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Lee Hedgepeth

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PSC to Vote on Inmate Phone Price Regulations

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Alabama’s Public Service Commission, which regulates the State’s utilities, met on January 14th for their monthly business meeting. The Commission, which consists of President Twinkle Cavanaugh, Place One Commissioner Jeremy Oden, and Place Two Commissioner Terry Dunn, went over routine business, including approving routine business items such as approving … Continued
January 20, 2014

Hubbard’s House “Tax Relief” Day Bill May Increase Taxes, Costs

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Yesterday on Twitter, Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Mike Hubbard declared it “Tax Relief” Day in the body. Brought up and passed were four tax-related bills: HB97, HB105, HB108, and HB151. House Bill 108, one of these bills, is sponsored by Representative Greg Wren, who recently announced … Continued
January 17, 2014

Dept of Education Releases New “Failing” Schools List

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter As has been anticipated, the Alabama Department of Education this week released a list of “failing” schools as provided for in the Alabama Accountability Act passed in 2013. The law allows students enrolled in such schools to either transfer to another public school or private school, with the use … Continued
January 17, 2014

Governor Announces Proposed Changes to Open Meeting Act, Democrats React

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Early Thursday morning in the Capitol auditorium, Governor Bentley announced that he will support new legislation that he says, if passed, would strengthen Alabama’s Open Meetings Act. The law, which requires elected bodies to meet in public, was effectively gutted over the last two years by a series of … Continued
January 17, 2014

Del Marsh and Common Core Opponents Spar in State House

By: Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Ever since the federal government announced the introduction of the Common Core educational standards as one of the factors considered in awarding federal education grants through the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top program, the issue has caused deep divides in the State. While Alabama’s GOP majority is usually … Continued
January 15, 2014

Honey Bees, Tax Exemptions. and Other Bills You Won’t Hear About Again

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter All those well-versed in Alabama politics seem to agree: 2014’s legislative session, which begins today, is due to be nothing more than a quiet, happy-go-lucky campaign ad for the (mostly) Republican incumbents who are ready to campaign for the 2014 election cycle. Nothing could be further down the Alabama … Continued
January 14, 2014

Proposed Ten Commandments Bill May Lead to Devilish Outcomes

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter Controversy over the public display of the Ten Commandments has again and again reared its head since the removal of Chief Justice Roy Moore in 2003 because of his refusal to comply with now-recently retired Federal District Court Judge Myron Thompson’s injunction to remove a statue of the Ten … Continued
January 13, 2014

UPDATE: Legislative Prefiled Preview 2014

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter UPDATED WITH NEW LEGISLATION — With the new Alabama legislative session beginning tomorrow, lawmakers from around the Yellowhammer state have been prefiling bills in preparation for what all agree may be a short, sweet session. Republican policymakers on Goat Hill, who are sure to have one eye on Lee … Continued
January 13, 2014

Payday Lenders Unify Against Bentley’s Regulations

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Earlier this month, Governor Robert Bentley announced that new regulations would be rolled out by the Alabama Banking Department to help ensure that payday lenders comply with existing loan restrictions under the Alabama Deferred Presentment Services Act (ADPSA), a law that was aimed at curbing what … Continued
October 2, 2013