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U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, voted Thursday in favor of legislation to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. The Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act aims to block President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to weaken the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions. “The Trump administration’s efforts to weaken protections for those with pre-existing … Continued

A few years ago, I covered the case of a 12-year-old girl who had been raped repeatedly by an uncle and was pregnant. Earlier this week, the Alabama House of Representatives voted to force that little girl to carry her rapist’s baby to term, deliver it, and then fight with her rapist over custody. They … Continued

The state’s largest school system is calling for an end to the state’s largest ongoing scam. The Jefferson County Board of Education on Monday voted to pass a resolution calling for an end to the Alabama Accountability Act — the Republican-passed tax scam that funnels millions of dollars every year out of public school classrooms … Continued

Leaders of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute ought to be ashamed. They have tarnished the institute’s standing in a way that may be hard to recover from. Last fall, the board of the BCRI voted to honor author, activist, and scholar Dr. Angela Davis, a Birmingham native, with its Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award. … Continued

Now that Labor Day is behind us, the political campaigns for November’s General Election are in full swing. Or should be. While polls indicate Democrats likely will take back the U.S. House of Representatives, nothing is certain. It depends on which side can get out their voters. In Alabama, these “midterm” elections are always a … Continued

If you have turned on your television recently, you have probably heard about the ongoing immigration debate in our country. Here in Congress, it is an issue that has drawn much of our attention as well. Since being elected to Congress, I have held two top principles when it comes to the immigration debate. First, … Continued

Ignorance of the law is no defense, unless you happen to be a person who makes the laws. The Alabama Ethics Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to — for the third time — wipe away the fees levied against politicians, donors and political action committees who violated campaign finance laws by filing reports late. In … Continued

You voted Tuesday on a crowded ballot. Historically, in Alabama we have voted more heavily in our Governor’s race year than in a presidential year. That is probably because we were more interested in the local sheriff and probate judge’s races, which run in a gubernatorial year, than who is president. The old adage, “all politics is … Continued

Last week we made you aware that five of the nine seats on our State Supreme Court are up for election this year. In addition, our Court of Civil Appeals and Criminal Appeals have several members up for election. The folks who sit on these courts essentially have zero name identification. Even when polling is … Continued