Alabama Legislature

News / State

Auburn Government and Economics Institute says state should expand pre-K program

Auburn University’s Government and Economics Institute recently released its Alabama Issues 2018 report, which focused largely on Alabama’s esteemed pre-K program. Two articles featured in the report suggest the state should continue expanding the program while maintaining the program’s quality. “Though the State continues to increase funding to provide more classrooms and reach more children, … Continued

Chip Brownlee

October 1, 2018

Republican Attorney General Marshall once again flouts campaign finance laws

When Republicans won a supermajority in the Legislature in 2010, they pushed to enact strict ethics and campaign finance laws. Current appointed Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall, the party’s standard bearer in the upcoming November general election for attorney general, has not only accepted tainted funds, which drew an ethics complaint, but he has also … Continued

Bill Britt

September 27, 2018

Opinion

Alabamians need an Ethics Commission that will enforce the laws

I am disappointed to find myself, once again, in a position to ask what purpose the Alabama Ethics Commission serves to the people of this state. To whom are the elected officials or those seeking public office to look to for ethical political leadership? The people of Alabama need an Ethics Commission that will enforce … Continued

John Merrill

September 11, 2018

Opinion

The duty of the voter

Now that Labor Day is behind us, the political campaigns for November’s General Election are in full swing. Or should be. While polls indicate Democrats likely will take back the U.S. House of Representatives, nothing is certain. It depends on which side can get out their voters. In Alabama, these “midterm” elections are always a … Continued

Joey Kennedy

September 6, 2018

Opinion

Time for an ethics champion to step forward

A majority of Alabama voters are “very concerned” about government corruption and ethics, however, Republicans who once championed strong ethics laws have retrenched or given up the fight altogether. Our state needs a champion who will lead the battle to keep the state’s ethics laws strong: a singular individual with the courage to do what … Continued

Bill Britt

September 5, 2018

Opinion

“Criminal” Court of Appeals does the Devil’s bidding

Astonishingly, the Court of Criminal Appeals was able to uphold 11 counts of former Speaker Mike Hubbard’s 12 count conviction while opening a door for the state’s ethics act to be gutted by the Legislature to make sure Hubbard is the last public official held criminally liable under existing laws. That is the hard truth … Continued

Bill Britt

August 29, 2018

Opinion

MIke Hubbard broke our laws, and no one should be trying to change them

Hold on to your hat. I’m about to tell you a story that you won’t believe. It will be so farfetched, so incredible that you’ll be convinced that I’m making it up. But I’m not. This is a true story, every word of it. And here it goes. Every day in Alabama, elected politicians get … Continued

Josh Moon

August 29, 2018

Opinion

BCA is back, bigger and better than ever

Alabama Power is and has always been a force in Alabama politics. Some entities may have influence in the Legislature, but the power company has the ear of folks in all three branches of State government: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. If you sat down with all 35 state senators, especially the veterans who know the ropes … Continued

Steve Flowers

August 29, 2018

IN-DEPTH | Court of Appeals affirms all but one of former speaker’s convictions

It took two years of review, but the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has made a decision on former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s appeal of his 12 felony ethics convictions. The five-judge panel — down one jurist, Presiding Judge Mary Becker Windom, who recused from the case — affirmed all but one of Hubbard’s … Continued

Chip Brownlee

August 28, 2018

Opinion

Snakes, canaries and the party of corruption

There’s all this talk about a “Blue Wave” this November in the midterm elections. Those “midterms” are also the major elections for Alabama. What kind of Blue Wave we might have in Alabama is anybody’s guess. If one or two Democrats won their legislative or statewide races, that’d be a Blue Wave in Alabama these … Continued

Joey Kennedy

August 23, 2018