Welcome back to Yellowhammer Multimedia’s 2023 list of Alabama’s most powerful and influential political leaders. Today is installment number four. Drawn from myriad conversations with insiders, as well as recent policy developments, the list recognizes the top individuals in government and politics who leverage their power and influence for those they represent and the Yellowhammer […]

The House version of a long-awaited grocery tax reduction was approved in committee Wednesday.  The bill, sponsored by Ways and Means Education Chair Rep. Danny Garrett, could be on the floor as soon as Thursday and moved through the Senate next week. Following suit with Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s proposal to reduce or eliminate the […]

Former Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Bolin is back in the political arena. The Jefferson County Republican announced today he is running for the Jefferson County Commission District 5 position. “Jefferson County is in a great place and has come a long way, but we can always do better,” Bolin said. “We can always […]

Over the last decade, there have been multiple convictions for absentee ballot fraud across the state of Alabama. As a Probate Judge, a legislator and now as Secretary of State, I am committed to eliminating election fraud in our state. HB209, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, makes incredible strides in protecting the rights of Alabama […]

In a Senate meeting Tuesday that overcame a bipartisan filibuster, lawmakers gave the green light to modify and reinvest in the Alabama Accountability Act. The legislation was initially passed in 2013.  Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) ultimately led the chamber to passage in a 26-7 vote. His bill proposes enlarging the educational tax credit program that […]

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore is calling on his Republican colleagues to stand strong against raising the debt ceiling until there’s an agreement to cut government spending. President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House Monday, but currently there is still no deal on increasing the government’s borrowing limit. Treasury Secretary […]

Welcome to the third installment of Yellowhammer Multimedia’s peek behind the curtain into the most powerful and influential leaders in Alabama politics. Drawn from conversations with insiders across the state, and the most recent developments in politics and public policy, the list recognizes the top individuals in government and politics who leverage their power and […]

Dolly Parton has decided to step out of her creative comfort zone. While music has always been something that the country singer has been known for, recently she has been using her voice for a different reason. Parton, over the past few years, has stepped into the turbulent politics and societal issues of the day. […]

State Rep. Fred L. Plump Jr. has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice and agreed to step down from the Alabama House of Representatives, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. A filing today in U.S. District Court alleges Plump (D-Fairfield), 76, conspired to commit wire fraud and obstructed justice. The charges stem […]

Today begins the Legislature’s 11th week of business. There are seven legislative days remaining in the 2023 general session. Here are some things to keep an eye on this week: Clock Ticking This week marks a definitive last call for legislation. Given the minimum five-day threshold required for a bill to be passed, if it […]

The peek behind the curtain continues. Welcome to the next installment of Yellowhammer Multimedia’s list of Alabama’s most powerful and influential political leaders. Drawn from myriad conversations with insiders, as well as recent policy developments, the list recognizes the top individuals in government and politics who leverage their power and influence for those they represent […]

A lot of attention has been focused this session on the Alabama Legislature’s efforts to cut taxes. Bills have been introduced to lower or eliminate a large portion of the state’s grocery tax. Also, there are bills to lower the state’s top income tax rate and eliminate the lowest rate. I had hopes that the […]

Political action committees have been a standard part of the legislative process for more than a century. While it is standard for PACs to lobby politicians, these groups sometimes wield enough power to convince legislators to vote a way that is in line with the organization’s goals or beliefs. Most of the time this power […]

Last week, I joined dozens of my colleagues from the House and the Senate at a press conference urging President Biden to work with us and start negotiating a responsible solution to our nation’s debt limit crisis. For weeks, Speaker McCarthy has been asking the President to sit down with him to negotiate, but President […]

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) has a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin after he officially banned her from his country. “It was just announced that Putin has banned me from Russia,” Britt said on Twitter. “I’d say bless his heart, but he doesn’t have one.” It was just announced that Putin has banned me […]

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) said he’s had enough of the delays concerning the decision to move Space Command Headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. In reaction to recent reports that the Biden administration is attempting to prevent the headquarters from moving to Alabama, Rogers, who chairs the powerful House Armed Services Committee, is asking […]

Once again, Yellowhammer Multimedia is publishing its list of Alabama’s most powerful and influential political leaders. Drawn from conversations with political insiders, and the most recent developments in politics and public policy, the list recognizes the top individuals in government and politics who leverage their power and influence for those they represent and the Yellowhammer […]

Kay Ivey is Alabama’s second female governor. Lurleen Wallace was the first. Appropriately, Kay Ivey’s idol and impetus for striving to be governor was Lurleen Wallace. Kay’s first involvement in state politics was as a campaign worker for Gov. Lurleen’s 1966 race for governor when Kay Ivey was a student at Auburn. It was 55 […]

WASHINGTON— Stressing the importance of broadband access to rural areas, the CEO of a North Alabama telecom co-op testified in a U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry  Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy hearing this week. He was invited by Ranking Member Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who chaired the meeting. Fred Johnson of Rainsville, the CEO […]

Former congressional candidate Casey Wardynski believes President Biden has been looking for a reason to prevent the Space Command Headquarters move to Huntsville since he was inaugurated. In reaction to the reports by NBC News on the situation, Wardynski, who served as the assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs under President […]

In the ongoing effort to safeguard Alabama’s agricultural resources and critical infrastructure against foreign threats, the Alabama Senate passed an amended form of the Alabama Property Protection Act on Thursday. The original version of the bill would have prohibited Chinese citizens and entities specifically from owning property in Alabama, but underwent revision Wednesday in the […]

Local, county and state law enforcement officers were honored Thursday during a joint ceremony of the Alabama Legislature. Among them was Deputy Chris Poole, partner of the late Deputy Brad Johnson – who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.  Five other recipients of the Medal of Honor were State Trooper Charles May, Cpl. Derrick […]

Alabama’s top health officer is facing pushback for his comments in a recent speech calling laws on transgender issues “appalling.” Dr. Scott Harris, who heads the Alabama Department of Public Health, criticized the laws restricting “gender-affirming care” during his keynote speech at the University of Alabama at Birmingham during a “Substance Use and Social Justice […]

Mental health has become a major focus of legislators in recent years – at the state and federal levels. The topic took center stage Wednesday when Dr. Stephen Taylor of Birmingham testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee. Taylor spoke specifically about the work that needs to be done in […]