Guest columnist

By U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne “Iran’s regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also to the peace of the entire world.” Those were the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addressed a joint session of Congress last week. I was proud to attend the Prime Minister’s address as he … Continued

By Byron Shehee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—Many states known for producing high quantities of methamphetamines have recently been successful in drastically reducing the drug’s production; but that does not mean its use has been diminished. Users are merely turning to a cheaper form of the drug that is being made in Mexico and shipped to … Continued

By Byron Shehee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY —The House Natural Resource Committee held a congressional subcommittee hearing on Thursday to discuss red snapper population management in the Gulf of Mexico. Chris Blankenship, the Director of the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, testified before the subcommittee on behalf of … Continued

By Byron Shehee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—On Wednesday, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the Nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, issued a statement citing the LGBT community’s gains. The organization claims that “many Alabama employers support protections and benefits for LGBT workers.” Furthermore they said, … Continued

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter WASHINGTON, D.C. – Baker Hostetler, the law firm that authored the memo exposing the money funneling scheme between officials in the Republican State Leadership Committee, a national GOP PAC, and Speaker of the Alabama House – then ALGOP chairman – Mike Hubbard, will now take on a new, even … Continued

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter This week, after unanimously losing an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court over evidentiary matters in the case, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange formally moved to drop all charges against former State Senate Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, and a judge has now certified that decision. Barron had originally … Continued

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY – A new study released by the nonprofit organization Human Rights Campaign shows that LGBT youth in Alabama face particularly persistent challenges. Despite this, though, the statistics revealed in the survey show Alabama’s LGBT community is an optimistic one. According to the survey, in which over ten thousand … Continued

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY – Minda Riley Campbell, daughter of former Governor Bob Riley and current lobbyist, just secured her client Baker Donelson Berman, a $72,000 one year contract for determining the median Alabamian household income. Despite this pricey State government contract, the Federal government collects such data through the US Census … Continued

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter RALEIGH, NC – A State Superior Court judge in North Carolina has held a program strikingly similar to the Alabama Accountability Act unconstitutional, saying it “fails children,” and is unlawful on at least half a dozen different legal grounds. The law, called in North Carolina the “Hope Opportunity Scholarship,” … Continued