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The subject that never comes up in Alabama political campaigns? Alabama
Political campaigns in Alabama have one distinguishing feature: a total lack of interest in Alabama. Oh sure, a candidate will speak of “Alabama values” while brandishing a gun and explaining why some Alabamians don’t count. But if you want to talk about the state as you and I experience it, you’re not going to hear […]
Thankful for the courage of Alabamians
It’s very difficult to look at Alabama’s problems and think that we can fix them. We have seen appalling gun violence and next to no interest in addressing it from officials and lawmakers. They’re far more interested in chasing women seeking out-of-state reproductive health care. Not to mention transgender youth getting health care critical to […]
Alabama needs a new statehouse. Alabamians deserve to know its cost.
Alabamians have every right to be cynical about their state government. After all, there’s a long history of Montgomery politicians enriching themselves or enriching business allies while distracting voters with attacks on those least able to respond. It’s an old, ossified attitude. We live under a Jim Crow constitution passed in 1901. Georgia has had […]
Sen. Merika Coleman to run in 2nd Congressional District
Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, will run for the 2nd Congressional District, the latest legislator to enter the contest. Coleman, an attorney by trade, said in a statement that she aimed to “amplify our shared values, break barriers, and build a future where every Alabamian’s voice is not just heard but celebrated.” “Together, let’s write […]
Sen. Kirk Hatcher won’t run for 2nd Congressional District
Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, said Friday he will not seek the Democratic nomination for the new 2nd Congressional District, a few weeks after becoming among the first Democrats to declare for the race. Hatcher, a member of the Alabama Senate since 2021, wrote in a text message Friday that he “ended an intense internal fight […]
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, Rep. Juandalynn Givan to run for 2nd Congressional District
Two Alabama House Democrats said Thursday they would enter the 2nd Congressional race, joining a growing field on both sides. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said Thursday he would jump into the race, after weeks of signaling his interest. Daniels, who has been in the House of Representatives since 2014, said in a phone […]
Tommy Tuberville is losing
Let’s remember the stakes of Tommy Tuberville’s months-long blockade of military promotions. The Pentagon in February announced a new policy to help service members get abortion services, months after the U.S. Supreme Court gave states like Alabama the green light to to impose draconian restrictions on the procedure. The policy gives members of the armed forces […]
Name the problem
A few months ago, the Alabama Resilience Council convened to discuss ways to prepare the state for extreme weather events. Interesting ideas surfaced, especially on fortifying homes against storm and wind damage. What wasn’t discussed? Climate change. Last week a school safety commission met to discuss responses to and preparations for violence in schools. There […]
Six meek men
At a key moment in the 1957 film “12 Angry Men,” Juror No. 7, played by Jack Warden, suddenly announces that he’s changed his mind about a teenager facing a murder charge. He goes from guilty to not guilty. Not because he’s been convinced by arguments, or a need to get a life-and-death decision correct. […]
What if Alabama had never taken anyone’s vote away?
There’s a chance — not a guarantee, but a better-than-average possibility — that two Black Alabamians will represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025. A federal court created two new congressional districts for the state, one with a Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) of 51.9% and one with a BVAP of […]
Longtime Alabama Sen. Roger Bedford dies
Roger Bedford, a longtime fixture in the Alabama Senate, died on Wednesday. He was 67 years old. The former senator’s law firm, Bedford and Associates, confirmed his passing on Wednesday morning. A cause of death was not immediately available. A force in the Alabama Senate for 28 years, Bedford, a Democrat from Russellville, combined deep […]
Hammering Alabama elections in search of a nail
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen doesn’t want to make voting easier. He’s always been clear on that. Take an interview Alabama’s elections chief did a few weeks ago. Allen said he opposed automatic voter registration (AVR), a program where a qualified voter gets registered when they do something like renew a driver’s license. “Registering […]