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Ivey proposes smart on crime solutions to state prison problems

Alabama’s aging and dangerous prisons have been a topic of legislative discussion for 30 years with little accomplishment. If Gov. Kay Ivey succeeds in building three new men’s facilities, it will amount to a generational change in how the state addresses inmate detention. By focusing primarily on the initiative’s price tag, many critics and temperate … Continued
February 20, 2019

Economic developers seek expanded immunity from ethics law

Leaders of the state’s economic development community want a blanket exception to the state’s ethics laws that allow them to give and receive things of value to and from corporations — solicited tax dollars from state and local government all under a cloak of secrecy. Not only do they want this indiscriminate sanction for site … Continued
February 5, 2019

Alabama executions: strictly a Christian affair

Over 60 years ago, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that “[t]he basic concept underlying the Eighth Amendment is nothing less than the dignity of man. While the State has the power to punish, the Amendment stands to assure that this power be exercised within the limits of civilized standards.” Turning this concept – … Continued
February 4, 2019

Godspeed Matt Hart

For over 35 years, Miles Mathew Hart has served his country and state — first in uniform and then with a badge. Now, those days are behind him as he takes the next step in a storied career. But make no mistake, even though Hart now works in a private law firm where he specializes … Continued
February 4, 2019

High death rate, low immigration levels leave Alabama with one of nation’s lowest growth rates

New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Alabama has one of the nation’s lowest growth rates. “As Alabama approaches its 200th birthday, the state is still adding population but at a slower rate than most of its Southeastern neighbors,” analysts wrote in a Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama analysis of the Census … Continued
January 23, 2019

More than 240 federal workers apply for unemployment compensation in Alabama as shutdown drags on

The true effects of the prolonged partial government shutdown are appearing as the impasse preventing funding for about a quarter of the federal government drags on toward its third week. The Alabama Department of Labor clarified Wednesday that furloughed federal employees meet state eligibility requirements. At least 240 federal workers have applied for unemployment compensation … Continued
January 10, 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

$2.5 million in grants awarded to help homeless Alabamians

The state is awarding nearly $2.5 million in grants to help homeless Alabama residents and those who are in danger of becoming homeless. The grants, which are being awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey, can be used to find immediate housing or to assist those who are struggling to keep their housing. The Emergency Solutions Grant … Continued
December 27, 2018

Department of Corrections hints at billion dollar prison plan

At the most recent Legislative Contract Review hearing, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn revealed that the state is planning to build three mega-style prisons at a cost of approximately $1 billion. Less than two years ago, the Legislature rejected a plan by then-Gov. Robert Bentley to spend approximately $850 million on four new … Continued
December 17, 2018