EDITORIALS

Minnie Mouse has traded in her dress for a pantsuit. United Way Worldwide hosted a 21-Day Race Equity Challenge with guidelines for being “strong white

When it came to Alabama’s response to the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade, it is hard to imagine a more seamless transition to

According to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, it is the great philosophers who are best suited to govern society. Known as “philosopher kings,” they use wisdom,

State government continues to take more money from Alabamians than ever before. Will it use that money to continue the historic expansion of state government

Katie Britt and Congressman Mo Brooks are headed to a runoff. Most people in Alabama know that. And if they don’t, the flood of advertising

At the Birmingham Museum of Art, in the back and around a corner, is a painting that few care to look at for too long.

“I am not immune.”  So said the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, last year as he accepted responsibility for failing

Last week, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Obamacare. In fact, this is the third time that they have upheld it as law. If there is one

On Monday, May 17, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which could be the beginning of the end of Roe v.

Late into Tuesday night, in the waning hours of the 2021 Regular Legislative Session, the House of Representatives spent nine hours passionately debating Senate Bill

Four centuries ago, the pilgrims left the only homes they had ever known, braving the journey across the Atlantic and establishing a colony in the

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. When it comes

“He is not here; He has risen!” These are perhaps the most consequential words ever spoken. A man who three days earlier had been violently

In 1963, a bomb ripped through the basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, killing four girls. I was just 11 years old,

A very important bill in the State House is currently working its way through the legislative process. The bill (HB1 in the House and SB10

Gambling is called the “poor man’s tax” because it takes from those who play the lottery and gives to those who control it. Many people

Beware of those who speak eagerly of crises. In a true crisis, we reasonably but temporarily hand our powers of practical reasoning and self-governance over

260 days. That’s how long it had been since the Alabama legislature had been in session. That’s 260 days for the coronavirus to spread and 260

This week, lawmakers convened in Montgomery to begin the 2021 Regular Legislative Session. With much uncertainty in the air, one thing appears clear: state agencies

In early 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the United States, impacting the lives of all Americans. In response, Congress passed a massive

As I type these words I am sitting in my study with three rifles hanging on the opposite wall. They will never fire again. Their

Suppose an intelligent machine deems you guilty of a crime. Suppose the police were to treat the machine’s judgment as evidence of your guilt. Would

At the Birmingham Museum of Art, in the back and around a corner, is a painting that few care to look at for too long.

Did you ever play on a seesaw as a kid? Did you ever try it with a bigger kid on the other side — someone

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over My Pastor recently quipped that it felt like we are in the 5th year of 2020. True that. But

Emblazoned above the door to the Alabama Statehouse is a Latin phrase that translates as “We Dare Defend Our Rights”. It is a symbol of

I can’t tell you how many texts I’ve received this week from friends and acquaintances across the country asking—usually in all-caps and peppered with profanity—what

The spectre of dimpled chads has emerged to haunt American politics. Twenty years after the contested presidential election of George W. Bush against Al Gore

I have the honor of leading the Alabama Policy Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit educational and research institution which has championed free markets, limited government, and

Credit where credit is due. Singer-songwriter John Mayer nailed it with one particular line from his hit song “Waiting On the World to Change”. He

At a time when political discord is at a high, there’s one thing that Alabamians should be able to agree on: Alabama’s prison system needs

Recently my wife and I were preparing to attend a wedding. As we made ready to leave the house we checked to make sure that

As summer transitions to fall, Alabama’s state budgets also undergo a shift. On October 1st, the state government left 2020 behind and moved into fiscal

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that state executive orders prohibiting people from gathering and carrying on their businesses are unconstitutional. The ruling contains

It was with great expectation that everyone I know settled in to watch the first presidential debate hosted by Chris Wallace from Fox News. And

Near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, critics of President Donald Trump’s response to the novel virus claimed that he didn’t have a plan. They’ve derided him

$ 0 Alabama’s Unspent CARES Act Funds as of September 22nd, 2020 What would you do if you woke up tomorrow with millions of extra

Photo Credit: Mark Turnauckas / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)   Chick-fil-A makes delicious sandwiches without beef. But not on Sundays. Owned by Christians, the company also

No one really knows how the game is played The art of the trade How the sausage gets made We just assume that it happens

“If you never change your mind, why have one?” A few weeks ago, I was dead set on how I would vote in the presidential

We recall Civics 101. It was a course that outlined the function and form of governance. The roles and responsibilities of state governments versus the

In a rare event for Washington, the federal government is giving back to the people by taking less. Instead of growing government, President Donald Trump

Let’s start with clearing the air…generally speaking I don’t hang out in bars. This is not a puff piece to defend pub crawls. So before

I don’t know if you’ve ever had the displeasure of being at sea when a major storm develops. It is disconcerting, to say the least.

What if I told you that the government could tax you, then shut down your ability to pay the taxes, then provide you the funds

As it turns out, we just thought we understood how much we needed better broadband accessibility in Alabama. Rural farmers, hospitals, and schools have been telling us

According to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, it is the great thinkers, or philosophers, who are best suited to govern society. Dubbed “philosopher kings” they use

Leadership matters. The tone and tenor of a policy are often the reflection of the leader who presided over the period in which that policy

I remember the collective groan that went up from motorists when “red light cameras” became a thing. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if the police were

Read the full RESTORE Plan here. The 2020 Regular Session of the Alabama State Legislature is behind us. Did anyone notice? It was a Session

In the waning days of the abbreviated 2020 Regular Session, the Alabama State Legislature approved a $1.25 billion school bond issuance. The money would be

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has announced that our state is moving into an initial phase of economic recovery, known as “Safer at Home.” It relaxes

Note: This op-ed was originally published in the Spring of 2018. “He is not here; He has risen!” These are perhaps the most consequential words

We live in wild times. I’ve watched people all across the political spectrum in recent days deliver impassioned speeches about the need to take extraordinary

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and state health officer Dr. Scott Harris have issued sweeping emergency and public health declarations which they hope will slow the

Unusual challenges such as this Coronavirus pandemic teach us who we really are. They reveal whether we are courageous and generous or fearful and selfish.

As I write this it is mid-morning and I’ve already washed my hands multiple times. I’ve got rubber gloves in my car now. I skipped

For those of us who are pro-life, it’s easy to get in the habit of only thinking of this pillar of our values system in

One of the cultural problems we have today is our insistence on making everything personal. We can no longer discuss and debate ideas without someone

Has there ever been a ballot initiative that reduced the number of politicians? I mean, ever? What if I told you that with the stroke