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Inside the Statehouse: Primary political potpourri

Now that the dust has settled on the primaries, allow me to share with you some thoughts on the Alabama political stage. There is an old saying that says the more things change, the more they stay the same. This old adage is true in Alabama politics. First of all, “All politics is local.” In the … Continued
August 9, 2018

Border security must always come first

If you have turned on your television recently, you have probably heard about the ongoing immigration debate in our country. Here in Congress, it is an issue that has drawn much of our attention as well. Since being elected to Congress, I have held two top principles when it comes to the immigration debate. First, … Continued
July 10, 2018

Farm Bill passes Senate

U.S. Senator Doug Jones, D-Alabama, announced that the Senate approved his bipartisan Rural Health Liaison Act, the first original legislation he introduced in the Senate, as a part of the Farm Bill package. Jones’ office said that communities across Alabama stand to benefit from increased federal support as part of the Farm Bill that passed … Continued
July 2, 2018

The Republican Party has a problem

Greed is consuming the Republican Party. From top to bottom, state and national, today’s GOP is filled with men and women who will shirk any ideal, sell out any person or group and subvert any ethics laws to enrich themselves and their friends. If you doubt this, do me one favor: Read the New York … Continued
April 23, 2018

Senate does not pass ETF after tensions with House

The Alabama Senate did not pass the Education Trust Fund and adjourn for the year on Wednesday after tensions between the House and Senate reached a boiling point. After surviving filibusters and delay tactics over the economic developer bill and the deer baiting bill, the Senate began to take up House bills that needed to … Continued
March 29, 2018

Provisions in House version of Fentanyl bill could inadvertently increase civil liability for businesses

A provision added to the House version of a bill to increase penalties for the trafficking and distribution of Fentanyl could inadvertently increase civil penalties for a wide-ranging sector of Alabama businesses. The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said Monday he would attempt to remove some of the House changes after discovering the provisions … Continued
March 27, 2018

“Zombie Bill:” Thought dead, juvenile justice reform bill resurfaces in Alabama Senate

Previously thought to be dead for this legislative session, a massive rewrite of Alabama’s juvenile justice statutes surfaced in the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, again raising the possibility that the legislation may make it into the law books this year. The House passed the legislation last week. “For a while there this bill has been … Continued
March 23, 2018

Day Care regulation bill becomes law with governor’s signature

A bill that would license many more currently unregulated religious day care facilities in the state has been signed into law by the governor. The governor’s spokesperson said Thursday that she signed the bill into law this week after it passed out of the Legislature on March 15. The bill, which was proposed following the deaths and … Continued
March 23, 2018

Senate approves 3 percent pay raise for state employees

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter Many state employees may soon receive a cost-of-living pay raise if a bill passed by the Senate Tuesday is approved by the House and signed by the Governor. The bill, which received a vote of 28-1 in the Alabama Senate this week, would provide all state employees working for … Continued
February 28, 2018