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Legislature

Marsh holds meeting with gaming interests day after Ivey calls for the Legislature to stand down on gaming

Despite Gov. Kay Ivey’s call for the Legislature to give her “time to get the facts,” on a lottery and gaming before proceeding with legislation, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh summoned representatives of the Poarch Creek Band of Indians and two of the state’s dog tracks to sit down and discuss moving ahead on … Continued
February 10, 2020

Medical marijuana legislation to be introduced this week

Thursday, State Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence) told the Alabama Political Reporter that he anticipates introducing his medical marijuana legislation on Tuesday. Melson said that he and the Alabama Legislative Services Agency were working on the final language in the bill. A key final sticking point is how businesses can deal with medical marijuana users in … Continued
February 10, 2020

House Bill 58 bans discrimination against disabled receiving organ transplants

Thursday, the Alabama House Health Committee gave a favorable report to a House bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against the disabled on organ donation lists. House Bill 58 is sponsored by State Representative Debbie Wood, R-Valley. “I don’t know how familiar you are with Down Syndrome.” said Wood. “They have an extra … Continued
February 10, 2020

2020 Legislative Session Week 1 report

The Alabama Legislature began its annual Regular Session on Tuesday, February 4. As the annual Session is limited by law to 30 session days within a 105 calendar day period, the Session must conclude by May 18, 2020. Generally, the Legislature meets in Session on Tuesday and Thursday of each week with Wednesday as the … Continued
February 10, 2020

Jim Zeigler has reminded everyone how useless the state auditor is

Alabama is known for its bad politicians.  From George Wallace to Mike Hubbard, and all the Guy Hunts and Robert Bentleys in between, we do political crooks better than anyone. And we’ve got more do-nothing, pander-happy, waste-of-space political dolts per capita than any other state.  But rarely — I’d say maybe even never — has … Continued
February 7, 2020

Ivey seizes gaming issue

Toward the end of her 2020 State of the State address, Gov. Kay Ivey snatched the issue of a state lottery and gaming from the hands of the Legislature. “I will be signing an Executive Order to establish a small working group of some of Alabama’s most distinguished citizens, to begin working, to gather all … Continued
February 6, 2020

Alabama pastors, faith leaders call on state to enact meaningful criminal justice reform

A group of Alabama pastors urged state lawmakers in a letter Wednesday to work on meaningful criminal justice reform to fix Alabama’s broken prison system and to help prevent young people from entering it.   Joining the 40 pastors who signed the letter was Craig DeRoche, senior vice president of advocacy and public policy with Prison … Continued
February 6, 2020