Skip to content

lawmakers

Prisons, justice reform and the art of the possible

Politics is bound by the art of what's possible. It is also true that those who never dare the impossible rarely achieve even the possible.
October 15, 2020

There’s a better plan for reopening schools — if Alabama leaders will use it

Maybe there will be a plan for reopening schools after all.  A bipartisan group of lawmakers is set to meet with Gov. Kay Ivey’s staff on Tuesday morning to discuss an ambitious and comprehensive plan to reopen Alabama’s public schools that would see every school in the state get a new, stand-alone nurses station, a … Continued
June 30, 2020

You get what you pay for

State lawmakers will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, February 4th and education will be one of the primary issues they will be taking on. Lawmakers expect an increase in both the Education and General Fund budgets for the coming year, and that means more resources available to address the issues facing our public schools. One … Continued
January 23, 2020

Don’t let the next decade be like the last

The last decade should embarrass anyone living in Alabama.  Because by any measure that doesn’t include college football, the last 10 years have been a disaster for the working class people of this state.  To put it simply: The rent is up and the wages are down.  Corruption is at an all time high. Murder … Continued
December 31, 2019

Self-interested lawmakers are why Alabama gambling laws are so messed up

There are many, many reasons for the mess that is Alabama’s current predicament with gambling — bad laws, lazy and indifferent lawmakers, under-the-table money, constitutional amendments and outside influences all playing roles.  But one of the biggest is dishonest politicians with personal gain at stake.  People like state Sen. Greg Albritton.  If you’re unfamiliar with … Continued
November 15, 2019

1 in 3 Alabamians stopped taking their prescription medicine due to high cost

According to new data from AARP Alabama, one in three Alabamians stopped taking a prescription drug as prescribed due to cost in 2016.  AARP Alabama released a new set of data Monday on impact of high prescription drug prices on Alabamians, specifically for those living with cancer, pre-diabetes or diabetes and heart disease.  AARP Alabama … Continued
August 29, 2019

Will an exchange between a lawmaker and ALDOT director breathe new life into I-10 Bridge?

Last week, Gov. Kay Ivey invited South Alabama lawmakers and other stakeholders to a meeting with ALDOT consultants to address questions which have surfaced over building the I-10 Mobile Bay Bridge. Much has been made of the so-called heated exchange between ALDOT Director John Cooper and freshman State Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, but an agreement … Continued
August 26, 2019

Gas tax takes effect Sept. 1.

Sherwood Sparks sure would like to see some of Alabama’s new gas tax increase, set to hit the pumps on Sept. 1,  go toward improving safety on the roads leading to his hometown of Piedmont.  “Paying the tax doesn’t bother me,” Sparks said. “As long as I can see some results from my taxes for … Continued
August 15, 2019

It’s time for criminal justice reform

Evangelist Scott Dawson recently expressed a profound thought in an opinion column in Alabama Political Reporter. “Protecting life is a universal moral imperative. At every stage of human development, we, as good Christians and good people, should value life and who God has put on this earth,” wrote Dawson. The role of the church in … Continued
July 17, 2019