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.
Gambling proposal likely dead for the legislative session
If there's any topic that hovers over the Alabama legislature, never quite going away, it's gambling. The perennial issue has always fallen short and it looks like it will do so again this year.
The unique genetic change that turned horses into athletic powerhouses
A new study suggests genetic changes allow horses to produce more energy, while minimizing the toll the energy takes on cells.
Word of the Week: The swashbuckling origins and evolution of ‘filibuster’
Sen. Cory Booker's record-breaking Senate speech wasn't technically a filibuster, but it still put the word in focus. Here's what to know about its history, from the swashbuckling to the stonewalling.
A ‘beacon’ or a ‘roulette’? Chinese America watchers see opportunities and pitfalls
Some of China's America watchers see opportunities for their country in the United States' retreat from international institutions. Others see distractions and pitfalls.
Major deal wipes out $30 billion in medical debt. Even backers say it’s not enough
Undue Medical Debt is retiring unpaid medical bills for 20 million people. The debt trading company that owned them is leaving the market.
Elton John and Brandi Carlile almost abandoned their new album
Elton John partnered with Brandi Carlile for a new album of duets, Who Believes in Angels? But the project almost fell apart during its first recording sessions.