Chip Brownlee

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter Former House Speaker Tom Drake died Thursday at age 86. Drake was a professional wrestler, an assistant coach at the University of Alabama and served as Alabama’s Speaker of the House as a Democrat from 1982–87 during the administration of Gov. George Wallace. He represented Cullman County. Drake’s sons … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY — State officials’ fight to keep marriage equality from coming to Alabama has culminated in a $300,000 bill for taxpayers — with little to show for it. Last month, the Attorney General’s office agreed to pay a total of $315,000 to attorneys representing a gay couple in the case … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY — Suspended Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore on Wednesday filed a final written brief with the specially empaneled supreme court convened to hear his appeals trial. The brief is Moore’s final filing before his appeal goes to oral arguments. The 50-page brief, filed by Moore’s attorneys at … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Former House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s ethics conviction appeal has been delayed again. On Monday, the Lee County Circuit Court asked for another time extension of 28 days to allow the Court Circuit Clerk to file the Court Record of Appeal. The Court of Criminal Appeals granted the extension Tuesday, … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a local resolution intended to designate Alabama’s largest city as its first and only “sanctuary city” to the disapproval of many Alabama Republicans, including the Governor. The sanctuary city resolution passed the Council with a unanimous vote, defying President Donald Trump’s crackdown … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The regular legislative session of the Alabama Legislature is set to convene in less than two weeks, but legislators are already considering another change to the State’s budgeting models in both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund. On Tuesday, members of the House and Senate General Fund … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY — The Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery-based civil rights legal organization, doesn’t believe Gov. Robert Bentley’s plan to build four new prisons to replace Alabama’s aging corrections infrastructure solves the State’s underlying problems. Bentley and Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn plan to push for the Prison Transformation Initiative again during … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier will soon have a new gig as the chief of police for the city of Selma. Selma Mayor Darrio Melton held a press conference Monday to announce Collier’s appointment and swear him in as the next police chief. His appointment will … Continued

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter AUBURN—House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, speaking at a forum in Auburn on Thursday, warned that the State could be close to an infrastructure “crisis” if it doesn’t reform funding mechanisms. “It is a major, major issue that is so vital to the growth of this State,” McCutcheon said, speaking to … Continued