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Chip Brownlee

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Chip Brownlee

Chip Brownlee is a former political reporter, online content manager and webmaster at the Alabama Political Reporter. He is now a reporter at The Trace, a non-profit newsroom covering guns in America.

News / Governor / Legislature / State

Should Medicaid expansion be on the 2019 legislative agenda? Experts say it has to be

In Alabama, Republican politicians have ignored the question of Medicaid expansion or rejected it outright, refusing to bring the issue to the floor of the state Legislature, but an outgoing Republican senator and hospital officials are pushing for it to be on the 2019 legislative agenda. Voters appear to be on the side against expansion, … Continued
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December 7, 2018

Alabama joins other states in effort to stop pesky robocalls

Alabama is joining a multistate coalition to stop or reduce annoying robocalls. Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Thursday that Alabama will participate in a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general who are working to find a solution to stop malicious robocalls by focusing on the technology that major telecom companies are pursuing to stop the illegal … Continued
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December 7, 2018

Marsh taps Derek Trotter as new chief of staff

Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh has chosen a new chief of staff. Marsh’s office announced Monday that he has chosen Derek Trotter, a government relations adviser to the Butler Snow law firm and former director of legislative affairs to former Gov. Robert Bentley, to be his new chief of staff. Trotter previously served as … Continued
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December 4, 2018

AltaPointe Health leaders say merger with Cheaha Regional Mental Health System has been a success

Two years after the behavioral health care and psychiatric hospital system in South Alabama, AltaPointe Health, merged with the former Cheaha Regional Mental Health Center in Sylacauga, Alabama, the leaders of both organizations say the merger has been “highly successful.” Cindy Atkinson, the former director of Cheaha Regional Mental Health Center, said the merger has been … Continued
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November 30, 2018

ACLU joins appeal against emergency services provider for alleged discrimination against pregnant EMT

The American Civil Liberties Union is joining a federal court appeal on behalf of a former EMT who is suing for discrimination based on her pregnancy. Kimberlie Michelle Durham, the former EMT, is appealing the dismissal of her federal pregnancy discrimination lawsuit against Rural/Metro Corporation, a national provider of emergency and fire services in underserved … Continued
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November 30, 2018

Jones calls for formal review of tariff exemption backlog

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones is calling for a formal review of a backlog among tariff exemption applications. Jones joined with Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware, to write a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro in the government accountability office requesting a formal review of the exclusion … Continued
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November 27, 2018

Small Business Administration approves individual disaster assistance loans after Hurricane Michael

Individuals in six Alabama counties affected by Hurricane Michael in October can now apply for individual assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the new assistance Wednesday.. SBA Administrator Linda McMahon made the loans available in response to a letter Ivey on Nov. 16. Ivey had requested a disaster declaration by … Continued
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November 23, 2018

Analysis | Matt Hart’s dismissal raises a number of questions, some with national implications

The forced resignation of Deputy Attorney General Matt Hart — the head of the Alabama attorney general’s public corruption unit who is widely known as the most feared man in Alabama politics — has raised a number of serious questions about ongoing investigations, some of which have national implications. Hart’s resignation, which was hastily forced … Continued
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November 21, 2018