The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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April 30, 2025 - MONTGOMERY – Alabama Governor Kay Ivey released a video message in recognition of the 74th National Day of Prayer, joining Alabamians and Americans across the country in a moment of prayer. In addition, Governor Ivey signed a proclamation proclaiming May 1, 2025 as National Day of Prayer in the state of Alabama. This year's National Day of Prayer theme, "Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled," reminds us of the enduring strength found through faith. In her message, G...
May 2, 2025 - HUNTSVILLE, AL – A new research study from The University of Alabama in Huntsville, a part of The University of Alabama System, addresses the question, how much have urban areas warmed from the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect? UAH Earth System Science Center Research Scientist Dr. Roy Spencer and UAH Earth System Science Center Director and Alabama State Climatologist Dr. John R. Christy have spent several years developing a novel method that quantifies, for the first time, a...
April 30, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday signed a proclamation to set special election dates for Alabama House District 12. This seat was previously held by Rep. Corey Harbison, who resigned April 15, 2025. Governor Ivey set the special primary election for Tuesday, July 15, 2025; the special primary runoff, if necessary, for Tuesday, August 12, 2025; and the special general election for Tuesday, October 28, 2025. "Representative Corey Harbison has been a pleasure to w...
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a quiet revolution in end-of-life practices is underway. At Ramsey Creek Preserve near Westminster, South Carolina, the deceased do not rest under rows of cold marble, but beneath meadows and oaks, their presence woven into the natural world, Reasons to be Cheerful says. The first body Billy Campbell buried on his land was the stillborn child of friends. Then a colleague who died suddenly in a car accident "solidified the rightness of it," Campbell...
April 29, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Shomari C. Figures (D-AL02) and Brian Jack (R-GA) introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Stabilization Act of 2025. This bill would provide financial support to rural hospitals in Alabama, Georgia and across the country. This bill authorizes a grant program to provide critical financial support to help struggling rural hospitals keep their doors open. "In my district, we are on pace to lose nearly every other hospital over the next couple of...
(Montgomery, Ala) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today a landmark legal victory in Boe v. Marshall following the plaintiffs' decision to drop their challenge to Alabama's Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which prohibits experimental sex-change procedures for minors. The dismissal marks a total and historic win for the State of Alabama. "Three years ago, multiple sets of plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU, SPLC, and some of the nation's largest law firms, f...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today issued the following statement expressing her unwavering support for Israel as the nation celebrates its 77th Independence Day: "Today marks 77 years since Israel declared independence, and I am humbled to take this opportunity to wish Israel and her people a very happy birthday. The United States and Israel are connected by common values and shared interests, and the relationship our two nations have has never been more important. I cou...
May 1, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) joined his Republican colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee in urging President Donald J. Trump (R) to fully implement the Shipbuilder Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS) proposal. Tuberville urges that the President accelerate domestic nuclear shipbuilding, including at Austal USA in Mobile. The Biden administration previously rejected this proposal, which would be the largest shipbuilding deal in Ame...
Pet ownership in the U.S. has exploded over the last few decades. As of 2025, about 74% of U.S. households own a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association; a significant increase from 56% in 1988. The biggest sector of pet owners is millennials, followed by Gen Xers and baby boomers. Dogs are by far the most popular pets for Americans, with 68 million households owning one. It's long been said that dogs are a human's best friend. And for good reason: They provide company,...
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...
Kidney disease is a serious yet often overlooked condition that affects millions worldwide. Despite its impact, it is frequently underestimated compared to illnesses like cancer and heart disease. The science journal Nature called it a "hidden epidemic," as it now occupies the third spot on the list of the most quickly growing causes of death worldwide. Compare Dialysis Centers examined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data and other sources to explore the risk factors for chronic...
The overwhelming majority of those who make it onto "richest people" lists—in all 50 states or the world—are men. This fact is unsurprising, considering the history of discriminatory workplace practices and various barriers to women's wealth, including barring women from having credit cards until the 1970s. Even in 2025, an income gap leaves women earning $0.83 on average for every $1 a man makes. Madam C.J. Walker, an early 20th-century purveyor of hair care and cosmetics for Black women, is...
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...
Tax laws change frequently, with updates impacting the best tax planning practices for businesses across industries. Over the next year, there will be significant changes to tax laws with the potential sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and economic changes in the White House led by the Trump administration. Polston Tax has put together a guide to the major tax law changes you can expect to be enacted in 2025 and occur prospectively in 2026. It will also review potential changes that hav...
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...
Gas prices have gone up by about 4 cents per gallon since this time last month but are still down by nearly 50 cents compared to this time last year. The national average fuel price is about $3.17, with Tyler, Texas, seeing the cheapest metro-area prices at $2.60 and Salinas, California, with the most expensive at $5.11. After issuing multiple pauses on tariffs against Canadian and Mexican imports since taking office, President Trump in early April announced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on...
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 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...
Gas prices have gone up by about 4 cents per gallon since this time last month but are still down by nearly 50 cents compared to this time last year. The national average fuel price is about $3.17, with Tyler, Texas, seeing the cheapest metro-area prices at $2.60 and Salinas, California, with the most expensive at $5.11. After issuing multiple pauses on tariffs against Canadian and Mexican imports since taking office, President Trump in early April announced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on...
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 22, 2025 - TUSCALOOSA, AL - The arrival of May in Tuscaloosa, Alabama brings with it not only May flowers, but many smiling graduates posing for their graduation pictures in front of the President's Mansion, Denny Chimes, Bryant-Denny Stadium, and other notable landmarks of the University of Alabama. And this year, May will also give the excited graduates a unique experience as it is accompanied by the arrival of the President of The United States to speak for The University of Alabama's...
April 28, 2025 - DEMOPOLIS, AL – Local and state officials announced on Monday that the headquarters for the West Alabama Highway construction project will be located in Demopolis. The office, at the site of a former grocery store that closed a few years ago, will serve as the central hub for the multi-year effort to build a four-lane divided highway from Thomasville to Moundville. At peak construction, the West Alabama Highway is expected to employ approximately 700 workers, further boosting t...
