates. Should Alabama follow suit, it risks sinking further into Medicaid dependency, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.

Some argue that refusing expansion means leaving federal dollars on the table. But with our nation drowning in over $34 trillion of debt and recent credit downgrades, federal largesse is not sustainable. States will bear the brunt of inevitable cuts, spelling disaster for many.

The Yellowhammer State finds itself at a pivotal juncture. Will it maintain its independence and self-reliance, or will it yield to the seductive promise of federal largesse? Let’s not be fooled by the illusion of “free” money from Washington, DC. History has demonstrated that such promises come with strings and consequences aplenty. There’s always a price to pay, and it’s often far higher than we ever anticipate.

State Rep. Arnold Mooney has represented Alabama’s 43rd district since 2014. 

Brooklyn Roberts is Senior Director of the Health and Human Services Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council, the nation’s largest non-partisan organization of state legislators.

Members of the Shelby County delegation to the Alabama House introduced a bill in the first week of the 2024 legislative session to make the election of board members for the North Shelby County Library Board consistent with the expectations of residents in their community and the procedures in place for boards across the state. 

The local library, enacted by the Alabama Legislature in 1988, is a dynamic resource for the area. It serves portions of Shelby County that had no library and no municipality to support one. 

Under the current code, the North Shelby County Library board is mandated to conduct elections for its members every even year. However, records indicate that since 1998, no such election has been held – and board members have faced no opposition.

“We hope the selection of library board members every four years by the legislative delegation will actually give more residents in the district an opportunity to serve,” State Rep. DuBose (R-Hoover) said. 

“This proposed amendment to the legislation has been years in discussion, we did not make this decision lightly but consulted with Shelby County officials and employees, former legislators involved in the original legislation and our legislative services agency in Montgomery. HB 89 was unanimously recommended by the Shelby County legislative delegation for the reasons noted above which bring the North Shelby County public library governance in line with every public library in the state of Alabama.” 

RELATED: Rep. DuBose: Alabama Public Library Service taking ‘a step in the right direction’

Public library boards on both the local and state levels have been entrenched with controversy stemming from left-wing influence pushed by activists who have worked their way into elected positions that typically don’t receive attention from parents and constituents. Last year, state lawmakers sounded the alarm on “toxic” influences into Alabama libraries, Governor Kay Ivey empowered their calls, and a push to put parents back in charge of their local libraries was ignited. 

In Shelby County, as officials move to revise outdated portions of the law, officials hope to do just that – put stakeholders back in charge. DuBose also underscored the underrepresented importance of the business community in library governance. 

“The collection of library dues, fines, penalties and liens on homes has been a source of concern for residents and businesses in the library district since the formation of the district,” she said. “Residents and business owners in the community expect financial transparency and financial accountability from the library board.”

The legislative delegation representing the North Shelby County library district, who will select the five board members are State Reps. Jim Carns, Susan DuBose, Arnold Mooney, along with State Sens. Jabo Waggoner and Dan Roberts. 

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270

A second candidate has thrown her hat into the ring for the District 3, Alabama State Board of Education race. District 3 represents most of Shelby, Jefferson, Montgomery, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, and Talladega counties.

Kelly Mooney, a former administrator of 15 years at Briarwood Christian School, announced Thursday she intends to bring her years of experience and passion for education to the position.

“I am eager to represent the families and children in District 3,” said Mooney. “The education of our children is of utmost importance, and I strongly believe parents must have the strongest voice in the room for their children’s education. Our parents, families, students, schools, and teachers must be well-equipped and resourced to produce the best next-generation leaders.”

“I am ready to bring my experience in education and as a mother to ensure this happens.”

Mooney, a member of the Republican Women of Shelby County, is the wife of State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) who represents District 43 in the Alabama House.

The Republican Primary for the race will be held on March 5.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.

7. There’s only a 5% positivity rate now for COVID-19

• The coronavirus pandemic has been considered over and done for some time now, but the Alabama Department of Health has announced that for the first time since June 2021, the positivity rate for coronavirus tests in the state is less than 5%.
• The month of January saw a positivity rate of just over 45%. After the winter surge, there has been a steady decline of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, though. Some of this is credited to the virus variants being potentially less fatal, more vaccinations and natural decline after a spike.

6. Ivey sending COVID relief funds to fire departments

• Governor Kay Ivey has selected $10 million worth of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act funding the state received to create grants that will benefit volunteer fire departments throughout Alabama.
• Ivey said, “I am proud to have worked with the Alabama Legislature to direct these funds to good use as our local volunteer fire departments recover. I am pleased to support them and encourage them to take advantage of this program.”

5. Permitless carry needs more work

• The Alabama Legislature has been considering a bill that would remove the statewide requirement for a concealed carry permit for firearms. The bill has been passed by the State House and was passed by the State Senate after modifications were made. Some House members are now asking that the changed bill not pass through the House.
• State Representative Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) said that he wants to see the legislation go back to committee to make changes and work out issues within the legislation rather than the House passing changes made by the Senate.

4. House GOP Caucus advocating for better energy policy

• A resolution has been introduced by State Representative Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) in the Alabama House Republican Caucus to push for President Joe Biden to change how he’s making decisions on energy issues, specifically calling for more independence.
• Some of the requests within the resolution are more oil production in the United States and export energy “to Baltic countries, Germany and around the world.” The caucus added that Biden should “[p]rioritize securing United States borders by closing all border to illegal immigrants and deporting all illegal aliens.”

3. Gas prices rising uncontrollably

• Since 2020, there has been a 106% average increase in the price of gasoline in Alabama, with the current average price at $3.91 per gallon, according to AAA Gas Prices. In 2020, a gallon of gas averaged only $1.89. Just as a reminder, this is not just a Ukraine situation — prices were going up before this latest crisis.
• Due to this increase, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has advocated for opening the Keystone Pipeline, saying “A great economy starts with a great abundance and a secure oil and gas system. And President Biden is against that. He wants this country to be wind, solar, and electric…Climate change, he says, is our number one priority right now. I would beg to differ that the economy, foreign relations, the border, crime in our streets, education, is much farther ahead of climate change.”

2. White House desperate for oil solutions and looking everywhere but U.S.

• As issues with Russia continue and inflation does no favors for gas prices, President Biden may ask Saudi Arabia for assistance. U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has criticized this possibility, saying, “Our response to Putin’s immoral war shouldn’t be to strengthen our relationship with the Saudis who are currently causing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet in Yemen.”
• Since the importing of Russian oil continues, the American energy production continues to be artificially limited (despite Democrat talking points), and the White House continues to try to figure out a messaging solution to a problem they have absolutely created on their own. The latest suggestion comes from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who argued in favor of electric vehicles. He advised, “[R]ural to suburban to urban communities can all benefit from the gas savings of driving an EV.”

1. Support for ending Russian imports of oil grows

• There is bipartisan support for the end of Russian oil imports at this time among the political leadership of the country. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) are just some of the lawmakers across the country calling for the end of these imports.
• It is not just politicians. The American people say it needs to be shut off as well. A new poll shows that roughly 70% of Americans want to get off Russian oil right now, but, as with the No-Fly Zone, it is unclear if Americans realize the steep price of such a measure. In this case, the cost is much higher gas prices, which is much better than the risk of World War III we would face with a move to a No-Fly Zone.

Monday, the Alabama House Republican Caucus announced that it had approved a resolution urging President Joe Biden to restore United States energy independence.

The resolution, authored by State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs), also calls on the commander-in-chief to take a number of steps to strengthen national defense.

The resolution calls for the following:

• Restore the production of oil and gas in the United States that existed prior to this administration taking office.
• Lift all new regulations that deny the United States the capacity to produce its own energy, which previously amounted to 13 million barrels a day, and ship that energy to Baltic countries, Germany and around the world.
• Immediately reverse the policies that are raising the costs of energy, which gravely threaten the United States’ sovereignty and undermine the world’s stability.
• Immediately lift all COVID-19 restrictions on all businesses to restore economic prosperity in order to pay for increased defense spending.
• Immediately harden electric grids against Electro Magnetic Pulse and other cyber warfare attacks. Accelerate modernization of the United States strategic and tactical nuclear deterrents.
• Revive the Strategic Defense Initiative in order for the United States Space Force to deploy space-based missile defenses, like Brilliant Pebbles, to render opposing nuclear missiles obsolete.
• Prioritize securing United States borders by closing all borders to illegal immigrants and deporting all illegal aliens.

In a statement, Mooney slammed the Biden administration on numerous fronts and called the House GOP Caucus’ resolution a “roadmap” to “restore sanity.”

“In just one year of the Biden presidency, the United States has gone from being an energy independent nation under Donald Trump to one that relies upon Russia and other rogue nations for its oil and gas needs,” advised Mooney. “At the same time, reckless spending by Democrats has caused consumer prices to skyrocket across the board, and the Pentagon seems intent on transforming our armed forces into a leftist social experiment rather than the most powerful fighting force the world has ever known. This Alabama House Republican Caucus resolution offers a roadmap on how to restore sanity to U.S. policy at a critical time in world history.”

House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said that the nation is experiencing a “vacuum of leadership” under the current administration.

“With events in Ukraine escalating by the minute and U.S. inflation outpacing even the worst days of the Carter presidency, it is becoming increasingly clear that a vacuum of leadership currently exists in the Oval Office,” proclaimed Ledbetter. “The members of our House Republican Caucus are committed to shielding our state from the side effects of the Biden administration’s policy failures while keeping Alabama’s economy strong and jobs growing.”

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL

Thursday, the Alabama Forestry Association (AFA) announced its endorsement of five incumbents seeking reelection to the Alabama House of Representatives.

State Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn)

Lovvorn is seeking reelection to House District 79, which covers part of Lee County. He serves as chairman of the House Technology and Research Committee and vice chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee.

The lawmaker recently retired as chief of the City of Auburn Fire Department. Lovvorn is a realtor and small business owner.

Lovvorn extended his gratitude to the association for its endorsement of his reelection bid.

“As the grandson of a saw miller and the son of a timber farmer, I was raised to appreciate the positive impact of the forestry industry in Alabama,” stated Lovvorn. “I value and appreciate the endorsement of the Alabama Forestry Association, and look forward to serving Alabama another four years.”

State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs)

Mooney, chairman of the Shelby County Legislation Committee, is seeking reelection to House District 43. Mooney holds over four decades’ worth of experience in the commercial real estate business.

Mooney outlined his appreciation of AFA due to the association’s conservative political advocacy.

“I am very pleased to receive the endorsement of such an outstanding organization as the AFA,” proclaimed Mooney. “The forestry industry is a multi-billion dollar contributor to the economy of our state and Shelby County where my house district is located. AFA and its members support conservative values and principles and are pro-business and free enterprise. They stand, as well, for fiscal responsibility, private property rights, and limited government. I am proud to stand with them!”

State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant)

Hanes is running for a third term to represent House District 23, which encompasses Jackson County. He is a member of the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee.

The retired professional firefighter has been widely recognized for his conservative voting record in the lower chamber. The American Conservative Union rated Hanes’ 2020 voting record as the second-most conservative in the Alabama Legislature.

Hanes hailed AFA’s endorsement of his reelection campaign and applauded its advocacy of conservative causes.

“I’m once again honored to receive the endorsement for my re-election from what is considered to be the most conservative group in the state,” stated Hanes. “It’s great to be in such great company as the Alabama Forestry Association!”

State Rep. Margie Wilcox (R-Mobile)

Wilcox is seeking reelection to House District 104. She was first elected to represent the Mobile County district in 2014. Wilcox is chair of the House Joint Transportation Committee. The lawmaker is the owner of Mobile Bay Transportation and Pensacola Bay Transportation.

The Mobile County legislator commended AFA for its promotion of policies that she asserted had served to enhance Alabamians’ quality of life.

“I am honored to be supported by Alabama Forestry representing thousands of hard working Alabamians,” declared Wilcox. “Their conservative principles are near and dear to my own beliefs and I look forward to continuing our efforts to protect Alabama’s conservative values, low taxes and amazing quality of life.”

State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville)

Kiel, a freshman lawmaker, is running for reelection to House District 18. The district includes parts of Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin Counties. The legislator is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the owner of Kiel Equipment, which he has operated for nearly three decades in Russellville.

“I am honored to be endorsed by the Alabama Forestry Association. The AFA works hard for fiscally conservative policy in our state,” advised Kiel. “I appreciate their stand for low taxes and responsible spending. I will continue to fight for the hard working forestry related businesses who are a key component of our state’s economy.”

The primary election is slated to occur on May 24, 2022.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL

The Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) on Tuesday announced an additional round of endorsements for incumbents seeking reelection to the state legislature.

ALFA announced the endorsements through its political arm, FarmPAC. The federation is the largest agricultural advocacy organization in the state as it holds more than 350,000 members. ALFA advised that it employs a grassroots approach in making its preferred candidate selections by receiving feedback from local federation representatives.

The following candidates now officially hold an endorsement from FarmPAC:

• State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison)
• State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia)
• State Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield)
• State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur)
• State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs)
• State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville)

The endorsements were accompanied by statements from local federation leaders praising each candidate for their support of issues relating to the state’s agriculture industry.

Limestone County Farmers Federation president Jeff Peek stated of Butler, “Sen. Butler has been a hard-working senator who knows the needs of farmers and represents them in Montgomery. We need his continued support in Montgomery.”

Luther Bishop, Colbert County Farmers Federation president, spoke to Stutts’ leadership as head of the upper chamber’s committee on forestry.

“Sen. Stutts has done an excellent job as chairman of the State Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee,” said Bishop. “He has worked hard for us in the Senate and has represented our entire district well.”

Chilton County Farmers Federation president Lynn Harrison said of Weaver, “Sen. Weaver is a commonsense conservative who represents the needs of District 14. We share a common goal of ensuring that Chilton County is a great place to live and work.”

Mark Byrd, Morgan County Farmers Federation president, described Collins as “a tremendous attribute to the citizens of House District 8.”

He added, “We know she will continue to represent the needs of our farmers and all the people of this district well in Montgomery.”

Shelby County Farmers Federation president John DeLoach advised of Mooney, “Rep. Mooney is a hard-working representative who takes our voices and our concerns to Montgomery. He shares our values and our work ethic, and we fully support him.”

Franklin County Farmers Federation president Derek Jackson sang the praises of Kiel for his years of service to the community.

“Jamie Kiel is a business owner and leader who works for the needs of the people of District 18,” proclaimed Jackson. “He is a conservative businessman who has represented us well in Montgomery just as he has been doing in our community for years.”

The latest string of endorsements comes after the federation announced its third round of endorsements last week. ALFA’s first and second string of endorsements announced last month can be found here and here.

In late September, FarmPAC rolled out its official endorsements for candidates seeking election to federal and statewide offices.

Donald Trump recently endorsed Representative Mo Brooks in his bid to become the next senator from Alabama.

It’s not hard to see why. The President made immigration the premier issue of his presidency and successfully curbed the number of migrants — both legal and illegal — that crossed our borders. Similarly, Brooks has spent his career in the U.S. House of Representatives championing immigration enforcement policies that put American workers first.

Unfortunately, Trump’s policies mostly relied on executive actions, most of which Joe Biden has rescinded. The GOP needs the force of legislation to create long-lasting change. With Mo Brooks in the Senate, the odds of generational reform to our immigration system would increase exponentially. (more…)

Alabama State Reps. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) and Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) have pre-filed bills to exempt from Alabama state taxes the $1,200 stimulus payments sent by the federal government in the spring.

The two bills, filed separately on October 29, would also exclude from Alabama state taxes any forgiven loan a small business received under the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Collecting state taxes on those payments seems almost immoral when you consider the reasons they were awarded in the first place,” said Whitt in a statement sent to Yellowhammer. (more…)

As the Alabama legislature is sorting out budgets in the waning days of the 2020 session amid the coronavirus pandemic, questions remain as to when the state’s economy can get back to a degree of normalcy with the opening of businesses that still remained shuttered as a result of an order from Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris.

State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) argues there remains to be a need to recognize the country’s foundational values at this stage of the pandemic. In the end, that means relying on individuals to make decisions so that their constitutional rights are not violated.

Thursday on Huntsville radio’s WVNN, Mooney argued the right course of action from this point forward was to get “Main Street” back to work, referring to small businesses, which he pointed out was a significant portion of the overall economy.

(more…)

Despite proclaiming to open regardless of the consequences of defying a state-order mandate that closed all businesses deemed by the state of Alabama to be non-essential, The Male Room barbershop in North Shelby County did not open on Friday.

During an interview that aired on Birmingham radio WERC’s “Alabama’s Morning News” with JT Nysewander, The Male Room co-owner Scott Farr explained it took an effort from U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover), State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) and Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato to persuade him to reverse course on his decision.

He acknowledged the fear from Brocato and others was that by his opening, other businesses would follow suit in defiance of the mandate.

Farr said he would take Gov. Kay Ivey at her word that she was working to have things back up and running, at least on a limited basis. However, he vowed not to go down without a fight.

(more…)

State Rep. Arnold Mooney’s (R-Indian Springs) campaign for the U.S. Senate has received an endorsement from 10 of his colleagues in the state legislature with less than two weeks to go before the primary election.

The endorsers include many of the most conservative members in the Alabama statehouse, like State Rep. Mike Holmes from the Montgomery area and State Rep. Tommy Hanes from Northeast Alabama.

The state-level endorsements fall in line with the prominent national conservatives who have endorsed Mooney previously. Conservative Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), along with conservative television host Mark Levin, and Alabama’s own Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05) are among those who have thrown their support behind Mooney.
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HUNTSVILLE — With just over two weeks until Republican voters go to select their preference for who will represent them on the ballot against incumbent U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook), four of the GOP Senate hopefuls paid a visit to the Madison County Republican Men’s Club monthly breakfast meeting.

Before a crowd of at least 300 people at the Trinity United Methodist Church, former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville, State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs), U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) and Stanley Adair made late-campaign pitches to a group that will likely have high participation in the March 3 primary contest.

Tuberville led off with impassioned remarks about social values and touted his support for President Donald Trump.

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Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ campaign to reclaim the U.S. Senate seat he occupied for 20 years released an immigration-focused ad on Thursday.

The 30-second spot showcases Sessions’ legendarily tough stance on foreign citizens entering America illegally.

“Far too many people say they want to do something about fixing the border, but have no real commitment to do so,” warns Sessions in the ad.
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After remaining silent on the GOP primary in 2020 U.S. Senate race for the state of Alabama, the President of the United States has checked in via Twitter.

I LOVE ALABAMA! pic.twitter.com/ZDlBDehhvN

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2020

But what does it mean? (more…)

As a nation, we recently mourned on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, the almost 62 million babies of all races killed by abortion since the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. This solemn occasion is the result of President Ronald Reagan’s historic 1984 Presidential Proclamation of National Sanctity of Human Life Day on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Sanctity of Life Human Sunday, the third Sunday of each January, commemorates the lives lost to abortion and proclaims protecting human life at every stage (more…)

On Tuesday, the Republican Women of Huntsville hosted a U.S. Senate candidates forum at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

The forum featured former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope), former Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville and State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs). It was moderated by Yellowhammer News’ Jeff Poor.

The candidates were given two minutes to open, followed by questions regarding various topics including trade, foreign policy, marijuana, debts and deficits, term limits and abortion with minute-and-a-half responses, and a two-minute close.

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Thursday, the seven top polling candidates competing in the 2020 Democratic primary for President of the United States gathered on stage in Los Angeles, California, for a debate.

U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (AL-01) and State Representative Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs), both candidates for Alabama’s Senate seat currently occupied by Doug Jones, watched the debate and did not like what they saw.

“We knew the Democrats had gone totally off the rails after the impeachment mess this week, but the debate just confirmed that sad reality,” Byrne said in a statement to Yellowhammer News.

“The clown car that is the Democrat Party rolled on tonight in a debate that was totally outside the mainstream,” offered Mooney.

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GREENVILLE — On Monday evening, four of the Republican U.S. Senate candidates vying for a shot at running against U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) appeared at a forum at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College to make their cases to the assembled voters.

Haleyville businessman Stanley Adair, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope), Secretary of State John Merrill and Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) all took the stage to discuss faith, President Donald Trump, Doug Jones and more.

Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, the two candidates currently at the top of the polls, were not in attendance. When asked by Yellowhammer about attending the forum, the Sessions campaign pointed to its busy schedule, while the Tuberville campaign cited a conflicting event in the Wiregrass Monday night.

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U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on Thursday endorsed State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) in Alabama’s 2020 Republican Senate primary.

In a statement to Yellowhammer News, Paul said, “Alabama deserves a true freedom-loving conservative who supports President Trump and can win this race. I believe Arnold Mooney is the man who can do it, and I’m proud to endorse him today.”

This comes after Mooney was endorsed earlier this week by former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), who also has served as president of the Heritage Foundation and founded the Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF). The SCF previously endorsed Mooney in the race. (more…)

State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) has released another video ad in Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, with this one standing out not only for its unique rhetoric, but a hardline immigration policy proposal, too.

Entitled, “Border on Fire,” the 30-second video on Friday was posted to Mooney’s campaign YouTube account.

A narrator opens by saying, “Our southern border is on fire. Illegal aliens swarm, opioids flow, Americans die.”

Over images of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the narrator continues, “Establishment politicians say they’re tough on immigration but do nothing.”

“Who has the cojones to actually do something?” the narrator asks. (more…)