Bills on Prisons, the Budget, and Driver’s License Offices Move Ahead
It was a busy week in Montgomery. The Senate passed a bill on driver’s license offices, and a prisons bill. The House debated church daycare licensing. And House representatives passed a general fund budget that level funded most agencies except one: Medicaid. It got a small increase, though there’s still concern among lawmakers, and some of it stems from the federal American Health Care Act.
In fact, the House plan sets aside $97 million to protect against uncertainty in Congress around the new federal health care bill. Medicaid would get $700 million, plus $105 million in BP oil settlement money.
Lawmakers also moved a very different prisons construction bill along, as well as a bill that would require driver’s license offices to open at least one day a week.
WBHM’s Gigi Douban spoke with Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal.
How China, not the U.S., became the main climate solution story in 2025
The U.S. has become a "side character" in the global story of renewable energy, experts say. China dominates the sector, with positive implications for the climate and their economy.
Supreme Court to hear case that could vastly expand presidential powers
The Supreme Court hears arguments in a case about President Trump's firing of a Federal Trade Commissioner. At stake is a 90-year precedent limiting the president's power over independent agencies.
Republicans push high deductible plans and health savings accounts
A Republican call to give Americans cash instead of health insurance subsidies revives an old idea that has left millions with medical debt.
Zelenskyy heads to London for more Ukraine peace talks. Here’s what to know
The talks signal fresh support from European allies. But they follow stalled U.S. negotiations in Miami and comments from President Trump's son suggesting Washington is ready to pull back.
Tributes, not politics, play center stage as Trump hosts the Kennedy Center Honors
President Trump said he was closely involved with picking the honorees, and on Sunday he became the first president to host the Kennedy Center awards ceremony.
Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite
Both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens.

