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Sam Mattison

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Public hearing on broadband bill renews debate on government influence in private businesses

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter A bill that would expand municipal governments’ reach into broadband and internet services renewed a debate on government expansion into private enterprise at a committee meeting on Wednesday, April 12. The House Committee on Commerce and Small Business was a packed house on Wednesday with some people even forced to … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 13, 2017

Restrictive home-birth bill raises concerns among Midwife Alliance

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter House Bill 344 has been raising questions among pro-midwife advocates. A midwife is a trained professional who delivers children outside of a hospital. They also provide post-partum and prenatal care. Midwives assisting a woman during homebirth is currently illegal in Alabama. HB344 would require midwives to practice at “birthing centers.” … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 12, 2017

Pro-Life proposal claims Governor Bentley could stop abortions in Alabama today

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Pro-Life supporters gathered on the steps of Alabama’s state capitol on Saturday, April 1, to petition Governor Robert Bentley with a proposal that they said would immediately stop abortions in Alabama. Proposal 16 says the Governor can stop abortions in Alabama and he wouldn’t need approval from the Federal government to … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 3, 2017

Alabama roads face grim future

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Alabama drivers spent $4.2 billion in unnecessary costs due to poor road quality according to a new report. The report was compiled by TRIP, a non-profit research organization, in February 2017. They classify these costs as vehicle operating costs, congestion-related costs and traffic accidents. TRIP attributed these costs to the … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 29, 2017

Southern Poverty Law Center may set sights on Trump-supporting Neo-Nazi website

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter The Southern Poverty Law Center could be suing a self-described Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist website. On March 23, APR reported on a speech given at Troy University where SPLC Co-Founder and Chief Trial Counsel Morris Dees said the organization would be filing a lawsuit in April against a hate group. … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 27, 2017

Southern Poverty Law Center to sue “internet hate group” who “harassed Jewish family”

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Southern Poverty Law Center Co-Founder and Chief Trial Counsel Morris Dees said on Wednesday, March 22, that the organization is filing a lawsuit in April against a hate group. Dees said this at a speech he gave at Troy University’s main campus in Troy, Alabama, at their annual Journalism Symposium. … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 23, 2017

Alabama Representative: “There’s nobody in our State prisons just for marijuana.”

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Representative Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) said there were zero people in Alabama’s prison system for solely marijuana during a committee meeting. Pettus’ comments came during a House Judicial Committee Meeting on Wednesday during a public hearing for a new bill that would make possessing 1 ounce or less of marijuana a … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 20, 2017

Committee meeting turns hostile after Representative accuses opponent of making “racist” comments

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Former Alabama Rep. Richard Laird was asked to leave and not come back on Wednesday by Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) after making a comment about the prison population in Alabama during a committee meeting. A public hearing was held in the House Judiciary Committee on a new bill concerning Marijuana … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 16, 2017

Senate passes bill allowing release of prisoners for medical reasons

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter The Alabama Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the release of prisoners under certain medical conditions. The bill would require the Department of Corrections to publish an annual list of inmates that have been in an infirmary or in a physician’s care for more than 30 days. From … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 15, 2017

Legal response filed in Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Parker’s case

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter A legal response has been filed for Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Tom Parker in his ethics case. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative non-profit advocacy group, filed the legal response on Friday March 11, in Parker’s case. The case was started when the Southern Poverty Law Center filed an ethics … Continued

Sam Mattison

March 14, 2017