Government
Bessemer residents want answers about a four-million-square-foot data center coming to their backyards
Residents in and around Bessemer are furious over Project Marvel, a plan to build a 4.5-million-square-foot data processing facility on 700 acres of wooded land. Public officials have been sworn to silence.
Legislative session ends with debate over police immunity bill
The Alabama legislative session wrapped up this week, but not before some contentious debate in the final hours on Wednesday night. The bill at hand was one that would expand legal immunity to police officers under certain circumstances. That's where we start our final legislative update of the session with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.
What was approved, and what failed, in the 2025 Alabama legislative session
Alabama lawmakers ended the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday. Here is a look at a few of the notable bills that passed, and some that failed, during the session.
Lawmakers pass bill to criminalize bringing immigrants in the US illegally across state lines
The legislation given final approval Wednesday protects “not only the citizens of Alabama but also the people that are immigrating here legally and doing everything the right way,” said the bill’s Republican sponsor.
Ivey signs a bill regulating the sale of hemp products
The law would allow gummies, drinks and other consumable products to continue to be sold, but limits the amount of psychoactive compounds in the products. It also puts restrictions on where the products can be sold.
Trump’s plan to bring shipbuilding back to the US? Port fees on Chinese vessels
Port fees on Chinese-built ships and operators will start in October, further raising the cost of trading with the United States.
Iranian student in Alabama to self-deport despite withdrawal of initial charge behind his arrest
Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March as part of President Donald Trump’s widespread immigration crackdown and has been held at a facility in Jena, Louisiana.
School cellphone ban passed in the final days of the legislative session
Smartphones are practically appendages for many nowadays, but one place you probably won't see them in use soon is in Alabama schools. Alabama lawmakers gave final passage this week to a bill that would ban them during the school day. It's where we start our weekly legislative roundup with Todd Stacey, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Court rules Alabama violated Voting Rights Act in drawing congressional lines
A three-judge panel permanently blocked Alabama from using a state-drawn map that they said flouted their directive to draw a plan that was fair to Black voters. The decision was not a surprise because the panel ruled against the state twice previously and put a new map in place for last year’s elections.
Ivey overhauls Birmingham Water Works Board amid cries of racial discrimination
The bill redistributes power from Birmingham city officials — who currently appoint a majority of the nine-person board — to the governor, the lieutenant governor and the surrounding four counties that are also in the board’s jurisdiction. It also reduces the number of board members to seven.
Alabama lawmakers approve tax cuts for food, diapers and other items
The food tax reduction, if signed into law, will lower the state sales tax on food from 3% to 2% beginning Sept. 1. The reduction comes as lawmakers in both parties said families are being hurt by soaring grocery prices.
Alabama governor signs shark bite alert system into law named after teen who survived attack
The system will issue a public notice to cellphones when there's been a shark attack nearby. The law is named after Mountain Brook teenager Lulu Gribbin, who was one of three people bitten by a shark during a string of attacks off the Florida Panhandle last year.
Birmingham fights against losing control of its water board, citing racial discrimination
Birmingham city officials sued the Alabama governor on Tuesday in an effort to halt the codification of bill that would strip the city of control over the state’s largest water board, alleging the move “constitutes blatant racial discrimination.”
Tax cut bills under consideration in final days of the legislative session
Alabama has already knocked off 1% of its state sales tax from groceries. A bill that would reduce it further is under discussion in the legislature. But there are just a couple of days left in the session to get things done.
Trump offers advice to University of Alabama graduates in speech interspersed with politics
The Republican’s jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs.
Bill overhauling Birmingham Water Works Board heads to governor’s desk despite local outcry
Proponents of the bill point to frequent rate hikes and say that the move will prevent catastrophic events that have happened in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, or Detroit, Michigan. Opponents of the bill say that it is a power grab that diminishes the power of Black residents in Birmingham, Alabama.
Alabama Senate advances Birmingham Water Works Board overhaul
A fight erupted this week in the Alabama legislature over a bill that would remake the Birmingham Water Works Board. We dive into that controversy and talk about other legislative action with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal and Alabama Public Television.
Alabama executes a man who said he was guilty of rape and murder and deserved to die
James Osgood was pronounced dead Thursday evening following a three-drug injection at a south Alabama prison. A jury in 2014 convicted Osgood of capital murder in the death of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County.
Trade wars grew America’s auto industry. Historians warn today’s tariffs won’t
Past success bringing foreign car companies stateside means the U.S. has more to lose and less to gain in today’s trade wars.
Crowds in Railroad Park protest Trump administration for ‘No Kings’ day
The event was part of protests across the country under a theme of "No Kings in America." The protests, organized by the 50501 movement, was held on April 19, the 250th anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, an early fight in the Revolutionary War.
Alabama to honor wastewater sanitation projects despite losing federal backing
The Alabama Department of Public Health says it will honor its wastewater contracts for Lowndes County in spite of the Department of Justice’s recent decision to cancel its two-year-old agreement with the state supporting septic system improvements in the region.
Republicans in Gulf states push to embrace Gulf of America name
This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills requiring the use of “Gulf of America” in state law and textbooks. Alabama lawmakers advanced a similar bill as well.
Alabama lawmakers advance local ‘Laken Riley’ bill that deputizes police to enforce immigration law
The bill was dubbed “Laken Riley Act,” named after the 22-year-old Augusta University student who was killed last year in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant. President Donald Trump signed a similar law into affect in January that requires the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.
Lawmakers advance religious bills including school Ten Commandments displays
It's no secret that Alabama is among the most religious states. It's also no stranger to fights over displays of the Ten Commandments. The state may be gearing up for another one as the Alabama House passed a bill Thursday that would require public schools to display the Ten commandments. We hear details on that from Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal and Alabama Public Television.
Lawmakers move to mandate the display of Ten Commandments and ban pride flags in Alabama schools
Alabama lawmakers approved a slew of bills on Thursday that would expand the use of Christian texts in public schools and limit protections for LGBTQ+ students, in lockstep with a national conservative agenda that has divided statehouses across the country.
Will Alabama legislators ban delta-8 this session? It’s coming down to the wire
Several bills currently working their way through the Alabama legislature would effectively ban hemp-derived THC products. Opponents of the bill say it’ll be prohibition all over again.
Review of decision not to award Space Command to Alabama inconclusive, with Trump reversal expected
The inspector general's report, issued Friday, said this was in part due to a lack of access to senior defense officials during the Biden administration, when the review began.
Bill would give give non-violent, aging prisoners a chance at freedom
Should the Second Chance Act be enacted, judges could review certain cases where an individual was sentenced to life without parole under the Habitual Offenders Act for potential resentencing.
DOJ ends environmental justice agreement in Alabama county citing Trump
Justice Department officials said they were ending the agreement reached with the state regarding wastewater issues in Lowndes County. Federal officials said the decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding federal agencies from pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Alabama Senate passes record education budget
There's one thing Alabama lawmakers are required to do each session -- that's pass the budgets. Legislators spent time this week working toward that goal as the Senate approved a record-setting education budget. We hear about that other legislative happenings with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Alabama lawmakers advance bill to let Alfa sell health plans outside insurance regulations
The Alabama House of Representatives approved the bill on a 98-1 vote after nearly three hours of debate. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate.
Shark attack survivor presses Alabama for an alert system to keep people safe in the water
Lulu Gribbin was one of three people bitten by a shark during a string of attacks off the Florida Panhandle. On Wednesday, she asked Alabama lawmakers to support a proposed shark attack alert system.
