The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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May 14, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) on Tuesday signed House Bill 307 - the Speedy Trial Act - into law. The bill was sponsored by State Senator Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) and carried in the House by State Representative Jim Hill (R-Odenville). SB307 expedites trials for violent criminal cases, reduces backlogs and ensures swift justice for victims. Attorney General Steve Marshall, Chief Justice Sarah Stewart and Senator Will Barfoot joined the governor in her office as...
May 6, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL.– Legislation that would have made it legal for Alabama citizens to provide emergency assistance to injured, wounded, or orphaned wild animals was defeated when it did not come up for consideration by the Alabama House of Representatives. At the end of Tuesday's legislative day the Alabama House of Representatives passed a motion "to indefinitely postpone" all House bills that had not already passed in the House. With time running out on the 2025 Alabama regular l...
BIRMINGHAM, AL – May 13, 2025 – Alabama Always, LLC, an applicant for an integrated license in the state's medical cannabis program, has kept the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing cannabis licenses with a host of actions in state courts since 2023. Now they have filed a federal lawsuit against members of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), alleging that Commissioners and staff violated its First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights under the United States Constitu...
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...
May 7, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama Legislature sent a powerful message to Alabama's public-school parents when they passed landmark legislation banning students bringing their cell phones to school. House Bill 166 (HB166) is sponsored by State Representative Leigh Hulsey (R-Pelham). It was carried in the Senate by State Senator Donnie Chesteen (R-Dothan). Students wasting time playing games, cruising social media sites, and texting their friends has become an enormous distraction for...
May 8, 2025 – VATICAN CITY – The cardinals finally elected a new Pope. Late on Thursday evening white smoke began bellowing out of the building where the 133 cardinals were gathered to select the new Pope. This notified the faithful gathered in Vatican Square than an announcement of the selection would be coming. The cardinals shocked many Vatican watchers by selecting an America - Robert Francis Prevost as the Successor to St. Peter. The 69-year-old pontiff chose the papal name of Leo the XIV...
May 9, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R), on the Friday ahead of Mother's Day weekend, signed House Bill 152 to provide sales tax exemptions on certain purchases of diapers, baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing and feminine products. House Bill 152 was sponsored by Rep. Neil Rafferty (D-Birmingham). "Alabama is proudly the most pro-life state in America, and we remain committed to doing all we can to support our moms," said Governor Kay Ivey in a statement. "As...
May 9, 2025 – Advocates for psychoactive cannabinoids derived from hemp are disappointed with legislation passed by the governor that will tax and regulate psychoactive cannabinoids derived chemically from non-psychoactive hemp. While Alabama did pass medical marijuana legislation in 2021, the Alabama Legislature made it abundantly clear that recreational marijuana would not be allowed in the state. That position was made null and void by the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp. Hemp advocates a...
May 6, 2025 – the Alabama Legislature passed the Teachers Paperwork Streamlining Act. Senate Bill 280 (SB280) is sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). It is carried in the House by State Representative Terri Collins (R-Decatur). The House adopted a substitute version of SB280 that they prepared in Collins' Education Policy Committee. "What we are talking about is reducing the load on individual teachers," said Collins. "What this is doing, for the individual teacher - we want to keep them...
