Daily Headlines, Saturday, 1/31/2009

Coffee cup

Birmingham NewsFormer Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt, who led from 1986 to 1993, dies at 75

Birmingham NewsGovernor strikes down Hoover, Alabama, hospital proposal

Birmingham NewsAlabama high court race again garners most expensive pricetag in U.S.

Birmingham NewsFormer Alabama two-year college Vice Chancellor [...]

Small Town Political Gazette

Journal Record – Area Legislators (Bedford, Millican) discuss upcoming session

Lagniappe – Was judge Thomas saved from jail by local politics?

Prattville Progress – Tallassee landlord fined by HUD for barring black neighbors

Andalusia Star-News – The Great Depression remembered

Smitherman Expected to Be Senate President Pro Tem

Senate Seal

In the upcoming legislative session that starts next week, look for state Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D – Birmingham) to be elected Senate President pro tem to replace Hinton Mitchem who will step down from the position.

Rodger Smitherman cut a deal two years ago to be Senate President pro tem for the final two years [...]

Former Gov. Guy Hunt Dies This Afternoon

Former Governor Guy Hunt dies from lung cancer this afternoon.

Associated Press:

Guy Hunt, who in 1987 became Alabama’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction but six years later was the state’s first governor removed from office for a criminal conviction, died Friday in Birmingham. He was 75.

Family spokesman Mark McDaniel said Hunt died at Trinity Medical [...]

Daily Headlines, Friday, 1/30/2009

Birmingham NewsJefferson County Commissioner William Bell plans a resolution that would limit payments surrounding Book Hill Partners lobbying deal

Birmingham NewsAlabama Sen. Jeff Sessions among GOP senators fighting stimulus package

Birmingham NewsFinancial experts don’t agree on whether frugal living will continue after the economy rebounds

Birmingham [...]

Small Town Political Gazette

Troy Messenger – Court date set for Pike county election contest

Andalusia Star-News – Switchover to county unit system begins

St. Clair Times – Cash strapped Argo passes a budget

The Greenville Advocate – Searight residents angry with local water authority

Candidates Line Up for AL-07 in 2010

Alabama with the 7th Congressional District highlighted

RollCall this morning mentioned a long list of candidates lining up to run for Alabama’s 7th Congressional District if/when current seat-holder Artur Davis makes the announcement that he is running for Governor in 2010. (Look for an announcement from Davis in the first half of February.)

According to RollCall, candidates may include state Rep. Earl [...]

Lilly Ledbetter Ad Had ‘Stratospheric Effect’

Walt mentioned Alabamian Lilly Ledbetter already today, that she is in Washington where Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act… I was interested to hear this morning that her ad during the presidential campaign that criticized John McCain for his opposition to the bill had a “stratopheric effect” on viewers. NPR [...]

RIP, Billy Powell

Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd

Billy Powell, keyboard player for southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, died last night. Powell was one of the survivors that of the plane crash that killed three members of the band in 1977, and he continued to play with the re-formed band.

Most Alabamians have a soft spot for the “Sweet Home Alabama,” the [...]

Lilly Ledbetter’s moment

For those who haven’t been following the news, Lilly Ledbetter, of Jacksonville was present when President Obama signed a bill revamping equal pay for women provisions.

Reaction locally from the Clarion Caller blog (and no doubt others, please don’t hesitate to leave a link in comments) and from Gail Collins of [...]

Watch the Senate District 7 GOP Forum on the Internet

A forum of Republican candidates for state Senate District 7 may be watched live on the internet this morning at 10 a.m. You may watch it here at the Political Parlor, at Flashpoint, and on the websites of some of the candidates.

The state Senate District 7 seat became open when Democrat Parker [...]

SD 7 Debate Today Live on Internet – Updated

Television Camera

From the release sent this way:

In an effort to bring the Conservative Republican issues to the most people, there will be a live Alabama Senate District 7 Republican Primary Open Forum Thursday at 10 a.m. The event will stream live on the internet and can be viewed at each candidate’s website who will be [...]

A battle royal looming

Paul Hubbert of the AEA has released some of the details of his proposal for state taxation (and regulation) of bingo, thought it appears far from a done deal with the bingo operators.

Governor Riley is opposed, a slim democratic majority in the State Senate and the state’s financial problems, could make for an [...]

Daily Headlines, Thursday, 1/29/2009

Birmingham NewsBirmingham lawyer Bill Slaughter said to have persuaded Jefferson County Commission president to consider lobbying firm

Birmingham NewsAlabama cockfighting law nation’s weakest

Birmingham NewsStimulus plan would infuse Alabama schools with $1 billion over two years

Birmingham NewsCahaba River Society honors new projects [...]

Small Town Political Gazette

The Blount CountianHow about a little love for your town clerk?

The Selma Times-JournalCitizens and city work together to help the city

The Daily SentinelDA’s office battles budget cuts

The Atmore AdvanceFood stamp shuffle in Atmore

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