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Maynard Cooper & Gale fires BCA

A steady drip of withdrawals from the Business Council of Alabama last week culminated with mega-lawyer firm Maynard Cooper & Gale firing the once prominent business group as a client and leaving the organization. When BCA’s board meets today at 2 p.m, they are faced with a very different landscape than a week ago. This … Continued
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June 25, 2018

PowerSouth CEO explains why companies are leaving BCA

PowerSouth President and CEO Gary L. Smith may have made the most transparent case for why the state’s marquee corporations are in a steady exodus from the Business Council of Alabama. “Our problem with BCA is simply Billy Canary and his leadership,” wrote Smith in the company’s withdrawal letter to BCA Chairman Perry Hand. “Billy … Continued
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June 21, 2018

Another giant leaves BCA, more to follow

Another day, more defections for BCA. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the state’s largest insurance company, notified the Business Council of Alabama on Wednesday that it too would be resigning its membership over leadership concerns. In addition, longtime BCA legal counsel Fournier “Boots” Gale, an executive with Regions Bank — it withdrew from the … Continued
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June 20, 2018

Canary, Hand feel the heat

On Monday, when Alabama Power Company CEO Mark Crosswhite withdrew the company’s membership from the Business Council of Alabama, he was following a pattern long recommended by the 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan, who famously said, “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” For over a … Continued
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June 20, 2018

More top companies exit BCA

The BCA exodus has begun. A day after Alabama Power announced its plans to leave the Business Council of Alabama, two more powerhouses — Regions Bank, the state’s only Fortune 500 company, and PowerSouth Energy, an energy company serving south Alabama and northwest Florida — followed suit on Tuesday. More defections are expected throughout the … Continued
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June 20, 2018

BCA chairman throws tantrum after being dumped by Alabama Power

Business Council of Alabama chairman Perry Hand couldn’t let Alabama Power walk away without a few parting shots. In a lengthy letter written by Hand and forwarded to multiple media outlets, Hand all but accused Alabama Power of employing “paid political bloggers” to spread “defamatory rhetoric,” a thinly-veiled shot at APR which has covered the … Continued
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June 18, 2018

Breaking News: Alabama Power withdraws from BCA

This morning, a letter was delivered to the Business Council of Alabama stating that Alabama Power is withdrawing its membership from the business organization, “effective immediately.” Alabama Political Reporter obtained a copy of the letter in which Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite makes clear to BCA Chairman Perry Hand and Executive Committee members why the … Continued
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June 18, 2018

A showdown is nearing for BCA’s Billy Canary

The Business Council of Alabama’s executive committee recently approved a succession plan to protect its embattled CEO Billy Canary, but when the plan was presented to a group comprised of the organization’s top members, Canary had deceptively altered the policy adopted by the committee for one more favorable to himself. Alabama Political Reporter is also … Continued
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June 17, 2018

BCA big primary bet not paying off so well 

Once, an endorsement from the Business Council of Alabama was a clear indication of the frontrunner in a political race, but this changed dramatically during the June 5 primary with BCA losing several high profile races while squandering vast sums of money on losing candidates. Embattled BCA CEO Billy Canary bet big but ended up … Continued
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June 12, 2018