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News

Law Firm that Exposed Mike Hubbard in Memo Will Sue Obama for US House

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter WASHINGTON, D.C. – Baker Hostetler, the law firm that authored the memo exposing the money funneling scheme between officials in the Republican State Leadership Committee, a national GOP PAC, and Speaker of the Alabama House – then ALGOP chairman – Mike Hubbard, will now take on a new, even … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 28, 2014

Opinion

Lowell Barron Responds to Official Dismissal of Charges

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter This week, after unanimously losing an appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court over evidentiary matters in the case, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange formally moved to drop all charges against former State Senate Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, and a judge has now certified that decision. Barron had originally … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 28, 2014

Opinion

Study Shows LGBT Youth in Alabama Face Enormous Challenges, Remain Optimistic

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY – A new study released by the nonprofit organization Human Rights Campaign shows that LGBT youth in Alabama face particularly persistent challenges. Despite this, though, the statistics revealed in the survey show Alabama’s LGBT community is an optimistic one. According to the survey, in which over ten thousand … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 27, 2014

Opinion

Minda Riley Secures Client $72K State Contract to Find Alabama’s Median Income

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY – Minda Riley Campbell, daughter of former Governor Bob Riley and current lobbyist, just secured her client Baker Donelson Berman, a $72,000 one year contract for determining the median Alabamian household income. Despite this pricey State government contract, the Federal government collects such data through the US Census … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 26, 2014

Opinion

AAA-Like Program in NC “Fails Children,” Judge Rules it Unconstitutional

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter RALEIGH, NC – A State Superior Court judge in North Carolina has held a program strikingly similar to the Alabama Accountability Act unconstitutional, saying it “fails children,” and is unlawful on at least half a dozen different legal grounds. The law, called in North Carolina the “Hope Opportunity Scholarship,” … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 25, 2014

Opinion

Education Policy Best Handled Locally

By U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne Alabama Political Reporter It’s that time of the year again. Children all across Southwest Alabama are packing their backpacks, gathering their school supplies, and heading back to school. It is an exciting time for students, parents, teachers, and myself. Education is an issue that is personal to me. As a … Continued

Bradley Byrne

August 22, 2014

Work Begins for Community Plan to Fight Opiate Abuse and Addiction

Staff Report BIRMINGHAM—More than 40 people interested in developing a comprehensive strategy to address opiate abuse and addiction and quell the rising number of heroin overdose deaths in north Alabama met recently at Canterbury United Methodist Church to organize working groups and lay the groundwork for a community action plan, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White … Continued

August 20, 2014

The Speaker Says, “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire” And I Believe Him (Opinion)

By Lee HedgepethAlabama Political Reporter Four years ago this month, when Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, he made history making predictions. Even then, with no possibility of a public corruption investigation with himself as the suspect, his comments were news. In mid 2010, the bingo investigation … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 19, 2014

Opinion

SOS Says No Penalty Exists for Missed Certification Deadlines

By Lee Hedgepeth Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Secretary of State’s Office has confirmed that under current State law, that no penalty exists when a political party fails to certify candidates before the statutory deadline, an electoral misstep that has occurred frequently this election cycle on both sides of the aisle. According to … Continued

Lee Hedgepeth

August 12, 2014

Nominations Now Being Accepted for 2014 Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

Staff Report MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Selections Committee is accepting recommendations for nominees for the 2014 Hall of Fame. The Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame was created by the Alabama Legislature on July 28, 1983 in order to bestow honor and recognition upon Alabamians for their outstanding accomplishments, service … Continued

August 12, 2014