Author

Sam Mattison

News / State

BOE approves state superintendent contract, nixes sporadic evaluations

The new state superintendent of education’s contract includes a hefty salary bump and a section that hearkens back to the departure of former state Superintendent Michael Sentance, who resigned last September. Eric Mackey, once the executive director of the Schools Superintendents of Alabama, is officially the state superintendent of education after the State Board of … Continued

Sam Mattison

May 14, 2018

Trump moves to decrease funding for CHIP program; will deplete contingency fund

The Trump administration requested that Congress cut $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which is an issue that hits close to home for Alabama families. The Children’s Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP, is a program that provides health insurance to poor families, and the program is particularly popular in rural Alabama, … Continued

Sam Mattison

May 9, 2018

Jones campaign will return Rosie O’Donnell’s donation after report

The Doug Jones campaign will return a donation by comedian Rosie O’Donnell after a report from the New York Post said it exceeded campaign finances limits. O’Donnell made two donations during the heat of the U.S. Senate race in September 2017 and December 2017, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission. O’Donnell’s donations sum … Continued

Sam Mattison

May 8, 2018

Steve Marshall joins lawsuit to stop DACA

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Wednesday that he would get behind a seven-state coalition of state attorney generals that are currently suing the federal government to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program, which was originally put into place by President Barack Obama, protects immigrants who were brought to the country … Continued

Sam Mattison

May 4, 2018

Maddox releases infrastructure plan, touts increased gas tax

Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Walt Maddox released his new infrastructure plan that calls for an increase in the gasoline tax, which has been a controversial issue for the Legislature. Maddox’s campaign announced the decision on Wednesday through a campaign statement that reiterated the conditions of Alabama’s roads. In the statement, Maddox’s campaign cites a study by … Continued

Sam Mattison

May 3, 2018

Amendment to allow Ten Commandments displays on state property gets ballot date

Alabamians will vote in November on a constitutional amendment that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments on state property after the Secretary of State’s Office approved the placement on Friday. The Constitutional amendment came from a bill that passed the 2018 Legislative session that was sponsored by state Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville. Dial … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 30, 2018

Doug Jones will vote in favor of Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State

Alabama’s only Democratic senator, Doug Jones, has thrown his support behind former CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination for secretary of state after much speculation on how he would vote on the appointee. In a statement, Jones said that the United States faced many challenges and threats around the world, and that whoever headed the State … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 26, 2018

Moore denounces Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize win, asks for more money

Roy Moore and his team blasted out a critical email last week in response to the Washington Post winning a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for their investigations of Moore’s past in Etowah County. In the message, Moore called the win an “outrage” and made another donation pitch for his legal fund, which he is using to … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 25, 2018

Ivey’s Confederate monument campaign ad draws national coverage, local criticism

A campaign ad by Gov. Kay Ivey dealing with Confederate Monuments continues to draw national attention after it met local resistance from the local chapter of the NAACP. The ad highlighted Ivey’s signing of a law that would prevent monuments and memorials older than 40 years from being altered in any way. It also set … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 24, 2018

State Board of Education picks Eric Mackey to lead Department of Education

In a close vote, the Board of Education decided to hire Eric Mackey, the executive director of the Superintendents Association of Alabama, to fill the state superintendent position. The State Board of Education voted 5-4 on Friday to hire Mackey. Mackey’s hiring came as a shock to some as Jefferson County Superintendent Craig Pouncey was … Continued

Sam Mattison

April 20, 2018