Bill Britt

News / Elections

A case of mistaken candidate identity could embarrass the ALGOP

It’s one of the oddest, and most embarrassing, cases of mistaken identity in recent Alabama political history. According to recent polling, James Bonner is leading Jeremy Oden in a race for a seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission. No, not that James Bonner. It doesn’t matter which James Bonner you were thinking of, it’s … Continued

Josh Moon

May 22, 2018

Scandal, blue dogs and the fickle public could change the 2018 election, maybe

Campaign season is about to enter a critical phase with Republican and Democrat primaries less than 75 days away. In this off-year election, only the governor’s race and the battle for attorney general are drawing any particular attention. Neither seat is held by an individual elected to the office by a vote of the people. … Continued

Bill Britt

March 19, 2018

Opinion

AG, commerce secretary hide real problem with economic development bill

During a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the controversial economic development bill, HB317, not a soul present addressed the critical problem with the bill — the gaping loophole created by allowing individuals to work as part-time economic development professionals. Of course, the bill doesn’t use the words part-time. Instead, it calls this individual a “less … Continued

Bill Britt

March 16, 2018

Lawmaker admits new ethics bill would have saved Mike Hubbard from prosecution

In what may be one of the most brazen acts of upending state ethics laws, Republican Rep. Rich Wingo admitted on Tuesday that his legislation, HB387, is designed to save others from being prosecuted like former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard. Wingo, during a floor debate, unwittingly gave the real reasons behind HB387, which … Continued

Bill Britt

March 15, 2018

Opinion

Piecemeal approach to ethics reform continues, and it’s questionable

Two bills designed to dramatically alter current ethics laws were approved by the House Ethics Committee last week. As introduced in the House, HB387, sponsored by Republican lawmaker Rep. Rich Wingo, would among other things allow public officials to hide potentially illegal acts under a new notifications rule. Wingo’s bill is companion legislation to SB221, … Continued

Bill Britt

March 12, 2018

Bentley appointees trick lawmakers into passing dangerous ethics, economic development bill

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter The passage of HB317 by the Alabama House of Representatives could easily be labeled legislation by deception. Not that lawmakers were lying, but rather they were on the receiving end of a lie. In a press statement on Thursday, appointed Attorney General Steve Marshall inadvertently confirmed how he and … Continued

Bill Britt

March 9, 2018

Analysis | Are Hubbard-Riley emails key to answering the mystery surrounding HB317?

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter Controversy still clings to HB317, also known as The Alabama Jobs Enhancement Act, despite the substitute added Tuesday that, at first blush, appears to fix problems with the original bill. Concerns remain. The mystery of why a substantial change to the Ethics Act is linked to amendments addressing business … Continued

Bill Britt

March 8, 2018

County sheriffs under fire, but the facts are a little skewed

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter Recently, a lawsuit led primarily by Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights and joined by Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, has garnered some provocative headlines while ignoring or distorting facts about specific county sheriffs’ use of funds provided to feed inmates held in county jails. Under current … Continued

Bill Britt

March 7, 2018

Opinion

Crusaders against payday lenders sink to new low

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter When well-intentioned organizations host speakers whose goal is to tar a particular individual or business, it dirties the good works mission of the group and cast doubts over the program’s real purpose. So it was when Leadership Birmingham invited Dr. Neal Berte. e, retired head of Birmingham Southern College … Continued

Bill Britt

March 6, 2018

State ignores potential for financial collapse in selecting troubled company to fix beleaguered prisons

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter The state’s Legislative Contract Review Committee has momentarily halted a nearly $400 million contract with a prison health provider that is currently being charged with participating in one of, “the largest and longest-running criminal conspiracies, in the history of Mississippi,” according to the state’s attorney general. Alabama selected Wexford Heath … Continued

Bill Britt

March 5, 2018