The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 874
May 1, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed legislation that would allow the Alabama Farmers' Federation to sell health insurance to their members. House Bill 477 (HB477) is sponsored by State Representative David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook). HB477 was carried in the Senate by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). "Florida (the Legislature) just passed this," said Sen. Orr. "Tennessee has had this for twenty years." Sen. Jack Williams (R-Wilmer) – a Mobile County farmer - spoke in favor...
April 25, 2025 – The Alabama House of Representatives voted to pass reform legislation of the troubled Birmingham Waterworks Board. The new Board will be a more representative regional utility than what the current Board is. Senate Bill 330 (SB330) is sponsored by Senator Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook). It is carried in the House of Representatives by Representative Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills). "This is an attempt to correct some of the problems," said Rep. Carns. "This bill sets up a r...
May 1, 2025 – The Alabama Senate is poised to consider legislation that will either tax and regulate or outright ban hemp derived psychoactive cannabinoids. A coalition of conservative groups are urging the Senate to ban these products outright or severely limit where they can be sold. The coalition supporting a ban of hemp derived psychoactive cannabinoids include: Eagle Forum of Alabama, the Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP), the Alabama Policy Institute (API), and the Southeast Law I...
April 30, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – On Tuesday an Alabama Senate Committee sent a message that the GOP controlled Senate was no longer on board the Trump agenda when they voted to kill a bill changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico. On Wednesday they thought better of that decision. The Senate Committee on County and Local Government voted to give favorable report to the controversial Gulf of America legislation. House Bill 247 (HB247) was sponsored by State Rep...
April 22, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL. – Alabamians with a diagnosed medical need who were hoping to be able to legally purchase Alabama grown medical marijuana for their ailments received yet another setback on Tuesday when a Montgomery judge vacated the licenses that were awarded back in 2023. The program, which has been mired in legal battles, appears farther away from becoming a reality than at any time since this all began. It had appeared that the program would finally get back on track after t...
Representative Mark Gidley (R-Hokes Bluff) recently joined the Heart of Dixie Podcast. The Alabama Gazette's Brandon Moseley hosts the Heart of Dixie Podcast with attorney Harry Still III. Gidley is carrying bills to put the Ten Commandments up on the wall in Alabama schools, to help military spouses to have their professional credentials recognized by the state of Alabama, protecting against elder abuse, and to allow schools to have chaplains. "I'm privileged to serve the Eastern part of...
April 27, 2025 - Fourteen players with ties to the state of Alabama were drafted in the seven rounds of the NFL draft from Thursday through Saturday. Alabama Quarterback Jalen Milroe was the fifth quarterback selected. Even more players signed contracts as undrafted free agents including Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne. University of Alabama Guard Tyler Booker was the 12th player taken. He goes to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round as they look to replace the legendary Zack Martin on their...
April 29, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – Dozens of protestors were holding a rally in front of the Alabama Statehouse demanding that the state legalize marijuana and move forward with the stalled medical cannabis program. The Alabama Senate appears unlikely to consider medical cannabis legislation this year. The Alabama Gazette spoke with Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence) about his legislation which would have increased the number of integrated licenses from five to ten. The integrator license allow the...
April 19, 2025 – RAINBOW CITY, AL – State Auditor Andrew Jones (R) addressed the Etowah County Republican Party at their monthly breakfast meeting at the Western Sizzlin. Jones discussed his career, his accomplishments as a legislator and auditor, as well as his 2026 campaign to be Alabama's Secretary of State. "I decided to run for Secretary of State after my good friend, (Secretary of State), Wes Allen, told me he would not be running for re-election." Sorrell said that he served with Allen in...
April 29, 2025 – The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee voted to advance controversial legislation that would have banned drag shows in Alabama public schools and libraries. House Bill 67 (HB67) is sponsored by state Senator Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle). As passed by the House, HB67 prohibits public K-12 schools and public libraries from presenting or sponsoring drag performances and state entities from allowing minors to share facilities with members of the opposite sex d...
April 28, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The offices of the Alabama Gazette were tagged by vandals over the weekend with what appears to be gangland graffiti tags. The vandals spray painted both the front glass of the Gazette offices at 12 East Jefferson Street in Montgomery as well as some of the brickwork with gold paint. The Montgomery Police Department came out and prepared an incident report. The officers promised to compare the tags with tags found on other sites in the city and to give Jef...
April 15, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Gazette spoke with Jim Higdon, who is the owner/operator of Cornbread Hemp – a Kentucky based online make and marketeer of various hemp products. Higdon has recently testified before different state legislatures – including Texas and Kentucky – about why cannabis products derived from hemp should not be banned or regulated more strictly than alcoholic beverages are. "My father was a legislator in Kentucky, so I had a basic knowledge of the political...
April 29, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered opening remarks at the committee's markup of legislation to invest $150 billion to modernize the American military, revitalize the defense industrial base, and improve the quality of life for servicemembers. "Today we mark up our recommendations for reconciliation pursuant to the concurrent resolution on the FY 25 budget," said Rogers. "This is a historic d...
April 24, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL - The Alabama House of Representatives passed a $9.9 billion education trust fund (ETF) budget. The package of bills include two supplemental appropriations bills and three bills funding private schools which raises the total cost of the package to $12.1 billion. $180 million of that will fund the CHOOSE Act allowing parents unprecedented freedoms to pick the best school for their child and have the education dollars follow the child. 36,000 parents across the s...
April 24, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed legislation to create a database of criminal enterprises that would be available to law enforcement officers. Senate Bill 241 (SB241) is sponsored by State Senator Lance Bell (R-Pell City). SB241 directs the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to create and manage the Alabama Criminal Enterprises Database It also establishes guidelines for submitting information and using the database. The Alabama Criminal Enterprise Database bill def...
The Indy Racing League will be in Alabama on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at the Barber Motorsports Park near Leeds in Jefferson County. This event draws Indy racing league fans from across Alabama and beyond. The race itself will begin at 12:45 pm on Sunday. The race will be televised on NBC. 27 cars are expected to be in the field on Sunday. The teams were in Long Beach California last weekend. Motorsports has a long storied tradition in Alabama. B...
May 1, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair announced that Nelson Brothers LLC, a global provider of specialty chemical products and commercial explosives, has made the decision to expand in Walker County. Nelson Brothers LLC is a joint venture between Nelson Brothers Inc. and Orica USA Inc. Nelson made the decision to grow its business in Walker County versus moving to large metropolitan areas in Texas and the Eastern United States. "Nelson Brothers is a proud Alabama...
Since George Floyd died law enforcement officers around the country have faced unprecedented scrutiny. Officers are hesitant to act for fear of civil litigation or even criminal prosecution. As a result, crime - particularly violent crime - has reached levels not seen since the crack epidemic on the early 1990s. The Biden administration exacerbated this situation by importing five million undocumented migrants - many of them with ties to gangs or terrorist groups. On Monday, April 29 President D...
May 6, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed the Speedy Trial Act - House Bill 307 (HB307). The legislation is designed to bring criminal cases to trial faster ensuring that justice is done. HB307 was sponsored in the Alabama House of Representatives by state Representative Jim Hill (R-Odenville) and Rep. Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills). It was carried in the Alabama Senate by Senator Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road). HB307 was a priority for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R). The...
May 6, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) officially put her signature on House Bill 437 (HB437), Lulu's Law, which establishes a shark alert system to be administered by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for beaches and shorelines in Baldwin and Mobile counties. The bill was inspired by 16-year-old Mountain Brook high school student Lulu Gribbin who lost a hand and a leg to a shark attack while diving for sand dollars in Gulf Shores. HB437 ena...
May 6, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Legislature passed landmark regulation that will limit who can purchase hemp derived cannabinoids and where they can be purchased. House Bill 455 (HB455) is sponsored by State Representative Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) and was carried in the Senate by Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence). The House had passed HB455 earlier. On Tuesday the Alabama Senate took up controversial legislation. Sen. Melson introduced a substitute on the floor. The substitute bill inc...
May 6, 2025 – The Alabama Legislature passed legislation to tax and regulate vape products in the state of Alabama. House Bill 8 (HB8) is sponsored by State Representative Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) and carried in the Senate by State Senator David Sessions (R-Grand Bay). This legislation was carried in the Senate last year by Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman). "We have been going back and forth on this bill for four years," said Gudger. Sessions said to Gudger, "I want t...
May 6, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed legislation that would authorize EMS to transport a police canine officer who is wounded or injured in the line of duty. House Bill 366 (HB366) was sponsored by State Representative Pete Riehm (R-Dothan). It was carried in the Senate by Senator Andrew Jones (R-Centre). "This bill allows an injured police dog to be transported by EMS," explained Jones. According to the synopsis, "Relating to police dogs; to authorize emergency medical ser...
May 7, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed legislation that would extend existing wiretapping powers and allow for interpreters. House Bill 137 (HB137) is sponsored by State Representative Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville). It was carried in the Senate by State Senator Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville). "This bill extends the wiretapping and allows interpreters," explained Chambliss. According to the synopsis, "Under existing law, the Attorney General may submit an application to a cir...
May 6, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Senate passed legislation that would reduce the state grocery tax in Alabama from three percent to just two percent. House Bill 386 (HB386) is sponsored by state Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville). It was carried in the Senate by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). Alabama is one of the few states in the country to tax food. The Legislature addressed this issue a couple of years ago when they lowered the sales tax on food 25 percent from four per...
