House

State lawmaker should not continue to give the Poarch Creeks a monopoly

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which is comprised of fewer than 4,000 members, have a monopoly over gaming in Alabama. The lottery legislation passed last week by the Senate, if adopted unamended in the House, will ensure the tribe’s monopoly not only continues but will grow exponentially. A “paper lottery,” as sponsored by the … Continued

Bill Britt

April 29, 2019

House passes bill that bans driving in left lane on interstates without passing

Thursday, the House passed legislation, HB212, requiring that motorists to use the left lane for passing on interstates. State Representative Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, is the sponsor of HB212 and is a former state trooper. “If you are driving 50 miles per hour in the left lane you are impeding traffic,” Pettus said. “I know of … Continued

Brandon Moseley

April 12, 2019

Facade of US Supreme court in Washington DC on sunny day

Reaction to Democrats’ proposals to add seats to Supreme Court

Last week, former Obama Administration Attorney General Eric Holder made a statement that if he were president, though he’s not running, and the Democrats controlled Congress, he would “seriously consider adding two seats to the Supreme Court” to counteract Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s “power-grabbing antics.” Presidential candidate South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is advocating … Continued

Brandon Moseley

April 9, 2019

Opinion

Congress should consider real solutions to health care reform, not buzzwords

Last week, members of the House unveiled their Medicare for all bill, legislation that would largely overhaul the nation’s health care system. You don’t have to look far to see that access to health care is a priority for many nationally and especially here in Alabama. Our country has made strides to improve the health … Continued

Sallie Bryant

March 13, 2019

Gov. Kay Ivey calls special session on gas tax

Gov. Kay Ivey has called a special session intended to force lawmakers to focus on her proposed gas tax hike. Her decision comes after she said she would do so “if necessary” during her second State of the State address just an hour earlier on Tuesday. The governor’s call during the beginning of the regular … Continued

Chip Brownlee

March 5, 2019

Opinion

Organizational session, legislative leadership with potential new stars

The Legislature has met for their organizational session and elected their leadership for the next four years. Both the House and Senate leadership remain essentially the same as the last quadrennium. Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, was elected Senate President Pro Tem. Sen. Greg Reed, R-Jasper, remains majority leader. Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia, continues as rules … Continued

Steve Flowers

February 6, 2019

Opinion

Inside the Statehouse: Further analysis of general election – winners and losers

Now that the dust has settled on this year’s elections, let’s look back at who are the big winners and losers of the year. The obvious winner in the Heart of Dixie is the Republican Party. The GOP retained the reins of the state’s highest office and every other statewide Constitutional position. Kay Ivey was … Continued

Steve Flowers

December 5, 2018

Opinion

Taylor Swift: GOP kryptonite

But here’s what makes this whole thing more absurd: Swift seemed to know exactly what she was talking about.

Josh Moon

October 9, 2018

Opinion

Setting our funding priorities

I know this may be hard for you to believe, but there was a major, bipartisan victory in Congress last week that failed to gain any of the attention it deserved. I want to highlight some of the progress we made last week and explain why it should matter to those of us back in … Continued

Bradley Byrne

September 18, 2018

Opinion

What’s next for Congress?

The House returns to session this week after the month-long August District Work Period, and there are many important legislative items that need our attention. August was a busy time back in Southwest Alabama listening to the people I have the honor of representing. I appreciate all those who took time to visit my office, … Continued

Bradley Byrne

September 4, 2018