Internal ALGOP Plan Targets 7 Senate, 10 House Seats

The GOP’s Alabama State Victory Plan – 2010 is an internal party document that outlines a plan to increase GOP voter turnout in 2010, specifically in seventeen targeted legislative districts. Seven targeted districts are in the state Senate, and ten are in the state House.

The document (pdf) has some mislabeled tables, but [...]

Daily Headlines, Friday, 7/31/2009

Birmingham NewsJefferson County employees rally at courthouse on eve of indefinite leaves

Birmingham NewsBirmingham City Council agrees on budget; vote could be Tuesday

Birmingham NewsAlabama transportation department opens bids on highway projects

Birmingham NewsBirmingham City Council leery of loaning music festival $300,000

Birmingham NewsJefferson County drivers can get licenses anywhere in Alabama

Birmingham NewsJefferson County employee accused of threatening to bomb courthouse

Continue reading “Daily Headlines, Friday, 7/31/2009″

Benefield, Dial, Who Will Run for SD – 13?

Kim Benefield

State Sen. Kim Benefield (D – Woodland) was introduced to most of us in one of the most intriguing stories of the last election cycle.

In 2006, Senate Republicans were again trying to form a coalition with dissident Democrats to wrest control of the Senate from the Democratic majority. The Democratic Senate Majority [...]

Pulled RNC Radio Ads Back on the Air

Radio

U.S. Representative Parker Griffith’s victory in having RNC radio ads pulled that that he found “false and misleading” may have been short-lived. According to Sara Sendek, Regional Press Secretary for the Republican National Committee, the ads are now running on the stations that had temporarily removed them.

Related Articles:

Daily Headlines, Thursday, 7/30/2009

Coffee cup

Coffee cup Birmingham NewsLobbyist Al LaPierre to testify against Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and plead guilty to two felonies

Birmingham NewsSeizure papers filed on Richard Scrushy’s Lake Martin house

Birmingham NewsBirmingham, Alabama must either fix or scrap’ bus system, Mayor Larry Langford says

Birmingham NewsJefferson County, Alabama medical examiner warns budget cuts will threaten service

Birmingham NewsJefferson County, Alabama officials to vote on funding plan to ease sheriff Mike Hale’s budget suit

Continue reading “Daily Headlines, Thursday, 7/30/2009″

Langford Co-Defendant Agrees to Testify

Larry Langford

Al LaPierre worked out a plea bargain and will testify against his co-defendants Larry Langford and Bill Blount.

Let AL.com remind you of the charges:

[Birmingham Mayor Larry] Langford, Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre are charged in a 101-count indictment accusing them of mail fraud, bribery, money laundering [...]

Ron Sparks Campaign Appears Short of $25k Raised

Ron Sparks

The Ron Sparks gubernatorial campaign has not filed a statement with the Secretary of State office showing his candidacy’s principal campaign committee, according to the Secretary of State website. Alabama law requires a candidate to file the statement within 5 days of raising (or spending) $25,000 for the candidacy. Fundraising for [...]

Congressman Objects, Station Pulls Ads

Radio

U.S. Representative Parker Griffith (D – Huntsville) has challenged a radio ad from the Republican National Committee for its “false and misleading statements,” including its implication that the Congressman supported the federal Stimulus Bill. A release from the Congressman’s office says that Cumulus Broadcast, owner of five stations in north Alabama, is refusing to [...]

Education Funding Faces Cuts

Quill Pen, Ink Bottle, and Papers

In the Political Parlor’s Legislative Dispatch section, Rep. Cam Ward passes along a grim picture of the education budget situation as seen in the numbers from the Legislative Fiscal Office.

Hank Sanders ‘Reserves the Right to Run’

Hank Sanders

State Sen. Hank Sanders states publicly this week what you already read in the Parlor: he “reserves the right to run.”

For the Alabama Senate. For the U.S. Congress. For the state line. It’s all in this week’s column, Senate Sketches, that he writes for his constituents.

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Daily Headlines, Wednesday, 7/29/2009

Birmingham NewsBirmingham City Council nears vote on 2010 budget

Birmingham NewsForever Wild out of running for water works land along the Locust Fork

Birmingham NewsNo delay for Birmingham Mayor Langford’s bribery trial

Birmingham NewsJefferson County financial crisis: Closings move up; revenues delayed

Birmingham NewsScrushy needs money, asks to sell frozen assets

Continue reading “Daily Headlines, Wednesday, 7/29/2009″

Education Budget Outlook Grim

The Alabama Legislative Fiscal Office just released some numbers that should be a grim reminder of how bad the economy is impacting Alabama’s Education Trust Fund. Here is a snap shot of their numbers below-

The Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget for FY 2008 was $6.72 billion and after 9% proration the ETF budget [...]

Palin on the Mind

Sarah Palin

Though Alabama and Alaska are close only on alphabetical lists, some of our newspapers had Sarah Palin on the mind. The 2008 GOP VP candidate stepped down as Alaska’s governor Sunday.

Here are some stories published around the state today.

Tuscaloosa NewsWe haven’t seen the last of Sarah Palin

Anniston [...]

Daily Headlines, Tuesday, 7/28/2009

Birmingham NewsBirmingham employees will deliver voting machines

Birmingham NewsCivil rights activists meet attorney general about prosecution of unsolved cases

Birmingham NewsJefferson County authorities uncover cigar-counterfeiting ring

Birmingham NewsAlabama lawmakers fail again on re-enacting Jefferson County occupational tax

Birmingham NewsAlabama auditors will not look at Birmingham City Council books

Birmingham NewsAlabama to bail out Jefferson County juvenile courts

Continue reading “Daily Headlines, Tuesday, 7/28/2009″

Considering the Open State Supreme Court Seat

Silhouette of Scales of Justice

What we have been hearing for a couple of months is now official: Supreme Court Justice Patti Smith will not run for re-election.

We know Republican Kelli Wise intends to run from her seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals. It’s easy to imagine that Democrat Deborah Bell Paseur will jump in. [...]

Legislative Dispatch

A Look from the Rearview Mirror

This Thursday will mark the last day of the legislative Session.  For some, it was a Session that seemed would never end.  For others, it was one that ended much too quickly.  It may be early, yet, to write an obit on this Session, but as we approach the finish line, some perspective may be in order.

[...]

Putting Students First

As you know, a very important piece of legislation will be presented for our consideration in the House tomorrow in Montgomery – Senate Bill 310 – the “Students First” tenure and fair dismissal reform bill. Like me, many House members have been inundated with phone calls and emails from opponents of this bill, and some have been [...]

Legislative Transparency

There are a lot of issues to debate before we begin the final days of this session. In fact, I am quite certain there will be some comments on this post debating many of them. Before we get into the last seven day of the session I wanted to bring up a topic that [...]


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