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Corruption / State

The secret to avoiding lobbying laws in Alabama

Attention, lobbyists: Stop registering as lobbyists. Look, I know you guys don’t need more money — and Lord knows you don’t need any additional breaks from the people who are supposed to be policing you — but I’m here with a little piece of advice that could provide you with more of both, money and … Continued
February 14, 2019

Montgomery’s struggles will be Alabama’s future if public education funding isn’t addressed

The report cards for Alabama’s public schools dropped this week, and once again, we’re all failing. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Alabama’s public schools are doing a fine job educating the overwhelming majority of students who enter their doors each day. There are fantastic teachers in those schools, great administrators and some of the finest … Continued
January 2, 2019

Can Alabama’s one-party system deliver for all the people?

Alabama is a one-party state. For 136 years, the Democratic Party was the sole governing body which ruled the state under a one-party system. Voters switched sides in 2010, and now there is one-party control by Republicans. Of the many problems created by a one-party system are the elimination of checks and balances, disregard for … Continued
December 13, 2018

AltaPointe Health leaders say merger with Cheaha Regional Mental Health System has been a success

Two years after the behavioral health care and psychiatric hospital system in South Alabama, AltaPointe Health, merged with the former Cheaha Regional Mental Health Center in Sylacauga, Alabama, the leaders of both organizations say the merger has been “highly successful.” Cindy Atkinson, the former director of Cheaha Regional Mental Health Center, said the merger has been … Continued
November 30, 2018

DAs can make the difference

Alabamians are ready to see a broken criminal justice system fixed, and it’s time to let those sitting in the most powerful position know it — our District Attorneys (DAs). District Attorneys are the lead prosecutors in counties across the state, but what voters may not realize is that the District Attorney wields an incredible … Continued
November 1, 2018

Down-ballot races will drive general election according to Secretary of State Merrill

Several hotly contested races will lead to a healthy turn-out for the 2018 General Election according to Secretary of State John Merrill. Merrill is predicting that 35 to 40 percent of registered voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, which translates into around 1.1 million ballots cast. “Because we have some heavily contested Legislative … Continued
October 31, 2018

Hiring Jason Taylor for MPS was Mike Sentance’s worst decision

Of all the blunders former state school superintendent Mike Sentance made (and there were many), none looms any larger than his decision to hire Jason Taylor to “straighten out” finances for the Montgomery school system. Taylor was the Chief Financial Officer for the Huntsville city school system early in 2017 when Sentance gave him a … Continued
October 8, 2018

Alabama Arise sets Medicaid expansion, end to grocery tax as priorities

Arise Alabama, a liberal-leaning statewide non-partisan group that works to better policy for low-income individuals, chose Medicaid expansion and working to end the state grocery tax as two of its top policy priorities going into the general election season and ahead of next year’s legislative session. More than 200 Arise members chose those priorities and … Continued
September 14, 2018

State schools chief backtracks, Montgomery schools mess grows

Never mind. That’s essentially what state schools superintendent Eric Mackey told parents, business leaders, school system employees and everyone else on Tuesday, telling the Montgomery Advertiser that he — the top executive in all of Alabama public education — might have been mistaken when he talked about the effects of Montgomery’s public schools potentially losing … Continued
June 14, 2018

AEA/MPS agreement with state was best possible outcome

Sometimes, a win is a less devastating loss. That was the case this week for the Alabama Education Association and a group of Montgomery Public Schools parents and employees who filed suit to block the sale of historic Georgia Washington Middle School to the Pike Road School system. After the Alabama Supreme Court last week … Continued
May 25, 2018