Skip to content

Alabama Legislature

Poor Leadership Wastes Time, Costs Taxpayers With Countless Special Sessions

By Rep. Darrio Melton I would start this piece by talking about how the Legislature finally adjourned for 2016, but the past few years have shown that adjourning from session is really more of an intermission in the legislative process. Over the past few years, the “regular session” has simply been “part one” to the … Continued
May 10, 2016

Guns in Vehicles Bill Dies in House

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Friday, May 5, State Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) commented on the failure by the Alabama Legislature to take up his gun bill, SB14. The Alabama Senate passed SB14, which would allow Alabamians to carry a loaded gun in their vehicles; but the Alabama House of Representatives would never act … Continued
May 9, 2016

Handwriting Bill Passes in Legislature

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Wednesday, May 4, the Alabama Senate passed a bill requiring that all Alabama schools instruct children in cursive handwriting. House Bill 218 was sponsored by State Representative Dickie Drake (R-Leeds). The bill had already passed in the Alabama House of Representatives. Rep. Drake said in a statement, “Today I … Continued
May 5, 2016

Lawyers, Lobbyists and College Cronyism

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The State’s Community College system has once again invited controversy, with the push to combine colleges under the guidance of the Alabama Community College Board of Trustees, formed in 2015. As John Archibald pointed out recently, sex isn’t the only scandal happening in Alabama. Most recently, the merger of … Continued
May 4, 2016

Legislature Ends In Deadlock over How to Spend BP Money

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, May 3, the Senate failed to pass the House version of the BP oil settlement raid. The issue could possibly be settled in a Summer Special Session or left unresolved going into the 2017 Regular Legislative Session. State Representative Tim Wadsworth (R-Arley) wrote that the announcement was made … Continued
May 4, 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

The Myth About the Pension Crisis in Alabama

  By David G. Bronner Much ado has been made recently about a public pension crisis in Alabama and the need for reform. The groups and legislators who are clamoring for reform always neglect to mention two critically important facts: the Legislature has already reformed Alabama’s public pensions and there is no pension crisis in … Continued
April 28, 2016

House Passes New Rules for Impeachment

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, April 27, the Alabama House of Representative passed House Resolution 334 to change the House’s impeachment process. The measure was sponsored by State Representative Matt Fridy (R-Montevallo). Rep. Fridy said in a statement, “When, several weeks ago, a Representative filed Articles of Impeachment against Governor Bentley, it became … Continued
April 28, 2016

The Fight for Pension Reform in Alabama

By Representative Lynn Greer & Katherine Green Robertson Like many pension funds across the country, the State of Alabama’s public pension system faces significant funding challenges. Alabama’s pension costs have doubled over the last ten years, despite the fact that the legislature has never missed paying the steadily increasing annual required contribution. In the past, … Continued
April 27, 2016

Who’s Getting Paid?

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The State Legislature looks poised to pass an $800-million-dollar prison bill based on vague plans, powerful lobbying, and a process that lacks even a modicum of transparency. The real worry over the $800-million-dollar prison bill is, who’s going to receive a big payday? Speculation is that Gov. Robert Bentley’s … Continued
April 26, 2016