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Neil Rafferty

Supreme Court of the United States building in Washington

The Supreme Court’s decision has deepened discrimination in our state

In Alabama and the rest of the nation – when it comes to voting rights – we’ve still got a long way to go.  
February 14, 2022

Judge denies Worsley’s request to serve sentence outside prison

A judge last week denied Sean Worsley’s request to be transferred to a community corrections program instead of prison for an August 2016 arrest for marijuana possession. Worsley is facing a five-year sentence in the Alabama Department of Corrections after his probation was revoked in April. “Because the Defendant has fled this jurisdiction both times … Continued
September 7, 2020

House votes to outlaw smoking, vaping in automobiles with children present

Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives voted for legislation to be smoking and vaping in motor vehicles if there is a child under 14 years of age. House Bill 46 is sponsored by State Representatives Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham. HB46 as introduced by Hollis would have banned smoking with children in automobiles. State Representative John Rogers, … Continued
February 19, 2020

Bill updating sex education curriculum fails on the last day of session

The Alabama House of Representatives ended the 2019 Legislative Session Friday without addressing legislation to remove language from the Alabama public schools sex education curriculum that the LGBTQ+ community finds objectionable. Sponsors said the bill would have also made the curriculum more scientifically and medically accurate. Senate Bill 140 was sponsored by State Sen. Tom … Continued
June 3, 2019

Two anti-bullying resolutions pass after death of Huntsville teenager

Two resolutions condemning all forms of bullying, including that based on sexual orientation or gender identity, passed the House on Thursday. The bills were introduced by Alabama House Democratic Caucus members Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, and Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, in response to the death by suicide of Nigel Shelby, a Huntsville teenager who was … Continued
May 24, 2019

Inside the Statehouse: very few white Democrats left in Legislature

The Republican tidal wave that swept Alabama’s statewide officeholders to landslide victories filtered down to legislative races. Even though our legislature really didn’t need to become any more conservative or Republican, it did anyway. We had a super majority Republican State House and Senate. We now have a super, super GOP majority. Republicans picked up … Continued
December 18, 2018

Alabama GOP House super majority grows by five

Alabama Republicans won five more seats in the Alabama House of Representatives, building on a supermajority that was already filibuster-proof. Alabama Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R – Monrovia) said that shows that the people of Alabama have strong support for the reform minded agenda that Alabama House Republicans have pursued since taking control … Continued
November 8, 2018