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Billy Canary

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Alabama Republican Party incorporates repeal of Common Core into platform

Saturday, the Alabama Republican Party Executive Committee passed its first ever platform. The 550 member executive committee was meeting for their summer meeting on the Tuscaloosa campus of the University of Alabama. Among the other planks in the platform is an expressed opposition to the controversial Common Core curriculum. The platform explicitly says: “We oppose … Continued
August 31, 2018

BCA is back, bigger and better than ever

Alabama Power is and has always been a force in Alabama politics. Some entities may have influence in the Legislature, but the power company has the ear of folks in all three branches of State government: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. If you sat down with all 35 state senators, especially the veterans who know the ropes … Continued
August 29, 2018

Efforts underway to reestablish BCA as unifying voice for all businesses

With the changes at the Business Council of Alabama come a once in a generation opportunity to rebuild a, “stronger BCA and a better Alabama,” as stated by Alabama Power Company’s CEO, Mark Crosswhite, in announcing new leadership and governance for the floundering business organization. Those business leaders who joined Crosswhite in the struggle to … Continued
August 20, 2018

BCA announces new executive committee members, ongoing transition plan

After a tumultuous summer for the Business Council of Alabama, one of the state’s most prominent business and lobbying groups, that included the ouster of the group’s longtime CEO, the BCA’s board of directors announced Wednesday a new plan to revitalize the group and a new executive committee that will lead the group through that transition. … Continued
August 15, 2018

Zeigler not invited to plush BCA conference at the Grand Hotel

The powerful Business Council of Alabama (BCA) is holding its lavish “Governmental Affairs Conference” with state government officials at the upscale Grand Hotel Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Point Clear. However, one state government official was left off the invitation list, State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R). Zeigler said that he has been omitted from … Continued
August 10, 2018

BCA stumbles on as negotiation with big businesses stalls

An effort to reunite some of the state’s most prestigious companies with the faltering Business Council of Alabama is stalled, several insiders with knowledge of the negotiations say. For over a year, the Alabama Political Reporter published numerous accounts listing various grievances being expressed about the leadership of then-BCA President and CEO Billy Canary. Canary and BCA’s Executive … Continued
August 7, 2018

Poarch Indians plan to wine and dine at BCA event

In what insiders are describing as a stunning show of arrogance, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians is hosting an extravagant dinner for elected officials at the upcoming Business Council of Alabama summer conference. Even while the corporations, which recently left BCA, are negotiating a return, PCI is flexing its muscle by offering to wine … Continued
July 24, 2018

A move to reunify BCA is underway

Reconciliation efforts are underway to salvage the Business Council of Alabama after a very public split with some of its most influential members. Those close to the negotiations speaking on background say recent talks have been productive, but there are still many details that must be agreed upon before a reunification occurs. The forced exit … Continued
July 16, 2018

BCA formally adopts transition plan

As the Business Council of Alabama ship continued to take on water, Chairman Perry Hand and the BCA board kept on fiddling. In a letter released to members on Monday afternoon, Hand announced that the BCA board of directors had determined that the “transition and succession plan” that was adopted last week would include identifying … Continued
June 26, 2018

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
June 25, 2018