The federal government expects to reach the statutory debt limit this Thursday, setting up another high-profile political showdown in Washington, the first real test for the newly elected Republican House majority.The debt limit represents the total ...
Alabama lawmakers should ‘do more’ with historic surplus
“We can do more.”That was the message Alabama’s newly elected Speaker of the House, Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) gave lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon. The statement came on the heels of Ledbetter lauding increased state funding for educatio ...
Why Alabamians should pay attention to this week’s organizational session
State lawmakers will convene in Montgomery this week for the official start of the new legislative quadrennium — the 2023 organizational session. While the organizational session is typically a ho-hum affair, decisions about House and Senate leadersh ...
Should Alabama taxpayers bail out Birmingham-Southern College?
Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) says that it needs a $37.5 million infusion of cash to continue operations. Now it is asking state and local officials, as well as alumni, to lobby Gov. Kay Ivey (R) to include that bailout in her upcoming budget pro ...
Five resolutions for Alabama’s government in 2023
The new year is a time for all Alabamians to reflect on the past and make new resolutions for change. It's also a time for the state's government to reflect on their own recent track record.In the past four years, the Alabama government took and spen ...
Richard Shelby’s retirement could mean less federal dependency, more fiscal responsibility for Alabama and the nation
Last week, the United State Congress passed a $1.7 billion omnibus spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown and securing funding for the rest of fiscal year 2023. The bill includes $800 million for domestic funding and $858 million in de ...
Lawmakers should take less money from you in 2023, not look for ways to spend more
Despite early projections that a potential recession may not have as hard-hitting of an impact on Alabama as previously expected, do not expect permanent tax relief for Alabamians in 2023. That was the message provided Friday night by incoming chair ...
The truth behind Alabama’s ‘most conservative Legislature’ ranking
According to a recent ranking from the Conservative Political Action Coalition’s (CPAC) Center for Legislative Accountability (CLA), Alabama’s state Legislature was the most conservative in the United States in 2021. Alabama scored a total of 74 out ...
With billions of federal education dollars unspent, why does the Alabama Department of Education continue to ask for more?
Alabama’s K-12 schools have over $2 billion in federal stimulus funding that is yet to be spent, according to a recent report from al.com. The money was appropriated to the state by Congress beginning in 2020 under the guise of a federal health emerg ...
Educational insanity: What the 2022 NAEP scores actually tell Alabamians
What if I told you Alabama's eighth-grade reading and math scores are either worse or the same than they were more than two decades ago? Would you believe me over the various celebratory slogans touting Alabama's "progress in education achievemen ...