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Alabama

The state of Alabama’s prisons should embarrass us all

What’s happening in Alabama’s prisons is not OK. It’s not what anyone — including criminals — deserves. It’s not a deterrent to crime. It’s not how humans should treat other humans — especially when a majority of those humans proclaim to practice a religion that harps quite a bit on kindness, decency and goodwill (There … Continued
May 7, 2019

Washington Post digs into Washington County charter fiasco

When a newspaper with the national impact of The Washington Post covers a story out of tiny Washington County, AL, you immediately know there is something serious afoot.  In this case, it is the Washington County charter fiasco that got the attention of veteran education reporter Valerie Strauss, who has worked for this newspaper for nearly 30 years. Because … Continued
May 6, 2019

Every citizen in Alabama deserves high-speed broadband

Alabama’s economy is booming with record low unemployment, wages on the rise and new industries continuing to choose our state to expand their businesses. However, we are lagging in providing critical broadband infrastructure to all our citizens. For too long, the expansion of fast, reliable internet service has been concentrated in larger cities while rural … Continued
May 6, 2019

First measles case reported in Alabama

At least one Alabama child has contracted measles. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Thursday that an infant under the age of 1 in St. Clair County has a presumptive positive case of measles. So far, the case in St. Clair County is the only presumptive measles case under investigation in Alabama. The report … Continued
May 3, 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

Prison issues — front and center

Folks, taking care of prisoners is not a popular political issue. However, every so often Alabama politicians pragmatically have to acquiesce to the mandates of federal judges and grant our transgressing citizens their rights as determined by the courts. Federal Courts have determined that our felons deserve the rights to adequate imprisonment. You just cannot … Continued
May 1, 2019

I’m an Alabama franchise owner. Stop regulating me

I’m an Alabama franchise owner, and I oppose HB 352. I own two Express Employment Professionals in the Birmingham area and employ a total of 275 Alabamians. My two locations have assisted 375 Birmingham businesses with their staffing needs so far this year. These local businesses come to me because they know the quality of … Continued
May 1, 2019

Senate committee expected to consider juvenile justice reform bill Wednesday

A Senate committee will consider legislation Wednesday aimed at creating better outcomes for youth in Alabama’s juvenile justice system by reducing the number of youth placed in state detention for low-level offenses. The bill — sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster — aims to keep low-level offenders at home instead of in state facilities, … Continued
April 30, 2019