Author

Joey Kennedy

Joey Kennedy, a Pulitzer Prize winner, writes a column each week for the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.

Don’t have to “Beware the Ides of March” in Alabama

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Beware the Ides of March! That was Wednesday, and while Julius Caesar may have needed to be more careful than he was back then, when the Alabama Legislature is in session, there’s really no reason to worry much. Not much is going to happen. Not on the Ides of … Continued

Joey Kennedy

March 16, 2017

Opinion

We have to require our leaders to do the right thing

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Don’t say I never say anything good about the Alabama Legislature. OK, maybe it doesn’t happen often, but it happens. Over the years, the Legislature passed and voters ratified the amendment setting up the Forever Wild land preservation program. Lawmakers in 2010 passed tough new ethics laws that eventually … Continued

Joey Kennedy

March 8, 2017

Opinion

Trump’s speech: Much ado about very little

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter President Donald J. Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night was refreshing. No, really. The speech was reasonable, calm, displaying a temperament we don’t often see from Trump. Yes, really. Really, really. And it was a big hit with Alabama’s GOP congressional delegation, too. “(Trump’s) remarks … Continued

Joey Kennedy

March 2, 2017

Opinion

Gun permits are a small, but necessary, restriction

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Many innocent (and otherwise) people are killed by gun violence in this state and nation every year. Mass shootings are commonplace. I guess that’s why I continue to be baffled by proposals that make firearms even easier to acquire and to conceal than ever before. We don’t learn. We … Continued

Joey Kennedy

February 22, 2017

Opinion

Please, let’s not legislate for hate

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter With all the challenges facing the Alabama Legislature – a need for prison reform, a broke Medicaid system, apparent widespread corruption – some lawmakers seem awfully focused on non-issues that basically are intended to bash the state’s LGBTQ community. Our politicians never get tired of these hot-button issues: Let’s … Continued

Joey Kennedy

February 15, 2017

Opinion

Lots to write about, but it’s rarely ‘fun’

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter People say this to me all the time: “It must be fun to write politics in Alabama. After all, with the corruption, the comedy, the cray-cray, there’s always something to write.” And that’s true. There is always something to write: Governors and other politicians off to prison, or boob-groping … Continued

Joey Kennedy

February 8, 2017

Opinion

Please Bill Britt, don’t fire me.

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Today is my 37th wedding anniversary. Yes, even I have been married to the same woman for 37 years. Never another woman. Just Veronica. We were married on Ground Hog Day 1980. I always joke that if I see my shadow on Feb. 2, we’ll be married another year. … Continued

Joey Kennedy

February 2, 2017

Opinion

There really is no alternative to the facts

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter “Alternative facts”? Really? What are those things? Facts are facts, right? Facts are the truth, regardless of what others may wish they were. Just wishing the facts aren’t what one would hope doesn’t make them “alternative facts.” I had a discussion with my older sister and her husband, Fox … Continued

Joey Kennedy

January 25, 2017

Opinion

Hoping for the best, fearing the worst

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter The world we live in changes Friday. When Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, we’ll be somewhere we’ve never been before. I’d like to say Trump deserves an open mind. The so-called Republican will be sworn in as president on Friday. It’s … Continued

Joey Kennedy

January 18, 2017

Opinion

Death to judicial override

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter During my years as an editorial writer for The Birmingham News, I spent much of that time opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty should be abolished; clearly, innocent people have been killed by the State of Alabama. A number have been released from Death Row after being … Continued

Joey Kennedy

January 11, 2017