Rep. Cam Ward (R - Alabaster) offers his own top ten list of questions on people’s minds and “buzzing around the political circles” as next year’s legislative session quickly approaches.
Right now in our Posts from the Legislature.
Seems to be a poorly kept secret that Democratic attorney Joshua Segall is gearing up to challenge Republican incumbent Mike Rogers in Alabama’s Third Congressional District next year.
Enterprise Ledger - NOAA assessment of March 1 released. - Enterprise High School officials and students followed appropriate safety measures prior to and during the March 1 tornado outbreak which killed eight students, but the event ..further demonstrated the need for such facilities to have hardened safe rooms, according to a NOAA National Weather Service assessment released Thursday.
Decatur Daily - Saferooms too expensive, 2 local superintendents say. Saferooms were recommended in the NOAA report on the Enterprise tornado
Birmingham News - Presidential hopeful Huckabee sees gains among Alabama voters.
Birmingham News - State’s pension plans among best performing in nation in most recent year.
Birmingham News - Rep. Artur Davis (D) urges Jefferson County leaders to work together to avoid further erosion of Birmingham’s stature.
Birmingham News - The Birmingham News praises Public Safety’s recent holiday blitz, but reminds us that such activities only reinforces the idea that Alabama needs more troopers on the road.
Tuscaloosa News - Two Alabama nursing homes make list of nation’s 100 worst facilities.
Tuscaloosa News - Attorney General urges U.S. Supreme Court to deny request for stay of next week’s planned execution of Thomas Arthur.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News sees senator’s call for bipartisan effort to resolve state’s pending fiscal crisis as falling on deaf ears.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News argues that road and bridge maintenance shortfalls reinforces the need for comprehensive tax reform in state.
Anniston Star - Columnist James Evans explores the link between politics and faith.
Montgomery Advertiser - Environmentalist calls for Environmental Management Commission to “do the right thing” and adopt limitations on the level of carcinogens allowed to be discharged into state’s waterways.
Daily Home - Rockford textile mill closing.
Washington Post - Anti-Semitic church based in Talladega drops Nazi symbols, critics charge that group is seeking to ’sanitize hatred.’
(more…)
Well for better or worse the 2008 Legislative Session is getting closer.. For many people in Alabama this sends a chill of fear down their spine. For you junkies who enjoy watching a good political fight it is almost like a new holiday season.
As the session gets closer agendas for all the political parties, associations, special interests, and different branches of government will start to form. While many of the agendas will be some of the same issues that have been debated many times before in Montgomery, there are bound to be some new points of contention as well.
As we get started back into this process I have my first Top Ten List for the upcoming session. In this case it is actually a top ten questions that will be on a lot of folks mind at this point early in the season-
10. What will the decline in revenue growth do to the debate over the state budgets?
9. In light of slightly less growth than in years past, what will be done to shore the nearly $600 million shortfall in Medicaid?
8. Will there be a push for teacher pay raises again this year?
7. How will the race for the 2nd Congressional District play out in the halls of the legislature?
6. After several years of passing a ban on PAC to PAC Transfers in the House will the Senate pull the trigger this year too?
5. Will the issue of coastal insurance be resolved this session?
4. Does the stalemate in the Alabama Senate finally begin to clear?
3. What plans are worked out, if any, to start improving our overwhelmed infrastructure in Alabama?
2. Will ethics reform really stand a chance of at least getting a fair hearing in both chambers this time?
1. Will someone fess up to stealing Alvin Holmes football tickets?
These are just a few questions that will start buzzing around the political circles as plans are made and agendas are set. Regardless of how early it is, state politics is always getting geared up for the next big debate!
Prevailing rumors from the grapevine are that Rep. Greg Wren and Greenville businessman Tim James, both Republicans, will not run for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. I have not been able to confirm. Word is that James is particularly eyeing the 2010 Governor’s race.
Strongly sourced polling data indicate that state Sen. Harri Anne Smith on the Republican side and Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright on either side are the two names showing to be most competitive at this early date. Undecideds lead the way, and of course we are a long way off.
Indications are that Bobby Bright really wants to run as a Republican and is apparently trying to figure if he can make that work. He also is reluctant to announce his candidacy for the seat so soon after being sworn into a new term as Montgomery Mayor.
I continue to hear that Republican David Woods, President of WCOV-TV in Montgomery, intends to run.
Republican Wess Howell of Enterprise has served in Congressman Everett’s intern program and is telling people that he is going to run. (Someone has edited a Wikipedia entry to say as much). I expect his impact to be in William Boyd territory, i.e., small. Rep. Terry Spicer (D) defeated Howell handily in Spicer’s first re-election bid for House District 91 in 2002.
A commenter at the Parlor asked about Democratic lightning rod Larry Darby, the Holocaust denier and once-but-no-longer-atheist who ran for Attorney General in 2006. Darby told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2006 (link no longer available) that he would run for AL-02. He told the Parlor recently that he is reconsidering that though he “could beat any Democratic candidate.” He added, “It’s tempting to run for the sake of forcing the Marxists who own the Democratic Party into a position of trying to prevent me from being on the ballot.”
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The Alabama House Republican Caucus concluded a two-day retreat today. The annual event is intended to build some unity in the group and doesn’t particularly generate big news. Though the caucus’s legislative agenda will not be set until January, the Parlor hears that caucus members did agree that illegal immigration was the biggest issue facing Alabama right now. There was also near-unanimous support for ending annual reappraisals of property taxes.
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Sources tell the Parlor that the 60 Minutes segment on former Governor Don Siegelman is expected to air Sunday week or the next. Check your local listings.
The sources are solid, but it’s TV, so anything could cause a change.
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If you missed the CNN/YouTube Republican debate last night, or even if you didn’t, you may enjoy reading the account of it on Red State Diaries. The intrepid Alabama blogger live-blogged the event, updating continually during the debate.
To read his account chronologically, start at the bottom of the post and read paragraphs up to the top.
Or perhaps you would like to see CNN’s online videos of the debate.
Tim Lennox, host of For the Record on Alabama Public Television, started a personal blog this month. He says there that he expects to “stay clear of politics.” Many of you watch the man on APT and may enjoy seeing a bit of the moderator off-camera.
Which for some reason raises the question in my mind… is this the most famous person in Alabama to run a blog?
Glad to have you in the blogosphere, Mr. Lennox.
And thanks to Loretta Nall, also one of the more famous Alabamians to run a blog, for the notice.
Troy Messenger - Troy City Council votes to back local doctors plan to buy Troy Regional Medical Center.
The Cullman Times - Cullman County and City governments dispute water situation.
Birmingham News - Birmingham-Hoover’s unemployment rate nation’s lowest for metro areas of at least 1 million.
Birmingham News - State demonstrates Alabama Google Earth technology.
Birmingham News - Federal court asked to remove Riley appointee and allow election for Jefferson County commission member.
Birmingham News - The Birmingham News finds it “inconceivable that the state of Alabama won’t order DNA testing before executing a Death Row inmate who claims to be innocent.”
Mobile Press-Register - Medicaid commissioner says she still doesn’t know budget needs for next fiscal year.
Mobile Press-Register - Advocates concerned that state troopers’ participation in federal program to track undocumented immigrants will lead to racial profiling.
Montgomery Advertiser - U.S Rep. Artur Davis (D) see crisis coming state’s Medicaid program.
Montgomery Advertiser - Davis says he still considering possible run for governor in 2010.
Montgomery Advertiser - Water resources commission calls on Governor to develop statewide water usage plan.
Tuscaloosa News - County Commissioners continue to push for bond issue for bridge repair and replacement.
Times Daily - Death row inmate seeks stay of scheduled execution.
Times Daily - The Times Daily argues that state should expand the use of drug courts.
Birmingham News - Alabama’s housing sales drop, foreclosure increase.
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Gov. Bob Riley’s recent appointee to the Jefferson County Commission, George Bowman, is telling people that whenever an election is held for his seat, he will run as a Democrat. The special election scheduled by the Jefferson County Election Commission for February 5 looks to be on hold now that Riley claimed the authority to appoint the successor to the seat vacated by Larry Langford.
Like a similar case in Mobile, this one will wend it’s way through court. Motions for injunctive relief were filed today in federal court as a part of Plump v. Riley. Fred Plump’s original suit sought to prevent Gov. Riley from filling the seat.
State Democratic Party Chair Joe Turnham said today in a release, “This case is not about the distinguished record or character of General George Bowman. However, it is all about thwarting the democratic process that was already underway with an election set for February 5th. Now Governor Riley has pushed the issue into federal court and the aftermath of these actions only serves to rile the electorate and call into question his true motives.”
In the similar Mobile County situation, Riley appointed Republican Juan Chastang to fill a vacant County Commission seat. A special election was held this year after Montgomery’s U.S. District Court ruled that Riley’s appointment violated the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act. That case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney Ed Still has served in both the Mobile County and Jefferson County cases.
I think it’s fair to say that Democrats object more to the process than they do to the result.
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In case you were wondering…
Here are the names listed as the Host Committee on the invitation (pdf) for an upcoming Montgomery fundraiser for Republican Jay Love’s candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District.
Make of it what you will…
Mr. Tom Albrecht
Mr. & Mrs. John N. Albritton
Mr. & Mrs. Troy Amster
Hon. & Mrs. W. Mark Anderson, III
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Atkinson
Mr. & Mrs. Bowen Ballard
Mr. & Mrs. Terry Barber
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Bishop
Mr. Dave Borden
Mr. & Mrs. Dick Brewbaker
Mr. & Mrs. Bo Brown
Mr. Todd Butler
Mr. & Mrs. Perry Butler
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Campbell
Dr. & Mrs. Louis P. Chapman
Mr. Martin Christie
Mr. Gene Crane
Mr. & Mrs. Lanny Crane
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Crowell
Mr. Rusty Daniels
Mr. Russell Davis
Hon. & Mrs. Larry Dixon
Dr. & Mrs. Rick Dobbs
Mr. Ron Drinkard
Mr. & Mrs. Liston Eddins
Mr. & Mrs. Clark Fine
Hon. & Mrs. Emory Folmar
Mr. Mark Fowler
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Franz
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Frazer
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Gilliland
Mr. Robert Gilpin
Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Gross
Dr. & Mrs. Chuck Hartzog
Mr. Horace Horn
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hudson
Mr. Will Hudson
Hon. & Mrs. Reed Ingram
Mr. Mark Jackson
Dr. Rick Jackson
Mr. & Mrs. Guthrie Jeffcoat
Mr. & Mrs. Mike Jenkins
Mr. Taylor Jernigan
Mrs. Clair Kennedy
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Kyser
Mr. & Mrs. Kyle Kyser
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Larimore
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Lee
Mr. Billy Livings
Mr. & Mrs. Joey Long
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Love
Mr. Mark Love
Mr. Douglas Mannion
Mr. & Mrs. Everett Marshall
Mr. & Mrs. Les Massey
Mr. & Mrs. Si Mathison
Mr. Wayne McMahan
Mr. & Mrs. Ben McNeill
Mr. & Mrs. Pat McWhorter
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Meriwether
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Mitchell
Mr. & Mrs. Terry Mitchell
Mr. & Mrs. Dorsey Morrow
Dr. Thomas P. Moseley
Mr. & Mrs. Guy Nevins
Mr. & Mrs. Keith Newell
Mr. & Mrs. Scotty Parma
Mr. Ferrell Patrick
Dr. & Mrs. Matt Phillips
Hon. Dimitri Polizos
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Pope
Mr. & Mrs. Phillip C. Pouncey
Mr. Robert Ritchey
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Ridling
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Sasser
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Sauls
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Saunders
Mr. & Mrs. Dusty Smith
Mr. & Mrs. William R. Stevenson
Mr. Robin Stone
Hon. & Mrs. Todd Strange
Mr. & Mrs. Dax Swatek
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Walker
Mr. & Mrs. Claude Walker, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Wallace
Mr. Ed Welch
Mr. & Mrs. Tommy West
Mr. Mark Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Williams
Related Articles:
The Troy Messenger - State Sen. Wendell Mitchell tells members of the Troy Rotary Club that partisan division is a serious concern, but hopeful the next legislative session will be less divisive.
Andalusia Star News - The Florala City Council voted Monday to ask the courts to decide how many council members should serve on the utilities board. Once a decision is reached, council members hope it will put an end almost two years of debate between the two entities. (more…)
Birmingham News - Alabama New South Coalition set to endorse presidential primary candidates on Saturday.
Birmingham News - U.S. Rep Artur Davis (D) discusses transit, immigration issues during Bessemer town meeting.
Mobile Press-Register - Mobile County DA says probe of Bishop State Community College is nearing end.
Mobile Press-Register - U.S. Rep. Artur Davis (D) to meet with legislative leaders to discuss Medicaid funding.
Decatur Daily - Federal judge rules that grants death row inmates trial challenging state’s method of lethal injection.
Associated Press - Rep. Alvin Holmes (D-Montgomery) says he didn’t receive Iron Bowl tickets because of his past criticism of Auburn University.
Montgomery Advertiser - The Montgomery Advertiser contends that progress at Bishop State Community College is indicative of the success of chancellor in turning ” the two-year system around and to ensure that it continues to play a positive role in the state’s economy.”
Anniston Star - The Anniston Star contends that recent grade of ‘F’ state received on web-based disclosure reporting indicates that state has further work to do to improve transparency.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News calls for Governor to delay execution to allow DNA testing following U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to reconsider case.
Tuscaloosa News - Mercedes-Benz reaches milestone: 1 million vehicles assembled at Alabama facility.
Senate Sketches - “Senate Sketches,” the weekly column for his constituents by Sen. Hank Sanders (D-Selma).
The Southern Political Report has a piece on the race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. I don’t see a lot there that regular readers haven’t already read here, but completists who want every word about the race may want to read it.
They did bite on the “43%” figure that someone near Sen. Harri Anne Smith’s campaign tried to push as a poll result for the percentage of people in the district who would vote for her, but Parlor readers know that that the real poll result was that 24%, not 43%, of respondents supported Smith.
Also, at the end of the story, they call the seat “likely Republican.” It’s at least that, and I was a little interested to see that they stopped short of calling it a Republican seat without qualification.
If I overlooked something, let me know.
Update: The Southern Political Report has edited its story to show that 24% of the poll respondents supported Smith.
Who’s running for President of the Public Service Commission in 2008?
Republican incumbent Jim Sullivan has held the office since 1983, and has not faced a strong challenge for the seat in many years. Despite an Associated Press story to the contrary, I continue to hear from strong (and disparate) sources that he has not yet committed to running for re-election. There are those who suspect that he may decide that this is a good time to hang it up, especially if he is going to get more of a challenge than he has had for many years.
Former Democratic Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley is indicating that she is in. We continue to hear that former PSC Commissioner George Wallace Jr. (R) is looking at a run, though the story is that if Sullivan runs for re-election then Wallace’s participation becomes iffier.
One version of the story floating around is that the race will play out like this: Sullivan will announce after Christmas that he is not running for re-election. Wallace will announce that he is running, and the utilities will put whatever influence they have behind Baxley.
The utilities dislike Wallace enough that they pushed him out of the Public Service Commission and when he landed in the 2006 Lt. Governor’s race, the story goes that they found and propped up a political unknown in Luther Strange to knock him out of that race too. The expectation apparently is not that Baxley would be a great friend to the utilities, but that she would be sensible and someone that the utilities could work with better than Wallace. In addition, we hear that Lucy Baxley is good friends with the wife of Alabama Power CEO Charles McCrary.
Baxley has more money in her campaign fund than Sullivan does in his according to the last reports, and the word is that Sullivan might go another term if it were handed to him, but that he “may not be pumped up” about a real campaign.
Update: Democrat Ed Gentle was said earlier to be interested in the race also, but the word heard here from a strong source is that he would not run against Baxley. Baxley would likely clear the Democratic field.
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The question yet to be answered about Patrick Cooper’s legal challenge (now dismissed pending appeal) to the election of Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has to do with how much damage Cooper has done to his own political future. The Parlor has heard many people including Cooper supporters say that Cooper did himself no favors by pursuing the matter. An elections lawyer epitomized this sentiment when he said about the challenge, “Legally it’s bad, and politically it’s worse.”
Cooper could have been remembered for finishing a strong second in a ten person field (and there is little shame to losing to a candidate strong enough to win a ten person field without a runoff). Now, though, he’s lost twice including in court. More and more people want to hang the “sore loser” moniker on him (his plan to appeal to the Supreme Court won’t help in that respect) , and plenty are willing to believe that he has damaged a political future that could have been bright.
I’m not so sure that Cooper has damaged himself. His actions, if recalled, will be re-evaluated in hindsight by the performance of Langford’s administration. If Langford is a disaster who leads Birmingham to crisis and bankruptcy, and/or who ends up in jail, people may remember fondly that Cooper tried to show from the beginning that Langford was no good and couldn’t be trusted. Anything short of that, it’s easy for me to imagine that Cooper’s challenge will be little remembered.
Which isn’t to say that Cooper should pursue the appeal to the Supreme Court. What’s Cooper’s rosiest scenario? Win on appeal, special election, hope that enough people unhappy with Langford turn out to deny Langford a majority, and squeak by in a run-off. (No chance, we hear, that Langford would be denied a chance to run in the special election if he qualified.) That’s a tall order, especially given that Cooper’s stock has fallen more than Langford’s since the election. Mayor Langford is already out there making people happy. If Cooper lost two elections to Langford for one race, now that would be political damage hard for voters to forget.
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Political Parlor readers have known for two months that former Democratic Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley has been talking about running for President of the Public Service Commission next year.
This weekend she confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser that she intends to run, and you may be interested in seeing videos posted by the Advertiser in which she talks about a number of topics including her stroke one year ago, her campaign last year for Governor, leading the state Senate, and her candidacy for the PSC Presidency.
Stay tuned for more coming up here about the race for the PSC Presidency.
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Times-Journal - Widow of Henagar councilman sworn in
The Daily Sentinel - Mathis resigns from park board.
Mobile Press-Register - Conecuh County citizens’ advisory committee recommends approval of landfill, then promptly disbanded by county commissioners.
Mobile Press-Register - The Press-Register points to Poarch Creek Indians’ Atmore operation as evidence that casinos are already present in the state, argues that state officials should “allow for well-regulated and well-taxed expansions; otherwise, the gambling dollar will simply go elsewhere.”
Huntsville Times - State moves 20,000 email users into single system in effort to save money and improve efficiency.
Montgomery Advertiser - The Montgomery Advertiser calls for state to increase investment in road and bridge infrastructure, using either increase in tax gasoline tax rates or bond issue revenue.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News contends that efforts to obtain a National Heritage Area designation faces opposition from proponents of national property-rights advocates.
Times Daily - U.S. Supreme Court refuses to consider challenge seeking DNA testing for Alabama death-row inmate.
Associated Press - State traffic deaths cut in half during holiday weekend blitz by state troopers.
Daily Home - Family of Sen. Jim Preuitt (D-Talladega) offers reward of $100,000 “for information leading to the arrest and conviction (of) those responsible for” death of senator’s grandson.
New York Times - Terminal patients living longer pose financial hazards for hospice programs.
An elections lawyer told the Parlor over a month ago that Patrick Cooper’s challenge to Larry Langford’s election to the Birmingham mayorship had “no legs.” Today, Circuit Judge Allwin Horn granted Langford’s motion to dismiss Cooper’s challenge. Cooper’s challenge claimed that Langford did not meet the residency requirement to qualify to be on the ballot, but Horn did not agree.
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Decatur Daily - Hartselle mayor seeks a city sales tax increase. In a related article, the mayor defends calling for a special election.
Dothan Eagle Fort Rucker land use forum is set for today (November 26) in Enterprise. The mayor encourages everyone to attend as it is a chance to voice an opinion about Fort Rucker and its operations.
Birmingham News - Black Belt counties seek designation as national heritage area.
Birmingham News - Traffic tickets approach 16,000 as of Saturday during long holiday weekend crackdown.
Mobile Press-Register - Despite opposition, Florida still wants environmental review authority in parts of Georgia and Alabama.
Huntsville Times - The Huntsville Times finds that the state’s increasingly diverse population “serves us well and reflects our successes.”
Daily Mountain Eagle - Local organization opening an affordable day care center.
News Courier - A petition asking state legislators to change the Limestone County superintendent’s position from an appointed to an elected position is being circulated in Limestone County.
Birmingham News - Loan losses mount at Alabama banks as credit crisis continues.
Birmingham News - Long holiday weekend traffic blitz results in 13,500 citations by day five.
Birmingham News - Alabama bankruptcy rate twice national figure.
Birmingham News - hill Carmichael, great -grandson of one of the authors of state’s 1901 Constitution, calls for calls for new constitution.
Birmingham News - Former candidate for lt. governor, Luther Strange, calls for increased funding for pre-K programs, says state should look to Tuscaloosa as an example of a successful program.
Mobile Press-Register - Experts say that building more reservoirs shouldn’t be seen as the only long range solution to state’s drought.
Mobile Press-Register - Press-Register calls for bipartisan support of Governor’s plan to increase funding for pre-k programs.
Montgomery Advertiser - Lucy Baxley continues recovery, plans race for PSC, on anniversary of stroke.
Daily Mountain Eagle - Proponents of constitutional reform take their campaign to Jasper.
Tuscaloosa News - The Tuscaloosa News expresses hope that the Alabama legislature will be receptive to the recommendations to be made by the Alabama Autism Task Force.
Tuscaloosa News - “Alabama Exposure,” Dana Beyerle’s weekly political roundup for readers of the NYTimes regional papers.
Tuscaloosa News - Tommy Stevenson’s commentary sees state’s political landscape changing, with more voters identifying themselves as Independents and support for Bush administration wanes.
Gadsden Times - The Gadsden Times hopes that the fact that the state has hit its borrowing limit for industrial incentives will not hurt recruitment.
Decatur Daily - Governor’s picture on billboards thanking teachers for improved test scores lead to speculation that Riley may have further political ambitions.
(more…)
Gadsden Times - Aprender ingles - Parents and teachers work together to learn English.
Clanton Advertiser - Reports how government grants are being used to supply equipment for three volunteer fire departments
Birmingham News - State farmers reeling from brutal year of drought and heat.
Mobile Press-Register - FBI files reflect that Bremer regretted shooting bystanders in Wallace assassination attempt.
Mobile Press-Register - State’s inmate population increasing, number of state inmates detained in county jails beyond 30 days also inching up.
Huntsville Times - ACLU raises possible concerns over “Take Back Our Roads” highway safety campaign.
(more…)
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