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In search of “compromise,” officials plan to compromise autonomy of Prattville library

The current course of challenges against the Prattville public library is likely to end with the library defunded.
September 3, 2023

Alabama follows the law, history in forgoing marriage licenses

For just over a month now, Alabama officials have not issued marriage licenses. They instead record certificates memorializing marital contracts, signed by married couples and notarized. The law authorizing this change is a sensible and principled compromise. Indeed, it might be a model for other states. It accommodates both the opinion of the U.S. Supreme … Continued
October 28, 2019

Parents and adult fans: The biggest challenge facing high school sports today

Inappropriate adult behavior at high school athletic events in Alabama is a growing concern. When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3 percent said it was “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.” The men and women who wear the … Continued
August 30, 2019

Alabama takes step to create civil asset forfeiture database

The Alabama District Attorneys Association is taking steps to create a reporting system to keep track of the use of civil asset forfeiture in Alabama. The ADAA, Rep. Arnold Mooney, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and other public policy groups announced the creation of the Alabama Forfeiture Accountability System. The new database system will track … Continued
March 1, 2019

Leader or follower: The two sentence fig leaf test

After the 2018 election, constitutionally we seated newly elected and re-elected officials at the local, state and national level. You can always KNOW when a politician is dealing with a very hot political issue with two key sentences: Let the People Vote and I am personally opposed, But! This is a true litmus test for … Continued
January 9, 2019

Once again, Godspeed Speaker McCutcheon

When Alabama’s Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon released a statement regarding the 2018 House election results in legislative districts across the state, he did more than take a victory lap, he actually laid out a list of priorities for the next four years. McCutcheon wrote, “Our infrastructure is in decay, and our roads and … Continued
November 9, 2018

Secretary of State John Merrill responds to Joey Kennedy column

Editor’s note: The following column is a response to a column by Joey Kennedy published Thursday in the Alabama Political Reporter. I am confident that Joey Kennedy’s recent editorial which stated that I was not very collegial is a statement directly contradicted by the facts presented by Mr. Kennedy. I do not have a hard time … Continued
November 2, 2018