legislative session

News / National / State

Arnold Mooney announces that he has raised over $300,000 in 30 days

Wednesday, State Representative Arnold Mooney’s, R-Indian Springs, campaign announced that he had raised over $300,000 in 30 days in his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Doug Jones. “In just 30 days since the legislative session ended and fundraising began in earnest, Arnold raised enough money to show he’s going to … Continued

Brandon Moseley

July 10, 2019

Opinion

Lawmakers failed children in their darkest hours

During the last legislative session, lawmakers could have shown the young girls and youths of our state that they cared about them in their darkest hours, but they didn’t. Two bills that could have sent that message to our young people failed to pass because lawmakers said they ran out of time. The truth is … Continued

Bill Britt

July 5, 2019

Opinion

What is “New Schools For Alabama” and why are taxpayers giving them $400,000?

When the Senate sent its education budget to the house during the past legislative session, the line item for the charter school commission was increased from $200,000 to $900.000 and there was an additional $500,000 for New Schools for Alabama. I could not find anyone who knew what New Schools for Alabama was, what they … Continued

Larry Lee

July 1, 2019

Opinion

What has your government done for you?

I’m going to ask you a question, and before you land on the answer that your chosen political affiliation has conditioned you to provide, I want you to think about it. Really think about it. For just a second or two. When is the last time the Alabama Legislature did anything for you, the common … Continued

Josh Moon

June 12, 2019

Opinion

The bad bills aren’t dead yet

The end is near for the legislative session, but it’s not over yet, which means there is still time for a few more bad bills to slip through. In fact, if you’re going to slip a bad bill through, now is the time. Attention is waning. The kids are out of school and families are … Continued

Josh Moon

May 24, 2019

The bill that would have killed Alabama ethics laws is dead

The worst bill this legislative session (so far) is dead. Sen. Greg Albritton’s rewrite of state ethics laws — which all but eliminated ethics laws — will apparently never leave the Senate Judiciary Committee, chairman Cam Ward said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s dead in my committee,” Ward told APR. It was an odd turn of events … Continued

Josh Moon

April 11, 2019

Opinion

Legislative issues other than infrastructure, gas tax

There is no question that Gov. Kay Ivey’s Infrastructure/Gas Tax Program was the cornerstone issue of this legislative session. This monumental legislation will be a tremendous enhancement for Alabama’s economic development for decades to come. Ivey and the legislative leadership deserve accolades for addressing this important project. They were indeed thinking of the next generation … Continued

Steve Flowers

April 10, 2019

Opinion

Passing gambling legislation should be easy

Don’t screw this up. Gambling legislation is coming — again — during this legislative session, and the decisions should be so easy, so clear for our lawmakers that they only have to worry about one thing. Don’t screw it up. Don’t overthink it. (Which has rarely been a problem for us.) This is so easy … Continued

Josh Moon

March 19, 2019

Marsh prefiles bill to allow donations for border wall on state income tax returns

State Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh, R-Anniston, has prefiled a bill which would allow taxpayers to check a box on their Alabama tax returns to donate to We Build the Wall, Inc. Under this proposal, if an individual wishes to donate to We Build the Wall they will be able to check a box … Continued

Brandon Moseley

February 7, 2019

As lawmakers consider new gas tax, Alabama remains last in per capita state, local tax collection

As state lawmakers prepare to consider a gas tax increase during the next legislative session, a new report from the Public Affairs Research Council shows Alabama’s state and local governments collect less in taxes per capita than any other state in the country. Alabama has been behind in tax collection since the early 1990s, according … Continued

Chip Brownlee

December 12, 2018