Author

Eddie Burkhalter

Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter.

Falls continue to get warmer. Statewide forecast calls for dry, hot week

Record-breaking daily high temperatures in numerous Alabama cities on Friday come as the state, along with the rest of the nation, continues to see warmer fall temperatures. The average fall temperature in Birmingham has risen 2.9 degrees since 1970, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and analyzed compiled by Climate Central, … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 17, 2019

Private prison, detention companies spending on Alabama politicians

Geo Group, the nation’s largest private prison and detention center company, is investing in Alabama’s lawmakers just as the company hopes to land a portion of the state’s nearly $1 billion contract to build three new prisons. Other players are also investing in lobbyists and lawmakers to compete for a share of the prize. Geo … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 16, 2019

Correction’s spokesman returns to state Department of Veterans Affairs

Robert Horton, the spokesman for the Alabama Department of Corrections, has been hired as the Assistant Commissioner of Outreach and Engagement at the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. Horton has held the public information manager position at the Alabama Department of Corrections since February 2015. Prior to that position, he worked for eight years as … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 13, 2019

New absentee ballot option available for permanently disabled

As of Sept. 1, permanently disabled Alabamians can apply to be placed on a permanent absentee voter list, which will automatically mail them absentee ballots for future elections. The state Legislature during the 2019 regular session approved the new law, which requires the applications to be signed and notarized by the disabled voter’s primary doctor. … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 13, 2019

Report ranks Alabama No. 1 in job creation from 2018 foreign investments

Alabama topped the nation in job creation from foreign investments during 2018, according to Gov. Kay Ivey’s office. The 2019 Global Location Trends report by IBM-Plant Location International won’t be publicly released until later this month, but Ivey’s office made the announcement in a press release Thursday. “Foreign investment has been an important driver of … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 13, 2019

Alabama’s secretive prison project same as 2018 Kansas deal

The secrecy behind Alabama’s plan to build three new prisons using private prison companies mirrors a project in Kansas that left some lawmakers there feeling that the state got “hoodwinked.” The Kansas governor has since said her state was “hoodwinked” by one of the same private prison companies now vying for a piece of Alabama … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 12, 2019

Alabama hospitals file lawsuit against opioid makers, distributors

A group of 21 Alabama hospitals have filed a lawsuit against opioid makers and distributors, becoming the latest in a long line of hospitals across the country taking the battle over the opioid epidemic to the courts. On Sept. 3 the 21 plaintiffs filed a civil suit in the Circuit Court of Conecuh County that … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 11, 2019

UAB’s Drew Gentry awarded scholarships to continue study of ancient sealife

Drew Gentry has spent years looking back so that we’ll know what’s ahead. The doctoral student and instructor at the University of Alabama in Birmingham was recently awarded the 2019 Newton/Winefordner Scholarship to continue his research into the evolution of sea turtles. “The only way that it becomes possible to develop estimates of the future … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 11, 2019

State Bureau of Pardons and Paroles: Could take “weeks” to resume hearings

Alabama’s Bureau of Pardons and Paroles announced Monday that it could take weeks until parole hearings resume, meaning many hundreds will be impacted by the interruption of those hearings. Skip Tucker, news director at the bureau, told APR on Monday that it’s not clear when those parole hearings would resume. A press release from the … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 10, 2019

Alabama Power adding gas, solar to meet winter demands

In a filing on Friday to a state regulatory agency, Alabama Power announced plans to build a new natural gas-fired power plant and increase solar capacity, all in an effort to increase energy production to meet extra demands during winters. Alabama Power’s long-term energy plan filing to the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC) states that … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

September 10, 2019