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Alabama Legislature

Infrastructure passage will be hallmark for Gov. Kay Ivey and the Legislature

The five day Special Legislative Session that addressed the increase in the gas tax to fund an Infrastructure Rebuilding Program for the state was a remarkable success. I still marvel at the adroitness, efficiency and expediency in which the governor accomplished this monumental initiative. She called for a Special Session on the night of her … Continued
May 15, 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

Shame on the Kowtow Band of Republicans

When then-citizen casino owner Donald Trump testified before the U.S. Congress about Indian gaming in 1993, the only portion of his statements that the public has been reminded of was when he said, “They don’t look like Indians to me.” But a reading of the transcript reveals Trump recognized even then the negative consequences of … Continued
May 13, 2019

A weird legislative session rolls on

Ah, the freedom of being unconcerned with election consequences. That’s what we’re seeing in the Alabama Legislature this session — this weird, strange, oddball session. This session where everything is turned upside down, with Republicans pushing tax increases and marijuana and Democrats playing key roles in crucial votes. The Montgomery Advertiser’s Brian Lyman first mentioned … Continued
May 8, 2019

Sen. Cam Ward appointed to Joint Transportation Committee

Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, has been appointed to serve on the Alabama Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee, the group of lawmakers that oversees the Alabama Department of Transportation. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announced the appointment Monday. Ward will represent the state’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Jefferson and Shelby counties and spans from Oneonta down to … Continued
May 7, 2019

Weekly 2019 Legislative Session report

The Alabama Legislature met for Day 14 of its annual Regular Session on Tuesday, April 30. Thirty-one committee meetings were held throughout the week to consider legislation. Both Houses met on Thursday, May 2 for Day 15. 943 bills have been introduced to date. The Legislature will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, May 7 for … Continued
May 6, 2019

ADOC wants contract with communications company at center of multiple lawsuits, complaints

UPDATE: A Securus representative reached out to APR to share updates on two key issues related to the story. First, Securus, after a number of complaints and bad publicity, no longer offers location-based tracking services. Secondly, the company also doesn’t have any control over whether prisons elect to discontinue in-person family visits with inmates. It … Continued
May 2, 2019

An absolutely awful Legislature

So Alabama is really going to do it. We’re going to agree to spend no telling how much of our scarce financial resources to argue a clearly unconstitutional proposal to all but outright ban abortion in the state is somehow legal. It is not, and shame on the Legislature to make the move. For the … Continued
May 2, 2019

Other states use lotteries to give kids a brighter future. Alabama wants to use lottery to build prisons

We have a vision problem in Alabama. We’ve always had a vision problem in this state. We are perpetually satisfied with how things are, with keeping things how they are, with resisting any change whatsoever. “Nah, we’re good,” should be our state motto. Even when making a change would benefit us, we resist. Even when … Continued
May 1, 2019