report

Alabama 4th most dangerous state for drivers, according to report

Alabama was the fourth most dangerous state for drivers in 2017, according to a report by Esurance. The San Francisco-based insurance company used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine that Alabama has 19.4 crash fatalities per 100,000 residents. The state with the most auto accident fatalities per capita was Mississippi, with … Continued

August 7, 2019

New report shows nearly 20 percent of LGBTQ youths have attempted suicide

A new report conducted by The Trevor Project found sobering rates of mental health issues among LGBTQ youth across the United States. According to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth, their survey is the “largest survey of LGBTQ youth mental health ever conducted,” with … Continued

June 12, 2019

We deserve the whole story: Investigate the investigators

It is fitting that last week, now-former Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced his resignation and returned to private life and his shuttering the office of the Special Counsel. Just the day before his announcement, I filed a bill to get some real transparency from those who undertook this costly, wasteful and pointless investigation and to … Continued

June 3, 2019

Weekly 2019 Regular Session legislative report

The Alabama Legislature met for Day 10 of its annual Regular Session on Tuesday, April 16. Thirty-one committee meetings were held throughout the week to consider legislation. Both Houses met on Thursday, April 18 for Day 11. To date, 803 bills have been introduced. The Legislature will return to Montgomery on Tuesday, April 23 for … Continued

April 22, 2019

Ivey administration moves another step forward with prison plan

Several developers are interested in being contracted to improve the state’s prison system, the governor’s office said Thursday, just weeks after the Department of Justice laid out an explosive report documenting unsafe conditions in the state’s prisons. Gov. Kay Ivey’s office and the Alabama Department of Corrections said Wednesday that several developers have expressed interest … Continued

April 19, 2019

Report: Medicaid expansion would benefit Alabama’s rural communities

A new report from Protect Our Care, an organization dedicated to achieving health care rights for all Americans, found that Medicaid is important to helping those in Alabama’s rural communities. The report, released in honor of April being Medicaid Awareness Month, stated that 314,000 Alabamians could gain coverage if the state were to expand Medicaid. … Continued

April 18, 2019

Justice Department report documents horrific violence, sexual abuse in Alabama prisons

Back in February 2017, an inmate was eating his evening meal when other inmates sexually assaulted him inside his dormitory at Fountain Correction Facility, a medium-security Alabama men’s prison opened in 1955 near Atmore. The prison is designed for 831 inmates, but it currently holds more than 1,200 prisoners at 150 percent its intended capacity, … Continued

April 4, 2019

Democrats: Gone fishin’

There is an old expression that goes, “the worst day of fishing beats the best day of working.” As an avid fisherman myself, I can certainly understand the feeling behind that saying. But, sometimes, fishing is the worst thing to be doing, especially when there is important work to be done. This past week, in … Continued

April 1, 2019

Alabama hasn’t taught black history well. It’s hurt us all.

Majority-white public schools received about $23 billion more in funding than majority-nonwhite schools in 2016, according to a report from the nonprofit group EdBuild. That seemed to surprise a lot of people when the study’s findings were reported in the Washington Post last week. I’m not sure why. The majority of school funding models are … Continued

February 27, 2019

Report: States can improve health outcomes by investing in public services

A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says states and localities can improve residents’ health by investing more in education, the environment, infrastructure and other public services. The report found that investing in these vital services can eliminate barriers to good health, especially for low-income residents and communities of color. Among the suggestions … Continued

February 22, 2019