accountability

Strategic plan interview with ADOC Commissioner Dunn

Alabama’s Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn believes the department’s new strategic plan is an essential part of moving the beleaguered prison system out of its dark past and into the future. “A strategic plan in my judgment — given my Air force experience — is absolutely critical to pulling an institution together,” Dunn said … Continued

June 3, 2019

No surprise at all: Lawmakers are already trying to get their hands on gas tax money

Two months. That’s how long it took for Alabama politicians to break all of those oh-so-sincere promises to you about the gas tax. Two months ago, when the Legislature was debating this 10-cent gas tax increase — the one that can be increased another penny for years to come — there was one often-repeated promise … Continued

May 14, 2019

Senate Bill 222 takes away voters right to elect school superintendents

Tuesday, the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs and the Shelby County Republican Women issued a statement urging members to contact their state representatives to oppose Senate Bill 222, which takes away voters rights to elect their own school superintendents. Elected county school superintendents would be replaced by appointed superintendents answerable only to the politicians on the local … Continued

April 18, 2019

State Senate’s Transportation Committee approves bill to increase oversight of ALDOT

The Alabama Senate Transportation and Energy Committee on Thursday approved a bill by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, that places new oversight of the Alabama Department of Transportation. The State Legislature is heading into day three Friday of a special session that Gov. Kay Ivey called to address her Rebuild Alabama plan for increased infrastructure funding. … Continued

March 8, 2019

Gov. Ivey has earned our support

Gov. Kay Ivey has earned an A+ on her Rebuild Alabama’s Infrastructure Plan. She has outstandingly accomplished her homework and her research. I want to respectfully ask all Alabamians to support the plan. I voted for Ivey so that she would have the opportunity to tackle the state’s toughest issues. Shortly after Ivey made history, … Continued

March 4, 2019

Ducking and dodging death penalty accountability in Alabama

Continuing its odious tradition of ducking and dodging transparency and accountability in how the state puts its prisoners to death – (purportedly) in the name of the people – the beleaguered Alabama Office of the Attorney General has asserted in a new convoluted, churlish, and utterly cockamamie federal court filing: “[W]hile this Court found that there … Continued

June 8, 2018

Palmer and Senator Mike Lee Introduce Agency Accountability Act

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Friday, February 3, 2017, US Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) and conservative US Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Agency Accountability Act (AAA), requiring that all fines, fees, penalties, and other unappropriated funds collected by federal agencies to be transferred to the Treasury, and subject to the appropriations process. Congressman … Continued

February 7, 2017

Something fishy about “failing schools” list

By Larry Lee The State Department of Education just released the latest “failing schools” list, an annual ranking is required by the infamous Alabama Accountability Act. The Legislature decreed that the bottom six percent of all public schools are “failing” and should be identified annually. So lists were distributed in June 2013 and January 2014, … Continued

January 17, 2017

Court Justices or Court Jesters?: The Mishandling of the Moore Case

By Hannah Ford You know it’s bad when one of Chief Justice Roy Moore’s harshest critics (apologetically) writes in his defense. You know it’s bad when Justices refuse to unseal a critical case. You know it’s bad when the unethical behavior of acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart and her accomplices have Alabamians worried that they … Continued

October 28, 2016

Massive Prison Spending Bill “All Devil-No Details”

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The State is poised to give Gov. Robert Bentley an $800 million dollar credit card to build 4 super-max style prisons, with no written plan, no impact study, and no accountability. The only thing certain about the project is that State taxpayers will be on the hook for $1.5 … Continued

May 2, 2016