In an unlikely twist, two Democrat secretaries of Agriculture have endorsed a central part of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s FARM Act. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and former Secretary Mike Espy backed the provision in Tuberville’s legislation that would add the position to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Espy believes the […]

All four components of the landmark renewal and expansion of Alabama’s economic incentives program passed the Alabama Senate today. The package’s counterpart bills passed the House unanimously last week. Gov. Kay Ivey signed off on all this afternoon. Today’s passage marks a key victory for what Ivey coined in her State of the State Address […]

Comparing the Department of the Interior to a forest fire, U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl criticized Interior Secretary Debbie Haaland’s out-of-control agency. The criticism came Thursday during a House Committee on Natural Resources hearing. .@RepJerryCarl to @SecDebHaaland: “Your department has become this huge forest fire and you’re consuming everything you touch. You’re burning it up.” 🔥🔥🔥 […]

In the wake of the mass shooting in Dadeville where four people were killed and 32 others injured, some Democrats in the Legislature are pushing for stricter gun control laws. “Thoughts and Prayers alone are NOT enough!! WE MUST ACT NOW!” State Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) said on Twitter. Thursday on Capitol Journal I said, […]

The U.S. House passed Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on Wednesday. It will now move onto the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle. The bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). The legislation’s goal is to ensure both Title IX protection for female athletes […]

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore joined a resolution of disapproval Wednesday against the D.C. City Council’s recently enacted legislation that some are calling an anti-police law. The legislation is known as the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Act of 2022. It was introduced during anti-police protests in the summer of 2020. The legislation would eliminate […]

The use of economic development incentives by state and local governments is a common practice intended to attract private investment, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. As academic researchers, our work at the Hoover Institution focuses on studying these incentives, measuring how much local economies benefit after incentives are granted, and evaluating ways to increase […]

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) blasted the Biden administration for discontinuing the policies of former President Trump at the southern border. Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on President Biden’s 2024 budget request, and received harsh criticism from Republicans on the committee. Strong said the Biden administration […]

Those who had a loved one in the hospital in recent years know how heartbreaking it can be to not be guaranteed access by their side – especially in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. A law went into effect Tuesday that will allow more visitation freedom in Alabama healthcare facilities. Patients will be able […]

The “mama on a mission” has apparently taken Washington by storm. According to a poll by Morning Consult, Sen. Katie Britt is the most popular GOP senator among the freshman class, with the widest margin between her approvals and disapprovals (plus-27% net). More powerfully, Britt (R-Montgomery) maintains the lowest disapproval rating of any member of […]

Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Wednesday the Biden administration’s use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions has nothing to do with the Dobbs decision or Roe v. Wade. The administration is using Dobbs as an excuse to allow Veterans Affairs-provided abortions, he said. Tuberville (R-Auburn), who was joined at the news conference by Sens. Joe Manchin […]

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, is cosponsoring a bill that will exempt family farmers from Securities and Exchange Commission requirements forcing farmers to report all operational Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Tuberville was joined by Sens. John Boozman of Arkansas and Mike Braun of Indiana. The […]

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) continues to highlight the national security threat from North Korea and China. Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, spoke about the issue during a hearing on U.S. military posture and national security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Chairman @RepMikeRogersAL delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on […]

Gov. Kay Ivey is mourning the loss of those who were killed Saturday night in a shooting at a birthday celebration in Dadeville. Authorities continue to investigate the shooting where four people were killed and 32 others injured, but have not yet identified any suspects. Ivey spoke about the incident Monday during a speech to […]

The Alabama House of Representatives advanced a bill that would send high school graduates into the real world with a deeper understanding of financial literacy and personal money management. If passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, the law would implement the standards in ninth-grade classrooms during the 2024-2025 school year. The bill, […]

Tuesday marks 100 days of the new House Republican Majority. I’ve written before about how we have hit the ground running, fulfilling our Commitment to America – this includes building an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future that’s built on freedom, and a government that’s accountable to the American people. I’m proud […]

The Alabama Forestry Association has endorsed Appellate Court Judge Chris McCool for the Alabama Supreme Court. “Growing up in rural Alabama, Judge McCool appreciates private land ownership and he is quite familiar with the role our industry serves providing economic opportunity in these areas. We need more leaders in our state like Judge McCool and […]

State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), who chairs the House Ways and Means Education Committee, said any school choice legislation in Alabama needs to be properly vetted before it can pass. Last week, the Parental Rights in Children’s Education (PRICE) Act, which would allow parents to get $6,000 in state tax dollars to put into an […]

State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, is still unsure if his proposal to cut the grocery tax has a chance of passing the legislature this session. Orr’s bill would phase out the grocery tax on items covered by the Women Infants and Children (WIC) federal program. The plan includes a […]

State law enforcement, the FBI and DEA deployed across Jefferson County this week in a coordinated raid on 14 bingo halls — and it’s likely not going to be the last. “Allowing illegal activity to operate freely in broad daylight is offensive to the rule of law and we aren’t going to tolerate it,” Attorney […]

There was intense debate in the Alabama Legislature this week over the “divisive concepts” bill. The proposed law would ban the teaching of “divisive topics” related to race, sex or religion, including the idea that people from any one group should be asked to feel guilty because of their race or gender. The sponsor of […]

The renewal and expansion of Alabama’s economic incentives toolkit, known as the “Game Plan” moved closer to the goal line today.  The Senate approved two of the four bills included in the package while the House cleared all four. Each bill across both chambers received unanimous approval.  Scheduled to expire in July, the initial Alabama […]

“As college students that are fresh out in the world, we have experienced the struggle of understanding how the financial system works.” Those were the words of Hunter Weathers, vice chair of the College Republican Federation of Alabama. According to Weathers, the group has for two years been pushing for legislation that could help to […]

A bill passed by the Alabama House Judiciary Committee today would define what it legally means to be gang-affiliated. The bill increases sentences for gang-related crime, requires juveniles 16 years of age or older to be tried as an adult, and sets out guidance for what law enforcement can consider when it comes to suspected gang […]