Embedded Files
NEXT MEETING: 04/13/26, 7 PM, OZARK-DALE LIBRARY
Focus On Alabama and Alabama State Officials (Post 2024 Election):
Video: Alabama early voting bill returns to legislature amid debate over access, integrity - - March 4, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL93SuL0LWM
Comment: "A bill that would allow Alabama voters to cast ballots in person up to 10 days before Election Day has returned to the state legislature."
Video: Drones drop drugs and cell phones into Alabama prisons as lawmakers seek mid-air stops - NBC 15 - March 4, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cTFq-ODnmYU
Alabama House passes bill allowing school districts to consolidate
Comment: Linked article incudes Video.
Financial records indicate Allen campaign funded Wahl ballot challenge
Comment: "Campaign finance disclosures that circulated among Republican insiders in recent days indicate that lieutenant governor candidate Wes Allen’s campaign paid the attorney who drafted the ballot challenge against fellow lieutenant governor candidate and former Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl."
"Campaign finance records filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office reflect that Allen’s campaign paid $20,000 on Jan. 26, 2026, to the law firm of attorney Algert Agricola. Three days later, on January 29, former state representative Gil Isbell filed a 75-page residency challenge against Wahl with the Alabama Republican Party’s Candidate Committee. The legal complaint was prepared by Agricola."
"APR [Alabama Political Reporter] independently verified the $20,000 expenditure through filings submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, the agency Allen currently leads."
"When the challenge was initially filed, Isbell told members of the press that the complaint was not political and was not being brought on behalf of a rival campaign. The challenge was presented as a good-faith concern regarding residency qualifications."
Comment: "In a statement released to APR, Allen said:"
" 'From day one I have been outspoken about my disdain for the fact that Nehemiah ‘John’ Wahl voted with an ID that was not state issued, held a TN driver’s license, registered to vote in TN and simultaneously registered to vote and voted in Alabama using a name that was not legally his. I have issued public statements and made a video to expose these issues. I have reported every expenditure with full transparency. Yet, the question still remains: why did Wahl register to vote in two different states under two different names and why did he vote in Alabama using a name that was not legally his? Those are the answers voters deserve to know.' ”
Comment: "Wahl sharply criticized the challenge in a press statement."
" ....... “This was never about an honest challenge or the law. It was about eliminating competition. If you believe you’re the best candidate, make your case to the people. Run on your record. Don’t mislead the public and try to disqualify your opponent."
Comment: If you don't like either of these guys, why don't you consider the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor in November?
Statement from Dr. Will Boyd, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Alabama on the scheduled execution of Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton
Comment: "All Alabamians deserve safe communities where they can make a simple trip to the local store without encountering violent crime. On August 6, 1991, in Talladega, AL, Doug Battle was just a customer who was shopping for auto supplies when he lost his life during the course of a robbery. This is the sort of tragedy that can call forth the greatest fears we have for our loved ones and ourselves."
"The responsibility lies with our leaders to ensure our safety with equal and responsible application of the law. When a crime occurs, especially one that takes a life, we call for justice to be dispensed swiftly and fairly."
"In the case of Charles Lee 'Sonny' Burton, the equitable application of justice is absent. Mr. Burton is currently scheduled for execution on March 12, 2026, for the murder of Mr. Battle. However, he is not the man that shot the gun that took a life that day. He had already left the building when the act occurred. The co-defendant in the case, who was the shooter, died while serving his sentence of life without parole, while Mr. Burton now faces death by execution."
"Let me restate this plainly, executing a man that did not commit the act that took a man’s life, while enforcing a lesser sentence to the one who did, is a miscarriage of justice that should not be allowed to stand. It is important to note that the victim’s daughter has already called for clemency, as have multiple jurors that handed down the verdict. They do not see these unbalanced sentences as equal justice under the law."
Comment: "As a gubernatorial candidate who recognizes the gravity of this case, and the fact that both family and jurors are calling for clemency, I know that the executive role of this state requires those that will evaluate the full circumstances of a difficult situation like this based on fact, not fear. With that said, I am calling for clemency for Mr. Charles Burton."
International conflict could lead to higher gas prices for Alabamians
Comment: "The U.S.-Israel strikes in Iran over the weekend have led to a surge in oil prices, and increased costs for consumers at the pump are expected to follow soon."
Comment: That's an understatement!
Closed Primaries Bill Introduced Into Alabama Legislature
https://alpolitics.com/closed-primaries-bill-introduced-into-alabama-legislature/
Comment: "Alabama State Representative Ernie Yarborough (R-Trinity) has filed House Bill 541 (HB541), a proposal that would end the State’s long-standing system of open primaries and require voters to declare a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary election. The change would mark one of the most significant shifts in how Alabamians participate in elections in decades."
"Under current Alabama law, voters do not register with a party before entering a primary. On primary day, registrants tell poll workers which ballot they want, and may cross over between parties across different election cycles. HB541 would require voters to register their party affiliation ahead of time and limit primary voting only to those registered with the matching party. HB541 would also impose a 'blackout period'” of 60 days before the primary, in which voters could not change their party registration."
"The push for a closed primary system has been endorsed at the State party level. In August 2022, the Alabama Republican Party passed a resolution calling for party registration and closed primaries so that “only those voters who are declared Republicans should decide who the Republican nominee will be in Alabama elections.”
"HB541 would bring Alabama into a group of States where party membership determines primary access. Proponents argue supporters of this reform see it as a way to keep each party’s nomination process within its own base. Critics counter that it will make the State’s already low turnout problem even worse, particularly among independent and younger voters."
"Alabama has long struggled with voter participation, especially in non-general elections. In the 2024 presidential election, just 58.5 % of registered voters cast ballots, the lowest Statewide turnout for a presidential contest since 1988."
"Turnout for primary elections has been even weaker. According to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, Alabama’s midterm primary turnout ranged between about 19 % and 25 % of eligible voters over the last few cycles — a chronic challenge that HB541 could worsen by narrowing access."
Alabama voters may soon decide whether students must sing national anthem once a week
Comment: Is it really necessary to amend the Alabama constitution and hold a vote to get this passed? Can't we leave it up to Alabama's overworked teachers to see if they have the time to incorporate this ritual into their curriculum? Wouldn't it make more sense to use this time to teach a civics lesson, for example a lesson about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Many of Alabama's GOP legislators might also benefit from a lesson about the Constitution's Bill of Rights.
Video: Conecuh National Forest open to oil and gas leasing, raising concerns from environmentalists - February 28, 2026
Petitions Call on ALGOP to address Ledbetter, Wahl Ballot Access
https://alpolitics.com/petitions-call-on-algop-to-address-ledbetter-wahl-ballot-access/
Fog of War — And the Fog of Politics
https://alpolitics.com/fog-of-war-and-the-fog-of-politics/
Comment: " 'When America goes to war, Alabama bleeds at a higher rate than most States'—Guest Opinion by Ken McFeeters"
Comment: "By now, you’ve heard my opponent, Tommy Tuberville, declare that when it comes to war with Iran, 'we really have no choice.' ”
"No choice?"
"Wars are never as they seem. Military leaders call it the 'fog of war' — the uncertainty, confusion, and incomplete information that clouds judgment in battle. Decisions are made with limited intelligence, shifting narratives, and consequences nobody fully understands until it’s too late."
"But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the fog of war often affects politicians even more than infantrymen."
"Because politicians don’t fight the wars they vote for."
Comment: Most Democrats agree with the McFeeters' opinion about Tuberville. However, citizens don't have a chance to directly vote on the war and Trump has neutered the GOP congressional delegation to the point that Congress can't exercise its Constitutional war decision responsibility. As Alabama governor, what could McFeeters do to stop Trump's war adventurism.
Day 2 of Alabama Youth Legislature Conference held in Montgomery
Comment: Do Dale County High Schools send representatives? If so, who are they? What is the participant selection criteria? Should the Dale County Democratic Party encourage participation?
Opinion | The anti-American stench of closed primaries
https://www.alreporter.com/2026/02/27/opinion-the-anti-american-stench-of-closed-primaries/
Comment: "Why should taxpayers be forced to pay tens of millions of dollar for primary elections in which they can’t participate?"
Comment: "Over the last few days, it seems that momentum has picked up among Republicans for an initiative that would 'close' primary elections—a move that would prohibit anyone but those registered to a specific party from voting in that party’s primary elections."
"Registered Republicans could only vote in the Republican primary. Registered Democrats could only vote in the Democratic primary. Independents and other third-party voters would be, as they say, SOL."
"That means thousands upon thousands of legal, registered voters in the state of Alabama would effectively be disenfranchised. Shut out of the voting process."
"In some cases, because of Alabama’s gerrymandered districts that discourage participation by both parties, it would mean that voters in the districts where only one party’s candidates qualify to run would have absolutely no say in who represents them."
"A House district of 40,000-plus people would, by law, be exclusively decided by less than a third of the population in some cases. For an Alabama Senate district, that means fewer than half of the more than 130,000 people would even have an opportunity to vote in a primary."
"And given the current state of the Republican Party in Alabama, that’s quite the power grab."
"As it currently stands, a small committee within the party is actively choosing who has to abide by laws and rules and who gets arbitrarily booted from the ballot. The guy at the top of the ticket quite clearly does not meet the requirements to run, but the party’s steering committee booted off two down-ballot candidates for simply having distant ties to Democrats."
Comment: "Look, we all know what’s happening here. A handful of far-right Republicans lost elections because a more moderate Republican candidate appealed to the non-registered Republican voting base of a district and received 'outside' support that boosted them to a win."
Comment: Alabama GOP head John Wahl got upset that right-wing Republican Adam Enfinger was defeated by a somewhat more moderate Steve McKinnon in the 2024 GOP primary race to head the Dale County Commission. Wahl claimed that non-Republicans voted in that primary race. So what?
Video: Should Alabamians Declare Their Party Affiliation Before Voting? - February 27, 2026
Video: $4.1 billion federal loan to Alabama Power- February 27, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ibsdBDYoo
Comment: "Federal energy officials on Wednesday announced a record $26.5 billion loan to electric utilities in Georgia and Alabama, saying the loan will save customers money as the companies undertake a huge expansion driven by demand from computer data centers."
Comment: Do you think these massive federal loans will benefit Alabama Power customers, or will they benefit the stockholders of Alabama Power (The Southern Co.)?"
Alabama bill lets politicians tap campaign cash for security, now awaits governor
Comment: "Alabama candidates and elected officials would be allowed to use campaign funds to pay for certain security expenses under a bill that has passed the Legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature."
"SB230 would amend the state’s campaign finance law to authorize the use of campaign contributions for security costs protecting a candidate, an elected official, and their immediate family members or staff."
Alabama faces outbreak of ‘the most infectious disease,’ officials say
Comment: "Alabama’s public health director said last week that public health officials were 'doing everything possible to prepare' for measles as the highly-contagious disease spreads through the country."
Comment: One can thank RFK Jr. and other members of the anti-vaxx community for this problem.
Legislation blocking random boat inspections passes Alabama Legislature
Comment: "Legislation prohibiting law enforcement officers from stopping or boarding boats for safety or marine sanitation inspections without probable cause has now received final passage in the Alabama Legislature."
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Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham named National Sheriff of the Year
Comment: Linked article includes video.
Alabama plans to spend $203 million federal grant on rural health, workforce
Comment: "The money is meant to partially offset the impact of Medicaid cuts in a bill passed by Congress last year."
Comment: Please note the key phrase: "partially offset the impact of Medicaid cuts," [emphasis added]
Alabama House committee considers ‘Gulf of America’ change, ban on ‘West Bank'
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alabama-house-committee-considers-gulf-120152655.html
Comment: "An Alabama House Committee heard two bills Wednesday regarding geographical name changes in official state documentation."
"HB 2, sponsored by Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and require all state and local entities to adopt the name change."
Comment: "The committee also heard comments on HB 81, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, but did not vote on it. The bill would prohibit any state government entity from using the name 'West Bank' and would require the use of the words 'Judea and Samaria' to refer to the region in official documents."
Comment: Seriously? Is this what you want the Alabama House of Representatives to spend their time on?
Alabama GOP dismisses residency challenge for Tuberville
https://www.wtvy.com/2026/02/02/reports-alabama-gop-dismisses-residency-challenge-tuberville/
Comment: Tuberville may have cleared the residency challenges in the Alabama Republican Party, but what about legal challenges that, if filed, would have to be resolved in court, where evidence could be presented and witnesses would have to testify under oath?
Doug Jones pushes state lottery as Alabama campaign priority, weighs in on Tuberville residency
Incarcerated activists from Oscar-nominated documentary The Alabama Solution sent to solitary
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/alabama-solution-activist-solitary-confinement
Comment: "The Alabama prison system has moved three well-known incarcerated activists who supported a 2022 prison strike and were featured in an Oscar-nominated documentary about the troubled system to isolated cells with little contact with others, family members and attorneys said."
"Family members of the three men said they fear for their loved ones’ safety and are concerned the moves to solitary confinement are a form of retaliation for outspokenness about problems within the prison system. Robert Earl Council, Melvin Ray and Raoul Poole were transferred two weeks ago from their existing prisons to solitary confinement at the Kilby correctional facility outside Montgomery, their lawyers said. The transfers come as some groups have encouraged a new prison labor strike this year."
" 'This is straight-up retaliation,' said Julie Sledd, who is close to Poole and spoke to the Associated Press about his situation. 'They’ve all three been very involved in standing up for the rights of incarcerated citizens.' "
"Council, Ray and Poole were featured in The Alabama Solution, a documentary about the state prison system that relied heavily on cellphone footage from inmates. The film has been nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary category."
Alabama House passes bill to report parents whose kids smell of marijuana
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/01/30/alabama-house-passes-bill-report-parents-whose-kids-smell-marijuana/
'What a joke': Sen. Tommy Tuberville dismisses challenge to his Alabama residency
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/tuberville-residency-governor-challenge-alabama-florida/70193402
Comment: "U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Thursday dismissed a challenge to his Alabama residency, saying he meets the legal requirements to run for governor and calling the filing 'a joke'."
Comment: Tuberville and the Alabama Republican Party may call legal challenges related to his Alabama residency a 'joke.' However, it may not be so funny when he has to present evidence in court of his seven year Alabama residence just prior to his run for Governor.
Comment: "They tried the same narrative when I was running for Senate seven years ago. It didn't work then. And guess what? It's not going to work now. So, good luck to them."
Comment: Alabamians need to realize that the residency requirements for Alabama governor are more stringent than those for U.S. senator. Therefore, the fact that Tuberville was qualified for the U.S. Senate doesn't necessarily mean that he is legally qualified to be Alabama's governor.
‘Hundreds of millions’ in potential state SNAP funding increase looms
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/01/30/hundreds-millions-potential-state-snap-funding-increase-looms/
Comment: "The Department of Human Resources presented its budget requests to lawmakers for the 2027 fiscal year."
"DHR said the state’s ‘error rate’ in SNAP benefits could lead the state to have to foot the bill of ‘hundreds of millions of dollars.’ The error rate is a combination of the overpayment and underpayment of SNAP benefits."
"Alabama is projected to have an error rate for fiscal year 2025 of nine percent, which is the lowest in the Southeast region of the U.S. However, Alabama’s error rate has risen over the past few years; it was 4.68% in fiscal year 2022, 7.07% in fiscal year 2023 and 8.32% in fiscal year 204."
"The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed over the summer by federal lawmakers, requires states with an error rate of more than six percent to start paying a greater share of the SNAP costs starting in fiscal year 2028."
" 'How are we going to get there? Or are we going to? And if we don’t, that’s going to cost us a couple hundred million?' asked Sen. Greg Albritton at Thursday’s DHR budget hearing."
"Nancy Buckner, commissioner of DHR, said 'yes'.”
Comment: Linked article also includes a video.
Comment: In addition to the risk of higher Alabama SNAP payments (possibly hundreds of millions) associated with error rates above 6%, Alabama DHR has requested an additional $35M in state funding for administrative costs due to passage of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."
Alabama is headed for universal school choice. Here’s what that means
Comment: "Alabama is on track to dramatically expand school choice options."
"The state started sending families vouchers for private and home school expenses in 2025, and by 2027 plans to send $250 million for vouchers to families of any income level."
John Wahl says he’ll be Tuberville’s ‘wingman’ in Montgomery, calls voter ID attack ‘campaign lies’
Alabama lawmakers raise concerns about accessibility to treatment programs behind bars
Comment: Linked article includes video.
[Video] Alabama governor candidate challenging eligibility - January 28, 2026
Video: Alabama GOP gubernatorial candidate challenges Tuberville's eligibility - January 27, 2026
Video: GOP gubernatorial candidate challenges Tuberville’s Alabama residency | Jan. 27, 2026 | News 19 at 4 - January 27, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVV3tTQPUE
Comment: "Ken McFeeters, a Republican candidate for governor, has filed a formal complaint with the Alabama Republican Party, claiming Sen. Tommy Tuberville has not resided in the state for the past seven years."
Trump-backed candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor haunted by use of invalid voter ID
https://www.ms.now/opinion/john-wahl-alabama-lieutenant-governor-invalid-voter-id-trump-alabama
Comment: "If one is going to base an antidemocratic crusade against purported voter fraud on a conspiracy theory, the least one could do is keep one’s own voting record squeaky-clean. And vice versa: If there are any questions that might come up about one’s own voting record, it goes without saying that one probably shouldn’t attempt to lead such a crusade."
"Enter former Alabama GOP chairman John Wahl, who stepped down last week after being endorsed by Donald Trump in the state’s Republican primary for lieutenant governor. For years, Wahl led Alabama’s GOP, fixated on bogus allegations of voter fraud by liberals, while simultaneously claiming that an ID he made for himself and admits to using to vote was valid."
Comment: Alabama politics gets national exposure, but rather embarrassing exposure. Do you think this hypocrisy will seriously damage Wahl's chances of winning the GOP primary, or do you think the Trump endorsement will be enough to make Wahl competitive here to Alabama Republicans?
Doug Jones calls Alabama’s straight-ticket voting a ‘rigged system’
Wahl to make candidacy announcement today; Allen raises issue with ‘homemade fake ID’
Comment: "Republican John Wahl is expected to officially announce his campaign for Alabama lieutenant governor today after qualifying just before Friday’s deadline."
Comment: "Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party since 2021, Wahl qualified for the already crowded GOP primary on Friday, the day after President Donald Trump unexpectedly endorsed him. He stepped down from the party leadership role that day."
"Wahl’s entrance into the race for the state’s second-highest office was quickly met with criticism from a race frontrunner and current Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen. He posted a video on several social media platforms Sunday night."
Comment: " 'My opponent, Nehemiah John Wahl, admitted he tried to vote using a homemade fake ID,' the former lawmaker and probate judge said. 'We cannot be more different. I, like President Trump, support voter ID laws while my opponent breaks them.' "
Threats of a child care funding freeze jeopardizes us all, including in Alabama: op-ed
Comment: "For Alabama childcare providers, the first and most immediate concern is the impact of funding freezes on cash‑flow and cash flow disruption. If the state cannot quickly access CCDF funds, subsidy payments that flow through Alabama to thousands of providers may be late or halted. This will create abrupt gaps between revenue and obligations. Because many providers operate on razor-thin margins, even a short interruption can precipitate missed payrolls, unpaid rent and utilities, and short‑term insolvency. These fiscal strains are especially acute for small, rural, and home‑based centers that lack large reserves or access to credit. Should this happen, all of us will be impacted."
"It’s important to note that financial stress on child care educators translates into service reductions and closures. Providers facing prolonged payment uncertainty may need to reduce hours, cap enrollment, or shut their doors temporarily, or permanently, threatening the supply of care across the state. It’s one of the reasons Arlean Cole, owner of Arlean’s Little Treasures in Harvest, AL and TAMCC Huntsville leader, said: 'This is going to cause a lot of childcare facilities that rely on state funds to close. The little staff we do have are going to leave in search of other jobs because we’ll be forced to cut hours and/or let some go.' "
"These near-term, operational consequences will adversely impact small providers and the families and communities they serve. But please know that the consequences of a lack of funding extend beyond infant and toddler care. Federal funds also support after‑school and summer programs, so disruptions will constrict options for school‑aged children and their working parents during critical periods of the year."
HHS threats to freeze low-income child care assistance cause confusion, concern in Alabama
Comment: "The Alabama Department of Human Resources says it has not received any guidance about the measure, announced in a tweet last month."
Comment: "In a Dec. 30 X post, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a freeze in funding that assists low-income families with child care costs and promised rules changes that could reduce payments to child-care providers in a Jan. 5 press release."
Comment: "Details about the federal government’s plans and how they will affect states across the nation remain uncertain. State agencies administer the federal child-care funds, and administrators in some states, including Alabama, say the federal government hasn’t notified them of any changes. A spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Human Resources said Friday the agency received a payment from the federal government on Jan. 21."
" 'Alabama DHR has not received any official guidance/correspondence from the Office of Child Care regarding this matter,' a Jan. 7 statement from Alabama DHR reads. 'Also, we have not received any notification of funds being frozen.' ”
"Mississippi Today and a Georgia House of Representatives member reported similar responses from administrators in those states."
"But based on the sparse information the U.S. Health and Human Services Department has shared publicly, child-welfare advocates and policy analysts in Alabama said the consequences of threatened actions could be devastating for child-care businesses and the families they serve. Employers and the state’s economy also could suffer if parents drop out of the workforce, they said."
Comment: Trump administration induced chaos and confusion impacts Alabama DHR and potentially Alabama citizens.
Analysis | The lawsuit that could knock Tuberville off the ballot pre-election
Comment: This is a very interesting article. IT IS A MUST READ.
Video: Live with Doug Jones! - January 23, 2026
A recording from Joyce Vance's live video
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/live-with-doug-jones
Video: Alabama Democrats seeking Public Service Commission seats - January 22, 2026
Alabama parents voice DHR frustrations at public meeting
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/01/23/alabama-parents-voice-dhr-frustrations-public-meeting/
Comment: Article link also contains video.
Alabama Democrats push for early voting, Republicans against the effort
https://www.wsfa.com/2026/01/21/alabama-democrats-push-early-voting-republicans-against-effort/
Comment: Early voting would allow greater flexibility for working Alabamians (who currently have to consider their work schedule) to make it to the polls.
Comment: Article link also includes VIDEO.
Alabama Public Television to continue carrying PBS
https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/alabama-public-television-to-continue-carrying-pbs/
Comment: Linked article includes VIDEO.
Alabama would have its own minimum wage under newly filed bill
Comment: "A bill filed in the Alabama Senate would establish and set the state’s minimum wage to $10 while exempting small businesses."
"Under the legislation, SB171, introduced by Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, Alabama would no longer abide by the federal minimum wage of $7.25 which has not changed since 2009."
"That would exclude small businesses with 50 or fewer employees."
"Over 30 states have increased the state minimum wage above the federal requirement including Florida in 2025."
Comment: This bill, while certainly an improvement, may not go far enough. In 2026, a $7.25 an hour wage is ridiculous. Due to inflation since 2009, $7.25 in 2009 is equivalent to approximately $11 today. And by restricting the proposed state minimum wage to employers having more than 50 workers, many Alabama workers will not be subject to the new $10 per hour wage proposal.
Comment: That being said, it's still an improvement over anything that Alabama Republicans have proposed.
CNN’s Trump defender claims Alabama Democrats ‘were against civil rights’: Guest mixes up Selma, Birmingham
Comment: "CNN conservative political commentator Scott Jennings claimed it was 'Democrats in Alabama who opposed civil rights' as another panelist confused tactics used against protesters in Birmingham with Bloody Sunday in Selma."
"Jennings, a Republican consultant, and Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky were debating the protests in Minnesota over the deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of ICE officer Jonathan Ross when Roginsky conflated two hallmark moments from the Civil Rights Movement."
" 'If you listen to Scott and you listen to all this rhetoric coming out of the Republican Party, these are the same people that defended opening firehoses on protesters in the 60’s on the Selma bridge. I mean, these are people who consistently, consistently oppress people,' Roginsky said on CNN."
Comment: Sorry, Julie. The firehoses were in Birmingham. Alabama troopers used billy clubs at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. But one gets the idea, anyway.
Comment: "Jennings repeated the misleading Republican talking point that it was actually Democrats that were on the side of segregationists."
" 'I think those were Democrats, Julie. Just FYI: those were Democrats. Those were Democrats in the 60’s,' Jennings said. 'But thank you for reminding everybody that Democrats were against civil rights.' "
"The conservative commentator, who defends Trump’s policy positions on CNN, reiterated the point on social media, tweeting thanks to Roginsky 'for reminding everyone that it was Democrats in Alabama who opposed civil rights in 1965 & turned fire hoses against the brave marchers in Selma.' "
Comment: Jennings comments are why it is sometimes wise to mistrust a political "talking head spin doctor." Republican Jenning's comment was misleading since he failed to mention that the "Dixiecrats" of the 1960s became the core of today's Alabama Republican Party.
Comment: "While Connor and other segregationists, including Alabama Gov. George Wallace, were Democrats at the time, the two major parties went through a realignment in the years leading up to and after the Civil Rights Act was passed."
" 'Although the names stayed the same, the platforms of the two parties reversed each other in the mid-20th century, due in large part to the white ‘Dixiecrats’ flight out of the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,' Carole Emberton, an associated professor at the University of Buffalo."
Doug Jones slams Tuberville’s Muslim remarks at MLK gala, warns civil rights are at risk
Alabama uses Japanese American Internment era law to charge immigrants who don’t self-register
Comment: "Alabama is finding new ways to criminally charge undocumented immigrants. Federal courts in the state are using a law last applied during the U.S. internment of people of Japanese descent during World War II to charge immigrants who don’t register themselves."
" 'The Trump administration is attempting to effectively criminalize unlawful presence in the United States,' said immigration attorney Danny Upton, 'to facilitate (immigrants) own eventual removal.' ”
"The Trump Administration reinterpreted the law in 2025 and a handful of states have started pursuing charges."
Comment: Does this mean that an undocumented immigrant (often just a civil violation of immigration law) can be criminally charged because they didn't comply with a "law last applied during the U.S. internment of people of Japanese descent during World War II?" Alabama seems to be pulling out all the stops, no matter how ridiculous. As far as we know, nobody here illegally has tried to attack Pearl Harbor or any other military installation.Comment
Mental health grant cuts—and prompt reversal—sow confusion in Alabama
Related Article & Comments: 24 hours of chaos as mental health grants are slashed then restored
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/15/nx-s1-5677711/mental-health-addiction-grants-cut-then-restored
Comment: "After a tense day of confusion and backroom negotiations, the Trump administration moved Wednesday night to restore roughly $2 billion in federal grant money for mental health and addiction programs nationwide."
"The money had been cut off late Tuesday without warning, sending shockwaves through a segment of the country's patchwork system of public health that relies on grant funding. "
" 'After a day of panic across the country, non-profits and people with mental health conditions are deeply alarmed, but also hopeful that this money is being restored,' said Hannah Wesolowski with the National Alliance on Mental Illness."
"An administration official confirmed to NPR that the cuts, first announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), were being reversed. They asked not to be identified because they didn't have permission to speak publicly about the decision."
"They said all of the roughly 2,000 organizations affected by the whiplash series of events were being notified that full funding would be restored."
Comment: Chaos: One of the best ways to describe the Trump administration.
Sanders tells Oz it’s not ‘cool’ that robots performing ultrasounds in Alabama
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5693814-sanders-oz-robots-ultrasounds-alabama/
Comment: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Friday told Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz that it is not 'cool' that robots are performing ultrasounds in Alabama, after Oz brought up the subject at the White House earlier in the day."
"Oz joined President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to tout rural health in the U.S. Oz said there are no OB-GYNs in most Alabama counties, 'so they’re doing something pretty cool. They’re actually having robots do ultrasounds on these pregnant moms.' ”
" 'No, Dr. Oz. It is not ‘cool’ that we don’t have OBGYN’s in many rural counties in America. It is an international embarrassment,” Sanders wrote in a post on the social platform X. 'In the richest country on earth, we need more doctors, nurses, dentists and mental health counselors, not more robots.' "
"Oz’s remarks are based on the CMS’s 'rural health transformation program,' which contains project abstracts for all 50 states. States were required to provide summaries of their proposed projects with a projected funding amount awarded by the federal government."
"Alabama’s proposed project stated that funding would go toward 11 statewide initiatives. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) submitted the proposal, according to the Alabama Rural Health Association (ARHA). The state’s maternal and fetal health initiative 'will provide telerobotic ultrasound systems, digital regionalization for obstetric care, and emergency labor and delivery carts for rural hospitals,' the ARHA stated."
Alabama House passes post-election audit bill
https://alabamareflector.com/2026/01/16/alabama-house-passes-post-election-audit-bill/
Comment: "The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday passed a bill that would require probate judges to conduct audits after state and county elections."
"HB 95, sponsored by Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, passed on a 72-25 mostly-partly line vote, would require an audit of one contest and one contest, selected at random by a local canvassing board."
Comment: "The Legislative Fiscal Office says that an audit would cost $35,000 per day."
"House Democrats debated the bill for hours, questioning its expense and necessity and saying it could undermine faith in elections."
Comment: "Election fraud is extremely rare in Alabama. According to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, there have been 41 convictions for or findings of voting fraud in the state since 2000. By comparison, over 2.2 million votes were cast in the 2024 presidential election in Alabama."
"Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said Thursday the money appropriated in the bill could be better spent."
" 'It may not be a lot of money, but to some places, the amount of money that is going to cost the state, I just kind of feel like we could use that in a better purpose,' she said."
Comment: "Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Linden, offered an amendment to the bill that would have implemented a lottery-like system to ensure the random selection of precincts and voting machines."
" 'If it’s going to be a random process, make it truly random. Don’t allow the subjectivity to creep into it. That’s all I’ve complained about,' he said after the House adjourned."
"The House rejected the amendment on a 73-29 vote, mostly on party lines."
Comment: Without a "lottery-like system", how can one guarantee that the audits will be random?
Gov. Ivey Signs Order Joining Fed. Education tax Credit Plan
Comment: "The order, signed Friday, authorizes Alabama to take part in the federal scholarship tax credit ahead of National School Choice Week, which begins Jan. 25. The program was created last year under legislation signed by Donald Trump."
Comment: "The federal program offers tax credits for donations to approved scholarship-granting organizations. Those funds are then used to provide scholarships for eligible elementary and secondary students. Scholarships may be used for tuition, books, fees, supplies, tutoring and special needs services at public, private and religious schools."
"Ivey noted Alabama’s existing school choice laws already provide similar options."
Comment: Just another way to divert tax dollars (tax dollars that would have been collected without the credits) to "private and religious schools."
Alabama among first states to opt into federal school choice program: How new tax credit works
Top Navy admiral sees military shipbuilding’s future in this Alabama shipyard
New SNAP expenses may give Alabama lawmakers a case of sticker shock
Comment: "State lawmakers are confronting the possibility of new major costs tied to SNAP benefits. This comes as new federal requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are shifting administrative costs to states. The move forces Alabama to cover roughly 39-million-dollars. Beginning next year, the state could also face up to 200-million-dollars in addition expenses tied to payment error rates."
"Officials warn failing to fund the mandate could lead to cuts or a withdrawal from SNAP. Around 750-thousand state residents rely on the program. The issue is expected to be a major focus as state leaders are set to discuss the budget. States went into 2026 major decisions to make in 2026 about the social safety net and taxes in the aftermath of a sweeping law President Donald Trump signed last year. The federal government is shifting more responsibilities to states over the next few years, and states must prepare for greater costs in the Medicaid health care and SNAP food aid programs. They also must decide whether to offset upcoming federal funding cuts with state tax dollars. And they must weigh whether to cut state taxes on tips, overtime wages and other items to remain in line with Trump's big bill."
Comment: "In most states, those determinations will begin in January, when legislatures convene and governors lay out their agendas. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is used by 42 million Americans to help buy groceries, is going to become more expensive for states to run and harder for some people to qualify for assistance."
"Currently, the federal government picks up the full cost of benefits — around $94 billion in the fiscal year that ended in September 2024 — and splits the administrative costs with the states, which run the program. The federal share of administrative costs for 2024 was about $6 billion."
"Starting Oct. 1, states will have to pay three-fourths of the cost to run the program. And starting in late 2027, some states that make errors in more than 6% of payments — often for paying a household more than it's supposed to get after its income rises — will have to start paying some of the costs of benefits."
Comment: It's a shell game. Republicans in Congress brag that they've cut waste in Federal programs. All they've done is shift the costs to the states, like Alabama, where you'll eventually pick up the tab on your state income tax form. What's not explicitly mentioned in this article is that now SNAP payments involve work requirements for many recipients. The costs for verifying compliance with the work requirements add to the administrative costs to the states. and if the states do a poor job of verification, errors above 6% will result in the states having "to start paying some of the costs of benefits."
Gov. Ivey proposes modest budgets as financial experts warn of looming downturn
Comment: "Lawmakers will consider less ambitious budgets this session after state financial experts warned that COVID-era revenue streams are drying up."
Comment: "The General Fund could face a devastating hurdle as a lawsuit threatens its revenue source from online sales tax, known as the Simplified Sellers Use Tax."
Alabama to increase CHOOSE funding to give more private school students $7,000 vouchers
Comment: "Many state Democrats have criticized the program."
"Rep. Adline Clark said it is 'now funneling millions of our public dollars into private for profit schools, private schools that lack accountability and keep raising tuition to increase their profits.' "
"An AL.com analysis found about half of students who applied in the first year already attended private school.”
"Alabama’s program places few limits on the accounts."
Comment: Money spent on these vouchers will not be spent on public education.
Death penalty in Alabama would expand under House committee-approved bills
Comment: "An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved two bills that would expand the list of criminal offenses eligible for the death penalty."
Comment: "The legislation, if passed, would join laws passed by other conservative states seeking to challenge a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared the death penalty unconstitutional for all offenses except murder."
"The bill retains much of the language that is already in statute but adds the three different offenses to what is essentially a growing list of aggravating circumstances that make someone eligible to be put to death."
Comment: "The U.S. Supreme Court in 2008 struck down a Louisiana law allowing the death penalty for child rape in a case known as Kennedy v. Louisiana. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy cited concerns that imposing the death penalty would discourage child abuse reporting and put victims’ lives in danger. He also noted a victim in the capital child abuse case had to repeatedly describe her trauma to investigators and prosecutors."
Comment: "Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, cited those concerns in committee on Wednesday."
" 'In pursuit of the death penalty in that particular situation, you would not only require the person to be courageous enough, and the family to be courageous enough, to come forward, and say, ‘We want this person prosecuted,’ but the victim and the victim’s family would also have to participate in the decision to ultimately kill that person too,' England said. 'The victim, in that situation, would be less likely to come forward knowing that prosecuting that person means that coach, pastor, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, whoever, would not only be prosecuted, but they would also be put to death.' "
Comment: "Simpson is introducing his bills to expand capital punishment as public support for the death patently continues to wane. About 52% currently support the death penalty, lower than the 80% who said they approve of it in 1994. The number of people who oppose the death penalty has increased, from 16% in the 1990s to about 40% in recent years."
Alabama at risk as Big Beautiful Act shifts $176 million in SNAP costs to states
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-faces-changes-to-snap-funding-with-new-legislation/70003347
Alabama bill would ban naturalized citizens from running for office
https://www.waff.com/2026/01/14/alabama-bill-would-ban-naturalized-citizens-running-office/
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. After all, given Trump's immigration policy, it's doubtful that many self respecting citizens born in another country would associate with the Republican party.
Comment: Donnie Chesteen is the Alabama state senator for much of Dale Co. He should be ashamed for sponsoring this garbage legislation.
Rep. Yarbrough re-files bill to expand Alabama law enforcement’s power on immigration
Video: Alabama democrats react to Governor Ivey's final State of the State address - January 13, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9md0yArP2NA
Alabama Democrats to Ivey: ‘The state of the state is unaffordable’
Claudette Colvin, civil rights champion arrested for not giving up bus seat in Alabama, dies at 86
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/claudette-colvin-civil-rights-arrested-alabama-dies/
Comment: "Claudette Colvin, a civil rights champion arrested for not giving up her bus seat for a White woman in 1955, has died at the age of 86, her family and foundation announced Tuesday."
Comment: "In 1955, at the age of 15, Colvin refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, nine months before Rosa Parks' act of defiance."
Alabama Democratic group back with another controversial anti-Trump billboard
Comment: The sign says it all! Take a look!
AP: Alabama communities among those losing federal funding for water improvements
Comment: "Scores of communities around the United States have aging and decrepit wastewater systems that can put residents' health and homes at risk. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and former President Joe Biden's administration promised hundreds of millions of dollars to address the problem, but much of that has been undone in President Donald Trump's return to office."
"For example, that included $14 million to install septic systems in majority-Black Alabama counties where many residents must pipe sewage from their homes onto their own property because it has nowhere else to go. Another example was a $20 million grant where almost half the money was going to address aging sewer lines in historically Black neighborhoods in Thomasville, Georgia. When the EPA canceled that grant, the agency said it didn't align with administration priorities."
"Some of the Trump administration's cuts have come as he has targeted diversity, equity and inclusion. Advocates say that will likely widen inequality, as many of the worst wastewater systems are in poor communities."
19 Alabama counties designated as primary natural disaster areas by USDA
Comment: "The counties included in the disaster designation are Barbour, Bibb, Butler, Chambers, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale [emphasis added], Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Monroe, Pickens, Pike, Shelby and Tuscaloosa."
" 'The drought severely affected several Alabama counties, impacting row-crop yields and forage availability,' said Pate. 'Many cattle producers were unable to harvest sufficient hay for the winter months, which resulted in the need to provide supplemental alternative feed sources earlier in the fall.' "
Comment: Is climate change to blame?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting ends: What’s next for Alabama Public TV
Doug Jones outraises Tuberville in December but trails Republican’s multimillion dollar lead
If You Want a Country to Be Proud Of, Let’s Build One
https://alpolitics.com/if-you-want-a-country-to-be-proud-of-lets-build-one/
Comment: "Alabama lawmakers are proposing new constitutional amendments that would require public schools to broadcast The Star-Spangled Banner weekly and conduct daily recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, alongside policies allowing voluntary prayer and religious readings."
"Supporters frame these measures as efforts to restore patriotism, unity, and respect for American values."
"But here’s the uncomfortable truth:"
"You don’t create pride by mandating performances."
"You create pride by building systems worth believing in."
"What we are watching is not a resurgence of civic confidence. It’s a substitution — ritual in place of repair."
"Rituals don’t fix broken systems"
"If patriotic rituals worked on their own, we wouldn’t be facing:"
"chronic teacher shortages
unsafe, overheated school buses
underfunded employee health insurance
rising classroom disorder"
Comment: "Those are not symbolic problems. They are functional ones."
"When institutions stop delivering outcomes, they often pivot to optics. Flags. Songs. Slogans. Loyalty displays. It looks decisive from the outside, even while nothing material improves on the inside."
"That’s not leadership. That’s stagecraft."
Even after parole, some Alabamians can remain on supervision for the rest of their lives
Comment: "People sentenced to life in prison in Alabama may receive parole."
"But the almost 1,200 Alabamians who have done so are on supervision for the rest of their lives; are required to pay a $40 monthly fee and can lose their freedom for slightest infraction, even if they remained trouble free for decades."
" 'We are talking about people who have been released, the parole board reviewed their files, determined they were safe to release, and they have been out in the community,' said Carla Crowder, executive director of Alabama Appleseed, a nonprofit that focuses on criminal justice reform. 'They have been granted parole. And they are revoked and sent back under these flimsy circumstances."
Comment: Please read the linked article to see examples of folks dealing with revoked paroles resulting from the most outrageous circumstances. Unbelievable.
Meet the candidates running for Alabama State Auditor in 2026
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/12/30/meet-the-candidates-running-for-alabama-state-auditor-in-2026/
Alabama expands CHOOSE Act school options: See which schools accept $7,000 credits
Alabama bills propose patriotic and religious changes in schools
https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-bills-propose-patriotic-and-religious-changes-in-schools
Pre-filed bill would allow Alabamians with disabilities to receive absentee ballot help
Report: Alabama cut environmental funding in half over 14 years
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/report-alabama-cut-environmental-funding-130150730.html
Comment: "States with the deepest budget cuts to environmental agencies from 2010–2024, according to the report, are:
Mississippi—71 percent
South Dakota—61 percent
Alabama—49 percent
Texas—33 percent
Montana—32 percent"
Alabama prison inmates lose in what they call fight against modern-day ‘slavery’
Comment: "The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Friday upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit that alleged that inmates were being forced to labor in involuntary servitude in violation of the state constitution."
"The three plaintiffs, currently incarcerated by the Alabama Department of Corrections, said in the lawsuit that they were assigned additional work duties without pay and lost phone and canteen access; visitation hours and good-time credits, while receiving unfavorable disciplinary reports."
Comment: "The appeals court said the term 'involuntary servitude' means 'a condition of servitude in which the victim is forced to work for the defendant by the use or threat of physical restraint or physical injury, or by the use or threat of coercion through law or the legal process.' "
" 'None of the punishments the prisoners alleged were imposed by EO 725 and AR 403 for the prisoners’ refusal to work involved physical acts or the threat of physical acts to compel them to work,' the ruling states."
" 'There were no allegations that the prisoners would be beaten or otherwise physically abused if they refused to work or that they would be threatened with physical harm if they refused to work. Moreover, the prisoners did not allege that they would be coerced through law or the legal process if they refused to work.' "
Alabama library at center of culture war clash receives over $98,000 in donations
Commentary: Don’t ignore the threat that is Tommy Tuberville
https://alabamareflector.com/2025/12/22/dont-ignore-the-threat-that-is-tommy-tuberville/
Comment: "Tommy Tuberville’s escalating attacks on Muslim Americans culminated last week in a demand for their mass deportation."
"We’ve seen this from Alabama’s senior U.S. senator before."
"Tuberville once said that Black Americans "do the crime." He called most immigrants "garbage." He compared residents of inner cities to rats."
"The former Auburn coach has made it clear over his term in the U.S. Senate that he works for a very white, very Christian and very wealthy sliver of the population of Alabama — this is a man who recently called for federal aid for forest owners — while viewing the rest of us with contempt."
"A contempt so profound that he would violently remove some Alabamians from their homes and communities for the way they worship God."
"I know the tendency in this state to wave away the bile that comes out of our politicians’ mouths. Pretending it’s performative. Or even grimly funny. Maybe that’s a coping mechanism for living under a decidedly undemocratic government."
"But no one should treat this as one of Tuberville’s many stupid, provocative statements with no follow-through. This man, running to lead 5 million Alabamians, considers large numbers of people who live here aliens or threats to public safety. If he is elected governor, he will have access to law enforcement resources and the ability to act on his paranoia."
"Just the threat of that should give you pause."
Video: Rep. Phillip Ensler speaks after announcing bid for Lt. Governor - December 19, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/12/20/rep-phillip-ensler-speaks-after-announcing-bid-lt-governor/
Video: AJ McCarron ends bid for lieutenant governor - December 17, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/12/18/aj-mccarron-ends-bid-lieutenant-governor/?outputType=amp
State audit flags compliance failures at the Agriculture and Industries Department
Comment: "Audit found Alabama Agriculture Department failed to properly verify lawful presence and had no uniform bad check fees, repeating previously cited compliance problems."
Alabama Republicans’ silence ‘disappointing’ as Trump is slammed over Rob Reiner comments, Democrats say
About 130,000 Alabamians at risk of losing health care without ACA tax credit
Will Doug Jones pull off another Alabama miracle in 2026?
https://www.salon.com/2025/12/16/will-doug-jones-pull-off-another-alabama-miracle-in-2026/
Doug Jones to launch 2026 gubernatorial campaign Friday with Birmingham kickoff rally
Comment: "Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones will officially kick off his 2026 gubernatorial campaign Friday evening at The Theodore in Birmingham, marking the most significant Democratic entry into a statewide race in more than a decade."
Comment: "The campaign says Friday’s event is designed to evoke the broad coalition that powered Jones’ 2017 victory—young voters, suburban moderates, African American communities, and independents frustrated by political dysfunction. 'Doug has always believed Alabama is at its strongest when people come together across lines that normally divide us,' a close ally said. 'This campaign will reflect that belief in every county we visit.' "
Alabama representative plans bill to protect professional degree classifications
Comment: "An Alabama lawmaker is planning to introduce a bill that in next year’s legislative session would recognize licensed workforce jobs the Trump administration recently excluded as professional degrees."
"The Alabama Professional Workforce Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Saraland, would recognize nursing, physician assistants; physical therapy; education; counseling; social work; public health; speech-language pathology; accounting engineering, and architecture as professional programs. All were excluded from recent decisions by the White House, which the Trump administration has said was an effort to cap maximum borrowing for certain degrees."
Comment: It is unclear whether the proposed protection of the professional degree classifications in Alabama would protect the earlier federal student loan caps for graduate students in the fields that the federal government has reclassified downward from their previous professional status. In other words, does this bill keep the federal government from capping "maximum borrowing for certain degrees?" Probably not.
100K Alabamians could lose health insurance overnight
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/12/07/100k-alabamians-could-lose-health-insurance-overnight/
Alabama reports fewer job openings in August, new data shows
https://www.al.com/business/2025/12/alabama-reports-fewer-job-openings-in-august-new-data-shows.html
Comment: "The number of job openings in Alabama dipped in August, according to new data released Tuesday. "
"The state reported 105,000 job openings this August, which was down nearly 5% from July and down 13% compared to the year before, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The data is seasonally adjusted."
"The job openings rate in Alabama, 4.5%, sat just above the national rate of 4.3% in August. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of August, that could start within 30 days and includes active recruiting from the employer."
Alabama AG candidates continue to haul in lots of money
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/12/03/alabama-ag-candidates-continue-to-haul-in-lots-of-money/
Comment: "The most ludicrously expensive race in Alabama this election cycle—the race to be Alabama’s next attorney general—continued to see massive amounts of money pour in through November."
"Both Jay Mitchell, a former Alabama Supreme Court justice, and Katherine Robertson, chief counsel in the AG’s office, reported six-figure hauls. Robertson touted more total money raised in the month, while Mitchell bragged about his cash-on-hand funding lead."
"To be certain, the figures—for a job that pays just over $200,000 per year for an office that has never been considered the height of political prominence—are absurd."
"Robertson took in more than $300,000 in the month, pushing her total raised to more than $2.7 million. She currently has about $1.4 million on hand."
"Mitchell, in the meantime, reported $142,000 raised in November, and he now has $2.1 million sitting in his campaign account."
Comment: What do you suppose these special interest contributors want for the money they are contributing to these 2 GOP attorney general candidates?
70 years after bus boycott, Alabama grapples with how it remembers its past
Video: New, stricter requirements implemented for SNAP benefits - December 02, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24JQnlQ-guM
Would-be Alabama Gov. Doug Jones: ‘We are going to be OK’ - al.com
https://www.al.com/news/2025/12/would-be-alabama-gov-doug-jones-we-are-going-to-be-ok.html
Video: Doug Jones pushes for Alabama to pass lottery, end tax on overtime pay - December 01, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFWiFX8hKKQ
What Doug Jones can do for Alabama Democrats, win or lose | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "A Doug Jones gubernatorial campaign was always going to be a 'yes, but' proposition."
"Can Jones do the job? Yes. Absolutely. But competence is no guarantee of victory."
"Can Jones become his party's nominee? Yes. Almost certainly. But there are two other Democrats in the race —Will Boyd and Chad 'Chig' Martin — and Jones will first have to lock down his base. All three candidates should be mindful of Republicans crossing over for chaos purposes, especially if the GOP contest is noncompetitive."
"Can Jones raise money? Yes."
Comment: "Can Jones win?"
"Yes."
Comment: "But."
"There are more Republicans in Alabama who will vote for Tuberville with stone faces than there are Democrats who will cast their ballots with a smile. Straight-ticket voting means that candidate quality and even charisma are irrelevant. In 2022, straight-ticket ballots accounted for two-thirds of all the votes cast in Alabama. Straight-ticket Republican ballots were 44% of all votes cast."
Comment: Please read the entire linked article to see how the Doug Jones candidacy might help Democrats in down ballot races.
Comment: However, this will only be helpful, if Democrats actually run in down ballot races, including those in Dale Co. and the Wiregrass. We need viable candidates to step up.
Alabama lawmaker revives bill to ease voting rights restoration for those convicted of felonies
Comment: "An Alabama lawmaker pre-filed a bill that would streamline the process for formerly incarcerated Alabamians to get their voting rights restored."
"SB 24, sponsored by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, requires the Board of Pardons and Paroles to inform those who have lost their right to vote how to register to vote."
Comment: "Under current law, certain people who have lost the right to vote due to a conviction can re-register once they serve their sentence and pay any fines related to the conviction. Current law does not require the Board of Pardons and Paroles to educate those people on how to get their voting status restored."
Alabama Power says it will freeze electricity rates through 2027: ‘We know budgets are tight’
Comment: Alabama Power's residential rates (per kWh) are already significantly higher than in adjacent states.
Video: Doug Jones announces campaign for Alabama governor - November 24, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrMAxYVz9Q0
Former Sen. Doug Jones jumps into Alabama governor’s race
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/24/doug-jones-alabama-governors-race-00666548
Comment: "Former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones filed paperwork to run for governor of Alabama on Monday, setting up a high-profile race against Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville."
"Jones, a former U.S. Attorney, was elected to fill out the remainder of former GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions’ term in a 2017 special election after Sessions resigned his seat to serve as attorney general in the first Trump administration."
" 'What I know and what we have heard all along is that Alabama wants their next governor to be someone who lives here, who works here, who listens to the people of this state, who understands the people of this state,' Jones said in a video posted to social media. 'And Alabama wants their next governor to be someone who treats this state with grace and dignity and not just like a rest stop on the way to the Florida beach.' "
"His entry into the race sets up a rematch between Jones and Tuberville, who defeated him in the 2020 Senate election."
Comment: "Jones is looking to succeed Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who is term-limited, potentially making him the first Democratic governor of Alabama since 2003. Despite the state’s deep-red voting history, Democrats are hopeful that Alabama could provide a prime pickup opportunity in a year with three dozen gubernatorial races."
" 'We’ve won in tough states like Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina in recent years and are watching Alabama closely,' said Kevin Donohoe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association."
"Jones will compete in the Democratic primary against Democrats Chad 'Chig' Martin, who owns a hemp business, and pastor Will Boyd, who has unsuccessfully sought office in Alabama several times."
"In a statement, Martin urged Democratic, Republican and independent voters to 'support someone with the enthusiasm and intention to unite the state.' "
Comment: "Elizabeth Callaghan, a spokesperson for the Boyd campaign, said in a statement that 'nothing has changed, or will change, for our campaign' and that Boyd remains 'committed to building a better Alabama for all.' "
‘No free rides for big tech’: Alabama PSC president cautions against data center push for power
Comment: "The newly appointed president of the board that regulates Alabama’s utilities is calling for limits on how the data center industry uses the state’s power resources."
"Alabama Public Service Commission President Cynthia Lee Almond issued a two-page letter on Friday afternoon, speaking on behalf of herself and not the rest of the three-person board."
" 'Our standards: no free rides for big tech. The entities driving up the costs must be the entities covering the costs,' she said. 'Data centers will be part of Alabama’s future, but that future must work for everyone, not just the companies building these facilities.'"
Comment: Citizens must hold Ms. Almond to her word, or hold her accountable at the polls. Most Alabama households already pay too much for electricity.
6 On Your Side Investigates: Alabamians pay some of the highest electric bills in the country
Federal judge approves new Alabama Senate map redrawing Montgomery districts
Comment: "A federal judge Monday ordered the implementation of a remedial map for two Montgomery-area state Senate districts."
"U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, a Trump appointee, ordered the implementation of Remedial Plan 3, which Secretary of State Wes Allen, the defendant in the case, said was the 'least bad of several bad options' in October to allow Black voters an opportunity to pick their preferred leaders in Senate Districts 25 and 26. The plaintiffs in the case said that the map was the 'weakest remedy' to Manasco’s August ruling."
" 'Ultimately, the record makes clear that Remedial Plan 3 unpacks District 26 by reassigning some Black voters to District 25 such that both districts are Black opportunity districts,' Manasco wrote. 'The court thus finds that Remedial Plan 3 completely remedies the unlawful vote dilution the court found in the Enacted Plan.' "
"Monday was the recommended deadline by Secretary Allen for a map to be implemented to be used for the 2026 midterm elections."
"The current map was drawn after the 2020 census. The state Senate map is one of two maps that were challenged in court due to Section 2 violations, in which plaintiffs argued that the drawing of the maps made it impossible for Black voters to have a meaningful voice in elections."
Comment: "Manasco ruled in August that Alabama’s Senate maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That provision prohibits voting laws or procedures that purposefully discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a language minority group."
" 'The court orders the use of a remedial map that was prepared race-blind and affords Black voters in the Montgomery area an equal opportunity, but certainly not a guarantee, to elect Senators of their choice,' Manasco wrote in the Monday court filing."
"Manasco ordered new district lines to be drawn in Senate Districts 25 and 26, represented by Sens. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, and Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, respectively. She ordered a second district in Montgomery that had a 50% Black voting age population, or something close to it."
Comment: The redrawing of Alabama state Senate districts impacts only two state Senate districts near Montgomery. It does not impact state Senate districts in the Wiregrass or Dale Co.
Alabama Democratic Party names new executive director
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/11/18/alabama-democratic-party-names-new-executive-director/
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party has hired Mark Onorato as the organization’s new executive director, Chairman Randy Kelley announced Tuesday."
Comment: "Onorato has previously worked with the Montana Democratic Party, the Missouri House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, the North Dakota Democratic NPL."
Video: Protesters rally in Jemison after ICE sets up checkpoints - November 18, 2025
https://www.wkrg.com/video/protesters-rally-in-jemison-after-ice-sets-up-checkpoints/11276807/
Comment: "Dozens of protesters gathered outside Jemison City Hall on Tuesday night after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement set up checkpoints in Chilton County and used the city’s auditorium as a processing center."
Comment: Jemison, AL
Report ranks Alabama among worst states for maternal, infant health
Prefiled bill would improve absentee ballot process for disabled voters
Comment: "The proposed legislation would allow disabled applicants to deliver their absentee ballot application through a designated third party."
Comment: "Under current Alabama law, individuals who wish to vote by an absentee ballot must personally deliver their application to their county’s absentee election manager themselves, whether in person or by mail. However, a new bill prefiled for the 2026 Legislative Session could change that, allowing applicants with a disability to deliver their absentee ballot application through a designated third party."
"House Bill 45, introduced by state Representative Adline Clarke, D-District 97, would allow individuals who either have a disability or who require emergency medical treatment within five days before an election to designate an individual to deliver their absentee ballot application on their behalf. Additionally, if such a voter’s absentee ballot request is granted, they would also be permitted to submit the completed absentee ballot itself through a designee in the same manner."
PBS Survives in Alabama, for Now, After Move to Ax Funding Fails
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/pbs-alabama-funding-television-board-vote-1236430015/
Comment: "Alabama’s Public Television Board voted on Tuesday to keep its contract with PBS after the decades-long agreement that brings Sesame Street, PBS NewsHour, and other notable series into residents’ homes came under threat amid the Trump administration’s funding cuts to and commissioners aligned with the president floated the idea of dumping the programming altogether."
"The vote came after a Tuesday meeting that featured several impassioned public comments from Alabamians, who pleaded with board members to keep the educational and arts-oriented programming broadcasting into their homes. Funding will be provided through June of 2026. Had the board cut ties with PBS, Alabama would have been the first state in the U.S. to do so, as budgets are being crunched amid the federal cuts across the sector."
Video: Tuberville’s eligibility crisis, dark money surge and Jones wildcard - November 17, 2025
Comment: "This week’s episode of The Voice of Alabama Politics highlighted three developments shaping the early landscape of Alabama’s 2026 elections: a likely residency challenge against U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, growing speculation surrounding a potential Doug Jones gubernatorial campaign, and a new wave of dark-money funding in the race for attorney general."
Alabama SNAP recipients face new work requirements after shutdown
Comment: "Alabama SNAP recipients must meet expanded work requirements and provide additional verification to maintain food benefits."
Comment: Video is included with the article.
Teacher pay raises, insurance premium increases? Budget fight incoming in Alabama
Alabama can never spend enough money on a prison
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alabama-never-spend-enough-money-125917618.html
Comment: "A state senator last week said the price tag on a new men's prison in Elmore County had grown to $1.2 billion, eating up nearly all the money the Legislature allocated in 2021 for the construction of two prisons."
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey urges delay on PBS decision by public TV board
https://apnews.com/article/pbs-elmo-alabama-kay-ivey-3567f6ee2ce610366acf1b3093cabf48
Comment: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday urged the board that oversees Alabama Public Television to delay any decision on severing ties with PBS until it has studied Alabamians’ opinions on the matter and developed a plan for what comes next."
"The Republican governor sent a letter to the Alabama Educational Television Commission ahead of a planned meeting Tuesday in which commissioners were expected to discuss disaffiliation."
"Some commission members had pushed the idea of dropping PBS due to federal budget cuts, President Donald Trump’s dislike of public broadcasting and accusations of bias raised against NPR and PBS news programs by Trump and other conservatives. A decision to separate from PBS would mean Alabama Public Television would no longer air PBS programs, including 'Sesame Street,' 'Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,' 'Antiques Roadshow' and 'PBS NewsHour'."
Comment: Is Kay Ivey pushing back a little against MAGA and introducing a little sanity into the decision making process?
Behind closed doors, GOP insiders question Tuberville’s residency and rapid rise to power
Comment: "Any ballot challenge questioning U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville’s residency in his run to be Alabama’s next governor will receive a full review by the Alabama Republican Party, and he will be expected to meet the requirements of the law, several GOP officials told APR. Party insiders say such a challenge is all but certain, raising questions about Tuberville’s residency and fueling unease within the party over his unopposed path to the nomination."
"Those with knowledge of internal discussions said the challenge would center on Tuberville’s ties to his beach home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Some of his allies have reportedly dismissed the concern, claiming the party would refuse to hear such a case—a claim senior members say is false."
" 'The Republican Party will absolutely hear a case if one is filed,' one party insider told APR. 'That’s the law and that’s the obligation of the candidate committee.' Under party rules, any formal ballot challenge must be reviewed by the Alabama Republican Party’s Candidate Committee, which is required to conduct a hearing before issuing a decision."
"Under the Alabama Constitution, a candidate for governor must have been a resident citizen of the state for at least seven years immediately preceding the election. Over the last several months, Tuberville has been encouraged to demonstrate that he has filed taxes in Alabama during that period to clear up lingering questions about whether his primary residence is the beachfront mansion in Florida—rather than the modest home in Auburn he claims as his Alabama residence."
"Under party procedure, any ballot challenge would likely be filed shortly after the qualifying period closes in January, when candidate eligibility is formally reviewed before ballots are certified."
"Several legislators are said to be monitoring the issue closely, with at least one considering qualifying for governor in case Tuberville were to be disqualified. 'It’s not a likely outcome,' one person familiar with the matter said, 'but it’s not impossible either—and some people are willing to take that gamble.' "
"Even if the challenge fails, Republicans across the state say Tuberville’s approach to the race has left a sour taste. 'Sure, he’s going to win—but it’s not healthy for the political process,' one longtime Republican said. 'No one should be coronated and not have to answer questions or take a campaign seriously.' "
"Party members describe Tuberville’s campaign as insular and dismissive. He has declined invitations to speak before local GOP groups, opting instead for closed-door fundraisers. 'He acts like he doesn’t have to answer to anyone—not the party, not the voters,' another insider said."
Comment: Does anyone really believe that the Alabama GOP will not qualify Tuberville, even if he can't produce Alabama income tax returns for the previous seven years? It's very, very likely that the Alabama GOP will find a way to qualify him and that the GOP controlled Alabama government will refuse to hold him accountable if he hasn't met the state residency requirements.
Run, Doug, Run: In a real governor’s race, Tommy Tuberville might trip over himself
Alabama Democrat hints at 2026 rematch with Tommy Tuberville: ‘Stay tuned’
First-of-its-kind FBI facility opens in Alabama
https://www.al.com/news/2025/11/first-of-its-kind-fbi-facility-opens-in-alabama.html
Comment: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened the agency’s National Counter-Unmanned Training Center at Redstone Arsenal."
Comment: "The center is the first of its kind. It will serve as the nation’s hub for preparing law enforcement and security professionals to detect, assess, and counter emerging unmanned aircraft system threats."
Health care premiums to surge for Alabamians if Congress doesn’t reach ACA deal
Alabama Power sitting on ‘environmental bomb’ that threatens the whole state
Comment: "David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, recently called on state leaders to address the massive coal ash pond that sits along the Mobile River, calling it a 'huge environmental bomb'."
Comment: "The coal ash pod at Barry Electric Generating Plant, about 25 miles north of Mobile, contains around 22 million cubic yards of coal combustion residuals - that is what’s left after coal is burned for energy. It sits next to the Mobile River, and environmental activists argue that it poses a threat both to the river and the groundwater nearby."
" 'That problem hangs over all of Alabama, like a knife to your throat,' Bronner said in the newsletter. 'A breach of the Mobile site would clearly damage Mobile Bay for decades.'"
Comment: " 'We applaud David Bronner’s call to have Alabama’s leaders come together to see that 21 million tons of coal ash is removed from the banks of the Mobile River, once and for all,' said Cade Kistler, who runs the environmental nonprofit Mobile Baykeeper, in an email. 'The coal ash pit remains a ticking time-bomb and continues to leach arsenic and heavy metals into the Mobile River Delta, putting human health and ecological health at grave risk.' "
"Alabama Power said they couldn’t comment due to pending litigation. But Anthony Cook, a spokesperson for Alabama Power, added in an email: 'We are aware of Dr. Bronner’s comments. Alabama Power remains committed to operating in full compliance with environmental regulations and continuing to work constructively with regulators and community partners.' "
Alabama Public Television could lose millions, members and programs if they drop PBS
Comment: "Officials said the end of the PBS partnership could cost Alabama Public Television millions in funding, 90% of its content and thousands of audience members."
Comment: "APT, which became the nation’s first educational television network in 1955, has been in partnership with PBS since its founding in 1969."
"The end of the 56-year-old partnership would disrupt how APT operates."
"Reid said two Alabama Educational Television Commissioners, Les Barnett and Ferris Stephens, brought the idea of severing ties with PBS after the Trump administration cut $1.1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
"CPB funded more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country."
"As a result, APT lost nearly $3 million in grant funding from the CPB, which is about 13% of the total annual budget."
Comment: "During the initial board meeting on Oct. 29,, APT Commissioners Barnett and William Green argued that continuing APT’s partnership with PBS could send a bad message to politicians like Trump and other Republican officials."
" 'That needs to be under consideration, PBS’s negative impact on Alabama Public Television, and how it affects our ability to get money from the more conservative leaders in this state,' Green said during the meeting."
"Barnett agreed."
" 'If the federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting money came back in, I still don’t want to stay with PBS. PBS has made themselves anathema to the president and a sizable chunk of the state legislature, and probably a sizable chunk of the 65% of people who voted for Trump, and I’m one of those people in both categories,' he said."
" 'I don’t want to fund it, PBS has made themselves the enemy of what I stand with, and so I do not like them, and I don’t follow the philosophy of feeding the beast.' "
Comment: "Most of PBS’ programming that APT carries is educational content for school-aged children including Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and PBS LearningMedia."
Comment: So, Commissioners Barnett and Stephens want to get rid of PBS because they don't like to hear perspective (like that presented on the PBS News Hour) that's different from that spouted by the likes of Faux News. In doing so, they would also propose getting rid of award winning "educational content for school-aged children." It's that type of censorship that hurts the education of all Alabama citizens. One might wonder if their intent is to make Alabama willfully ignorant, so as to better control us.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and foes out to become one of the nation’s most powerful utilities
Comment: "In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators."
Comment: Please read this article in its entirety before voting for the two Public Service Commission positions on the November 2026 ballot.
Comment: There's a lot of good evidence in this article to back up the article's claims.
My oath was to defend the Constitution — not to let Alabama rewrite it: op-ed
Comment: This is an editorial slamming the proposed legislation requiring that candidates for most Alabama state elected offices be natural-born citizens. The reader also may wish to refer to the article just below (and the comments) and the WSFA article of October 27th and our comments to the article and to the proposed legislation.
Comment: Please note that this terrible legislation was proposed by Secretary of State Wes Allen and sponsored by State Senator Donnie Chesteen, who happens to be the state senator for much of Dale County.
Related Article: 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."
For News Articles links from before November 1st, 2025, please go to one of the following, depending on the article date:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/old3-alabama-al-state-govt
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-alabama-state-govt
OR
https://sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/old-al-state-govt
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to November 1, 2025. 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)
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