Author

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 / State

BCA announces new executive committee members, ongoing transition plan

After a tumultuous summer for the Business Council of Alabama, one of the state’s most prominent business and lobbying groups, that included the ouster of the group’s longtime CEO, the BCA’s board of directors announced Wednesday a new plan to revitalize the group and a new executive committee that will lead the group through that transition. … Continued

Chip Brownlee

August 15, 2018

Gulf State Park named Alabama Tourism’s Attraction of the Year

Gulf State Park has been named the Alabama Tourism Department’s 2018 Attraction of the Year. The park received the honor Monday night at the Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The park includes three miles of white sandy beaches and draws visitors from around the world. Alabama Tourism praised the park’s staff and volunteers who provide … Continued

Chip Brownlee

August 9, 2018

Ex-student alleges private school was aware of relationships between teacher, students

A former student of a West Alabama private school has filed a lawsuit against the school, its board and its headmaster, alleging they were aware of inappropriate and illegal sexual relationships between a female teacher and several students more than a year before charges were filed against the teacher but failed to inform the parents or … Continued

Chip Brownlee

August 7, 2018

Ivey communications director departs Governor’s Office

Gov. Kay Ivey’s communications director is leaving the Governor’s Office for a job in the private sector. Joshua Pendergrass, who has been Ivey’s communications director since shortly after she took office in April 2017, resigned his position in the Governor’s Office last week. “Serving the people of Alabama as part of the Ivey administration has … Continued

Chip Brownlee

July 30, 2018

Republican State Rep. Randy Davis indicted in wide-ranging federal public corruption probe

A federal grand jury indicted another Alabama Republican lawmaker this week as part of an ongoing public corruption probe that has already seen the indictment of Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills. Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, who is 66, was arrested and indicted Wednesday on charges of conspiracy and bribery. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office … Continued

Chip Brownlee

July 26, 2018

Joe Dickson, Birmingham World publisher and civil rights activist, dies at age 85

Joe Dickson demonstrated alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth before becoming a leading voice in the Alabama Republican Party. He was the chairman of the Alabama State Personnel Board. He died Saturday.

Chip Brownlee

July 25, 2018

Will Ainsworth captures GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, toppling Twinkle Cavanaugh

State Rep. Will Ainsworth, a first-term newcomer to Montgomery and rising voice within the Alabama Republican Party, has captured the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, outpacing longtime ALGOP official and Public Service Commission President Twinkle Cavanaugh. The Associated Press called the race for Ainsworth. At the time of publication, Ainsworth had 51.49 percent of the … Continued

Chip Brownlee

July 18, 2018

Alabama Finance Director Clinton Carter hired as chief financial officer of the UNC system

Alabama’s chief financial officer, Finance Director Clinton Carter, who has served under both former Gov. Robert Bentley and Gov. Kay Ivey, has been selected as the University of North Carolina System’s new senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer, the system’s president Margaret Spelling said Wednesday. In Alabama, Carter was responsible for … Continued

Chip Brownlee

July 12, 2018

Analysis | Could Jones be a decisive vote on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee?

Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate are gearing up for what could be a massive confirmation fight over President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, and Alabama’s junior senator, Doug Jones, in his first year of a short two-year term, will likely find himself right in the middle of it all. Trump is expected to … Continued

Chip Brownlee

June 28, 2018

LG to build $28 million solar panel assembly plant in Huntsville

LG Electronics plans to build a $28 million solar module assembly plant in Huntsville. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the plans on Wednesday. LG, a leading provider of residential solar panels, will add on to their existing footprint in Alabama, creating an additional 160 jobs, Ivey’s office said. The new factory will have two production lines … Continued

Chip Brownlee

June 28, 2018