Opinion

Updates

2016 Legislative Session a Success for Economic Growth
Opinion

June 20, 2016

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 […]
Ten Highlights from the 2016 Legislative Session
Opinion

June 8, 2016

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
Opinion

May 13, 2016

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 […]
New Medicaid Law Could Save State Money
Opinion

May 10, 2016

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 […]
Legislature Gives Autism Research & Treatment a Boost
Opinion

April 22, 2016

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 […]
Historic Tax Credit Necessary for Alabama’s Economic Growth
Opinion

April 18, 2016

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 […]
Finding a Balance to Save Medicaid & Protect Taxpayers
Opinion

March 28, 2016

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
Opinion

March 25, 2016

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 […]
Easy Medicaid Fix: Allow the People to Vote on a Lottery
Opinion

March 21, 2016

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
Opinion

March 21, 2016

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 […]
By Larry Stutts