Old3 Alabama & Al State Govt.
May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025
May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025
The following are news articles (from May1, 2025 - October 31, 2025) that were once listed on our website. Much of the information is still relevant, but it was taken off the www.dalecodemocrats.com website to reduce storage requirements and for brevity. This is a good source for history and can be used to help explain some of the current actions of today.
Proposed Alabama constitutional amendment would ban naturalized citizens from state office
Comment: "Pam Karlan, a professor of law at Stanford Law School, said in an interview Thursday that beyond the unconstitutionality of the proposal, there is a question of what a natural born citizen is. People born in Indian tribes are considered citizens at birth since a law passed in 1924, she said, as well as children born outside the country to parents who are U.S. citizens."
" 'As a matter of morality and policy, this is a truly evil proposal, because some of some of our most distinguished citizens over time have been people who were immigrants to the United States,' Karlan said. 'This idea that even if the people of Alabama think that one of these people who’s an immigrant would be the best governor or be the best state legislator, they’re prevented from voting for this person by this law that says, well, because you weren’t born here, your citizenship is not good enough. It’s really kind of staggering.' "
"She said that regardless of what type of citizenship somebody has, they are protected equally under the Fourteenth Amendment and seen as citizens of the U.S."
" 'I don’t see the constitutional argument for why it is okay to treat these groups differently,' Karlan said. 'On top of that, I don’t see any normative argument for why you would want to treat them differently, other than, to my mind, nativism. That is really quite inconsistent with American values.' "
"If 60% of both houses of the Legislature approves the bill, it must get a majority approval from voters to be added to the Alabama Constitution. Currently, the Republican party holds 71% of the Legislature in both chambers. Chesteen said he has talked with the Republican caucus and the members are supportive of the bill."
" 'It could be a challenge working the bill through both sides of the aisle, but we’ll get to work on it in session,' he said."
Comment: The reader also may wish to refer to the WSFA article of October 27th (see reference several items down) and our additional comments to the article and to the proposed legislation.
Colorado sues Trump administration over Space Command move to Alabama
Comment: "Colorado officials filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming the relocation of U.S. Space Command to Alabama was illegally motivated by President Donald Trump’s desire to punish Colorado for its mail-in voting system."
Comment: "Trump in September said Colorado’s mail-in voting system 'played a big factor' in moving the headquarters to Alabama."
" 'The problem with Colorado is that they have a very corrupt voting system,' Trump said. He said earlier plans to relocate the headquarters to Huntsville were 'wrongfully obstructed' by the Biden administration."
Comment: "Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement Wednesday that his state would vigorously defend the relocation decision in court. He called Colorado’s lawsuit 'a partisan attempt to overturn a lawful, evidence-based decision repeatedly validated by military experts, independent reviews, and congressional oversight.' "
Comment: It seems that Trump opened the door for this lawsuit, by running his mouth about Colorado's voting system, which should have nothing to do with the Space Command headquarters location.
When will SNAP EBT cards be reloaded? Delays still possible despite judges’ rulings
Comment: "Just hours before the looming deadline, two judges ruled Friday that the federal government must continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown. However, those expecting food assistance on Nov. 1 may still see delays."
AL.com: Some Alabama counties among highest SNAP users in nation
https://www.al.com/news/2025/10/some-alabama-counties-among-highest-snap-users-in-nation.html
Mapped: The Average Cost of Electricity by U.S. State
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-average-cost-of-electricity-by-u-s-state/
Comment: If you look at the map, you will see that Alabama residents pay significantly more for their electricity (cost per kWh) than in adjacent states, and in other states in the southeast and the south. Do you think it is time for Alabama residents to pay closer attention to the races for the Alabama Public Service Commission?
AL.com: SNAP benefits won’t go out to 750,000 Alabamians on Nov. 1: What to know as shutdown halts food stamps
Video: Alabama food banks expecting surge in customers - October 27, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/10/27/alabama-food-banks-expecting-surge-customers/
Comment: If you are able, please consider a contribution to your local food bank.
Former Alabama QB who is new to politics is also new to voting: The ‘ultimate outsider candidate’
Comment: "Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, who announced last week he was running for lieutenant governor, had never registered to vote until a few days before becoming a candidate last week."
"McCarron’s campaign confirmed to Alabama Daily News that he had not registered before in Alabama or in the other states where he lived during his NFL career."
Comment: "McCarron will be running in the Republican primary against Secretary of State Wes Allen, Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate, Opelika Pastor Dean Odle, and commercial realtor Nicole Wadsworth."
"Allen said the fact that McCarron has never voted is a factor that voters should consider."
" 'You would not put a player in the game at quarterback who has never thrown a pass, so why on earth would you vote for a candidate who’s never cast a vote?” Allen said."
"McCarron, in a video announcing his campaign, said he was inspired by the work of conservative activist Charlie Kirk."
Comment: Wonder if McCarron actually listened to some of Charlie Kirk's racist and misogynistic rhetoric? Maybe McCarron paid about the same amount of attention to Kirk as he paid to his civic responsibility of voting.
Chip shortage will affect Alabama auto plants production beginning this week
Comment: "At least two of Alabama’s automakers are making moves in response to a chip shortage that threatens to snarl production for several major vehicle manufacturers."
Comment: "Last week, a group representing major automakers warned that a chip disruption stemming from a dispute between China and the Dutch government could quickly overtake U.S. auto production, according to Reuters."
"Chipmaker Nexperia announced it could no longer guarantee delivery of its chips, which are integral to auto production."
"A Honda spokesman said the industrywide semiconductor supply chain issue will make 'strategic adjustments to production' necessary."
Comment: "A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said the company is monitoring developments but that the 'entire industry is affected'."
Comment: "The Dutch government took control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia last month on concerns about the possible transfer of technology to Nexperia’s Chinese parent company, Wingtech."
"In response, the Chinese commerce ministry issued an export control notice prohibiting Nexperia China and its subcontractors from exporting specific finished components and sub-assemblies manufactured in China, Reuters reported."
Comment: A good example of how an international trade dispute (even one that the US is not directly involved in) can adversely impact manufacturing here in Alabama.
Alabama officials want to ban naturalized citizens from holding elected office
Prefiled bill would require ‘natural-born citizen’ status for state constitutional offices
Comment: Includes Video.
Comment: "Both of Alabama’s legislative chambers will see a bill this upcoming legislative session that would require state officeholders to be natural-born U.S. citizens."
" 'We feel like this proposal is common sense, and we feel that this insulates our highest elected officials from any type of foreign influence,' said Secretary of State Wes Allen (R-Alabama)"
"Sec. Allen said he is proposing the constitutional amendment in the interest of protecting Alabama. Since he is not a member of the legislature, Senator Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) will be sponsoring the senate’s version of the bill."
" 'I think it’s important in today’s climate when we look around the country at some of the influences that are going on in other states and other positions for our elected officials in Alabama to serve Alabama’s interests first,' said Sen. Chesteen."
"The amendment, if put in place, would apply to statewide offices like the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, Alabama’s state representative and senators and local offices like circuit clerks and local sheriffs."
"Currently, there are different lengths of time that someone has to be a U.S. citizen to hold an office in Alabama. However, none of them require a person to be a natural-born U.S. citizen."
"For example, the governor and lieutenant governor are required to be U.S. citizens for 10 years; for attorney general, secretary of state, commissioner of agriculture and auditor, the requirement is seven years."
"U.S. representatives and U.S. senators are not required to be natural-born citizens. However, Sec. Allen said the requirement would mirror the U.S. Constitution’s standards for the U.S. presidency."
Comment: Is this really necessary? Are Republicans telling us that a person who has lived most of his/her life in America is not qualified to be a circuit clerk or a state legislator? This bill is ridiculous. If a candidate for public office is under some kind of foreign influence, the media will likely uncover it and Alabama citizens can refuse to vote for the candidate. And what makes Republicans think that a foreign born citizen is more susceptible to foreign influence? An official who is a natural born citizen can be bribed just as easily as one who happened to be born overseas. For important Alabama offices, Alabama already requires citizenship for a number of years. Do the sponsors of this bill think a foreign power will plant a foreign influence agent in this country for ten years or more so they can run for governor of Alabama? Perhaps Wes Allen and our legislators have been reading too many spy novels. Or perhaps they want to limit as much of the political opposition as they can, and they'll start with foreign born U.S. citizens.
Comment: The people of Dale Co. will have the opportunity to vote against both Wes Allen (running for Lt. Governor) and Donnie Chesteen (running for AL Senate: D-29) in 2026. In both races, Democrats need to field a viable candidate. So far, no Democrat has filed for these particiular races. Please step up! Otherwise, folks who support unnecessary and ridiculous bills like this may be elected.
This one photo shows how far the GOP has regressed on voting rights
Comment: (Video) Video is included. Watch the video. That's the best presentation. (Video)
From pursuing law despite the politics to pursuing politics despite the law | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "The decline of the Alabama attorney general’s office."
Comment: "It’s hard to listen to former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley without thinking about what we’ve lost."
"Earlier this month, Baxley, who served in the office from 1971 to 1979, spoke at an Southern Poverty Law Center-sponsored event in Birmingham, where he discussed his prosecution of Robert 'Dynamite Bob' Chambliss for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church."
Comment: "I don’t expect attorneys general to spend all their time righting historical injustices. Baxley did a lot besides take on the Klan. He forced U.S. Steel to abide by pollution controls, leading to a major improvement in Birmingham’s air quality. He even got a conviction in 1975 against the president of the Public Service Commission, a man whose candidacy he was touted."
"You can’t envision Marshall doing any of that. His focus keeps drifting away from Alabama. Marshall would rather go to New York to defend Trump, or file a brief arguing that children in the Empire State should be needlessly exposed to measles. He’s fighting in court right now to stop several states and Boulder, Colorado from suing Exxon over climate change."
"Marshall seems to view his office as a platform for conservative fever dreams and a launchpad for his hopes for higher office. President Trump is the rocket fuel. So if the president violates basic legal standards, Marshall will not only cheer; he’ll grab the pom-poms."
"It’s quite a change from the 1970s. Bill Baxley pursued the rule of law even when it led to political difficulties. To Steve Marshall, there’s no greater political difficulty than the rule of law."
Video: New district judge confirmed for Alabama - October 27, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/10/27/new-district-judge-confirmed-alabama/
Gov. Ivey announces 29 new board, commission appointments
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/10/27/gov-ivey-announces-29-new-board-commission-appointments/
752,000 Alabamians at risk of losing food stamp benefits Nov. 1 due to government shutdown
Comment: "With only one week left until the end of the month, it remains unclear whether 752,000 Alabamians who receive food assistance will get their benefits in November."
"The federal Department of Agriculture informed states on Oct. 10 that there isn't enough money to guarantee people across the nation will receive their full November SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown."
"The Alabama Department of Human Resources, which is responsible for administering the program in the state, and Gov. Kay Ivey’s office, have not responded to requests from AL.com about whether Alabamians will receive the benefits that help them buy food next month."
Comment: "About 15% of the state’s population, more than 752,000 people, are enrolled in SNAP in Alabama."
"Nearly 70% of participants are families with children and more than a third are working families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities."
Alabama Arise hosts webinar series detailing impacts of Republican “Big Beautiful Bill”
Joint prison committee meets for first time since ‘The Alabama Solution’ documentary
Comment: "A new HBO documentary is bringing national attention to the problems behind Alabama’s prison walls, and it was topic of discussion in the state legislature’s joint prison committee."
"The Wednesday morning meeting was the first time the committee has held a public meeting since the documentary’s release."
Comment: "Rep. Chris England (D) talked about the documentary directly, referring to a portion that alleges that an Alabama officer beat an inmate to death and is still working for the ADOC."
" 'You would get the impression from watching the film and also looking at your own evidence that the system not only encourages it, but it also enables it,' said Rep. England. 'So in order to root that sort of thing out and make the public know we are aware of those things, folks like that can’t work for us.' ”
"Rep. Matt Simpson (R) did not talk about the documentary by name but did praise the arrests of more than 100 ADOC staff members under Commissioner John Hamm’s tenure."
“ 'Yes, it may look like a black eye in the newspaper, but at the end of the day, that is exactly the accountability to help change the culture,' he said."
"The next meeting for the joint prison committee is scheduled for January."
Comment: Other than the mention of the arrests of 100 ADOC staff members, the article didn't mention any ADOC institutional changes or funding changes to address the abuses illustrated in the documentary. Were those not discussed in the joint prison committee? Are they occurring, or not?
McCarron calls himself a political newcomer, records show he’s never voted
https://aldailynews.com/mccarron-calls-himself-a-political-newcomer-records-show-hes-never-voted/
Comment: Apparently McCarron can't even qualify as a good citizen, since he was not even responsible enough to actually vote.
Former Alabama QB AJ McCarron announces bid for lieutenant governor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E6M6cRlCLU
Comment: What qualifications does Republican AJ McCarron have besides name recognition?
Alabama WIC funding in danger amid federal government shutdown
Federal appeals court halts Alabama county’s redistricting: What voters need to know
GOP Majority Likely to Remain in Alabama’s Most Populous County For Now, After Appeals Court Ruling
Comment: "A U.S. appeals court in Atlanta on Thursday halted a federal court judge’s order that could have shifted the Jefferson County Commission from a majority Republican to a Democratic majority."
"In September, Federal Judge Madeline Haikala ruled Jefferson County’s 2021 districting plan violated the Fourteenth Amendment and could not be used in future elections."
"The 2-1 decision from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that ruling noting that the county would have only three weeks to redraw maps because candidates must live in their districts for one year before Election Day on Nov. 3, 2025. The order is stayed pending appeal."
ALGOP files amicus brief in Supreme Court regarding redistricting case
Comment: "Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl announced Wednesday that the Party has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the State of Alabama in the ongoing redistricting case Allen v. Milligan. The case is being heard by the Supreme Court this week."
Comment: Surprise! Surprise! Of course, the Alabama GOP is supporting the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in an attempt to deny black Alabama residents the representation commensurate with their population in the state. The GOP wants to redraw districts to reduce/eliminate black representation.
Alabama airport shows Kristi Noem’s TSA shutdown video after many nationwide refuse
Comment: "Passengers at the Huntsville International Airport are the only fliers in the state watching a Trump administration message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown."
"Alabama’s major airport administrators are not showing the video featuring Kristi Noem, the federal director of Homeland Security. But the TSA owns and operates its own video monitors at HSV that were showing the video on Thursday."
"Airport officials in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile told AL.com that the video is not airing on their monitors, with many in the industry criticizing the message over concerns that it veers into partisan politics rather than traveler safety."
"Birmingham’s Shuttleworth International Airport was asked to run the video but has declined, said Kim Hunt, vice president for communications at the Birmingham Airport Authority."
" 'The BAA does not display political messages in the terminal and will not run the video,' Hunt told AL.com."
Video: "The Alabama Solution" documentary on HBO Max - October 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLXdGb0Ortw
Comment: This is not the documentary. This is a news report on the reaction to the documentary.
UA College Democrats host former U.S. Senator Doug Jones
https://thecrimsonwhite.com/123991/news/ua-college-democrats-host-former-u-s-senator-doug-jones/
Former Alabama college instructor sues after she says she was fired for post on ‘wicked’ Charlie Kirk
AL.com: Secrecy agreements fuel pushback of $14 billion Alabama data center
AL.com: This Alabama river beloved by kayakers and swimmers is being poisoned with toxic metals, lawsuit claims
Alabama Muslims Respond to Tuberville’s Call to Ban Sharia Law
https://alpolitics.com/alabama-muslims-respond-to-tubervilles-call-to-ban-sharia-law/
Comment: "Local Muslims decry violence, deny intent to replace American law with sharia, are concerned about the effects of Tuberville’s words on their safety and rights"
AL.com: Out-of-state transplants fueled Alabama’s population growth in 2024
AL.com: The National Guard can’t fix Montgomery
https://www.al.com/news/2025/10/the-national-guard-cant-fix-montgomery.html
Comment: "We all want the same next: Justice, and for deadly gun violence to end – in Montgomery and beyond."
"We want real solutions, and that’s not a quick fix."
"It’s not the National Guard."
"Now, let me make this clear, for the people in the back, for former U.S. House member Jerry Carl and other Republicans frothing to flood Montgomery with troops: Demanding viable solutions to gun violence does not absolve, excuse or in any way diminishes blame."
"All of those who sprayed gunfire on a crowded downtown street last Saturday night should be found, charged, tried and prosecuted to the fullest extent. And then some."
"Carl wants to storm Montgomery. 'If they want to send the troops to Montgomery or Birmingham, we will take them tonight,' he blared during a candidates forum in Mobile County Monday night. 'So please send them….We need to clean our streets up where they’re safer.' ”
"Sir, this is for you: If the perpetrators fired with police 50 feet away, what makes you think they wouldn’t do the same with National Guard troops nearby?"
"Sending camouflaged men and women trained for war into the state capital won’t fix anything. Sending troops, untrained for law enforcement, for engaging communities, and certainly not for solving crimes, won’t fix crime in Montgomery."
Video: HBO documentary "The Alabama Solution" exposes dire prison conditions - October 10, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1imm1AVto
Comment: Lengthy interview with documentary filmmakers and discussion of some of terrible and dangerous prison conditions.
Alabama Public Schools Expected to See Significant Enrollment Drop
Comment: "Alabama’s public school enrollment could see its largest decline in 40 years, Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey told members of the Alabama State Board of Education on Thursday."
Comment: "About 5,000 students have been unenrolled from public schools in the state with roughly 3,000 students total taking CHOOSE Act funds to go to a private school."
"The CHOOSE Act is a voucher-like program that offers families up to $7,000 per qualifying child for education related expenses including private school tuition. The program currently operates under income caps scheduled to be lifted next year."
" 'We know a portion of [the students] took CHOOSE Act dollars and we’re working with the governor’s office and the Department of Revenue to figure out exactly what that number looks like,' he told board members."
"The loss of students is a nationwide problem. In May, the National Center for Education Statistics projected that there would be a decline in public school enrollment, due to growth in private and charter school enrollment and the general aging of the population. Nationwide, public school enrollment is expected to fall by 7.6% by 2031."
"Mackey said Thursday he was mostly concerned with the 2,100 students who were enrolled last year that never showed up for school."
" 'They didn’t transfer to private school, they didn’t go to home school, they didn’t go to school in another state. They just disappeared,' he told the School Board of Education."
"Mackey said local superintendents have reported to him that a majority of the unaccounted students are Hispanic."
" 'We don’t know if they’re still living in this state, just not going to school. If they have moved to another state, they did not enroll in school in that state,' he told the board. “If they left the country, we don’t know if they are documenting students or undocumented, because, as you know, that’s something we are not allowed to ask, and we don’t ask under federal law.' ”
AL.com: Alabama sheriff: Audit claiming $5 million in bingo funds misspent a ‘vendetta of the forces in Montgomery’
AL.com: Most detained Alabama immigrant ‘criminals’ have low-level offenses
AL.com: Alabama church vandalized before Turning Point USA event: ‘It’s not Jesus’ way,’ pastor says
Comment: Democrats condemn such senseless actions.
Comment: " 'The damage was reported by church staff members, who stated that the vandalism occurred sometime between 5:00 p.m. on October 7 and 8 a.m. this morning,' the sheriff’s office said in the statement."
" 'Sheriff’s detectives with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office are actively investigating and working to identify the person or persons responsible.' "
"Such acts of 'vandalism and intimidation have no place in our community,' Sheriff Kevin Turner said in the statement."
" 'Every person, regardless of their beliefs or affiliations, deserves to feel safe where they worship, work, or gather. We will not tolerate this type of behavior in Madison County,' he added."
WATCH: Top White House official claims Dothan would welcome National Guard, ICE | WDHN - wdhn.com
https://www.wdhn.com/news/watch-top-white-house-says-dothan-would-welcome-national-guard-ice/
Comment: Video is included with the article.
Comment: "White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller mentioned the circle city while speaking to reporters, claiming Dothan would welcome ICE agents and National Guard in the streets."
"Dothan came up when Miller was taking questions from reporters outside the White House on Monday afternoon. During the interview, Miller commented on the recent attacks on ICE agents and Democrat leadership saying that the presence of federal law enforcement in cities could incite violence."
"A journalist asked the deputy chief of staff if the people of the United States could expect to see the National Guard and military personnel marching through the streets over the next three years."
" 'Right now I’m part of having the National Guard deployed to secure a federal building is important,' Miller told reporters. 'When I hear comments from Democrat officials saying that, this violence from the left is being provoked, their work, by the presence of federal officials. Think about how broken the sentence that is right there.' "
"Miller continued, saying: 'If tomorrow, we went to say, Dothan, Alabama, and there was a federal building there, and we put 100 police officers in front, nobody would throw rocks. Nobody would try to shoot them."
Comment: While Dothan and Wiregrass residents don't throw rocks at the Police and we respect our military, Miller is mistaken if he thinks that we welcome masked ICE agents and that we like Trump's efforts to intimidate U.S. citizens with armed military personnel unnecessarily patrolling our streets. We believe in peaceful protests when a wannabee dictator and his henchmen want to trample our constitutional rights. Hopefully, it won't be needed, but John Lewis has taught Alabamians the value of "good trouble". As far as many of us are concerned, Stephen Miller is the "worst of the worst."
SNAP Benefits Deadline of November 1 Issued to States - Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/snap-benefits-deadline-of-november-1-issued-to-states-10838426
Comment: The linked article describes the new federal work requirements for SNAP benefits imposed by the so called GOP "big beautiful bill." What the article does not discuss is the administrative impact and administrative costs associated with these new requirements that must be born by the states. In Alabama, what is the State's progress in making the administrative changes necessary to comply with the November 1 deadline?
Judge surprised by Alabama Power’s position on Mobile River coal ash plan
Comment: "In a multibillion-dollar showdown regarding massive coal ash ponds north of Mobile, a lawyer for Alabama Power agreed that the utility’s plan to store coal ash next to the Mobile River is against the current law, but filing a new plan won’t fix anything."
AL.com: Alabama authorities shut down ‘The Pit,“ a ‘dangerous’ fighting event
Alabama has one of the strictest immigration laws in US. Turns out, it’s rarely enforced
Comment: "While Alabama politicians have backed President Donald Trump’s campaign to arrest and deport thousands of immigrants, an AL.com review found that the state is not enforcing penalties against employers who have hired those immigrants."
"In 2011 Alabama made national news by passing one of the strictest immigration laws in the country, HB56. It criminalized employers and landlords who hired or served unauthorized immigrants and made schools check students’ status. Even giving the wrong person a car ride became a crime."
"An AL.com review found no evidence state officials are tracking or going after Alabama employers who fail to follow the law today."
Comment: This hypocritical situation illustrates 2 things. First immigrant labor is necessary in Alabama: in agriculture, food processing, construction, etc. Secondly, it illustrates that the attacks on immigrants are primarily for political purposes, both in 2011 and now. It's easy to pass a law that satisfies one's political base, if you don't enforce it and suffer the unintended economic consequences of that law.
Alabama nonprofit vows to continue ‘hate map’ after FBI cuts ties
Comment: "A Montgomery-based civil rights group recently targeted by FBI Director Kash Patel said it will stand firm in its commitment to document hate groups."
“ 'The Southern Poverty Law Center has worked for more than 50 years to shine a light on the threat of hate, extremism and white supremacy,' a spokeswoman said in a statement to AL.com"
" 'For decades, we have shared data and analysis with the public to protect civil rights and hold extremists accountable. We remain committed to exposing hate and extremism as we work to equip communities with knowledge and defend the rights and safety of marginalized people.' ”
"Patel said Oct. 3 that he would cut ties with the organization, claiming the group had turned into a 'partisan smear machine'."
"The SPLC periodically publishes a report on hate and extremism in the United States, which includes a tracker of domestic terrorist groups. The list includes Turning Point USA, formerly run by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed at an event in Utah in September."
"The map has been criticized by conservatives who claim the SPLC’s designations unfairly label right-wing groups as hate groups."
Candidates in dead heat for campaign contributions in one of Alabama’s hardest fought races
Comment: This article is about 2 Republicans running for Alabama Attorney General. Given the massive amount of money involved, one might wonder what the contributors are trying to buy.
Federal judge appoints special master to redraw Alabama Senate maps
Comment: "A federal judge Wednesday refused to stay a decision requiring the Alabama State Senate map to be redrawn and appointed a special master to redraw the districts."
"U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump, rejected a motion from Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen to stay the case. The order comes after Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that she would not call a special session for the Legislature to redraw the map."
"Allen requested the pause in the case because he believes that a similar redistricting case in the U.S. Supreme Court would change the precedent in which Manasco ruled the Senate districts violated Section2 of the Voting Rights Act."
"Manasco wrote that the stay would not solve the district issue before the 2026 midterm elections, one of two elections that would be impacted by a new map."
Comment: Would a new AL state senate map impact any Senate districts found in Dale Co? Currently we have two districts, D-29 & D-31.
AL.com: Alabama’s new pharmacy law takes effect today: What it means for your prescription costs
New “human smuggling” anti-immigration law takes effect
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/10/02/new-human-smuggling-anti-immigration-law-takes-effect/
Comment: "New legislation has taken effect in Alabama creating the crime of human smuggling and requiring officers to contact ICE if they cannot verify the citizenship of an individual on a traffic stop."
"The law explicitly states that officers are not to consider race, color or national origin in this process 'except to the extent permitted by the United States Constitution or the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.' "
"A recent U.S. Supreme Court order allowing ICE to continue using race as a factor in stops and arrests has concerned critics that racial profiling may now be the standard for determining 'reasonable suspicion'."
"The ACLU of Alabama has dubbed the bill, Senate Bill 53, the 'show me your papers' bill on account of these provisions."
US citizen arrested twice by ICE agents who claimed his driver’s license was fake
Comment: Baldwin Co. Alabama construction worker.
AL.com: Pew Research: Alabama leads nation in percentage of Christians
https://www.al.com/news/2025/10/pew-research-alabama-leads-nation-in-percentage-of-christians.html
Alabama continues to lead the nation in jailing pregnant women for drug use
Comment: "Alabama locks up more pregnant women than any other state by far, according to a new report."
"Pregnancy Justice, a nonprofit that defends the rights of pregnant people, found that from June 2022 to June 2024 — the first two years after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — Alabama prosecuted 192 pregnant women, mostly on charges that they used drugs while pregnant."
" 'One thing we know, both from the data and from our work around the country, is that Alabama is among the most dangerous states for pregnant women as far as criminalization goes,' said Dana Sussman, senior vice president at Pregnancy Justice. 'It unfortunately stands apart.'"
"A total of 412 pregnant people were prosecuted across 16 states, according to Pregnancy Justice, meaning nearly half of the cases were in Alabama alone."
Alabama hospital could close within the next month after debt default, bankruptcy
Comment: "Montgomery’s Jackson Hospital & Clinic is potentially 30 days from closing if it does not secure financial assistance from the city, county and state."
" 'If there is no commitment, then there is no alternative for this hospital but to close,' said Rick Jackson of Jackson Healthcare, the Georgia-based entity currently overseeing the hospital’s finances."
" 'That’s not a threat. I’m just saying they’re out of money, and that’s something that nobody wants.' ”
Comment: "City Councilman Andrew Szymanski told WSFA that Jackson Hospital is the only facility in the area currently taking in trauma patients."
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: A year after Alabama signed a civil rights agreement to limit flooding, residents still fear every rainfall
https://abcnews.go.com/US/year-after-alabama-signed-civil-rights-agreement-limit/story?id=126091782
Comment: "Frustrated by a lack of action, Shiloh residents are taking the state to court."
Comment: "When the federal government reached an agreement with Alabama officials last October to address destructive flooding in the predominantly Black Shiloh community, residents thought their calls for help had finally been answered."
"One year later, some say nothing has changed."
" 'We've been dealing with the flooding for seven years now,' Timothy Williams, a Shiloh homeowner, pastor and business owner, told ABC News. 'It started back in 2018,' Williams said, after he claims a state highway project left the community 'in a bowl,' with drains pointing toward their homes."
Comment: The Shiloh Community is neighboring Coffee County.
AL.com: Massive change coming to food stamps retailers
https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/massive-change-coming-to-food-stamps-retailers.html
Study: Alabama ranks at near the bottom for healthcare in the U.S.
https://www.apr.org/news/2025-09-29/study-alabama-ranks-at-near-the-bottom-for-healthcare-in-the-u-s
Here’s who could be impacted in Alabama by the expiration of ACA tax credits
https://aldailynews.com/heres-who-could-be-impacted-in-alabama-by-the-expiration-of-aca-tax-credits/
Comment: "More than 400,000 Alabamians receive health coverage through the ACA marketplace. Since the enhanced subsidies were enacted, more than 250,000 people in Alabama have added coverage, according to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama."
"“If these tax credits go away, families lose coverage, hospitals lose revenue, and premiums go up for everybody else,” Debbie Smith, campaign director for Cover Alabama at Alabama Arise, told ADN. “The insurance companies are hiking prices for everyone, not just those who get Marketplace coverage.”
"In Alabama, some ACA marketplace premiums could increase by about 93% if the enhanced subsidies expire, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That could lead to an estimated 130,000 Alabamians losing coverage, Smith said."
"Health insurers are expected to increase rates for individual marketplace plans by about 20% next year. That increase, combined with the loss of enhanced subsidies, could be a real sticker shock for Alabamians come mid-October when notices go out on the cost of premiums for 2026. Open enrollment begins in November."
" 'That’s our real concern, is that the price shock is going to just drop people off health coverage altogether, or just make it unaffordable for people to be able to keep up with their health insurance,' Smith said."
AL.com: Delay denied: Federal judge rules this Alabama county must act now to redraw district lines
Comment: "The clock continues to run on a federal judge’s order that Alabama’s most populous county create new commission district lines before the next election."
"U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala has denied Jefferson County’s request to 'stay' or pause her order for new maps while the county appeals her decision."
Comment: "The next race for Jefferson County Commission is in 2026 beginning with party primaries in May. The general election is in November."
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey won’t call special session to draw new State Senate map
Comment: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday afternoon that she will not call a special session to redraw Alabama’s State Senate map following a federal court ruling that the current map violates the Voting Rights Act."
" 'As the law currently stands, states like Alabama are put to the virtually impossible task of protecting some voters based on race without discriminating against any other voters based on race,' Ivey said in a statement released Friday. 'I remain hopeful that we will somehow find the ‘magic map’ that will both satisfy the federal court and also be fair to all Alabamians. But as of today, I cannot justify the time and expense of calling a special session.' ”
"The move could set up another confrontation over redistricting with the federal courts, two years after judges ordered the drawing of new congressional maps after finding the Legislature had violated the Voting Rights Act and later failed to come up with an adequate map to allow Black Alabamians to meaningfully participate in the political process."
"The ruling came out of a lawsuit challenging the state’s redistricting decisions in 2021. Secretary of State Wes Allen, the defendant in the case, said in a statement Friday afternoon that the decision to call a special session belongs only to Ivey."
Comment: Does that mean that Alabama plans to ignore a federal court ruling? If Alabama defies the federal court, how does that impact Wes Allen, "the defendent in the case," who also happens to be running for Lt. Governor?
Alabama pharmacy board held illegal secret meeting before payoff to former executive, examiners say - al.com
College Republican Federation of Alabama chair Riley McArdle calls out UA professors who made ‘vile’ comments about Charlie Kirk assassination; Urges UA President Peter Mohler to 'immediately terminate' employment
Comment: "Riley McArdle, chairman of the College Republican Federation of Alabama, penned a letter to University of Alabama President Dr. Peter Mohler on Thursday, calling on the school to terminate any employee who is found to have made mocking public comments regarding the political assassination of conservative political activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk."
"While Auburn University terminated multiple employees last week over comments celebrating or mocking the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, the University of Alabama, so far, has taken no public action against journalism professor A.J. Bauer, who incorrectly said the assassination was the result of 'right on right violence'."
" 'As a student at the University of Alabama and an eighth-generation Alabamian, I can say with certainty that the comments made on social media by employees of this University run directly counter to the values we hold so dear in this state.' "
Website Editors Note: As a graduate of Auburn University, I was troubled to see how quickly Auburn fired employees who were expressing their opinion. Since I don't know the details of what the Auburn employees said, or whether the employees were professors having tenure, I can't say for sure whether they were "celebrating or mocking the political assassination", as Mr. McArdle claims. I don't think he can either.
Comment: With regard to any Alabama professor or staff member making a disparaging comment about Charlie Kirk, the University of Alabama's decision to avoid employee termination should be applauded. In recent weeks, right-wing Republicans have used any opportunity to glorify Charlie Kirk and try to intimidate or punish anyone who criticizes him. Charlie Kirk was a controversial figure, who made many racist and sexist statements in his past. While it is generally in bad taste to speak ill of the dead, it is not inconsistent with the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech. The fact that Professor A.J. Bauer's statement turned out to be incorrect should not be a major factor in any employment decision. Chances are, Professor Bauer had academic tenure, a common means to protect academic freedom from those who want to politicize what is taught at universities.
Comment: Perhaps Mr. McArdle and the "1819 News" should investigate Charlie Kirk's past controversial statements. Perhaps, then, they might realize that some criticism of the man is justified, even though his murder cannot be justified.
AL.com: Alabama Securities Commission ‘inundated’ with calls about Georgia political Ponzi scheme
Comment: "The Alabama Securities Commission (ASC) has been receiving a large volume of phone calls regarding an alleged Ponzi scheme involving a prominent Georgia man, ASC Director Amanda Senn said Tuesday."
" 'We were inundated with phone calls about that scheme. We wanted to make sure the public knew that if we had investors that were harmed, we were monitoring and we would evolve or get engaged if necessary,' Senn said to commissioners during a regular meeting."
"She told the commission the ASC was working with Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen to ensure the money was returned."
Comment: "Edwin Brant Frost IV was accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in July of running a $140 million Ponzi scheme that made contributions to at least three Alabama Republicans."
Comment: "Then Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, who is now the Alabama State Auditor; Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont and Alabama State Board of Education Member Allen Long are among Republican officials who received contributions from Frost."
"The SEC alleged Frost misappropriated over $5 million of investor funds for himself and his family and used $570,000 of the misappropriated funds for political donations. According to campaign financial records, Frost, his family members or his businesses contributed at least $132,000 to Alabama politicians and political action committees (PACs)"
Comment: Notice the term "at least" used several times in his article. Could there be more Republican candidates and PACS benefitting from this scam?
Alabama builders rethink deportations as raids wipe out ‘God-fearing, family-oriented’ workers | Fortune
Comment: "On construction sites across Baldwin County, Ala., workers are vanishing mid-shift. Not because they quit, but because immigration agents hauled them away—the 'God-fearing, family-oriented' laborers who braved blistering summer heat on rooftops to support their families."
"Now, contractors warn the raids are deepening a labor shortage that already threatens the state’s economic prosperity: Even in Alabama, where 65% of voters backed President Donald Trump with immigration as a top campaign issue."
Comment: " 'For years, the U.S. construction industry has faced skills and labor shortages, even with significant participation from undocumented migrants,' Basu said. 'This enforcement push is an economic shock: It drives up costs, delays investment, and leaves us with a lower-grade built environment.' ”
Comment: "Still, he argued, the common claim immigrant workers 'take jobs' from Americans doesn’t reflect reality."
" 'Look at who’s on the roofs of American homes—mostly immigrants,' Basu said. 'It’s dangerous, unpleasant work in the Alabama heat. The idea that an immigrant ‘takes a job’ is a zero-sum mistake.' ”
Comment: "Industry leaders aren’t asking for complete amnesty for their undocumented workers, particularly those who aren’t law abiding, but they’re asking for precision—and fast. After a summer of raids and vanishing crews, Davis said builders are rethinking blanket deportations in favor of targeted removals, plus a legal work channel for long-tenured, tax-paying workers. The ask: a renewable, employer-backed visa so vetted crews can stay on the job while non-law-abiding workers are removed."
Comment: "The economic stakes are immediate. Davis puts it bluntly: Alabama’s builders are running out of time—and out of workers—unless Washington moves from broad sweeps to a practical, legal path that keeps reliable crews on the job."
Meta putting another $700 million into Montgomery data center, pushing total to $1.5 billion
Comment: Good news, as long as Alabama Power can provide sufficient electrical power to this huge, power hungry data center, without raising rates for residential customers..
Alabama works to protect voucher recipients from consequences | BRIAN LYMAN
Comment: "There’s a lot to dislike about the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s effective voucher program."
"Like forcing poorer Alabamians to pay for a wealthy family’s private education. Or the lack of income eligibility limits. Or state leaders cheering the 'popularity' of the program, which has a real chance of blowing a hole in the Education Trust Fund budget in the coming years, as happened in Arizona."
"In light of all that, Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter’s demands that CHOOSE Act athletes get special treatment may seem minor. But they’re also revealing."
Comment: The remainder of the linked article describes a lawsuit against the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) challenging a rule that requires "Choose Act athletes to sit out one year" and also discusses the State's efforts to make a special exception of the AHSAA rule in favor of the Choose Act athletes.
ALGOP Chair Wahl Criticizes Sewell, Figures for Votes Against Kirk Resolution
https://alpolitics.com/algop-chair-wahl-criticizes-sewell-figures-for-votes-against-kirk-resolution/
Comment: What is outrageous is the GOP's efforts to deify Charlie Kirk, a controversial figure who was known for making many racist and sexist statements, while wrapping himself in the cloak of Christianity but ignoring many of its teachings. While no sane person approves of Kirk's murder, the resolution to honor Kirk was inappropriate. Sewell and Figures realized this and voted correctly. I applaud their rejection of this ridiculousness. It is not surprising that ALGOP Chair Wahl, known for taking many ridiculous positions, would try to use Kirk's death to attack his political opposition.
AL.com: More state oversight needed for Alabama city elections, candidates say
Comment: "Candidates of both parties who are running for Alabama Secretary of State say the office should play a more active role in city elections, following a wave of recent problems that sparked voter confusion and legal challenges across the state."
Comment: "Wayne Rogers, the former head of the Jefferson County Democratic party, agreed that the state should play a greater role in guiding local elections."
"In Jefferson County he said 26 of the 32 city clerks ran an election for the first time this year."
" 'They really don’t have a lot of experience in running it,' said Rogers who is running for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state."
" 'So those 26 city clerks were very inexperienced, and they need better guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office on running an election,' Rogers said. 'The city clerk is such a transient position, especially in many small cities. So those folks along with the chief election officers and the people running the polls are not going to be the longtime poll workers like the county has. We don’t use those people enough in running municipal elections.' ”
"Because of inexperience, Rogers said several issues occurred on election night."
" 'It’s not from bad intent,' he said 'It’s from lack of experience. The point is they need better training; they need more in how to run elections because they just don’t do it very often. That guidance should come from the Secretary of State’s Office as the chief elections official.' ”
AL.com: View from the Top: Huntsville won Space Command fairly. Welcome, Colorado folks!
Alabama library must give list of challenged books before funding is returned
Comment: "An Alabama library embroiled in a two-year controversy over 'inappropriate' books for children must send a list of challenged books to state officials."
"The Fairhope Public Library lost $42,000 in state funding after officials decided it was not in compliance with a 2024 rule for 'inappropriate content.' If the library wants to get the funding back, it must share a list of books that its patrons have complained about. The decision was made at the Sept. 18 state library board meeting."
"Fairhope library board chair Randal Wright told AL.com that she believes this is just another delay and the state board ultimately will not approve the funding."
" 'We’re very disappointed in this decision,' Wright said. 'We’ve done everything they’ve asked us to do.' ”
"The state board will compare the content of the books to the 2024 library code change that mandates all books with 'inappropriate content' for children be moved to the adult section. Librarians statewide insist the definition is too vague and could sweep up books that are correctly shelved for children."
"APLS board member Ron Snider disagreed multiple times with Chairman John Wahl. He warned that the state library board does not review books. He said that intervening in a local library’s collection is troubling and a 'slippery slope' to censorship.
Comment: Please note APLS Chairman John Wahl is also the head of the Republican Party for the State of Alabama.
Video: Federal judge rules Jefferson County redistricting plan unconstitutional - September 17, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErE-VsQhyDs
Comment: Ruling against racial gerrymandering in Jefferson County.
Federal judge orders Alabama's largest county to redraw racially gerrymandered districts
Comment: "A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Alabama’s largest county to redraw county commission lines after ruling that the districts were unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering."
"U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala ruled the county map was unconstitutional because race was the predominant factor when the Jefferson County Commission drew districts. The ruling came in a 2023 lawsuit that says the plan overly packed Black voters, who make up 40% of the county population, into just two districts."
" 'Because the 2021 plan violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection against racial gerrymandering, the Court permanently enjoins the Commission and its agents from using the 2021 plan in Jefferson County Commission elections,' Haikala wrote."
"Jefferson County is Alabama’s largest county and home to Birmingham, the city center of the largest metropolitan area in the state. A new map could shift the balance of power in the county. The commission is made up of three Republicans and two Democrats."
Video: Thousands of New Homes on the Way | Sept. 17, 2025 | News 19 at 10 p.m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvcOtye9xOo
Comment: "It's no secret that the City of Athens is growing. In fact, Limestone County is the fastest-growing county in the state of Alabama."
AL.com: Auburn University fires employees over ‘hurtful, insensitive’ social media posts after Charlie Kirk murder
Comment: "Auburn University has fired some employees for making social media posts that were “hurtful, insensitive and completely at odds with Auburn’s values,” President Christopher Roberts said in a post on X."
Comment: "The ACLU of Alabama on Wednesday urged people to come forward if they feel their 'free speech rights have been violated'.”
" 'The ACLU of Alabama also condemns the targeted harassment of teachers, professors, and other public servants for political statements that they publish in their personal capacity,' a statement read."
“ 'Our state cannot and should not respond to violence by infringing upon the free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.' ”
Comment: Without knowing exactly what was said on the social media posts, it is difficult to assess how much the posts were "insensitive and completely at odds with Auburn values." However, it is likely that this assessment is highly subjective and subject to the political perspective of the one making the assessment. For this reason, employment at a state run institution should not be subject to this type of subjective criteria, especially at an institution of higher learning. We wonder if the fired employees were professors with tenure. Tenure, despite some of its flaws, is designed to protect academic freedom from the whims of those in political power. But even if those fired were maintenance or cafeteria employees, these employees have first amendment rights of free speech, especially when communicating in their personal capacity on their own social media accounts.
Comment: At various college campuses, Charley Kirk was a polarizing figure who fully exercised his rights in controversial speeches that some groups felt were offensive. Even though employers have great latitude to fire workers at their own discretion, Auburn should keep this in mind, so as not to appear hypocritical.
Alabama Political Reporter: State superintendent threatens teachers over social media posts
Comment: "Eric Mackey said 'vile' social media posts in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting death could lead to investigations and terminations."
Comment: MAGA threats and intimidation come to Alabama!
Taskforce aims to cut Alabama reoffender rates in half
AL.com: New poll reveals clear frontrunner for Tuberville’s Senate seat: 40% of Alabama voters still undecided
Comment: "Attorney General Steve Marshall has a commanding lead in Alabama’s U.S. Senate race, according to a poll of likely Republican voters released on Monday."
"Marshall was the choice of 37% of respondents, to 16% for U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise."
"Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson got 7%, while cattle farmer and businessman Rodney Walker got 1%."
Comment: "The Alabama Poll conducted the survey of 600 likely Republican voters on August 24-26."
Comment: Note that this poll was only of Republican voters and didn't ask about any of the multiple Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tuberville.
AL.com: Is school choice fair? School board member wants to fight Alabama’s CHOOSE Act in court
Comment: "A North Alabama school board member wants to put an end to the CHOOSE Act in Alabama, saying it’s unconstitutional and hurts public schools."
"Huntsville School Board member Andrea Alvarez argues that school choice takes away resources from public school students and the education system as a whole. The CHOOSE Act, passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2024, allows families to apply for up to $7,000 in school vouchers to spend on private school tuition, home education and tutoring."
"Alvarez said inequality is at the core of her argument with funding a major concern. Funding for the act comes from the state’s Education Trust Fund, the operating fund for public schools."
" 'Our state constitution says that we have to fund public education to its needs, and we’re not doing that,' Alvarez said. 'You are truly misappropriating that money when you pull it from the Educational Trust Fund. So I think that makes it unconstitutional.' ”
AL.com: ICE joining traffic stops in Alabama to arrest more immigrants
https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/ice-joining-traffic-stops-in-alabama-to-arrest-more-immigrants.html
Comment: "State troopers worked with federal ICE agents this week to arrest multiple people at northwest Alabama traffic stops, part of a broader scheme to ramp up immigration enforcement across the state."
"A spokeswoman with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said state highway patrol and special agents conducted driver license checkpoints within Franklin and Colbert counties on Wednesday while ICE agents were present."
"Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver on Wednesday told AL.com that state and federal agents arrested several people at checkpoints near a poultry plant in Russellville."
" 'A number of municipalities now are working with ICE to do roadblocks, and that also includes the Alabama state troopers,' Pouncey told AL.com. 'I’ve had clients or potential clients say that they were stopped at these predetermined ’license checks'.’ ”
Comment: "Evelyn Servin, an immigrant community organizer in Russellville, said many people there are afraid to go out and do grocery shopping or let their kids go to school because there are rumors of more arrests."
"Hispanic residents made up 40% of the city's population in 2020."
Comment: Wonder how many license checkpoints are being held in Mountain Brook or Pike Road?
'Bring it on:' Alabama Attorney General welcomes future Space Command lawsuit from Colorado
Comment: While no one in their right mind actually welcomes a lawsuit, we suppose that AG Marshall was just expressing confidence in Alabama's case for Huntsville as the future home of the Space Command headquarters. Marshall's biggest obstacle will likely be Trump's inane statement that one of his reasons for moving it from Colorado was Colorado's use of mail in voting. This statement makes it appear that the move was politically motivated.
After U.S. Supreme Court reversal, Alabama’s high court will allow unemployment claims case to move forward | WHNT.com
Comment: "In a Friday ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court is granting plaintiffs- who sued Alabama over long delays in unemployment claims processing – a chance to have their claims heard in state court."
"That ruling follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision from February that overturned the Alabama Supreme Court’s prior decision in the case."
"The U.S. Supreme Court had sided with plaintiffs who argued that the Alabama high court’s finding in the case left them in an impossible position. The plaintiffs wanted to sue in order to speed up the unemployment claims review process, but the Alabama Supreme Court had ruled they could not do so – until the claims review process was completed."
"Court records show the case involved 21 Alabama plaintiffs, who were not suing for unemployment benefits, but just to have the claims promptly heard."
Comment: Catch 22 from the Alabama Supreme Court? The U.S. Supreme Court thought so.
Lawmakers react to President Trump’s comments about prayer in schools
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/09/12/lawmakers-react-president-trumps-comments-about-prayer-schools/
Comment: "President Donald Trump announced that the Department of Education would be issuing a new guidance on prayer in schools during a speaking engagement on Monday in Washington, D.C."
"Republican Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) is once again filing a bill for a constitutional amendment that would allow parents to give their children permission to pray in school."
Comment: "Rep. Ingram’s prefiled bill, if passed by the Alabama legislature, would lead to a constitutional amendment. If passed by Alabama voters, it would give school boards 90 days to vote. Then parents would be allowed to choose whether or not to allow their child to participate in prayer at school."
" 'If they have permission from the parent, it’s okay for them to study the Bible or to pray, then they can go to that classroom with other Christians and pray,' said Rep. Ingram. 'This country was built on Christianity, so let our people pray.' ”
"However, the Reverand Julie Conrady, the president of the Interfaith Alliance of Central Alabama, said President Trump’s message, and legislation to bring prayer into schools, are detrimental."
" 'True religious liberty is that my religious liberty ends where yours begins,' she said."
"Rev. Conrady said the interfaith coalition in the state has kept prior attempts at bills relating to prayer in schools from getting to the governor’s desk."
Alabama suit over unemployment delays will be heard after years of legal snags
AL.com: After Memphis, will Trump send National Guard troops to Alabama cities? What Ivey has to say
Who is using Alabama's CHOOSE Act? - Alabama Daily News
https://aldailynews.com/who-is-using-alabamas-choose-act/
Comment: "Of the more than 5,000 public school students who applied to use Alabama’s new school choice program this year, just under half are enrolled in their school of choice."
Comment: "By contrast, of the more than 10,000 private school students who were approved to use ESAs this year, nearly all – 96% – have done so."
Comment: "The CHOOSE Act is Alabama’s first ESA program. It allows eligible families to use state dollars for tuition and other educational costs. One of its distinctive features is that it gives public schools that charge out-of-district tuition the ability to accept ESA students."
Comment: "Why no public-to-public ESAs?"
"Considering the narrow conditions that allow public schools to take ESA students, the lack of participation or acceptance is expected. The law requires two things: the student must live outside the district and the public district must charge tuition."
"About 32,850 public school students attended a school outside of their zoned district last year, including up to 13,000 full-time virtual students, according to data from the Alabama Department of Education. But most don’t charge tuition, according to School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Ryan Hollingsworth."
AL.com: Tommy Tuberville wants to be America’s Trumpiest governor
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/09/tommy-tuberville-wants-to-be-americas-trumpiest-governor.html
AL.com: Tommy Tuberville says he carries golf club when he walks in Washington because of crime
Comment: Do you think it's time we send Tuberville back to his gated community in Florida so he can use his golf club for its intended use? No, not Montgomery because:
Comment: "During an interview in August, Tuberville was asked if he were governor would he deploy Alabama’s National Guard to fight 'rampant crime' in Birmingham and Montgomery."
"Tuberville responded saying 'you betcha'.”
Comment: So, given the choice of the Alabama National Guard on the streets of Montgomery or Tuberville safe behind the gates in Florida, how many of you would like to see Tuberville back down in Florida? He could be the ultimate "Florida man" that you hear about all the time.
AL.com: Divisive concepts are taboo in Alabama, unless you hand out Bibles in schools
Comment: "This is a state where, on Friday, coaches at Lakewood Elementary School in Phenix City took fifth graders from PE class and ushered them into a room to receive Bibles handed out by Gideons. More people than not will shrug and say 'Great.' But not all parents were pleased."
Comment: "Nathan Walters, who has run the Phenix City system since the superintendent agreed to retire for health reasons, told that parent that no student was 'required' to receive one of the Bibles. 'This was strictly optional,' he said in an email forwarded to AL.com."
"Optional, perhaps, but still likely unconstitutional, as courts have ruled. And potentially coercive."
Comment: "But of course religious freedom is not supposed to hinge on majority rule."
"Courts have been pretty clear that handing out Bibles in public schools is problematic, and not just because of separation of church and state issues. Courts have pointed out that it interferes with parents’ ability to raise children according to their own beliefs."
"Which, incidentally, was the same concern those politicians and moms claimed when they began their crusade against books they didn’t like or classes that made their children feel guilt for the sins of the past."
AL.com: Alabama attorney general race heats up over ‘dark money’ campaign fund allegations
Comment: "The race has been contentious, with Mitchell criticizing Robertson for raising most of her money from outside the state, including from a wealthy Florida developer who opposed Alabama’s law banning abortions six years ago."
"Robertson has criticized Mitchell for raising money for his Supreme Court race last year and then resigning and using that money for the AG’s race."
"Casey and Robertson have criticized Mitchell for writing the main opinion in the state Supreme Court ruling that temporarily shut down in vitro fertilization clinics in Alabama last year."
Comment: Are all of these Republican Alabama attorney general candidates unethical?
Axios: Colorado vows to challenge Space Command move to Alabama
https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/09/02/colorado-alabama-space-command-colorado-springs
Comment: "The move announced Tuesday sets the stage for a high-stakes legal showdown with huge economic implications."
Comment: "Trump said he moved Space Command out of Colorado because the state conducts mail-in voting for its elections, making them 'automatically crooked.'
Comment: This could get ugly before it's all over. It's likely that Trump's comment suggesting that his decision was based on mail-in voting, will help Colorado's legal argument that the move was politically based, rather than justified economically or by improved performance in Huntsville. That's unfortunate, because it may hurt Huntsville's case in any future legal action.
Video: What to know about Space Command's move to Huntsville, Alabama - September 2, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuzzAPMhveU
AL.com: ‘Christmas finally came:’ Are 30,000 jobs really coming to Alabama with Space Command?
CNN: Trump announces Space Command move to Alabama, reversing Biden-era decision
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/02/science/trump-space-command-huntsville-alabama
Comment: Good news for Huntsville and North Alabama. Perhaps some additional "rocket scientists" and educated constituents will bode well for Democrats fighting the MAGA agenda in North Alabama. Ignorance IS NOT bliss!
AL.com: Huntsville protesters respond to Congressman’s claims they were ‘Soros-funded protesters’
Comment: "Democratic primary candidate Andrew Sneed said in a video posted to social media that it’s ridiculous to say that paid protesters are coming to North Alabama."
" 'Man, that is bull---, you know that is bull---- and it’s disruptive to this district and to this country, shame on you,' Sneed said on Facebook. 'There were no paid protesters at that event. I don’t even know what a paid protester is. We are in North Alabama, not Seattle or Los Angeles; you know the people in those videos. There were 50 to 60 people outside that event who just wanted to talk to their representative. That is their right.' ”
"Stewart said Rep. Strong’s claim is nothing new."
" 'It’s just getting old, if they’re going to demean us, if they’re going to marginalize us, just come out and say we don’t care about you,' Stewart said. ' 'You’re not rich. You’re not donating enough to my campaign for me to take an interest in what you have to say.’ Just be honest about it. But this name-calling, it’s got to stop.' ”
"She and organizer Amy Price said they are just passionate constituents who want to discuss pressing issues, like how Congressman Strong voted to cut federal funding to Medicaid when he voted for the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ "
DHR head says state will need more than $170 million to cover SNAP benefits by 2028
Comment: "The head of Alabama’s Department of Human Resources (DHR) told lawmakers during a budget hearing this week she was 'stunned' by the money the state will have to find to fill a hole created by federal cuts in the One Big Beautiful Act."
"Commissioner Nancy Buckner told lawmakers her budget request will increase by $35 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 to cover administrative costs, and an estimated $173 million in FY2028 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."
"By 2028, she expects DHR will need $208 million more in state funding."
"President Donald Trump’s tax bill cuts the federal responsibility for administrative costs for SNAP from 50% to 25%, and increases the states’ portion to 75%."
Comment: And where will that extra money come from? Increased state taxes and fees? Is that so called "One Big Beautiful Bill" starting to look a little less beautiful, especially when one realizes that those federal cuts went to pay for tax cuts for billionaires?
AL.com: Trump’s snuggling up to Putin does not make America great!
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/08/how-does-snuggling-up-to-putin-make-america-great-again.html
Comment: Former Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks blasts Trump's support for Putin and offers up a questionable conspiracy theory in an attempt to explain it. Hint, one theory involves Jeffrey Epstein and Russian money laundering. Although one can easily agree with Mo about the shame of Trump's devotion to Putin, one might want to question Mo's conspiracy theory explanation for it.
AL.com: Why Alabama elections look like football tailgates stirring debate over 30-foot buffer zone
Comment: "In Alabama, campaigning within 30 feet of a voting site entrance is illegal. Most voting sites have signage alerting the campaigns from violating the 30-foot requirement. Alabama is one of only three states that allow electioneering this close to polling site entrances."
"Critics argue that it can be an annoyance and impede voter comfort. They also suggest it sends a mixed message in a state where officials pride themselves on 'election integrity.' "
"Supporters say the festivities that occur within the parking lots at voting centers give a positive vibe and can help candidates secure last-minute support among undecided voters. It can also help with turnout, especially during municipal elections where fewer than a quarter of voters in many cities show up to cast ballots in mayoral and council contests."
WBMA: Alabama grocery tax reduction goes into effect Monday
https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-grocery-tax-reduction-goes-into-effect-monday
Comment: Happy to see the tax reduction, but do you think the 1% will put a significant dent in rapidly rising grocery costs?
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Alabama Political Reporter: Opinion | Maybe the Alabama Democratic Party could try something new
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party is not a mess."
"I know that such a statement has likely sent you into either a fit of laughter or into utter disbelief. But it’s true. The party is not a mess."
"There are good and competent people within the party working every day to field and train candidates. There are smart, smart people working to develop donor lists and put together winning campaign strategies. There are good and decent people trying very hard to build a viable second party in this state so that we might enjoy a state government that operates with compromise and middle-ground solutions to complicated problems—the way it was intended."
"You don’t hear much about those people, unfortunately, because so much attention—and maybe rightfully so—is focused on the absolute train wreck at the top of the party."
"That is an injustice. In fact, it’s a grave disservice to those good people I mentioned above, because they deserve better. I mean, can you imagine putting in all the effort to do the hard, complex job of building a decent political party at the city, county or state level, doing that job even semi-well, and then, instead of accolades, all you hear about is the dysfunctional party that you’re in?"
"That ain’t right."
"But it’s also one of the primary reasons why what’s happening at the top of the Alabama Democratic Party is so utterly infuriating. And boy, is it ever."
Comment: Please read the rest of the article at the link above.
Alabama Political Reporter: Full DNC votes to unseat Alabama members
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/28/full-dnc-votes-to-unseat-alabama-members/
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party’s troubles with the National party continue."
"Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee voted against a resolution that would have temporarily seated three Alabama DNC members until the state party conducted new elections under monitoring by the DNC."
"The vote against that resolution came after three DNC members—including Joe M. Reed, one of the temporarily seated Alabama members—urged members to deny it and send it back to the Credentials Committee for further consideration."
Comment: "The vote only furthers a long-running feud between some members of the Alabama Democratic Party—primarily those aligned with longtime vice chairman for minority affairs Joe L. Reed and Chairman Randy Kelley—and the national party."
Comment: "But this is not, by any stretch, the first of the problems between ADP and the DNC. Those began in 2019, when then-U.S. Sen. Doug Jones orchestrated a revamping of the state party’s bylaws, which significantly diluted Joe L. Reed’s power by spreading the voting power of minority caucuses among several new caucuses that represented more groups, such as Hispanics, youth, Asians and disabled people. Those new bylaws more closely resembled guidelines from the DNC, which have long stopped defining 'minority' as simply Black."
"The Reeds and their supporters fought back with lawsuits that were largely unsuccessful. But then, with the election of Kelley in 2022, they were back in control. And almost immediately, they set their sights on rewriting the 2019 bylaws and eliminating new caucuses or significantly reducing their voting power."
"Over the course of the last three years, various matters—mostly related to suspicious votes and the removal of caucuses—have landed back in front of the DNC’s various committees. The Kelley-Reed faction have fared rather poorly in those hearings, and they have been forced to reluctantly backtrack on some actions."
"But throughout those hearings, they have steadfastly maintained that they are being mistreated—usually due to racism—by the Doug Jones faction, which is using its connections with DNC members to cause trouble in Alabama."
"That was the crux of Joe M. Reed’s remarks to the DNC on Monday."
Comment: Why can't we just all get along?
AL.com: Alabama appealing Trump-appointed judge’s Voting Rights Act ruling creating majority Black senate district
Comment: "Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen will appeal a federal court ruling requiring the state to redraw its Senate district map because the judge ruled the Montgomery portion of the map violates the Voting Rights Act."
Comment: "Allen will also ask the court to put its judgment about the Voting Rights violation on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court rules in a Louisiana redistricting case, a decision that could have an impact on cases in Alabama and other states."
"The Louisiana case is scheduled for argument before the justices on Oct. 15."
"U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco, a President Trump appointee, ruled last week that the Montgomery section of Alabama’s state Senate map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because Black voters have less of an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice than other voters."
Comment: Please note that this case involves Alabama state senate races, not races for the U.S. Senate.
AL.com: Tuberville told Trump why he wants to be Alabama’s governor: ‘Can’t say I’ve liked the Senate’
Comment: "Although Tuberville described his colleagues as 'a lot of good people,' he went on to say there were 'a lot of things [he is] a bit disappointed with in the Senate.' ”
"He specifically mentioned the Senate’s long running seniority custom, which provides long term senators with greater influence over Congress’ internal workings, such as committee assignments, chairmanships, and clerkships."
" 'I’m not big on the seniority realm of the longer you’re there the more power you get,' he told Kirk."
" 'I think it should be merit based. Everybody talks about term limits and all those things. Term limits should have nothing to do with it. Seniority should have nothing to do with it.'”
Comment: Even though the Senate seniority system has problems, does Tuberville actually think that his meritorious service in the Senate would justify the perks currently provided by the seniority system?
Comment: Do you think that Tuberville's dislike of the Senate may be due to the national media coverage in Washington that is more rigorous and critical than the often friendly media coverage he enjoys in Alabama?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum exhibit planned for Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium - al.com
AL.com: Tuberville vows to send troops to fight ‘rampant crime’ in two of Alabama’s largest cities
Comment: "U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., says that he will deploy troops to two Alabama cities if he was elected governor as President Donald Trump has in Washington D.C."
"During an appearance on 'Longshore and McKnight' Friday, Tuberville was asked if he were governor would he deploy Alabama’s National Guard to fight 'rampant crime' in Birmingham and Montgomery."
"Tuberville responded saying 'you betcha.' ”
Comment: Tuberville only knows about crime in the Florida panhandle, where his home is!
AL.com: Alabama child has state’s first case of disease once nearly eradicated in more than 20 years
Comment: Measles.
Comment: "The Alabama Department of Public Health on Monday reported the first case of measles in the state since 2002, a child younger than 5 in north Alabama."
"According to the ADPH, the child was not vaccinated and contacted the measles while traveling outside the United States."
"The child did not attend daycare or school, and entities involved in the management and treatment of the patient have been notified."
"The child’s siblings have been vaccinated and have not had any symptoms of the disease, ADPH said. "
Comment: "If exposed, unvaccinated people have a 90% chance of becoming infected, and infected people can spread the disease, according to the ADPH."
Alabama Political Reporter: Federal judge: Montgomery state Senate district violates Voting Rights Act
Comment: "A federal judge has found that Alabama’s state Senate map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians in and around Montgomery."
"In Friday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sided with several groups—including the ACLU, NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, and Southern Poverty Law Center, SPLC—who argued that Alabama’s 2021 state Senate districting plan violated the Voting Rights Act by splitting up Black communities in the Huntsville area while simultaneously packing Black voters into a single state Senate district around Montgomery. While Manasco upheld the current map makeup in the Huntsville area, she ruled that the Montgomery-area Senate district must be redrawn."
"Manasco wrote in her ruling that a new map must be drawn with an additional Montgomery-area district where Black voters 'comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.' ”
Comment: "In accordance with the ruling, Alabama will be barred from using its current state Senate map in the 2026 elections. If the state has not redrawn a map that adheres to the federal court’s findings by that time, then the court will redraw the districts itself."
"The ACLU and SPLC celebrated the court’s ruling Friday, while continuing to insist that the Huntsville-area districts must also be redrawn."
Comment: "Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has yet to indicate if the state will appeal the court’s ruling."
International Paper to make $250 million investment in Selma mill
https://www.waka.com/2025/08/22/international-paper-to-make-250-million-investment-in-selma-mill/
AL.com: $850 million Alabama online sales tax battle: Counties warn of ‘disaster’
Comment: "Alabama’s county commissions issued a call to action at their summer conference in Orange Beach: protect the state’s internet sales tax system."
"It was also a bit of a warning shot to the mayors of Alabama’s largest cities. The leadership umbrella for the state’s 67 counties said that if the 8-year-old Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) is tinkered with, the alternative could be disastrous."
Comment: "His comments come after the City of Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa City School District and the City of Mountain Brook filed a lawsuit on Aug. 12, claiming the SSUT program is unconstitutional, should be scrapped and replaced with a system that does not short-change the state’s largest cities with substantial revenue losses each year."
Comment: "Under SSUT, adopted in 2015, a flat 8% tax is applied to online sales. It differs from Alabama’s conventional sales tax rate on in-store purchases at brick-and-mortar stores, which varies by municipality and county. Tuscaloosa, for instance, taxes in-store purchases at 10%."
"The distribution formulas are also different, which Tuscaloosa and other mayors in larger cities say is unfair because they claim a majority of online sales are conducted in bigger communities."
AL.com: New Huntsville factory will produce 60,000 drones a year in response to threat from China
Tommy Tuberville suggests putting students in vocational programs after 10th grade | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "Alabama U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Wednesday that if elected governor he would encourage some students to go into technical training after completing 10th grade as a means of building the workforce."
"The senator said Wednesday that plan includes teaching students as they are now until 10th grade, then teaching a technical skill in the last two years of high school. That way, he said, those students can get into the workforce faster after continuing their education in welding, plumbing and other trades. He did not say if it would be mandatory."
Comment: It is one thing for schools to offer students the option of replacing college prep courses with technical training. It is another thing to force them or coerce them into technical training for a trade. In the past some parents, in some schools, have complained that their children were herded out of the classroom and into the shops based upon their race of family socio-economic situation.
AL.com: 5 things ‘Gov. Tuberville’ would do: Senator has big plans, but how will Alabama pay for them?
Comment: "Tuberville also said he would like to 'drop the property tax in the State of Alabama,' as well as eliminate the income tax, like nine other states including Florida."
"Alabama generates an estimated $7 billion annually in combined state and local income taxes, making a complete removal of the tax a budget buster."
Comment: There is no way to get rid of property taxes and the income tax without drastically increasing the sales tax and/or fees. These actions are very regressive and would shift the tax burden from the wealthy to the poor and middle class. Alabama's taxes are already some of the most regressive in the nation.
Alabama town’s residents seek preemptive strike against massive data center project - al.com
AL.com: Residents near this Alabama plant are fighting for their right to know what’s in the air they breathe
Comment: "A new report by an environmental group says that residents in Alabama and other states could be endangered by Trump Administration changes to hazardous air pollution regulations for the steel industry."
Video: Alabama revenue chief sued over millions in lost tax revenue - August 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-9fQW0WUO8
Second subpoenas issued as Ponzi scheme scandal threatens to reach deep into Alabama GOP
Comment: "An alleged Georgia-based Ponzi scheme accused of defrauding conservatives, the elderly and churchgoers to the tune of $140 million is now threatening to unravel political alliances in Alabama—reaching into the upper tiers of Republican power."
Comment: "The alleged mastermind, Brant Frost IV, used the promise of faith-based, high-return investments to attract more than 300 victims. According to federal regulators, he siphoned millions into rare coins, travel and political donations. By the time the scheme collapsed, less than $3 million remained in company accounts."
"But the fallout didn’t stop at the Georgia state line."
Comment: "Among those identified as recipients of Frost-linked contributions are Representative Benjamin Harrison of Elkmont, Alabama State Board of Education member Allen Long of Florence, and State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, along with his political committee, Alabama Christian Citizens. Sorrell has said he is in the process of returning the funds."
"Behind the scenes, however, multiple sources tell APR that the scheme’s reach in Alabama politics runs much deeper. One GOP operative familiar with the matter said 'there are individuals who were encouraging investments into First Liberty because they were getting a kick-back on each investment.' The source described a tightly woven network of influence in which political credibility was used to give the scheme a veneer of legitimacy."
Alabama joins nationwide Labor Day push with protests across the state. Here's when, where
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alabama-joins-nationwide-labor-day-180952066.html
Advocates appeal exclusion from energy rate process to Alabama Supreme Court
Comment: "Renewable energy advocates Wednesday appealed a Montgomery County circuit judge's ruling excluding them from consideration of customer rates set by Alabama Power."
"Energy Alabama, a renewable energy organization, is seeking to join a docket to set the Energy Cost Recovery (ECR) rate, a price that Alabama Power can charge customers to offset the money they pay for fuel that the Public Service Commission allows."
" 'We believe decisions that affect customers should be made in the open,' said Daniel Tait, executive director of Energy Alabama. 'Not in secret. Fuel costs have a major impact on monthly bills, and they are changed with virtually no transparency or public scrutiny. We are asking the Alabama Supreme Court to recognize that customers have the right to be heard when decisions about their energy costs are being made.' "
ACLU of Alabama holds first ‘Atoning Alabama’ workshop
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/08/17/aclu-alabama-holds-first-atoning-alabama-workshop/
Comment: "The ACLU of Alabama held its first workshop in its new initiative, ‘Atoning Alabama.’ "
"Atoning Alabama is designed to help people learn how to support incarcerated loved ones during hearings and navigate the parole and pardon process. The first workshop was held in Montgomery."
" 'We want to educate citizens on presenting a complete parole packet that will be favorable for an acceptance or a grant of parole,' Nichelle Cunningham, the ACLU of Alabama’s paralegal, said."
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court urged to maintain law that protected pastor arrested while watering flowers
Comment: "Jennings, 56, was arrested after a white neighbor called 911 and said a 'younger Black male' and gold SUV were at a house while the owners — who are friends of Jennings and had asked him to watch their home — were away."
"Jennings identified himself as 'Pastor Jennings' but refused to provide identification to the officers."
"Police arrested him on a charge of obstructing government operations after a 20-minute confrontation that included raised voices on both sides, AL.com reported previously."
Comment: " 'The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has previously held that Alabama’s stop-and-question law does not authorize demands for documents, and this case is an important opportunity for the Alabama Supreme Court to confirm that the Eleventh Circuit got it right.' ”
"Jennings’ charges of obstructing governmental operations were later dismissed, and Jennings sued the arresting officers and the city of Childersburg in federal district court."
"Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor dismissed the lawsuit in Dec. 2023, ruling that the officers and the city had qualified immunity that protected them from legal liability."
"But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in Oct. 2024 that the police did not have probable cause to arrest Jennings under Alabama Code section 15-5-30, a law entitled 'Authority of Peace Officer to Stop and Question,' according to court records."
"The federal district court later certified a question to the Alabama Supreme Court asking whether, under section 15-5-30, a law enforcement officer may require physical identification when the person 'gives an incomplete or unsatisfactory oral response.' ”
"In June, the Alabama Supreme Court agreed to hear the case."
Alabama Political Reporter: Opinion | Fifth Circuit ruling echoes hard truths Alabama still refuses to face
Comment: "In a unanimous decision filed on Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Louisiana’s state legislative maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The state’s political leaders had drawn districts that deliberately diluted the voting power of Black residents through racial packing and cracking—splitting communities to weaken their voice."
"This wasn’t a technicality. It was a targeted attack on representation. And it was part of a pattern—a modern continuation of an old, ugly tradition. A tradition that, despite what Chief Justice John Roberts once claimed, never left the South. It just learned how to speak in code."
"It was a win for fairness. A win for the rule of law. And a win for a movement that’s been marching for justice long before courts were willing to listen—a movement that never stopped, because the enemies of justice never disappeared."
Comment: "We saw that play out in Alabama—first with Allen v. Milligan, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s congressional map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by denying Black voters a fair opportunity to elect a second candidate of their choice. The state had drawn just one majority-Black district out of seven, despite Black Alabamians making up more than a quarter of the population."
"And just like Louisiana, Alabama’s Republican lawmakers chose defiance over compliance. They redrew another unconstitutional map and dared the courts to stop them. It took a federal three-judge panel to intervene and impose a special master’s map—one that led to the historic election of Representative Shomari Figures in Alabama’s Second Congressional District."
"But the court didn’t just stop there. In a recent ruling, the same panel ordered that Alabama must continue using the court-drawn map through the end of the decade. Their message was clear: the state had not earned the right to draw its own maps again."
"That kind of defiance is part of a broader pattern—one that proves Shelby was a decision rooted not in progress, but in denial."
"Still, the fight continues. Today’s champions are people like Representative Terri Sewell, Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Dick Durbin, who are leading the charge for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—a bill that would restore the protections Roberts and his colleagues dismantled. It remains stalled by a Senate filibuster that has become a shield for minority rule."
Comment: "So what changed? Not enough. And while the Fifth Circuit’s ruling is just, it’s only one step forward in a struggle filled with setbacks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled correctly in Milligan—but there’s no guarantee it won’t invent a new argument to gut Section 2 next time. This is the same Court that overturned Roe v. Wade and has shown us time and again that precedent is not sacred—ideology often outweighs integrity."
AL.com: Lockheed exec: 2028 deadline for Golden Dome missile defense shield ‘very short timeline’
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s ambition to have the golden dome 'fully operational before the end' of his term presents a 'very short timeline,' a defense company executive said in Huntsville this month."
'Thad Beckert, part of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Golden Dome for America team, told reporters last week that the planned country-wide protection system against missile threats may require more time to become fully operational. He said achieving full deployment within three years is a challenge."
Comment: Translation: "Trump's Nuts! He's not serious! It's doubtful that the specifications could be completed by the end of 2028. Forget about a fully operational system." [Translation provided by local Dale Co. website editor having some knowledge of government procurement of large, technically challenging, engineering projects.]
Video: Judges Rule State Can't Redraw Congressional Map Until 2030 | Aug. 11, 2025 | News 19 at 6 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcaXQKNitzk
AL.com: 2 Alabama TV stations being sold in 10-station, $171 million deal
https://www.al.com/news/2025/08/2-alabama-tv-stations-being-sold-in-10-station-171-million-deal.html
Comment: Will television media consolidation impact coverage of Alabama politics?
Politico: Federal court says Alabama must use map that creates 2nd Black majority district
Comment: "Alabama must use independently drawn congressional maps that created a second Black-majority district more favorable to Democrats in the state for the rest of the decade, a federal court said Thursday."
"A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled unanimously that the state must use the map drawn up by a court-appointed special master until regular redistricting is scheduled to be done in 2030."
Comment: No mid-census redistricting here in Alabama, liked that proposed in Texas.
AL.com: Alabama Power gets green light to pay for new gas plant with utility bill increase
Comment: "Alabama Power just got the green light to buy a gas power plant and pay for it with an increase to utility bills."
Comment: "Environmental advocates objected to the sale. The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing environmental nonprofits Energy Alabama and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, argued in April that Alabama Power did not sufficiently prove that it needed more energy capacity. They also said that the company had not shown that purchasing Lindsay Hill was the most cost-effective way to add capacity."
" 'Once again, Alabama Power did not consider clean, low-cost options like solar, batteries, and energy efficiency programs and opted to double down on methane gas,' said Christina Tidwell, a senior attorney in SELC’s Alabama office, in a news release. 'Alabama will continue to lag behind other states in cost effective, renewable energy, like solar, if our leaders approve investment in harmful energy sources instead of clean, renewable options.' "
"In Alabama Power’s 2023 request for proposals to increase its capacity, the company told possible vendors not to submit solar energy plans."
State Rep. Marques looking ‘at options’ for congressional bid if Moore leaves
https://aldailynews.com/state-rep-marques-looking-at-options-for-congressional-bid-if-moore-leaves/
Comment: "Republican Rhett Marques, a two-term Alabama House member from Enterprise, confirmed to Alabama Daily News Wednesday he will consider a bid for Congress if current U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, runs for U.S. Senate."
"Moore is making a 'big' announcement Aug. 15 and is expected to try to replace U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor."
" 'We’re just waiting to see what Barry does, and we’ll take a look at what the options hold,' Marques told ADN Wednesday morning. 'I’m happy in the Alabama House, but if Barry does run for Senate, we’ll look at options, see what doors open, and go from there.' ”
Alabama officials return some campaign donations tied to alleged Georgia Ponzi scheme
Comment: "Alabama officials have returned at least $58,800 of contributions stemming from an alleged Georgia-based Ponzi scheme, according to campaign finance records."
"Edwin Brant Frost IV, members of his family or his businesses made at least $132,000 in contributions to Alabama politicians and political action committees (PACs), including then-Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, now the Alabama state auditor and current candidate for Secretary of State; Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont, and Alabama State Board of Education member Allen Long."
Video: Alabama lawmakers celebrate Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' in White House video - August 6, 2025
Comment: Democrats in the counties served by these 2 north Alabama legislators should keep a copy of this video so they can show it to their constituents after the adverse impacts of the "Big Beautiful Bill" become apparent." Wonder how much, if any, Republican campaign funding they got for making the White House video?
Candidates in high-profile, high-dollar AG race talk dark money and resigned seat
Comment: "The two frontrunners candidates for Alabama attorney general touted their July fundraising on Tuesday and criticized their opponent’s funding sources."
"Republicans Jay Mitchell and Katherine Robertson’s campaigns have now taken in more than $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, with more than nine months until the May 19 primary. "
"In a written statement, Mitchell’s campaign highlighted the near $405,000 in campaign donations he received in July, most of which came from in-state donors or PACs."
" 'The vast majority of Mitchell’s donors are from within the state, while his opponent’s campaign is funded almost entirely from more than $1 million of out-of-state dark money,' the statement said. 'Jay Mitchell is committed to pursuing funds from Alabama groups who are aligned with President Trump’s conservative agenda.' ”
"Although the statement didn’t name the opponent, Robertson received $1 million from First Principles Action, Inc., a nonprofit in Nashville run by the former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, in June. She also has a $100,000 contribution from the group this month."
Comment: " 'Katherine Robertson has raised more than $1.5 million since launching her campaign just 60 days ago; an impressive achievement as the only first-time candidate in this race,' a campaign spokesman said in response."
Comment: " 'Mr. Mitchell raised much of his campaign contributions, not as a candidate for Attorney General, but as a candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court—a seat that he ran for last fall, won, and promptly resigned from,' it said."
Comment: Do you trust the ethics of either of these 2 candidates running to be one of the highest legal authorities in Alabama?
Frontrunners in statewide races continue to raise significant sums per July reports
Comment: "The Republican primary for attorney general also looks likely to be a two-person race, at least as far as fundraising goes."
"On Monday, candidate Katherine Robertson filed another major contribution report disclosing a $100,000 donation from First Principles Action, Inc. A Tennessee-based nonprofit founded in November 2024, First Principles Action, already directed a $1 million donation to Robertson earlier this year."
"The similarly named First Principles Foundation, founded on the same day with the same registered agent and address, is led by Peter Bisbee, the former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Foundation. In July, a state official told APR columnist Josh Moon that the previous $1 million donation was 'obviously a way around Alabama’s laws that prioritize disclosure of donation sources.' "
Comment: Are these and other large contributors trying to buy Alabama government?
AL.com: Where the summer COVID-19 infections are hitting hardest: Bad news for Alabama
Comment: "Alabama is among a handful of states with a high level of COVID-19 virus in the sewage system, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday."
"Scientists test wastewater to determine the prevalence of infections, aiming to capture those who may or may not be symptomatic or visit the hospital."
"While for most of the country, wastewater viral activity level for coronavirus is currently low, Alabama is one of seven states where it is high. Others are Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana, California, Texas and Alaska, with the last two very high. "
Comment: Meanwhile, RFK Jr. just cut $500M from vaccine development, including that for Covid.
WVTM: 'We would like the unedited video': Supporters push for bodycam footage release in Jabari Peoples' case
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-birmingham-jabari-peoples-black-lives-matter/65596062
Comment: "A group of people gathered at the courthouse steps in Birmingham to support Jabari Peoples' family in their efforts to obtain bodycam footage from the night Peoples was shot and killed by a Homewood police officer."
AL.com: Union election coming up this week at Alabama auto plant
https://www.al.com/news/2025/08/union-election-coming-up-this-week-at-alabama-auto-plant.html
Wes Allen reminds Alabamians to register to vote before municipal elections
Comment: Have to agree with Wes Allen on this particular statement. Be sure to register (and check your voter registration) on or before August 11, 2025.
Alabama Republican Party votes to disqualify GOP officials who appoint Democrats
Comment: "The Alabama Republican Party Saturday approved a new rule that would allow the party to disqualify an elected GOP official if they appoint a Democrat to a position during their term."
"About 83% of the attendants at the GOP Summer Meeting in Montgomery voted for the rule that prohibits elected partisan officials from appointing people other than Republicans. Suzelle Josey, a former candidate for Senate District 30 in 2014, wrote the rule change."
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party’s bylaws do not have a similar rule."
Comment: This rule change clearly illustrates the mindset of the Alabama Republican party. Don't consider the best candidates for appointment, regardless of political party. Instead pick a party hack, who may not be the best qualified. Don't consider that this choice might adversely impact the constituents the official is supposed to represent. After all, according to the Alabama Republican party, the Party comes first, the constituents second.
Capped Alabama coal ash pond still polluting groundwater 7 years after closure, lawsuit claims
Comment: "The coal ash lagoon at Alabama Power’s Plant Gadsden was supposed to be a model for how to close ash ponds by covering them in place, a process utilities insisted would protect human health and the environment from toxic contaminants in the ash."
"Now, groundwater monitoring data and a federal lawsuit are challenging that contention."
"The ash pond was the first in Alabama to be closed with a cover-in-place system in 2018, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 coal ash rules, and Alabama Power planned to use the same basic technique at the coal ash ponds for five other power plants across the state."
Opinion | Vaccines matter to you, me and Alabama
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/01/opinion-vaccines-matter-to-you-me-and-alabama/
Comment: "When you vaccinate, you protect your grandmother with asthma, the coworker in chemotherapy and the preemie next door who is still too small for shots."
Comment: "Misinformation remains our toughest rival. Vaccines are the most closely monitored medical products in history; side effects are generally mild and fleeting, while the diseases they prevent can kill. If you have questions, bring them to a live physician, not to a chatbot or some random comment thread."
‘Some of the worst of the worst’: Defense team speaks on new lawsuits targeting Henry Co. youth facility
https://share.newsbreak.com/ecoomgqr
Comment: "Earlier this week, Birmingham attorneys Tommy James and Jeremy Knowles, along with Pensacola attorney Caleb Cunningham, filed two lawsuits against Camp SAYLA."
"A state-funded youth facility that was used to house non-violent at-risk teens."
"Each lawsuit targets former Camp SAYLA staff member Kenyatta Danzey, accusing him of abusing the children by hitting them with broomsticks, throwing them in trash cans, and much more."
"The camp was described as a 'house of horrors' environment."
Comment: "Camp SAYLA is known as the Southeast Alabama Youth Leadership Academy and was contracted with the Alabama Department of Youth Services."
"But this is not the first time the facility or Danzey has been in the spotlight.:
"Danzey was arrested in January 2024 and charged with 17 counts of child abuse, ultimately leading to Camp SAYLA’s license being suspended."
"As of now, the license has been reinstated, but the facility remains closed due to a failed inspection."
Lawsuit: Alabama teens abused, forced to fight at state-funded youth camp
Comment: "Two lawsuits filed Wednesday against Camp SAYLA, a youth residential facility in Henry County, allege brutal abuse and systemic neglect of children in its care. The lawsuits describe a 'house of horrors' environment where children were beaten with broomsticks, assaulted with socks filled with potatoes, thrown into trash cans, and forced to fight each other for rewards in a staff-created 'bounty system.' ”
Video: UAB, UnitedHealthcare reach agreement on new insurance contract - July 31, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yNfMCWZ8NI
Judges Hear Alabama Congressional Map Arguments
Comment: "A three-judge panel on Tuesday heard arguments from the state of Alabama and plaintiffs in the Allen v. Milligan case about whether the panel should require the state to submit to preclearance of its 2030 Congressional district map."
"Allen v. Milligan is the case that led the same three-judge panel to conclude that the state had deliberately diluted the voting power of Black voters and order a special remedial map creating two majority-minority districts. The ruling survived an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court."
"Deuel Ross, lead counsel for the Milligan plaintiffs, argued before the court that the actions of the state—including drawing remedial maps that disregarded the court’s orders—are the reason why preclearance is a remedy under the Voting Rights Act."
AL.com: Alabama Power coal ash pond leaks harmful metals into Coosa River, new lawsuit alleges
Comment: "One of Alabama Power’s coal ash ponds is leaking harmful metals into the groundwater, according to a new federal lawsuit filed today."
"Coosa Riverkeeper is suing Alabama Power, alleging that its unlined coal ash pond at the former Gadsden Steam Power Plant poses a health and environmental risk to those who live nearby and use the Coosa River and Neely Henry Lake."
Alabama Public Television may drop NPR programming after federal funding cuts
https://share.newsbreak.com/eae3700z
Video: Legal battle over Alabama’s congressional map continues - July 29, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/07/29/legal-battle-over-alabamas-congressional-map-continues/
Federal judges to consider putting Alabama under preclearance requirement
https://aldailynews.com/federal-judges-to-consider-putting-alabama-under-preclearance-requirement/
Comment: "A three-judge federal panel will hear arguments Tuesday to decide whether Alabama should be subject to preclearance under the Voting Rights Act for drawing future congressional maps."
"Civil rights groups are asking for the state to be subject to preclearance, which requires federal officials to approve any redistricting plans, after a federal court ruled the congressional maps drawn by Alabama’s Legislature in 2021 and 2023 were racially discriminatory. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling that the 2021 map diluted Black voters’ strength."
Court to hear arguments Tuesday on whether to subject Alabama to preclearance
Senator Tommy Tuberville believes national debt can be reduced through tariffs
Comment: Watch the included video. Does Tuberville understand that tariffs ARE taxes imposed upon the American consumer? They are one of the most regressive forms of taxes, proportionally impacting poor and middle class consumers much more than the wealthy. Yes, as with any massive tax increase, the funds collected may help reduce the national debt in the short run. However, at what cost to our consumer driven economy in the long term?
CBS News: How faulty drug tests are turning new moms' lives upside-down
https://www.cbsnews.com/falsepositives/
Comment: "A new mother from Alabama is warning pregnant patients after she says eating an 'everything bagel' for breakfast before giving birth to her second child upended her family last spring."
Comment: "The bagel Katie ate was seasoned with poppy seeds, which come from the same plant cultivated for the production of opiates like morphine and codeine and can trigger a false positive test result for opiates. The fact that poppy seeds can cause a false positive test result is well documented. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense even issued a warning in 2023 to service members that 'consumption of poppy seed products could result in a codeine positive urinalysis result.' "
Comment: "Hours after giving birth at Crestwood Medical Center, Katie feared both of her children could be taken away, when a member of the Alabama Department of Human Resources showed up in her hospital room to discuss her positive drug screen. The state social worker asked Katie to sign a safety plan, a written agreement between a parent and CPS that outlines specific steps to be taken to ensure the safety and protection of a child amid an ongoing investigation."
Comment: "Katie said she was told both of her children would be removed from her custody if she didn't sign the safety plan. Overwhelmed by the terrifying thoughts racing in her head, Katie signed the plan."
"For nearly a month, Katie said she was only allowed monitored time with her children. And although she was breastfeeding her newborn, she still had to leave her home every night when everyone was asleep and only return in the morning when she could be supervised."
AL.com: Alabama schools to regain $68 million frozen while feds searched for ‘radical leftwing’ programs
Comment: "After a monthlong freeze, Alabama schools will regain access to nearly $70 million in federal funds that were under review by the Trump administration."
Comment: "In withholding the funds, the federal Office of Management and Budget, said some of the programs supported a 'radical leftwing agenda,' according to the Associated Press."
"Two dozen states sued the office in mid-July, alleging that the move violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which requires any executive withholdings of budget authority to be reviewed by Congress."
Alabama foster kids forced to sleep in DHR offices | WKRG.com
https://www.wkrg.com/news/alabama-foster-kids-forced-to-sleep-in-dhr-offices/
NBC News: Seven charged in child sex ring run out of Alabama concrete bunker, sheriff says
Candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor: Tommy Tuberville’s ‘going to need my help’ - al.com
Comment: " 'I’m pretty good friends with Tuberville,' Pate told the River Region Republicans at a luncheon Tuesday at Farmers Market Café in Montgomery."
" 'Him and I probably talked six or so times and been together two or three times this spring.' ”
Comment: Although Pate's grasp of English grammar seems a little shaky, it's hard to argue with his basic premise that Tuberville is going to need somebody's help. Do you think if Tuberville is elected we're all going to need a lot of help?
AL.com: UAB cuts some spending, hiring amid federal grant losses, ‘uncertainty’
Video: Protesters gather in Homewood for Jabari Peoples - July 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uocXbPNPTEI
Comment: Protest against Alabama's refusal to release video of shooting of black student in Homewood.
Dr. Will Boyd, Democratic candidate for governor of Alabama, talks Tuberville, Medicaid expansion - Includes Video
https://share.google/3fx42Gwvqt62hIkY3
Video: Big, Beautiful Bill's Effect on Snap Benefits | July 21, 2025 | News 19 at 5 p.m. - July 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzLRIM7QR4
Alabama Democrats say they now have chairs in all 67 state counties
AL.com: Trump’s approval ratings crashing in states that loved him, including Alabama
Comment: "Over 30,000 poll responses compiled by Civiqs shows Trump’s approval rating declining in states he won in November 2024, like Alabama and Texas."
Comment: "His current net approval rating in Alabama sits at 13%, a 9% drop from the net 22% recorded in April."
"This reflects a continuous decline in Trump’s approval rating among Alabama voters, according to several previous polls."
Comment: Unfortunately, I think a 13% net approval rating means that 13% more Alabamians approve of Trump than disapprove of him. How do we inform folks of his unpopular and dangerous actions?
AL.com: Arrests of Alabama immigrants soar as local deputies become ‘mini-immigration officers’
NBC News: Alabama governor backs withholding video of officer fatally shooting Black student
Comment: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is supporting a state agency’s refusal to release body camera footage in the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old Black college freshman, saying the case must first be thoroughly investigated."
Comment: Do you think this refusal undermines the credibility of law enforcement, the justice system, and state government in general?
AP News: Lawyer says an Alabama teen who was killed by police was shot in the back
AL.com: Beeker announces run for full term on PSC: ‘Continue fighting for Alabama families’
Comment: "Chris Beeker announced today that he’s running to keep his seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission."
" 'I’m running to continue fighting for Alabama families, farmers, and energy freedom,' Beeker said in a news release. 'From my work with President Trump at the USDA to my current role on the Public Service Commission, I have stood strong for Alabama values and America First policies. Now more than ever, we need conservative leadership to protect our way of life.' "
Comment: What does Donald Trump and "America First policies" have to do with overseeing public utilities here in Alabama and keeping Alabama Power and other utilities from overcharging the public?
AL.com: Former Alabama Supreme Court justice picks up key endorsement in heated race
Comment: "Jay Mitchell, who resigned from the Alabama Supreme Court to run for attorney general, got a boost to his campaign on Monday."
"Progress PAC, the political action committee of the Business Council of Alabama, endorsed Mitchell."
"Mitchell faces Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey and Ketherine Robertson, chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall, in the Republican primary."
Comment: Please note that in the Republican primary, support from a political action committee (PAC), as opposed to a civic group or legal organization, constitutes a "key endorsement."
AL.com: Alabama police know they don’t have to show bodycam videos to families: ‘Why hide it?’
Comment: "Across the state — in Decatur, Bay Minette, Huntsville, Madison, and Montgomery — the pattern repeats: Someone dies in police custody, grieving families ask for body camera footage, and authorities often say no with the same refrain: 'Due to an ongoing investigation.' "
Comment: "While there’s no law or court ruling that says they can’t show the footage, in Alabama, that only tends to happen when the videos are convenient for police, or if a judge orders it released years after the fact."
Axios: New Medicaid work rules put states in a bind
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/14/medicaid-work-rules-states-requirements
Comment: "The new Medicaid work rules in President Trump's tax-and-spending law put states on a tight timetable for setting up systems to notify millions of recipients about the requirements — and to track if they're complying. "
"Why it matters: Previous efforts to set work rules in Georgia and Arkansas showed it could be a messy and expensive process that generally relies on outside vendors to set up the necessary infrastructure."
"Georgia spent nearly $100 million to implement its rules, $55 million of which went toward building a verification system, but in two years only enrolled a fraction of those eligible. It spent $13,000 per enrollee just to sign them up."
Comment: Unintended consequences and costs in Alabama, also?
AL.com: Judges to decide if Alabama’s congressional maps need preclearance after state diluted Black voting power
Comment: "Federal judges will weigh a request to bring Alabama back under the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act after ruling the state intentionally diluted the voting strength of Black residents when drawing congressional lines."
"Black voters and civil rights organizations, who successfully challenged Alabama’s congressional map, are asking a three-judge panel to require any new congressional maps drawn by state lawmakers to go through federal review before being implemented. The Alabama attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the request."
Medicaid cuts put 5 Alabama hospitals 'at-risk' of closing. These hospitals could be lost
https://share.google/e7XfCKZ5UqkwIbpCr
Alabama schools face funding crisis as federal funds frozen
https://share.google/VTc7nAkIWlIzjykrZ
Comment: "Alabama school districts are grappling with a significant financial setback as millions of dollars in federal funds have been frozen, just weeks before the start of the school year. $6.8 billion dollars nationally means $68 million dollars for Alabama on hold. The freeze has left districts like Tuscaloosa City Schools struggling to maintain essential programs."
PSC can decide behind closed doors whether Alabama Power can raise its rates, judge rules - al.com
Comment: "The Alabama Public Service Commission has rules that govern how Alabama Power can change electricity prices to offset increases in fuel costs, which tend to be volatile."
"Those rules say that the public is entitled to hear evidence and participate in proceedings that adjust fuel costs to ensure these changes are 'just and reasonable.' "
"The lawsuit said there have been only two public fuel cost hearings since the commission’s current rules were adopted in 1981."
"By contrast, the Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates a sister company of Alabama Power, has held at least 26 public formal fuel cost proceedings, according to the complaint."
AL.com: Tuberville calls for LA mayor to be ‘locked up’: DHS official says Karen Bass’ arrest is ‘on the table’
Comment: "Coach" Tuberville, what is the crime that Mayer Karen Bass would be charged with? Given the nature of this public statement, is this the man that Alabama should trust to be governor of our state?
Video: Former Alabama Representative Mo Brooks calls President Trump's key legislation a 'big, bad, bill' - July 06, 2025
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsfbs9r
Comment: Like former GOP congressman Mo Brooks, many Democrats also dislike the fiscally irresponsibility of the bill. However, do you think Democrats might suggest higher taxes for billionaires and less cuts to Medicaid so as to address this fiscal irresponsibility?.
AL.com: Secrecy is not security: From Homewood, Alabama, to Homeland Security, government hides what it fears
Comment: "While these things might not seem like connected things, there’s something important that they share, something that should alarm everyone — a prevalent belief, shared by those in power, that information belongs to the government, not to the public."
AL.com: United Auto Workers move to unionize workers at another Alabama automotive plant
Alabama schools to lose $68 million in federal grants under Trump freeze
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwscnc4j
Video: Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has passed. What’s next for SNAP benefits in Alabama - July 03, 2025
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsjz832
$68 million in for Alabama afterschool programs, jobs under review - al.com
Comment: "The money, which was meant for local after-school, English learner and professional development programs, is typically sent to schools on July 1 every year. But in an email to state officials Monday, the Education Department said it was pausing disbursements for several grants until it completes a review of those programs."
Comment: " 'These are programs already approved and funded by Congress,' State Superintendent Eric Mackey said in a statement Wednesday morning. 'They include programs integral to successful and supportive schools across Alabama, and districts have planned for the 2025-26 school year with an expectation that these formula-based funds would be flowing as normal. Since Congress had appropriated the money in the recent continuing resolution, we had no reason to believe otherwise.' "
AL.com: Alabama immigrants usually face deportation without a lawyer: ‘Huge problem’
Comment: " 'It’s a huge problem here that there aren’t enough attorneys,' said Allison Hamilton, who runs the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Hamilton said a lot of people are being put into expedited removal, don’t have access to due process and can’t adequately defend themselves."
"Taken together, she believes many Alabama immigrants without attorneys face an increased risk of unjust deportations."
Tommy Tuberville’s racism and ‘rat’ talk isn’t welcome here; he shouldn’t be, either
AL.com: Huntsville protesters are ‘communists,’ Marjorie Taylor Greene says during speech: ‘This is insanity’
Comment: " 'Think about this, the communists are outside,' Greene said, referring to protesters. 'The communists are out there, but they’re attacking us inside and calling us fascists. This is insanity. This is insanity.'"
Comment: How many of you think that Marjorie Taylor Greene was the source of the insanity, rather than the protesters outside?
AL.com: Alabama library battle: Should teens have access to sex education books?
Comment: "The issue flared up in Fairhope earlier this month and is expected to take center stage again at a July 18 meeting of the Alabama Public Library Services board. At stake is whether libraries will lose state funding for refusing to relocate books, including sex education titles, flagged by conservative groups like Moms for Liberty."
Hundreds march in protest of Marjorie Taylor Greene visit to Huntsville while supporters fill venue
Comment: "Marchers chanted slogans and displayed signs addressing Greene's position on library materials, Christian nationalism, and other subjects on which she has been outspoken. Some posters echoed broader themes, such as fascism."
Tuberville’s GOP opponent asks: ‘Is Tommy smarter than a 10-year-old?
Comment: " 'Sadly, Tuberville, our senator, was only able to name one of the three branches of government,' McFeeters says."
" 'So kids, the first question, what are the three branches of government?' "
"The girl and boy contestants nail the answer - 'Executive, judicial, legislative.' "
AL.com: Massive SNAP cuts could kill hundreds of Alabama grocery stores, ‘send hunger soaring’
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama county commissioner tells followers to arm themselves against No Kings protests
Comment: Do you think this Alabama public official might have been trying to intimidate peaceful protesters?
Opinion | The Alabama Republican Party is heading down a familiar path
Comment: "As ALGOP officials ignore laws and rules, they’re pushing the party down a very familiar pathway. One we’ve seen before"
Senate Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts threaten to shutter Alabama hospitals
Despite progress, Alabama to miss court deadline on hiring enough correctional officers
AL.com: Alabama hands out $128 million for private school, homeschool support: Who’s getting money?
Comment: "Only 22% of students accepted into Alabama’s new school choice program currently attend public school, significantly fewer than initially expected."
Comment: " 'In effect, most vouchers become just a public subsidy for what tend to be very affluent, typically white families who are already attending private schools,' Brewer said."
Opinion | When did Tuberville start caring about SNAP?
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/06/18/opinion-when-did-tuberville-start-caring-about-snap/
Comment: "Now, having laid out Tuberville’s statements on SNAP over these past few years, I’m not so convinced he’s adequately concerned about the over 750,000 Alabamians who need SNAP to buy food every month."
"What I do believe is that Tuberville’s pretty sure he’s going to be elected governor next year and doesn’t want to be stuck with a $119 million bill he’ll have to figure out how to pay. So he decided he could try actually legislating for a week to make his life in Montgomery a tad easier."
Longtime chief counsel for Steve Marshall joins race to succeed him as Alabama attorney general
https://share.google/TS1ObtlwkbRpXiDOi
Comment: "Robertson has been chief counsel for Marshall since 2017. Before that, Robertson worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and for U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions as legislative counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee."
"Robertson is a former vice president of the Alabama Policy Institute."
The Alabama Democratic Party can't afford to write off 2026 | Alabama Reflector
https://alabamareflector.com/2025/06/16/the-alabama-democratic-party-cant-afford-to-write-off-2026/
Comment: "If Democrats can’t find a strong candidate to lead the ticket, they’ll find themselves fighting to hold what should be safe legislative seats."
WSFA: Alabama signs onto $7.4B nationwide opioid settlement with Purdue, Sackler family
In polluted Birmingham community, Trump terminates funding for air monitoring | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "Black residents had breathed heavily polluted air from a nearby coke plant for decades, and their neighborhoods had been declared a federal hazardous waste Superfund site after it was determined that waste soil laced with arsenic, lead and benzo(a)pyrene, a human carcinogen, from several nearby coke plants had been spread around their homes as yard fill."
"In light of this history and continued industrial pollution, GASP had obtained a $75,000 air monitoring grant from the Biden EPA in 2023."
"Milton received the letter earlier this month from officials in President Donald Trump’s EPA terminating the grant because it no longer aligned with the agency’s priorities."
18-year-old runs for mayor in Alabama, says he is 'ready to take on challenge' - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/18-year-runs-mayor-alabama-ready-challenge/story?id=122690212
Alabama Lt. Governor candidate ‘staying in this race’ despite PhD controversy - al.com
Comment: The election is a year and a half away, and there is already a GOP scandal.
At least 14 "No Kings" protests planned across Alabama Saturday | Alabama Reflector
https://alabamareflector.com/briefs/at-least-14-no-kings-protests-planned-across-alabama-saturday/
Marshall talks senate priorities, China tariffs, L.A. protests
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/06/12/marshall-talks-senate-priorities-china-tariffs-l-a-protests/
Comment: Are these your priorities? Do Marshall's priorities significantly impact your life here in Alabama?
AL.com: More Alabama counties sign on to help ICE detain, jail immigrants
Comment: "Alabama counties participating include Colbert, Crenshaw, Elmore, Etowah, Franklin, Henry, Houston, Lawrence, Limestone and Pike."
"The Level Plains Police Department is the only municipal agency to join. Its status is pending, according to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement."
AL.com: Alabama sheriff threatens unruly protesters with broken hands and ‘deadly force’
Comment: "As Mobile prepares for what organizers say will be a peaceful 'No Kings' rally this weekend, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch is drawing sharp criticism after publicly warning of violent retaliation by law enforcement should unrest occur."
AL.com: Alabama doesn’t need a coach for governor. It needs a mayor.
https://www.al.com/news/2025/06/alabama-doesnt-need-a-coach-for-governor-it-needs-a-mayor.html
Democrat Will Boyd announces 2026 campaign for Alabama governor
AL.com: Democrat pastor running for Alabama’s highest office: Why he thinks he’ll win this time
AL.com: Residents question ‘joke’ of a meeting over $350 million Alabama resort development
Huntsville braces for $10 million sales tax shortfall as spending falls ‘significantly’ - al.com
Comment: Is this a lesson for local municipalities which also rely heavily on sales tax to fund themselves?
AL.com: Longtime chief counsel for Steve Marshall joins race to succeed him as Alabama attorney general
'Worst case scenario.' Alabama’s PEEHIP faces $418M shortfall by FY27 - Alabama Daily News
https://aldailynews.com/worst-case-scenario-alabamas-peehip-faces-418m-shortfall-by-fy27/
Comment: "The board overseeing the state’s health insurance program for education employees previewed a 'worst case scenario' Wednesday, projecting a shortfall of between $360 million and $418 million in fiscal year 2027. Worse still, estimates show a nearly $490 million gap the following year."
Ivey taps Cynthia Almond to lead Public Service Commission
https://aldailynews.com/ivey-taps-cynthia-almond-to-lead-public-service-commission/
AL.com: 18-year-old Alabama student just graduated high school. Now, he’s running to be his city’s mayor
VIDEO: Leaders in Alabama React to President Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' - June 6, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka0lg5v0ZCs
Pell Grant changes in “Big Beautiful Bill” could affect thousands of Alabama college students - Alabama Daily News
Alabama officials demand stricter reporting on $400M broadband expansion progress | Alabama Reflector
AL.com: Pentagon scrubs Golden Dome event for small contractors in Huntsville
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court candidate says ‘anti-family’ IVF ruling was ‘wildly out of touch’
AL.com: ‘No more woke nonsense,’ former Alabama Supreme Court justice vows as he enters AG’s race
Comment: With his obvious partisanship, should we be happy that he is no longer on the Alabama Supreme Court, yet sad that he is running for Attorney General?
AL.com: Tuberville says Democrats trying to prove he lives in Florida are ‘wasting their time’
Comment: "Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley last week said the party will challenge Sen. Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor based on the residency requirement in the state constitution."
AL.com: Holy smoke: Who will be Alabama Power’s new public service commissioner?
Half of Alabama public schools will see teacher unit cuts from Foundation Program - Alabama Daily News
Trump threatens tariff on foreign steel, and Alabama imports a lot of it
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8cbzi9
AL.com: World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be dismantled in Alabama
Tommy Tuberville’s campaign raises $2 million in single day: Who were the biggest contributors?
Comment: Also, what do they want in return?
Tuberville on Capitol Journal: shrink government, increase manufacturing, bring Trump influence to Montgomery
Comment: More of the same? How does this differ from the typical MAGA talking points?
VIDEO: Alabama House forms Black Belt caucus
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8kkg7w
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announces run for US Senate
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to run for U.S. Senate
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announces run for Tuberville’s Senate seat
After Court Loss, Alabama Lawmakers Won’t Draw New Map to Avoid Federal Preclearance - Democracy Docket
Comment: "Alabama Republican lawmakers said in a pleading Wednesday they will forgo drawing a new congressional map before 2030 to prevent the state from being put under federal supervision for its voting laws."
Who should be Alabama’s governor? James Spann, Charles Barkley, anyone who knows the branches of government
Comment: Unscientific AL.com reader response?
'Nothing but an embarrassment to this state': Tuberville's Alabama gubernatorial campaign getting backlash
Who could replace Tuberville in the Senate
https://share.newsbreak.com/da6jnq5q
Tommy Tuberville, ex-Auburn football coach, announces 2026 campaign for Alabama governor
NBC News: Sen. Tommy Tuberville launches run for governor of Alabama
It’s official: Tommy Tuberville is running for governor of Alabama
Twinkle Cavanaugh resigning from Alabama Public Service Commission for Trump Administration job
https://share.newsbreak.com/da6gykcw
Opinion | The real economic killer in Alabama? Moral politics, not the market
Comment: "With each passing legislative session, it becomes more apparent: we are one election away from a government that no longer views economic growth as a priority. One cycle away from power landing fully in the hands of those more interested in policing identity, banning innovation, and enforcing personal morality than solving real problems."
Medicaid, Medicare in Alabama would face cuts under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”
AL.com: Culture of secrecy: How Alabama’s public records law fails transparency with 10% compliance rate
AL.com: Alabama worker says ICE dragged him from job despite being US citizen: ‘Color of our skin has become a crime’
AL.com: Controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling ignites AG’s race: ‘Without IVF, I wouldn’t be a mother’
Comment: "The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that that temporarily stopped in vitro fertilization services in Alabama last year has emerged as an issue in the race for state attorney general."
"Former Associate Justice Jay Mitchell, who wrote the opinion, resigned from the court Monday and is expected to announce he will run for AG."
"Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, who announced her candidacy for attorney general in January, has two children by IVF."
AL.com: With Will Ainsworth out, all eyes are on Tommy Tuberville in Alabama governor’s race
AL.com: Will Ainsworth announces his decision on whether to run for governor of Alabama in 2026
University of Alabama drops tuition for Early College high school student program - al.com
Comment: "High school students who want to earn college credit now will pay a lot less at the University of Alabama."
Decision 2026: Alabama primary election 1 year away
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/05/20/decision-2026-alabama-primary-election-1-year-away/
Comment: "Monday was the first day that candidates intending to participate in the primary election could start soliciting and accepting contributions for their campaigns."
AP News: Ivey appoints first Black Republican on Alabama Supreme Court
https://apnews.com/article/alabama-supreme-court-7b715cc0cff43ecca9b36f3a6c82113c
New justice appointed to Alabama Supreme Court
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/05/20/new-justice-appointed-alabama-supreme-court/
AL.com: High-priced Alabama lawyers apologize for AI snafu, throw colleague under the bus
AL.com: Did Alabama’s pricey prison lawyers just use AI to file motions? The judge wants answers
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court justice resigning to run for another office in 2026
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama Library Association slams APLS board’s “dismissive” tone
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/05/19/alabama-library-association-slams-apls-boards-dismissive-tone/
Alabama Political Reporter: Moms for Liberty calls for APLS board to help get librarians fired
AL.com: Alabama’s back the blue law makes it harder to prosecute police: Is it ‘a license to kill Black people’?
Birmingham loses "groundbreaking" $44M federal biotech grant; what you need to know | Bham Now
Alabama lawmakers approve additional legal protections for police officers
https://share.newsbreak.com/d3a73zqj
Comment: "The approval came after an emotional debate in which Black lawmakers read the names of Black people who have been killed by police and described their own encounters with law enforcement."
AL.com: Alabama’s ‘back the blue’ police bill passes in final hour of legislative session
Comment: "A bill to expand Alabama law on legal immunity for police officers passed in the final half-hour of the annual legislative session on Wednesday night."
Comment: "Democrats have opposed the bill saying it will make it harder to hold police accountable."
AL.com: Alabama workers slapped in the face with expiration of overtime pay tax cut: op-ed
AL.com: Why does Alabama’s GOP chairman have a Tennessee driver’s license under a different name?
Alabama technology office investigating ‘significant security breach’ of state systems
Alabama Dems hope to use Trump, ALGOP failures to build momentum in 2026
Alabama Political Reporter: Librarians, supporters rail against new regime at Alabama Public Library Service
Alabama faces school bus funding crisis, state superintendent warns
https://aldailynews.com/alabama-faces-school-bus-funding-crisis-state-superintendent-warns/
AL.com: 5 Alabama cities recently removed fluoride from water: ‘It’s not a pretty picture’
AL.com: Alireza Doroudi’s fiancée grieves as he agrees to leave Alabama for Iran: ‘A sad day for America’
Comment: " 'He turned and looked at me and said: ‘I love this country, but they don’t want me here so I will go home,’ ' attorney David Rozas told AL.com."
CNN: Alabama ‘purposely’ diluted Black votes with congressional plan, court finds
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/08/politics/alabama-congressional-plan-court-ruling
Comment: "With the finding, the court said it would consider whether to put Alabama under a Voting Rights Act provision that would require it to get federal approval of its congressional plans going forward."
Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in Congressional redistricting, judges rule
Comment: "A three-judge court in Alabama’s Northern District has determined that the legislature's 2023 congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act and cannot be used in future elections."
Federal court criticizes Alabama for pushing a discriminatory U.S. House voter map | Alabama Public Radio
Federal court: Alabama Legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters in redistricting | News From The States
AL.com: Alabama faces deadline on Gulf of America name change legislation
Alabama’s change in life expectancy since 1900 among the worst in the nation - al.com
Additional people may qualify for WIC under new Alabama guidelines
https://www.wdhn.com/news/additional-people-may-qualify-for-wic-under-new-alabama-guidelines/
Alabama lawmakers approve tax cuts for food, diapers and other items
AL.com: Alabama colleges lose $35 million for medical, science research after Trump NIH, NSF cuts
DOGE cuts $15 million in Alabama grants for climate research, violence prevention program - al.com
AL.com: Bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday headed to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk
Changes to Alabama Archives and History board spark filibuster that could derail bills - al.com
AL.com: If it turns out Tommy Tuberville is really a Florida man, blame the Alabama GOP
AL.com: Alabama library showdown: Book battles and power struggles set stage for explosive meeting
AP News: Alabama governor overhauls state’s largest water utility amid cries of racial discrimination
AL.com: Lawmakers pass bill to cut Alabama’s sales tax on food
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/05/bill-to-cut-alabamas-food-sales-tax-wins-senate-approval.html
AL.com: Where are Alabama’s federal workers? These 5 counties have the highest share
Comment: As a percentage of the overall county population, Coffee County is #1 and Dale County is #3, indicating the importance of Fort Novosel and other federal activities. According to the Washington Post, the Ozark metro area has the highest percentage in the state and is the the 8th highest percentage in the country
Where the Hell Does Tommy Tuberville Actually Live?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/where-hell-does-tommy-tuberville-202333754.html
AL.com: Why did Tommy Tuberville vote in Florida if he lived in Alabama?
https://www.al.com/news/2025/05/why-did-tommy-tuberville-vote-in-florida-if-he-lived-in-alabama.html
Alabama Daily News: ‘We will fight this;’ stage set for showdown in Alabama Senate over police immunity bill
NBC News: Trump shut down program to end human waste backing into Alabama homes, calling it 'illegal DEI'
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/trump-canceled-dei-program-raw-sewage-alabaman-homes-rcna201164
For News Articles links from before May 1st, 2025, please go to:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-alabama-state-govt
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to May 1, 2025 (Including article links prior to the November 2024 election, found by clicking a second google sites website link at the end of the site referenced immediately above). The article history can be viewed as follows:
www.dalecodemocrats.com (latest)
sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/ (May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/ (Nov 2024 election - April 30, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/ (Prior to 2024 election)