Skip to content
Jessa Reid Bolling

Author

Jessa Reid Bolling

Jessa Reid Bolling is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter and graduate of The University of Alabama with a B.A. in journalism and political science.

Merrill and APR columnist dispute over voter ID laws

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and Alabama Political Reporter investigative reporter and featured columnist Josh Moon continue to trade words on Alabama photo ID laws.  In an op-ed published on July 31, Moon claimed voter ID laws “disproportionately impose hardships on those minorities being able to cast votes. Merrill issued a response later that … Continued
/
August 7, 2019

Merrill responds to APR Op-Ed on voter ID laws

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill issued a statement yesterday responding to a recent op-ed from Alabama Political Reporter investigative reporter and featured columnist Josh Moon titled “Voter ID laws burden minority voters, have zero effect on fraud.” Moon’s op-ed on Wednesday claimed voter ID laws “disproportionately impose hardships on those minorities being able to … Continued
/
August 1, 2019

Pre-K program lowers discipline rates for students’ middle and high school years

New research suggests students who have participated in Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program, a voluntary, public early education program, are about half as likely to have disciplinary problems throughout their school careers than students who didn’t participate in the program.  The analysis was conducted by the First Class Pre-K Research Evaluation Team, a multi-disciplinary group … Continued
/
July 29, 2019

Jones calls for end to “partisan bickering” and passage of election security legislation

Former special counsel for the Department of Justice Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on Wednesday, detailing his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, potential Russian links to the Trump campaign and alleged attempts by the president to obstruct the investigation.  U.S. Senator Doug Jones, D-Alabama, says the threat … Continued
/
July 26, 2019

Rep. Sewell named co-chair of rural health care task force

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, has been selected co-chair of the House Ways & Means Committee’s Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force, a task force aimed at finding solutions to the challenges facing health care in rural and underserved communities. The bipartisan task force will bring members and experts together to discuss the challenges … Continued
/
July 22, 2019

Governor forms group to study criminal justice reform

Gov. Kay Ivey signed an executive order on Thursday to establish the Governor’s Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, which will receive and analyze accurate data, as well as evidence of best practices, to help to address the challenges facing Alabama’s prison system. This announcement comes after the Justice Department reported in April that there … Continued
/
July 19, 2019

HRC denounces Merrill’s anti-LGBTQ comments

The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ advocacy group, released a statement denouncing Alabama Secretary of State and Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Merrill’s recent comments saying Americans are “preoccupied with homosexual activities.”  Merrill told supporters at a town hall over the weekend that the country’s morality is dwindling because of changes in pop culture … Continued
/
July 17, 2019