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Merika Coleman

News / State

Ivey’s school safety council makes 10 recommendations, avoids gun regulations

A group started by Gov. Kay Ivey to make recommendations to enhance school security across the state released a report this week that highlights 10 ways to improve school safety through physical security, better threat assessment and coordination with law enforcement. The group avoided any recommendations for changes to the state’s gun regulations, despite calls … Continued
May 8, 2018

Sponsor says better House leadership could have saved racial profiling bill

A piece of legislation that would have implemented a method to track racial profiling data in police stops didn’t make it out of this year’s legislative session after House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, pronounced the bill dead on a radio show Thursday morning. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, who sponsored the legislation, said better leadership in … Continued
March 30, 2018

McCutcheon blames failure of racial profiling bill on Senate

On Thursday Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon blamed the Senate for the failure of a controversial piece of legislation that would have forced law enforcement officers to record the race and age of everyone they interact with while on the job. Senate Bill 84 would have collected data on every traffic stop and police … Continued
March 30, 2018

House concurs on Education Budget, passes bonus money for education retirees

Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives voted to concur with the conference committee version of the Education Trust Fund budget. The House also passed legislation giving Alabama’s Education retirees a one-time bonus check. House Bill 175, the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget, had already passed both Houses of the Alabama Legislature; but each House had … Continued
March 28, 2018

House may reconsider racial profiling bill

Senate Bill 84, dealing with racial profiling, is on the proposed special order calendar for Tuesday. If SB84 comes to the floor, this will be the second day in a row that the leadership has brought the highly controversial bill to the floor. Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives rejected a bill that would require … Continued
March 26, 2018

House passes bill granting equal access to all educational professional organizations

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 159 granting equal access to the schools to all educational professional organizations. Senate Bill 159 is sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville. It was carried on the floor of the Alabama House by State Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City. Butler … Continued
March 8, 2018

Millennial-aged lawmakers create bipartisan Alabama Future Caucus

By Chip Brownlee Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY — Several Alabama lawmakers are launching a new bipartisan caucus focused on solving partisan strife and problems facing young Alabamians. Caucus co-chairs Rep. Christopher England (D-Tuscaloosa) and Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette) joined by seven other millennial-aged lawmakers, announced the creation of the Alabama Future Caucus on Thursday. The … Continued
April 28, 2017

Legislature a step away from abolishing marriage licenses

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter Alabama is one step closer to the elimination of marriage licenses. The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, voting straight down party lines, moved forward a bill that would abolish the licenses. The bill, which has already passed the Senate, now goes to the full House for approval. It did … Continued
April 20, 2017

Committee meeting turns hostile after Representative accuses opponent of making “racist” comments

Sam Mattison Alabama Political Reporter Former Alabama Rep. Richard Laird was asked to leave and not come back on Wednesday by Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) after making a comment about the prison population in Alabama during a committee meeting. A public hearing was held in the House Judiciary Committee on a new bill concerning Marijuana … Continued
March 16, 2017

Jefferson County Tax Increase Dead for this Session

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMRY–Jefferson County’s request for a massive tax increase was blocked in the Alabama House of Representatives in an 18 to 12 vote to remove the vote from the calendar. The debate on the bill was unusually emotional and numerous legislators spoke in favor of or in opposition to the … Continued
May 17, 2012