Alabama politics
Round 3: Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission awards production and distribution licenses
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Friday awarded 20 licenses for the production and distribution of medical cannabis in its third attempt to get the new industry started in the state. The awards followed three days of presentations from applicants and months of litigation over the AMCC’s prior methods of evaluating applications. “The week we had […]
DNC receives proposed bylaws from Alabama Democratic Party
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee said Friday they have received revised bylaws and membership lists from the Alabama Democratic party. Minyon Moore, co-chair of the committee, said during a meeting of the committee that the proposals had been given to committee members, along with challenges. “In the meantime, the staff will continue […]
Alabama House committee expects draft of ethics law changes in January
An Alabama House committee plans to have a draft of proposed changes to the state’s ethics laws ready in January, ahead of the February start of the 2024 legislative session. Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, the chair of the House Ethics and Campaign Committee, said at a meeting Thursday he wants the members of the committee […]
Biography of a district: Alabama 2nd district residents lack health care access
The biggest health care issue in Alabama’s new 2nd Congressional District? A lack of access to it. It’s an old problem, said Dev Wakeley, a worker policy advocate for Alabama Arise, stemming from a lack of investment from the state and a lack of resources for those living there. “This is a Black Belt district. […]
Alabama educator prep programs work to improve literacy instruction
Educator preparation programs have reworked their approaches since a report from a Mississippi-based literacy organization made recommendations. The Barksdale Reading Institute, an organization with the goal of improving literacy in Mississippi, found that many educator preparation programs were not in compliance with the literacy instruction standards under Alabama law. While only seven schools had to […]
Biography of a district: Schools could benefit from more indirect funding
Mark Bazzell, superintendent of Pike County Schools, said that he wants his new congressional representative to have been a teacher, be married to a teacher or to come spend a day in one of his third grade classrooms. “See what it’s like to be a third grade teacher,” he said. Bazzell and other superintendents said […]
Biography of a district: Infrastructure one of many challenges awaiting next representative
The new 2nd Congressional District, with a Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) of 48.7%, was intended to give Black Alabamians a better chance to choose their leaders. In the end, the new boundary lines for the district did what they are supposed to do — give African Americans more of a voice within the state’s […]
Alabama Democratic Party draft bylaws do not include disability caucus
A draft of new bylaws for the Alabama Democratic Party’s governing body restore almost all the diversity caucuses abolished by the party in May, but not one for people with disabilities. The new bylaws, ordered by the Democratic National Committee in October amid criticism of party leadership, must be voted on by Feb. 1. The […]
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 […]
Two Alabama Board of Education incumbents not seeking re-election
Two incumbents on the Alabama State Board of Education will not seek re-election next year. Republicans Stephanie Bell, who represents the 3rd District and has sat on the board for nearly 30 years, and Belinda McRae, the 7th District candidate in her first term in office, are not listed on the ballot next year. Bell, […]
Report: One Alabama budget up, one stable at the end of fiscal year 2023
One of Alabama’s budgets is floating on the breeze, while the other is coming back down to Earth, according to a new report from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). The report said that the state’s General Fund budget was up by 16.6% in fiscal year 2023, which ended on Sept. 30. The […]
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 […]