expansion

I am in no way opposed to Gov. Kay Ivey’s gas tax hike for bridge and road infrastructure. It’s been a long time since the gas tax was raised, and during all that time, Alabama’s roads and bridges have not been repairing themselves. I’m all in. But that is not the legacy Ivey should want … Continued

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal includes a $25 million expansion of Alabama’s state-funded, high-quality and voluntary First Class Pre-K program. If approved by the state legislature, the proposed funding increase would open an additional 240 classrooms next year and help bring the total number of First Class classrooms statewide close to … Continued

At a remarkable press conference today, Gov. Kay Ivey announced a massive spending plan that invests in the people of Alabama and draws on practices from the most successful areas of our state and country. All told, the state will spend nearly a billion dollars on a combination of initiatives, including investments of over $500 … Continued

I have lived and worked in rural Alabama as a pediatrician since 1980. I have participated in the expansion of Medicaid for children up to age 19. I am very proud to say that because of Medicaid and the Children’s health Insurance Program now only 2 percent of Alabama’s children are uninsured. Preventive care has increased … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Thursday, January 11, 2018, the Donald Trump Administration granted waivers to ten states (Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin) from the federal government to implement work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients.  Medicaid is an enormously expensive entitlement that costs both the states … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Monday, March 20, 2017, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) was joined by Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia), State Senator Trip Pittman (R-Montrose), Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed (R-Jasper), State Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar, and key aides in Washington DC. The team is in Washington hoping to influence … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Concerns that Gov. Robert Bentley is planning to negotiate a State-Tribal Compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI), reached a boiling point in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with the Governor’s bill taking a fatal blow. Several Black Caucus members are weary of Bentley’s tactics and … Continued

By Jim Carnes Imagine you’re uninsured and thinking about buying health insurance. If good coverage is available, you’d want to know if you could afford the premiums and out-of-pocket costs. But those aren’t the only factors that determine affordability. You’d also need to subtract the cost of going without insurance: the doctor visits and prescriptions … Continued

By Representative Darrio Melton With all the chaos coming out of the Governor’s Mansion in the past month, it’s been easy to overlook the chaos coming out of the State House.  While the Governor has been tied up in a scandal, the Legislature has continued to meet and vote on legislation, which has all subsequently … Continued