How Alabama Ethics Laws Allow for Questionable Campaign Spending

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2014/06/kylewhitmire-75.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:300;s:4:"file";s:27:"2014/06/kylewhitmire-75.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"kylewhitmire-75-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"kylewhitmire-75-140x140.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:25:"kylewhitmire-75-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"kylewhitmire-75-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"kylewhitmire-75-125x125.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:{}}}
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:131697;s:14:"optimized_size";i:83119;s:7:"percent";d:36.890000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:55:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:32584;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19087;s:7:"percent";d:41.420000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6224;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4658;s:7:"percent";d:25.16;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-336x168.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:14630;s:14:"optimized_size";i:9824;s:7:"percent";d:32.850000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-600x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:31463;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19174;s:7:"percent";d:39.060000000000002;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17436;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11114;s:7:"percent";d:36.259999999999998;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-470x235.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23851;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15121;s:7:"percent";d:36.600000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2014/06/kylewhitmire-75-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5509;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4141;s:7:"percent";d:24.829999999999998;}}}
        )

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

)
1618933300 
1469641370

Governor Robert Bentley announces plans to call a special legislative session, an investigation uncovers a handful of state lawmakers used campaign funds to pay for cars and a loophole in Alabama’s campaign finance law allows for questionable contributions. The latest from AL.com’s political columnist, Kyle Whitmire, on his deep dive into state ethics laws and corruption.

 

Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.

Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis

Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer

The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.

Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature

This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.

Alabama’s racial, ethnic health disparities are ‘more severe’ than other states, report says

Data from the Commonwealth Fund show that the quality of care people receive and their health outcomes worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s your favorite thing about Alabama?

That's the question we put to those at our recent News and Brews community pop-ups at Hop City and Saturn in Birmingham.

More Front Page Coverage