This Week in the Legislature: Cannabidiol Oil, Teacher Pay Raises and Bentley Impeachment
There are only eight meeting days left in Alabama’s 2016 Legislative Session, and the Alabama State House saw a burst of activity this week. For an update from Montgomery, we talk with Don Dailey, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. To start, Dailey tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley about Leni’s Law, a bill the House passed Wednesday that would decriminalize a specific marijuana oil in a bid to help people coping with debilitating seizures. It’s named for Leni Young, a former Alabama resident who suffers from a seizure disorder.
Cannabidiol doesn’t cause a high like marijuana, and is being explored as a treatment for epilepsy. The bill would give people a defense from drug possession charges if they are using the oil to help with seizures. Lawmakers previously approved access to the oil through a study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but some, including Young, couldn’t get into the study.
Additionally, the Alabama House of Representatives is expected to vote next week to establish a 15-person investigatory committee to probe the possible impeachment of Governor Robert Bentley.
A massive winter storm will hit large parts of the U.S. through the weekend
A large storm system is expected to hit this weekend, with snow and ice from Texas to the Carolinas and up the Eastern seaboard. The winter system could bring more than a foot of snow.
House Oversight panel votes to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress
Republicans on the committee have been seeking to question the Clintons as part of a probe into the government's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. The vote sends the matter to the full House.
Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney, exits Virginia prosecutor’s office
The move comes after a federal judge wrote in court document that the "charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney … must come to an end."
Global buzzwords that will be buzzing in your ear in 2026
Will it be a year of "fractured resilience"? Or "pragmatic empathy"? Will "MOUs" be the next global health strategy? Are we in a new age of "decolonization" — or of "localization"?
Supreme Court appears wary of allowing Trump to fire Fed’s Cook in closely watched case
The administration wants the authority to fire Lisa Cook, a Fed governor. Experts say that would undermine the independence of the central bank.
Sundance prepares for its final Park City festival before moving to Boulder, Colo.
As the festival prepares to move to Colorado, filmmakers and cinephiles gather to celebrate its founder and the future of indie film.
