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Alabama Senate

A senate full of morons

The Alabama Senate should just go home. The Legislature was supposed to gather again simply to pass the budgets. But, as my colleague Josh Moon notably pointed out, senators are up to no good. And no good is SOP for the Alabama Legislature, but senators are hoping to kick that up a few notches. Alabama … Continued
May 8, 2020

State finance director recommended waiting to debate state budgets

Alabama’s finance director said that he recommended to Gov. Kay Ivey and to the Alabama Legislature that they wait to debate the state’s budgets until there was more information about the impact COVID-19 was having on Alabama’s economy and the government’s tax revenues. But lawmakers made the decision to move forward with the budgets. Most … Continued
May 6, 2020

Alabama Legislature plans to return to work briefly March 31

The Alabama Senate is planning to get to only a few big, constitutionally mandated items before calling an end to the year’s legislative session amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but whether they’ll get those tasks accomplished remains to be seen.  Senate leadership is advising lawmakers who fall into “at-risk” categories because of their age or pre-existing … Continued
March 27, 2020

Bill to help save “man’s best friend” advances to House

The Alabama Senate passed a bill to help save animals in hot cars. Sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Holley, SB67 aims to prevent animal abuse. This bill passed the Senate in a vote of 33-0 and now heads to the House. If enacted, this bill would prevent owners from leaving domestic animals in a motor vehicle … Continued
February 14, 2020

Civil asset forfeiture bill passes House, but is it enough?

On Thursday, the Alabama House passed Senate Bill 191 that would increase transparency around civil asset forfeiture in the state. It now moves to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk for approval. “SB 191’s passage is a good first step toward bringing more transparency to Alabama’s civil asset forfeiture practices,” said Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama … Continued
May 31, 2019

Thoroughbred conservatives — a dying breed

100 percent pure bred economic, moral, social and constitutional conservatives are almost extinct in the public arena. If you have read some of my work in the past, you may recall, I first got involved in public policy going door to door for Ronald Reagan in 1980. All I knew, he was pro-life, the rest … Continued
May 31, 2019

New abortion ban draws large protests to State Capitol, other cities

On Sunday afternoon, Alabamians protesting the abortion ban bill recently passed by 25 white Republican men in the Alabama Senate and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey, turned out in large numbers to protest the bill at a March for Reproductive Freedom held in downtown Montgomery The large crowd was diverse in every way: … Continued
May 21, 2019

Senate approves bill to lower drug prices, improve transparency

A bill that could lower prescription drug costs for Alabamians passed the Alabama State Senate 27-0 on Wednesday. The bill—if passed in the House of Representatives and signed into law—will outlaw “gag clauses” used by pharmacy benefit managers. These contractual gag clauses keep pharmacists from informing a customer they could save money by purchasing a … Continued
May 17, 2019

Reaction varies to Gov. Kay Ivey’s signing of abortion law

Less than 24 hours after the Alabama Senate passed HB314, the nation’s most restrictive abortion ban, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed this legislation into law. According to the language in the bill, this ban does not go into effect until six months after it has been signed. Those who support abortion rights were furious with … Continued
May 16, 2019