There are better people than Governor Kay Ivey to name these prisons after.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN, Talk 99.5, and News Radio 1440 from 10-11 a.m., and on Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.

$42 billion.

That’s the figure Governor Kay Ivey referenced as she announced the departure of Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield secured in investment during his time with her administration alone. Over his total tenure in the role, that figure is $70 billion.

Canfield has led the department responsible for the recruitment of businesses to Alabama since 2011. He put his extensive private sector experience and tenure serving in the Alabama Legislature to work for that mission.

“Throughout my time as governor, we have proudly solidified Alabama as a top state for doing business, and no doubt, Greg has been a key part of that success. Together, we have secured more than $42 billion in new investments in our state, which has created 78,000 good-paying jobs,” Governor Ivey said.

“Greg will go down as one of Alabama’s best economic development heads, and he will be noted for projects like Mazda Toyota and credited for branding the Made in Alabama name worldwide. I will forever be grateful for all that Greg has accomplished for our state, and I know he will continue having great success in his career.”

RELATED: ‘Made in Alabama’ brand marks 10 years of sharing state success stories

Under Secretary Canfield’s tenure, Alabama launched its first-ever strategic economic development plan, Accelerate Alabama, established new records in international exports, capital investment and job creation. Secretary Canfield represented Alabama on business and trade missions to 30 countries across the globe and is credited for launching Commerce’s successful rural development strategy.

The Governor’s office praised Canfield, in both his role at Commerce and in the Legislature, for being a champion for pro-business legislation.

Most recently, The Game Plan, Alabama’s economic incentive package, passed in 2023 and will help the state continue attracting businesses and industry, as well as support existing companies for years to come.

RELATED: Economic ‘Game Plan’ put into play by Ivey, Legislature

Ivey tapped Ellen McNair, an economic development veteran, to serve as the next secretary of Commerce. She’s currently the chief economic development officer with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Canfield will continue serving until the end of the year. McNair’s appointment is effective January 1, 2024.

“I am proud to have been a part of Governor Ivey’s cabinet, and I am proud of the team of professionals we have assembled at Commerce,” Sec. Canfield said on Friday.

“I am more confident than ever that Alabama is poised for a robust era of economic expansion that will transform the trajectories of communities and families across the state,” said Secretary Canfield. “I am honored to have made a contribution to the effort to improve Alabama’s future, and I know that the momentum we’ve built will continue to grow in the capable hands of Ellen McNair.”

RELATED: Alabama scoops up Silver Shovel Award again

McNair, who is taking the helm in the new year, has successfully worked on almost 600 national and international projects with a capital investment of over $8 billion, resulting in almost 30,000 new jobs for the Montgomery community.

“I have known Ellen since my days at the Alabama Development Office, and I know she will be of tremendous value to the state of Alabama,” said Governor Ivey.

McNair was the senior project manager and a member of the negotiating team that brought Hyundai Motors Corporation to Montgomery.

“I am extremely honored to have been selected by Governor Kay Ivey for this very important role. Economic development has been a passion and focus for the governor her entire career,” said McNair. “The success of the state under Governor Ivey’s and Secretary Canfield’s leadership is unprecedented. These will certainly be big shoes to fill.”

“I have great respect for Secretary Canfield and the Commerce team, and we will work together for a smooth transition,” McNair continued.

“The state of Alabama is blessed with many strong local and regional economic development professionals, and I look forward to working closely with them and the entire state team to continue Alabama’s smart and strategic economic development.”

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

7. Target tucks their tucking swimsuit and other transgender memorabilia for kids in the back of their store after outrage at the targeting of children and the promotion of the transgender lifestyle has led to people confronting employees. Target is listening and reportedly called an emergency meeting where they said they did not want another “Bud Light situation” at their stores. Hilariously, they are also worried about threats and safety matters that do not exist.

6. An Alabama couple decided to dump 500 gallons of oil on Alabama roadways and have been arrested. It started in Lawrence County, went to Morgan County, and into Decatur. It required 70 man-hours and 37 tons of sand to clean up the mess.

5. Two guys who should probably be inside Alabama prisons want to commute the death sentences of 146 killers that they did not commute when they had the chance. Embarrassed Govs. Robert Bentley and Don Seigelman wrote, “We missed our chance to confront the death penalty and have lived to regret it, but it is not too late for today’s elected officials to do the morally right thing.” Morally right thing? Oops.

4. Alabama State Rep. Fred L. Plump Jr. (R-Fairfield) has resigned his seat after being charged with wire fraud and obstruction of justice involving the Jefferson County Community Service Fund and a non-profit he led. There is another legislator named in the charging documents as “Legislator 1” so this is probably not over. But Plump pled guilty and agreed to resign from office but could still face a penalty of 20 years in prison plus a $250,000 fine.

3. Looks like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in the 2024 GOP primary presidential election. He will announce today on Twitter with Elon Musk hosting him. This is either the dumbest thing ever or the smartest thing ever, pretend which one you think it is based on who you support.

2. A small update to the Alabama Accountability Act is expected to be the version of “school choice” Alabama Republicans will execute this session. It raises the income cap for those eligible, increases the money available for scholarships by $10 million, and most importantly gives Alabama Republicans the ability to say they did something on school choice. They did not.

1. As the debt-ceiling conversation languishes and the media tries to figure out how to defend President Joe Biden who declared he would not negotiate for months, a new poll shows that “A majority of Americans — six-in-ten Americans — want to raise the debt ceiling ONLY if spending cuts are included as well.” The talks have been called “productive” now that the talks have started.

LISTEN HERE:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and on Talk 99.5 from 10 a.m. to noon.

7. Confederate supporters taking today off

• State offices in Alabama are observing Confederate Memorial Day and Robert E. Lee Day. The holiday has been a controversial one for years with attempts to get rid of the holiday or rename it, but those attempts have been unsuccessful.

• Several other states still observe a Confederate Memorial Day throughout the year, but some, such as Louisiana, are considering doing away with the holiday. During the legislative session, State Representative Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) proposed making Election Day a holiday and ending Confederate Memorial Day, but the legislation didn’t make it out of committee.

6. Robert Bentley calls to expand Medicaid 

• Former Governor Robert Bentley is now advocating for the state to expand Medicaid, saying that legislators need to “look beyond politics to the needs of our rural communities.” Bentley never expanded Medicaid during his tenure.

• Bentley argued that his reason for not expanding the program at the time was due to economic circumstances within the state. Bentley said that with the state’s current economic position, “state leaders should prioritize those issues that don’t otherwise get attention when money is tight. He added, “Expanding Medicaid Insurance coverage would allow these patients to have a local physician and maybe even a small hospital in their county where they would be able to be treated.”

5. Power of Trump endorsement seen in Ohio, not Alabama

• In Ohio, former President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance, and it’s expected that this endorsement will show how powerful the Trump endorsement can be in an election.
• University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato advised on Fox News that this “is a case where the Trump endorsement could really make all the difference.” While this has been expected in other races, it wasn’t seen as much in the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Trump has pulled his endorsement from candidate U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) after Brooks was falling in the polls, and the former president’s endorsement was no longer attracting the necessary attention for his campaign.

4. Katie Britt defends deleted BLM post

• Last week, it was reported that U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt had deleted multiple social media posts before officially announcing her run for office because “it was pointed out to me that my potential opponents could intentionally mischaracterize that post.” The tweets referenced trips to China and Hong Kong, support for her former boss U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) and support for a Black Lives Matter-led social media protest called “Blackout Tuesday,” with the latter drawing the most criticism.

• Britt responded by pointing out that fellow candidate Mike Durant had appeared in a Lincoln Project anti-Trump attack ad but has now explained her support for the “virtual moment of silence. Britt noted, “I’ve never supported and do not support BLM, and there has never been anything on my social media accounts to indicate otherwise. The post referenced in this article was simply intended to show that I was listening, which I think is a cornerstone of being a leader.”

3. Divisive concepts bill should’ve been passed

• This year, the Alabama Legislature was unable to pass the “divisive concepts” bill that would “prohibit public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education and their employees from using or introducing courses of instruction or units of study directing or compelling students to adhere to or affirm certain concepts regarding race, sex, or religion.”

• State Representative Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) said this legislation “was such a no-brainer for a super majority Republican state to pass that didn’t get passed this year, and I’m just left scratching my head…that is such a slam dunk issue.” He added, “[T]he governor’s race in Virginia was won in part over issues like Critical Race Theory being taught in schools, and for Alabama not to pass that bill this year. I mean, I was beyond disappointed that we didn’t get it done.”

2. Massive victory for Joe Biden as he drives down gas prices 3 cents

• The word “hero” may be tossed around a bit too liberally these days, but people of all political stripes should be able to set aside their differences and thank President Joe Biden and his administration for lowering gas prices by less than 1% over the last week. His brilliant leadership has lowered the national average three cents in the past two weeks to $4.24 a gallon, a record low for the week.

• Yes, it is true that gas prices are up $1.27 in the last year and $1.71 since Biden took office, but the three cents a gallon will save someone filling up a tank 45 cents each time they fill up. Thank you, President Joe Biden for your unflappable clear-headed leadership as we face this crisis you totally had nothing to do with. Gasoline is $5.71 in the San Francisco Bay Area, $3.70 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and $3.72 near Frog Eye, Alabama.

1. Inflation out of control for Alabamians

• Recently, Lawrence Jones of Fox News traveled to Demetri’s BBQ in Homewood to speak with customers about issues facing people in the United States. One customer noted how inflation was an issue before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and another said President Joe Biden’s “administration is a total train wreck for the working man.”

• The customer told the Fox News host, “The working man is getting slammed…I’m seeing businesses go out right and left. We’re doing the best we can…We also run a farm. Fuel and feed prices on that are killing us also. Two years ago, we were killing it. We couldn’t keep up. We had labor, we had material, we had fuel, we had everybody wanting to work. Nobody wants to work now. It’s easier to not work than to work with this administration.”

Former Gov. Robert Bentley takes issue with his successor Gov. Kay Ivey for her claiming to have righted the so-called “ship of state,” a phrase she had frequently used to describe her action after ascending from lieutenant governor to governor after Bentley’s departure.

According to Bentley, the circumstances Ivey faced upon entering office were not that bad.

During an appearance on this week’s broadcast of APTV’s “Capitol Journal,” he said he preferred to hear “solutions” rather than the “ship of state” metaphor as Ivey and her challengers begin the 2022 gubernatorial campaign.

“[T]here are a lot of problems in this state that need to be solved,” he said. “And I would like to hear from all of them some solutions rather than them talking about righting the ship or whatever they were talking about doing. Honestly, the ship didn’t need to be righted because when we left, it was in the best position it had been in.”

“We cut the size of government by 25%,” Bentley continued. “We paved roads and bridges across this state — $1.4 billion, and we didn’t have to raise taxes. There are so many things. We saved a billion dollars every year — and we paid off all the rainy day funds. And so, the government was in great shape when I left.”

“I think it is disingenuous for anybody, Governor Ivey or Lynda Blanchard, to talk about righting the ship when the ship was not in bad position when [Ivey] took over,” he added.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.

If former Gov. Robert Bentley were in charge of Alabama’s COVID-19 response, he would put an emphasis on working with local officials, especially with regards to any efforts to raise the state’s vaccination rate.

During an interview with Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5, Bentley, a board-certified dermatologist who continues to practice in Tuscaloosa, acknowledged the “complicated” nature of the pandemic but also cautioned against blaming those that remain unvaccinated.

However, he also encouraged vaccinations, adding individuals should base any medical decisions on those that they trust.

(more…)

The board of directors of Great State 2019, Inc. on Friday announced the formation of Great State Alabama (GSA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

According to a release, GSA was founded in part by former Governor Robert Bentley (R-AL), a board-certified dermatologist who continues to practice medicine in West Alabama. The organization’s website lists Bentley as its “board chairman and medical director.”

The stated purpose of the organization is “to support, advocate and drive improvement in the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized men, women and children” in the Yellowhammer State. GSA reportedly undertakes this mission through four key program areas: rural health care; foster child scholarships; criminal justice reform; and pre-k support.

“I have always had a heart to serve the people of Alabama. Through this nonprofit organization, I can continue my service in new ways by reaching out to the individuals who need it most,” stated Bentley. (more…)

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee member Lisa Handback take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories, including:

— What will President Donald Trump do with Congress’ latest stimulus/spending bill?

— How many people will end up joining U.S. Representative Mo Brooks’ (R-Huntsville) election challenge in the House and Senate?

— Why does former Governor Robert Bentley (R-AL) and current Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) getting the COVID-19 vaccine upset people? (more…)

7. Coronavirus vaccine should cover other variants

• Assistant Secretary for Health Administration Brett Giroir recently spoke about the new strain of coronavirus found in the United Kingdom, and said that they “have every reason to believe that the vaccine will be effective against any variant that we’ve seen, including the new variant in the U.K.”
• So far, scientists don’t believe the coronavirus mutates as drastically as the flu does, so there shouldn’t be a need for a new vaccine to be developed every year. Giroir also said that he doesn’t “think there should be any reason for alarm right now.”

6. More details on Huntsville City School ransomware attack (more…)

It has become quite a normal, and boring, thing for America’s social media users to seize on innocuous things and attempt to out-ridiculous each other in pretend outrage.

Apparently, we are very upset that people are getting vaccines. (more…)

On Friday, former Gov. Robert Bentley announced on social media he received the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Bentley’s announcement had its critics, including CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who said she was “genuinely confused” as to why the 77-year-old practicing dermatologist would be near the front of the line for the vaccine.

During an interview that aired on Monday’s broadcast of Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5, Bentley said he had not asked for favoritism but instead had done so at the behest of the medical association recommendations given his age.

(more…)

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Alabama Democratic Executive Committee member Lisa Handback take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories, including:

— After another extension of public health orders by Governor Kay Ivey, how close are we to the end of these orders and the mask mandate?

— Why is former Governor Robert Bentley weighing in on the current Supreme Court nomination and rehashing the 2017 election of U.S. Senator Doug Jones?

— What in the world is happening with the presidential debates? (more…)

“Hey, I wonder what disgraced convicted felon and embarrassed former Governor Robert Bentley thinks about Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination?”

This, of course, is a question no one has asked — or will ask.

However, Bentley apparently felt like answering it anyway. (more…)

With a Supreme Court confirmation fight looming in the throes of a presidential election cycle, former Gov. Robert Bentley argues it did not have to be this difficult for Republicans to get President Donald Trump’s picks confirmed.

Bentley spoke about the decision by his successor, Gov. Kay Ivey, to hold a special election for the U.S. Senate seat he appointed then-Attorney General Luther Strange to fill the after Jeff Sessions resigned the seat to take the U.S. Attorney General post under President Donald Trump.

Bentley made mention of that 2017 special election, in which Democratic Party nominee Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore to give Democrats an additional vote for Republicans to overcome in the U.S. Senate, during an interview with Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5 on Friday. He argued had the election been held in 2018, the outcome would have been in favor of a Republican.

(more…)

Some of you may wonder how many past governors we have in Alabama who are still living and how they are doing. We have six living past governors.

Governor John Patterson is our oldest living chief executive. Patterson is 99-years-old and living on his ancestral family farm in rural Tallapoosa County in an obscure area named Goldville. Patterson is a legend in Alabama politics. He was governor from 1958-1962 and was at the forefront of the beginning of the civil rights issue. He has the distinction of being the only person to beat George Wallace in a governor’s race in the Heart of Dixie. When he was elected in 1958, he was 37-years-old and was dubbed the “Boy Governor.” Patterson was Attorney General of Alabama for a term prior to being governor and served several decades on the Court of Criminal Appeals after his governorship.

He spends his time on his farm reading and tending to his animals. In fact, visitors to his home will find he has a pet goat named Rebecca. She sits and listens intently to your conversation and her head will move and look at those talking as though she is part of the conversation. Governor Patterson is totally on top of his game and has attended numerous weddings and funerals in the past year. He recognizes and converses with friends and relatives. (more…)

You knew it was coming — the March 31 primary runoff election was never going to happen in the era of the coronavirus.

Secretary of State John Merrill wanted this delay, Attorney General Steve Marshall said it could be done and the governor pulled the trigger. (more…)

Religion and politics have always been linked. No party has a lock on the faithful, but one party definitely has a lock on the non-faithful.

Because of this, the media and their Democrats’ hostility towards people of faith has increased in recent years.

But this week we watched as President Donald Trump attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) for referencing their faith in their attacks on him. Channeling an MSNBC host, he referred to religion as a “crutch” for Romney; it is all a bit unseemly. (more…)

7. More jobs on the way

• U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta visited north Alabama to take in the area’s tech boom by touring Calhoun Community College’s Decatur campus and Huntsville’s ADTRAN before traveling to Dynetics Technical Solutions to check out their manufacturing facility while touting the relationship between education and industry to create new opportunities.
• Dynetics CEO David King touted how Dynetics already employs over 2,000 people and signed Trump administration’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” and said the company plans on hiring “700 new employees,” many of which will be in Alabama.

6. Supreme Court rulings please and anger everyone (more…)

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) has hired 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ron Sparks as his office’s regional director for the Middle District of Alabama, which includes Montgomery and Dothan.

“Ron has a long record of distinguished service to Alabama, and I know he’ll be an invaluable asset to my team,” Jones said in a statement, according to Alabama News Network. “I look forward to having him lead our outreach efforts in the Middle District and to continue to provide first-class constituent service.” (more…)

7. While the Supreme Court debates the issue of asking citizenship questions during the 2020 census, polls show a majority of American’s support doing so

— In an op-ed in the Washington Post, former Obama administration Attorney General Eric Holder voiced his belief that asking a citizenship question would “weaponize” the census. The census involves a count of all individuals in the country, illegal or not, and will count them all for federal funding, representation and Electoral College power. Democrat politicians want illegal aliens counted to grow their power, while Republicans want the opposite. But the American people are clear. In a recent poll, 73 percent said they “believe it is appropriate for the U.S. Census Bureau to ask residents if they are citizens of the United States.” This included 68 percent of independents and 64 percent of Democrats.

6. White supremacist opens fire on a California synagogue (more…)

With only two formally announced GOP candidates vying for the opportunity to face incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) for his seat and a handful of once-potential candidates that have made it be known they are no longer considering a bid for that seat, the contest is wide-open for other possibilities.

One name some have mentioned as a possibility is former Gov. Robert Bentley, who as part of a plea deal for ethics and campaign finance violations stepped down as governor in 2017.

Since leaving office, Bentley has returned to practicing medicine in his hometown of Tuscaloosa. However, in an interview with Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Friday Bentley would not rule out the possibility of returning to politics.

(more…)

Despite nonprofit and academic studies that concluded Alabama is between $600-800 million short in annual infrastructure revenue, former Governor Robert Bentley (R-AL) is bragging that his administration addressed the issue.

In a Facebook post made as the House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee met late Thursday morning, Bentley said that since launching ATRIP in 2012, $1.2 billion has been spent on roads and bridges across the state. Bentley explained this money was spent for these to be “replaced, rebuilt and repaved.”

This comes as studies have shown that 92 percent of Alabama’s road and bridge funds are spent solely on maintenance, rather than expansion. Proponents of Rebuild Alabama argue that increased revenue is needed so expansion projects can be funded.

Bentley’s post apparently comes in response to seeing an advertisement supporting Rebuild Alabama. (more…)

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Dr. Waymon Burke take you through this week’s biggest political stories, including:

— With Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) making it clear she is not budging on the wall, what will happen next?

— Will former ALEA head Spencer Collier get any money from his firing by disgraced former Governor Robert Bentley (R)?

— Why is Alabama’s Auditor Jim Zeigler such a polarizing figure? (more…)

7. Huge cold weather day for a large portion of the U.S.; Tuesday’s weather event in Alabama was a general bust

— About 110 million Americans are facing “life-threatening temperatures” because of low temperatures brought by a “polar vortex,” which will bring temperatures as low as negative 28 degrees in Milwaukee and a windchill as low as negative 50 degrees.

— While some schools in Alabama are still closed today, yesterday was a big nothing with one meteorologist in Huntsville apologizing, saying, “I do not like being wrong, but I can admit when I am. I’m sorry that this was a big miss; it wasn’t for lack of effort.”

6. Illegal immigrants who worked at the Trump country club want protection from deportation (more…)