Where I grew up, the term “hijacking” usually referred to the disappearance of a fresh load of moonshine on its way to market. Hijacking occurs when something, or even some process, is taken over without the consent and, at times, even the knowledge of the rightful owner. Hijacking, like classic high-seas piracy, is one of […]

The 2026 state races have officially begun. The qualifying ended on January 23. It will now be a less than three-month horse race sprint to the finish line. Our May 19th GOP Primary will be our election day, because winning the Republican Primary is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie. The Governor’s race […]

Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter is one of the most effective House Speakers in Alabama history. He is in a league of his own when it comes to getting things done as Speaker of the House. Ledbetter is not known for mincing words or telling you what you want to hear. He shoots […]

Folks, we are in for a doozy of a political year in the Heart of Dixie. We have a rare open U.S. Senate race. A senate seat does not come open every year. It was expected, this time last year, that our first term Senator Tommy Tuberville would run for a second six-year term in […]

What looked like an interesting and competitive U.S. Senate race in Alabama, changed January 18, almost exactly four months ahead of our May 19 Republican Primary election. President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Congressman Barry Moore, coupled with the expected endorsement of Moore by the powerful and money laden “Club for Growth,” makes the Wiregrass Congressman […]

As the 2026 Legislative Session evolves, do not expect much in the form of substantive legislation. It is an election year and historically, legislators do not address any controversial legislation. The election primaries are right around the corner on May 19, and voters have short memories, but they can remember what just happened yesterday. Although, […]

My lifetime friend, Steve Clouse, turns 70 this week. He was born on February 7, 1956. I hope his legislative colleagues and friends wish him a Happy Birthday. He truly is a good man. Steve was born and raised in Ozark and has represented his home County of Dale as well as neighboring Houston County […]

As the 2026 Legislative Session evolves, it is apparent that this year’s annual session will be short and sweet. That is par for the course in an election year session. This is election year and all 105 House Seats, and all 35 Senate Seats are up for election. Therefore, it is an inherent historical reality […]

Governor Kay Ivey will have been Governor for almost a decade when she leaves office in January of 2027. She will have been Governor longer than anyone in state history other than George Wallace. She is also the first woman elected Governor in her own right. In addition, she is the first female Republican Governor […]

As this last legislative session of the quadrennium moves forward, these four years would have to be rated as an overwhelming success. The only constitutional requirement that the Alabama Legislature has to adhere to in their three-and-a-half-month annual session is to pass the state’s budgets. They have seen an exponential increase in state income to […]

As the last legislative session of the quadrennium begins, the budgets are the priority, as always. The education funding dollars will not be flowing as prolifically as they have the past three years. There will be some wrestling within the education community for dollars. This jockeying will be confounded even further because of an exponential […]

As is my custom for the past 21 years, my year end column illuminates Alabama political luminaries that passed away last year. We lost some good ones. Former State Senator and Lt. Governor George McMillan passed away in Birmingham at 81. George was a vivacious, delightful gentleman, who never met a stranger. I never knew […]

Recently, I had several of Governor Kay Ivey’s closest friends and confidantes invite me to visit with them. Over lunch, they posed the question to me, “Do you think Governor Ivey has become a legacy governor?” My response was that she has been an outstanding governor, but I need to give some thought to the […]

In bygone years in politics, at least in Alabama politics, when you were a young, aspiring, learning politician, the old veterans would instill traditional rules and truisms that you should understand and adhere to. One was “all politics is local.” If you were elected to be a state or national legislator, you looked after homefolks […]

Coach Tommy Tuberville’s decision to leave his safe U.S. Senate Seat to run for Governor in the upcoming 2026 election cycle has shifted all the excitement and attention away from the Governor’s race and turned the focus towards who will be his replacement for the open Senate Seat. Our May 19, 2026, Republican Primary is […]

We all knew that this 2026 election year was going to be a big year in Alabama politics. There was no way it was going to be a “yawner” with openings in the Constitutional offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, and State Auditor. The 2026 election year […]

The 1960’s was a very tumultuous and consequential decade. One of the prolonged problems that came home to roost in that era was the Civil Rights issue. Lyndon B. Johnson had become President after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Johnson was a ruthless “win at all costs” former Senator from Texas. […]

The marque race next year will be for our open U.S. Senate Seat left vacant when Coach Tommy Tuberville decided to run for Governor. This Senate vacancy has attracted one of our U.S. Congressmen, which leaves an open congressional seat in the Heart of Dixie. Congressional seats are drawn by state legislatures. Throughout the nation, […]

All politics has become nationalized today. Therefore, whenever something happens on the national level, I hear about it. I can tell by the number of comments when something has struck a nerve. This latest government shutdown, due to a congressional standoff, struck a nerve.  It surprised me because these federal government shutdowns have become somewhat […]

Political pundits and observers and political players have espoused the long-held belief in the mantra “all politics is local.” I have changed my tune on this well-known adage and belief. My observation is that today it is the opposite, “all politics is national.”  Folks either vote straight Republican or straight Democratic. Most, about 90%, of […]

When it comes to governing and how it affects your daily life, the most important vote you cast is for mayor of your city. Most of our elections for mayor and city council were held in August. As is usually the case, the incumbents were reelected to most mayorships and city council. There were some […]

We are in the beginning of the Governor’s Race year. It would not be a gubernatorial year without harkening back and remembering ole Shorty Price. Alabama, in bygone days, would have a slew of what I called “run for the fun of it” candidates. They would run knowing full well they did not have a […]

I was first elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1982. George Wallace had been elected to his last term as governor that year. Therefore, my first term as a legislator was Wallace’s final and fifth term as governor. I had met Wallace during his first term as Governor in 1963. I was a 12-year-old Legislative […]

Over the past six decades, Alabama’s Adult Education Programs have been transformed by a quiet revolution that has been extraordinarily successful. It was my honor to be able to speak to the Annual Adult Education Conference at the downtown Montgomery Renaissance Center in late June. When I accepted their invitation to speak, I thought there […]