members

Education / State

We already know the danger of an appointed state school board

So, you want to appoint the state school board? According to Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, all of the voting we’ve been doing to elect state school board members is one of the biggest problems with public education in Alabama, and he wants to stop it. The stupid voters have screwed this up enough … Continued

May 29, 2019

Jones introduces bipartisan bill providing tax relief to military families

Sen. Doug Jones introduced legislation alongside other senators on Wednesday that would provide tax relief for survivor benefits received by children of military members who lost their lives during service. The bill, called the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, would reverse a 2017 provision to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that raised taxes … Continued

May 9, 2019

State budgets: Priority number one

After their successful special five-day Special Session, the Legislature has been in their Regular Session for a few weeks now. The session will end in June so it is about one-fourth over. Almost one-third of the members are new — freshmen if you will. Even though they are, for the most part, a bright and … Continued

April 3, 2019

An open letter to Senator Doug Jones

Stop it, sir. Please just stop it. The NFL referees in the New Orleans playoff game may not have thrown a yellow flag on an obvious flagrant foul, but I am throwing one on your false and outrageous comments on minority voter suppression. You are either totally unplugged on voter registration facts or you really … Continued

March 8, 2019

Hitting the road

Each August, the House of Representatives typically enters a period of recess known as the August District Work Period. This is time set aside for Members of Congress to travel across their home districts visiting with the people they represent. For me, this is incredibly valuable time that I can spend listening to my constituents … Continued

August 15, 2018

A Poarch Creek runoff election captures the pains of the tribe’s rapid growth, influence in the state

Ask about tribal elections among members of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and you almost always get a wry smile in return. “There’s no polling necessary, I’ll just say that,” said a tribal member prior to this year’s elections in June. The member wished to remain anonymous, fearful of losing employment on the reservation. … Continued

August 3, 2018

We remember the fallen

As Americans, we know all too well that freedom is not free. Each time we bow our heads to pray or speak up for what we believe in, we exercise rights that many across the world do not have. These are just some of the unique freedoms that the brave men and women of the … Continued

May 28, 2018

Canary’s survival at BCA seen as a growing threat to infrastructure plan success

There may have been a time when the Business Council of Alabama was a cohesive organization dedicated to growth opportunities for all its members, but those days are in the distant past due to the failed leadership of its embattled CEO, Billy Canary. “Canary is not a bridge builder. He builds walls that divide, not … Continued

April 30, 2018

Week Twelve Legislative Report: Sine Die

The Alabama Legislature adjourned the annual Regular Session Sine Die on Thursday, March 29 on the 26th Day of the Session. Unless there is a Special Session called by the Governor, the Legislature will convene for its annual 2019 Regular Session on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. As the next quadrennium begins after the General Elections … Continued

April 4, 2018

Alabama lawmakers continue to embarrass state when it comes to issues of race

There was no irony in the Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday evening. Oh, several members of the House billed it as such, when the Republican-dominated body voted down an anti-racial profiling bill just moments after passing a resolution honoring Rosa Parks. But that wasn’t irony. It also wasn’t hypocrisy. Because for either irony or … Continued

March 23, 2018