Despite BP Settlement, Alabama’s General Fund is Still Ailing

| July 9, 2015 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:337;s:4:"file";s:57:"2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-336x189.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:55:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-554x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:554;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-470x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:57:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1432242511:1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:9:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:683;s:4:"file";s:34:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget.jpg";}s:18:"full-1432242792249";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:4:"file";s:49:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242768315.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-253x169.jpg";s:5:"width";i:253;s:6:"height";i:169;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-507x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:507;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-507x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:507;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-466x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:466;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-397x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:397;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:42:"7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => StockMonkeys.com
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_is_custom_background] => Array
        (
            [0] => wbhm
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:175789;s:14:"optimized_size";i:123514;s:7:"percent";d:29.739999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:39350;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27604;s:7:"percent";d:29.850000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-336x189.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14045;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10182;s:7:"percent";d:27.5;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:91:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3144;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3063;s:7:"percent";d:2.5800000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-600x337.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:39366;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27620;s:7:"percent";d:29.84;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24482;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17765;s:7:"percent";d:27.440000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-554x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:31237;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19964;s:7:"percent";d:36.090000000000003;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:93:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/05/7932571974_aebaea40d8_b_budget-e1432242792249-470x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24165;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17316;s:7:"percent";d:28.34;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1637588990 
1436431672

Alabama will receive 2.3 billion dollars over 18 years through a settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  One billion dollars of that settlement is to cover economic losses.  Even though that money will go into the state’s general fund, Governor Bentley made it clear that there will still be special legislative session and there are still long-term problems with the state’s general fund. WBHM’s Michael Krall talks about the state of Alabama’s budget shortfall with Kyle Whitmire. He’s the state political columnist for The Birmingham News and AL dot com.

 

How will China impact the future of climate change? You might be surprised

As a new Trump administration signals a retreat on climate action, China is stepping up. China is the biggest producer of climate technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels.

More than 100,000 pounds of ground beef are recalled for possibly having E. coli

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture alerted federal authorities about several illnesses in the past week.

President-elect set to shape ‘Trump judiciary’ for next generation

Legal experts predict President-elect Donald Trump will move quickly next year to cement and extend his legacy in appointing federal judges.

Mama Stamberg’s relish faces its toughest critics: NPR staffers

Susan Stamberg returns with her annual love letter to the pink pile of Thanksgiving mush known as Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish.

In ‘Wicked: Part I’, Cynthia Erivo defies gravity — and convention — as Elphaba

Cynthia Erivo says being different had "something to do with" her role as Elphaba in 'Wicked: Part 1.'

Tesla won the plug war. Enter the age of the EV charging adapter

The auto industry is embracing Tesla's charging technology in order to share its vast Supercharger network. This is going to be a slow transition — expect to see a lot of adapters.

More Front Page Coverage