2016 Legislative Session a Success for Economic Growth
In Alabama and the nation, the economy is slowly moving again – but everyone across the political spectrum agrees we need the economy to grow faster. Yet there is sharp disagreement on how to jumpstart economic growth. Nationally, politicians like Bernie Sanders offer a vision of a government-centered society where businesses and individuals are […]
By Slade Blackwell
Ten Highlights from the 2016 Legislative Session
I am thankful and honored to represent you in the Alabama Senate. I was elected to the Senate in 2014, and the past year and a half has been quite interesting: an organizational session, two regular sessions, two special sessions…and the possibility of another special session this year! Despite a number of political distractions, […]
By Clyde Chambliss
Do Not Sacrifice the Rule for the Exception
Across our nation there is a deafening debate about the “rights” of those who claim a gender preference or identity other than the one with which they were born. Make no mistake: it is a debate that is happening even here in the very conservative state of Alabama. As I write this, a big-box […]
By Phil Williams
New Medicaid Law Could Save State Money
Our prison population overwhelms our facilities and is currently at almost double capacity. It consumes nearly one-third of the General Fund Budget, stressing all other state agencies that are funded from the same source. One of the most difficult challenges in my political service has been trying to bring sanity back to the way we […]
By Cam Ward
Legislature Gives Autism Research & Treatment a Boost
Despite recent political distractions, the Alabama Legislature has worked hard this session to enact policies to move our state forward. This session, the Legislature unanimously passed a $6.3 billion Education Trust Fund for fiscal year 2017 (FY17), the largest education budget since the recession, and it gives a much-deserved pay raise to teachers and support […]
By Cam Ward
Historic Tax Credit Necessary for Alabama’s Economic Growth
This past week, the Alabama Legislature met for the twenty-first and twenty-second days of the 2016 regular legislative session. Despite current political distractions in Montgomery, the Legislature has had a productive session. In fact, last week the Senate passed by a 32-1 vote a robust $6.3 billion education budget for fiscal year 2017 that […]
By Slade Blackwell
Finding a Balance to Save Medicaid & Protect Taxpayers
When I ran in 2014, I promised to keep you updated on the political debates in Montgomery. Today, I want to spend a few minutes explaining why funding Medicaid, the federally mandated insurance program for low-income pregnant women, senior citizens, children, and the disabled, is the central challenge for state lawmakers. Last week, the Legislature […]
By Steve Livingston
Legislature’s Budget Funds Essential State Agencies, Avoids New Taxes
The Alabama Legislature is nearly two-thirds of the way through the 2016 regular session. While the Legislature is considering a number of bills related to everything from payday lending to the allocation of the BP settlement, the only constitutionally required duty of the Legislature is to pass budgets for both the Education Trust Fund and […]
By Cam Ward
Easy Medicaid Fix: Allow the People to Vote on a Lottery
There is an immediate crisis happening in Alabama: Medicaid and the entire health delivery system in our state is a “house of cards.” Sitting at the base is Medicaid itself, and if it falters, the entire system falls. Without adequate state funding for Medicaid, hospitals across Alabama will close, and many Alabamians – including the […]
By Jim McClendon
We Must Solve Alabama’s Prison Crisis
There is a crisis in Alabama’s prisons today and there has been for years. Currently, our prison facilities are dangerously overcrowded. The Department of Corrections says the prisons are at 182% capacity – the highest in the country. This situation has made it difficult for correctional officers to effectively manage the inmate population. Just last […]