Sen. Steve French, Sen. Zeb Little, Rep. Ken Guin, and Rep. Cam Ward will be blogging here during the 2010 Legislative Session.

Bills Blowing Out of Senate

Well the bills are flooding through the gates just as I mentioned in my blog yesterday.

As we sit here debating bills in the House we can watch on our lap top what bills are being debated in the Alabama Senate. They just passed the changes on the February 5th Presidential Primary Election bill that [...]

Thursday 5/31/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Birmingham News : Education budget strips funds from Fire College, diverts money to non existent program.

Birmingham News : Jefferson County Senate delegation approves measure that would reduce financial threshold required before new transit board would be established.

Birmingham News : Riley says that state’s vote next week on constitutional amendment [...]

The race to the finish

Despite the Senate’s session-long disagreement, they managed to take up and pass the budgets by an overwhelming margin. They budgets came back down to the House chamber and we concurred.  Now, they are at the Governor’s office awaiting his decision to sign, veto or amend. We hope he signs them. Still awaiting action is the bond issue, [...]

The Dam Has Broken in the Senate

In previous blogs I have mentioned the possibility of the flood gates opening in the Senate and bills could start passing.  Well I am not sure if it was actually the pressure of being so unproductive or if everyone just got plain tired of fighting but the log jam of bills [...]

Wednesday 5/30/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Birmingham News : Businessman admits kickbacks, overcharges in latest guilty plea in two year college probe.

Birmingham News : Legislature sends budgets, pay raise bills to Governor for approval.

Tuscaloosa News : Small turnout expected for next week’s [...]

Everything’s Bigger in Texas

Dan at Between the Links has figured that the Senate coalition of Republican and dissident Democrat senators represents a slight majority of Alabamians, or at least by the numbers of the 2000 census.

Jennifer Foster (Opelika-Auburn News) makes a point, “The bottom line is that, whatever the reason, 100 percent of Alabamians have a [...]

Tuesday 5/29/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Press-Register – Bayou la Batre settles on plans for developing new housing to replace Katrina damage.

Press-RegisterPress Register contends that new chancellor must immediately address issues of scandal in two year college system.

Tuscaloosa News – Conservative Christian group leaders swap charges.

[...]

Alabama’s Beach Nationally Recognized

King Neptune

Memorial Day Weekend is an unofficial start to summer, and many Alabamians will be beach-bound.

You might call it the Redneck Riviera, but USA Today last week called it one of “Five hidden, affordable beach destinations.” Included on the list with East Hawaii, California’s San Mateo County and others is Alabama’s own [...]

Monday 5/28/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham News complains about discretionary funding included in $1 billion school construction bond issue.

Press-Register – “The Political Skinny,” the Press Register’s weekly roundup from Mobile, Montgomery and Washington.

Press-RegisterPress Register sees legislative approval of “apology” [...]

Sunday 5/27/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Birmingham News – New Medicaid rule requiring proof of citizenship for eligibility affects few immigrants, knocks 5,000 apparent citizens from rolls.

Birmingham News – This article breaks down how the funds from the proposed $1 billion education bond issue would be spent.

Birmingham News – Agreement reached by governor, lawmakers on [...]

Saturday 5/256/2007 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

Birmingham News – Alabama residents’ credit scores among lowest in nation.

Press-Register – New chancellor will make recommendations to State Board regarding presidents at two community colleges.

Press-Register – University of South Alabama sees “virtually no impact” from minimum wage increase due to tight labor market in Mobile area.

Press-Register [...]

House Baseball

Once a year during the session, the House plays baseball. Our blogging Rep. Cam Ward explains in Posts from the Legislature.

Baseball Anyone?

Has anyone ever heard the term legislative process associated with the game of baseball? Well if you haven’t you are about to now.

On Thursday there was suddenly an opening of the dark clouds in the State Legislature and the light beamed down from the heavens. No it was not the moment spoken about in [...]

Sessions’ Democratic Challengers

One Democratic Party source tells me that state Senator Vivian Figures is not just likely to run for the U.S. Senate in ‘08, but that she is definitely in “no matter what.” Another knowledgeable source says, “It’s hard for me to imagine that Figures actually runs against Sparks, but she sure is talking like [...]

Dispatches from the Legislature

This morning, Rep. Randy Hinshaw (D – Meridianville) offers his perspective on leadership that was (and was not) exhibited in breaking the Senate stalemate. Rep. Cam Ward (R – Alabaster) gives us a peek on how legislators from one city or county work together, even across the aisle.

In Posts from the [...]

See more Recent Small Town News

 


 

Legislative Dispatch

Change

I wish my friend Hinton Mitchem godspeed and good luck after his retirement from public service. Hinton, on Monday, announced what many had suspected — he will not seek re-election. I remember meeting Hinton for the first time while I was a student at Auburn University. He served the people of his [...]

Ten Minutes in the House, Senate Moves On

Riley and her friend Caroline joined Julie on the campaign trail in Isabella this past weekend.

Here is a quick preview of the upcoming week in Montgomery. This week will be a standard legislative schedule for the House. We will be in session on Tuesday and Thursday with committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
The House will take up a ten minute calendar this week. A ten minute calendar is [...]

Purple Dot Connection

MARCH MADNESS

TOP TEN INDICATIONS OF MARCH MADNESS

10.  Eric Massa inviting us to ask the 10,000 Navy men he served with whether he is gay.

9.  Larry Langford hitting the jackpot 33 times in one day and not remembering it.

8.  Ron Sparks being able to make payments on a $500,000 loan with an income of $80,000.

7.  Artur Davis [...]


Back in the Day...

Union Avenue in Ozark in the 1920s

Vintage postcard