Alabama Politics in
Doc’s Political Parlor
& Home of Lawn Mower Repair

Birmingham News - State may look to tolls for road construction projects in 2008.

Birmingham News - The Birmingham News calls for Environmental Management Commission to move forward with new limitation on allowable carcinogens in state’s waterways.

Birmingham News - The Birmingham News reminds readers not to become complacent with guilty pleas in continuing community college corruption probe, urging them to be “very, very outraged.”

Mobile Press-Register - Chancellor, most members of State Board of Education oppose proposal to create new oversight board for postsecondary system.

Huntsville Times - The Huntsville Times calls for stronger environmental laws and enforcement provisions following report that ranked state’s environmental protection efforts and policies as 48th in nation.

Montgomery Advertiser - Alabama set to receive almost $1 billion in projects in federal spending bill.

Montgomery Advertiser - State sets new record for child support collections in 2007.

New York Times - Article profiles the impact of the original German rocket scientists on Huntsville.

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Dothan Eagle - “Enterprise tornado top story of 2008″

The News Courier - From the county’s first presidential visit to stink over sewer sludge, 2007 was an interesting year.

Daily Mountain Eagle - Local Soldier’s death in Iraq top story of the year.

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Andalusia Star News - City should pay fair rate to jail. Andalusia’s mayor provides a column discussing the city’s contract with the county to house prisoners.

Times Daily - Disclosing contacts. An editorial advocating the passage of the bill introduced to require public officials to disclose personal connections with government agencies or relatives who work for the government.

Gadsden Times - Kimberley hears challenge to Mountainboro annexation vote. The contested annexation election in Mountainboro has its day in court.

(more…)

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Birmingham News - Alabama farmers tested by drought.

Birmingham News - Women hold few cabinet-level or high elective positions in Alabama.

Birmingham News - 2007 worst year for Alabama stocks in more than a decade.

Birmingham News - The Birmingham News provides a 2008 “to-do” list for state and local officials.

Birmingham News - Bob Blaylock predicts that continuing fallout from Barron-Bishop “punch” may derail 2008 legislative session.

Mobile Press-Register - Conecuh County group fighting proposed landfill seeks changes in laws regulating landfill approval process.

Mobile Press-Register - People with disabilities boost workforce.

Mobile Press-Register - Press-Register calls for leaders to “maintain momentum” in 2008.

Montgomery Advertiser - Changing demographics result in increase in Alabama’s older population.

Montgomery Advertiser - The Montgomery Advertiser endorses proposed transparency measures to be introduced in 2008 session,

Decatur Daily - The Associated Press lists their top 10 news stories in Alabama for 2007.

Decatur Daily - The Decatur Daily calls for enactment of proposals to ban transfers of campaign funds and require increased economic disclosure by legislators.

Times Daily - The Times Daily endorses proposal to require legislators and their spouses to report employment or contracts with state entities.

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Birmingham News - Veterans Affairs Board set to choose site for fourth nursing home.

Birmingham News - The Birmingham News views Alabama’s population growth rate as a positive, allowing sufficient time for infrastructure growth to match population increases.

Huntsville Times - Legislators frustrated by lack of budget information from Medicaid; Commissioner says she will be ready for budget presentation on January 16th.

Montgomery Advertiser - Governor says he lacks the authority to order post-conviction DNA testing.

Montgomery Advertiser - State appeals court upholds ruling in favor of environmental groups challenging ADEM permit in Tuscaloosa County case.

Montgomery Advertiser - Guest columnist challenges Advertiser editorial critical of Bush veto of SCHIP.

Tuscaloosa News - At least 2000 attorneys may miss deadline to  direct interest from firm accounts to charitable purposes.

Times Daily - The Times Daily poor ranking as “green” state as evidence that ADEM “is not even a paper tiger, it’s dormant.”

Winnipeg Free Press - Canadian travel writer finds surprises on the Robert Trent Jones trail.

Niagara Gazette - Commentary from the Niagara (Falls) Gazette looks at plans of new chair of National League of Cities (representing Madison, Alabama)  to “ensure that the federal government ceases its terrible budgeting practices and provide adequate funding to localities for transportation issues and poverty.”

Fox Business - U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus (R) recognized for work in domestic violence prevention.

Montgomery Independent - Riley’s 2002 and 2006 may have violated campaign reporting law by improperly reporting use of corporate airplanes and improperly reporting donations.

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Andalusia Star News - Mysterious fliers appear in Gantt. The fliers call for the replacement of the town council. Earlier story about the mayor’s arrest here.

Times Daily - Selection may defy voting act.

The Clanton Advertiser - Many lawyers close to missing charity account deadlines.

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1857: Physician and co-founder of  Children’s Hospital, Thomas Duke Parke was born.

1950: Former U. S. Ambassador Margaret Tutwiler was born in Birmingham.

Source: Bhamwiki

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Birmingham News - Latest population figures show Alabama unlikely to lose U.S. House seat after 2010 census.

Birmingham News - Traffic deaths at four-year low.

Mobile Press-Register - Press-Register comments on recent ranking that determined Alabama was among the least “green” state in nation.

Montgomery Advertiser - Life at Alabama’s Holman Prison depicted on MSNBC television series.

Montgomery Advertiser - The Montgomery Advertiser contends that recent guilty pleas may indicate that long-running corruption probe of community college system may be nearing its end.

Tuscaloosa News - Public health officials push smoking-cessation program.

Daily Home - The Daily Home sees the creation, by congressmen,  of political action committees is a “sign of a broken political system, where congressmen have to raise money to buy their way into leadership posts.”

Washington Post - GAO upholds portion of protest by Birmingham-based Pemco against Air Force contract with rival Boeing.

News link - Alabama-Louisiana senate battle underway over Katrina relief and flood-insurance premiums.

News link - Alabama  Constitution Party endorses Ron Paul for president.

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Times Daily - Local budgets make room for charitable appropriations. A look at how much and to whom Shoals area governments appropriate to local charities.

Decatur Daily - Lawrence clerk’s pay hike draws fire. County Commissioners also discuss her job performance and other matters.

The Tuskegee News - BOE delays vote on Lewis Adams. Two members of the Macon County Board of Education (MCBOE) said they were unaware of a public hearing conducted last Friday (December 14) concerning the future of Lewis Adams Early Childhood Center.

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Birmingham News - Jasper businessman agrees to plead guilty to bribery and conspiracy in ongoing investigation of community college system.

Birmingham News - The Birmingham News argues that state employees receive too many paid holidays each year.

Montgomery Advertiser - Alabama’s population growth slowed in ‘07.

Montgomery Advertiser - The Montgomery Advertiser calls for Southern Company to resolve problems at Farley Nuclear Power Plant.

Times Daily - The Times Daily urges compromise to allow expansion of SCHIP.

News link - Philadelphia writer questions whether Alabama,  in refusing to grant request for DNA testing in Tommy Arthur case, will execute an innocent person.

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The Greenville Advocate - Helping students goal of Pay Plus. Editorial about Butler county’s experiment in incentive pay for educators.

The Andalusia Star-News - County facing challenges in 2008. Editorial by Covington County Commissioner Greg White, where he sets out the issues to be resolved in 2008.

Daily Home - Surviving mill closings takes community wide effort. Editorial on the silver lining in the wave of textile mill closings.

(more…)

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Daily Mountain Eagle - Several polling places changing. Walker county announces changes in polling places and there is some controversy over the location of the Argo station polling place.

The Brewton Standard - Primary on tap in 2008. Article reminds us of what elections will be occurring when in 2008.

The News Courier - Diversity keeps jobless rate low.

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Birmingham News - U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers joins with four other Alabama congressmen to form PAC.

Mobile Press-Register - Press-Register is pleased with interpretation by Ethics Commission that laws prohibiting gifts.

News link - Political columnist Steve Flowers reviews the top political stories of 2007.

Montgomery Advertiser - Gary Palmer of the Alabama Policy Institute comments on the “truth about the state of education in Alabama.”

Tuscaloosa News - PSC officials hope that recent rate decrease will result in expansion of Alabama Power biofuel project and decrease reliance on fossil fuels.

Gadsden Times - The Gadsden Times endorses proposal to require public officials and employees and their spouses to report if they are working for the government or have government contracts.

New York Times - The new York Times cites Siegelman case, among others, in call for continuing investigation into whether politics played role in federal prosecutions.

Times Daily - Thousands file pre-employment applications for jobs at North Alabama railcar manufacturing facility.

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1956: Fred Shuttlesworth led hundreds of Blacks onto Birmingham buses in defiance of local law. 22 were arrested and Shuttlesworth filed a federal lawsuit against the police.

Source: Bhamwiki

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