Government
War of Words
Facebook, Twitter and blogs are abuzz today with news of a showdown between Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and local tavern owner Jerry Hartley. Langford and Hartley verbally sparred at Wednesday's meeting of the Five Points South Merchants Association. Hartley tells WBHM's Andrew Yeager the confrontation erupted during a conversation about regional cooperation to address the problem of "brain drain."
More Budget Cuts?
There are just five more work days left in the Alabama legislative session and Jefferson County commissioners are anxiously watching what happens to a bill concerning the county's occupational tax. A judge declared the tax illegal earlier this year, meaning the county could miss out on about $70 million in revenue. That and other financial uncertainty prompted county officials to tell department heads to prepare for massive budget cuts. WHBM's Andrew Yeager reports on how those cuts could affect one county department.
Legislative Week in Review
We review the week in the Alabama Legislature with Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Midfield) and Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood).
City Councilwoman Miriam Witherspoon Dies
Birmingham City Council President Pro Tem Miriam Witherspoon is dead after a sudden illness. Jeff Underwood of the Lakeshore Foundation remembers the passionate disability rights activist.
Anniston Update
Every month we'll hear from the staff of The Anniston Star about an issue of importance to the community around Anniston and Calhoun County. Join WBHM's Andrew Yeager for these engaging conversations.
New Lead Laws Affect 2nd Hand Clothing Stores
New consumer safety rules go into effect next week, aimed at making children's products safer. After a flood of imported toys came ashore with high lead levels, Congress moved quickly last year to make children's products safer. Maybe too quickly. The new 'Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act' takes effect Tuesday and there are more questions than answers. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Book Hill Pulls out of County Contract
The Washington DC lobbying firm that was to represent Jefferson County in its efforts to secure federal aid for sewer debt says it's turning down the contract. In a letter made public today, Book Hill Partners says the 'toxic political landscape' in Jefferson County would undermine the firm's ability to get political support for the county. WBHM's Tanya Ott spoke with partner Rob Housman.
Jim Carns on County’s Lobbying Contract
New details are emerging about the Jefferson County Commission's plan to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Washington D.C. lobbying firm Book Hill Partners. The commission approved the plan Tuesday in a meeting that commissioner Jim Carns describes as a cross between 'The Twilight Zone' and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest'. Carns talked with WBHM's Tanya Ott about the meeting and new allegations of corruption.
The Inauguration and the Magic City
While the eyes of the country turned to Washington D.C. today, the inauguration of Barack Obama is tempered with deep significance for many here in Birmingham. The city which saw the brutality of civil rights - fire hoses, police dogs, even bombings - can now witness the United States' first black president. Thousands marked the occasion today in a city-backed celebration at Boutwell Auditorium. WBHM's Andrew Yeager takes us there.
Councilman Johnathan Austin
The newest member of the Birmingham City Council is young, just 29, and a newcomer to politics. He says he's eager to bring positive change to the city. But in his first few weeks on the council, Johnathan Austin has faced a number of questions -- most notably questions surrounding a 2003 guilty plea for a misdemeanor marijuana charge. That fact didn't emerge until after Austin was appointed to the council. He says the council never asked him about it, but WBHM's Andrew Yeager asked Austin why he didn't volunteer the information.
Anniston Update
Every month we'll hear from the staff of The Anniston Star about an issue of importance to the community around Anniston and Calhoun County. Join WBHM's Andrew Yeager for these engaging conversations.
John Archibald: Plugged
Our weekly segment features The Birmingham News columnist John Archibald, discussing the city politic (and county and state politic too). Instead of being unplugged as he is in the newspaper, we offer him a bullhorn. Sort of.
Considering Faith: Judge Roy Moore Update
When you think about religion in public life, it's hard not to think about Roy Moore and his refusal to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the federal courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The former Alabama Chief Justice's fight captivated international audiences. We've got a look back at that controversy and an update on what's Roy Moore is doing these days.
Considering Faith: Pulpit Politics
One principle which has shaped American democracy is the separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson used the phrase a "wall of separation" and through the years courts and legislatures have shaped what that wall looks like. Now one group has made a specific challenge to that boundary, saying the federal government is preventing pastors from speaking their minds on politics. One part of that battle is in an Alabama church as we hear in the first installment of our series Considering Faith. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports
Mayor Langford Arrested
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is free on bond after being arrested on a 101 count federal indictment alleging conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. He pleaded not guilty to what U.S. Attorney Alice Martin says was a "classic pay to play scheme". WBHM's Tanya Ott has more.
Election Day Tips
It almost seems like it would never come. We're finally just a day away from the 2008 election. Record turnout and long lines are expected in Alabama. So before you go to cast your ballot, WBHM's Andrew Yeager has a few things to keep in mind for the occasion.
2008 Constitutional Amendments
When voters go to the polls tomorrow, they'll get to choose who will be in the White House for the next four years, as well as congressional, local government and judicial seats. In Alabama, there are also a number of constitutional amendments to consider. We have an overview from WBHM's Andrew Yeager and Tanya Ott.
Electing Judges?
Alabama has a history of expensive and nasty races for the state supreme court. This election cycle has done nothing to change that reputation. But Alabamians will select other judges on this year's ballot too, leaving some to wonder if these men and women personifying fairness and impartiality should even be elected. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Jefferson County Bankruptcy Update
Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy became part of federal law in 1934, during the Great Depression, when towns and cities nationwide faced massive drops in tax revenues. Since then, there've been less than 500 municipal filings. But that number may tick up during the current economic crisis. Vallejo, California, has already filed for bankruptcy protection and Jefferson County, Alabama, is on the brink of filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U-S history. WBHM's Tanya Ott has an update.
Congressional District 3
Alabama congressmen don't normally have to spend much money on television advertising when they're running against an underdog, but that's not the case this year in the 3rd Congressional district. Republican incumbent Mike Rogers is waging an aggressive campaign against democratic challenger Joshua Segall and, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, the negative campaigning may continue right up until election day.
Crossing the Divide – A Political Commentary
This presidential election, some people will vote party line. Some will, no doubt, vote race lines. And then there's Birmingham resident Marie Sutton, who feels herself pulled between two very strong influences in her life.
Vipassana Behind Bars
Just outside of Birmingham lies what's arguably Alabama's toughest prison. The maximum security Donaldson Correctional Facility holds death row inmates, murderers, rapists...the worst of the worst some might say. But in the midst of this environment, and in the Bible belt of Dixie, some inmates are practicing an incredibly intense eastern meditation from the Buddhist tradition. And it's winning fans from prisoners and prison officials alike. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Pump Prices
Drive by many gas stations around Birmingham and it's unmistakable - the cost to fill up is much higher than just a few days ago. It's little surprise then that more than 1,500 complaints about rising gas prices have flooded the Alabama Attorney General's Office since Friday. With the governor's emergency declaration prompted by Hurricane Ike, the state can now prosecute price gouging. But as Attorney General spokesman Chris Bence told WBHM's Andrew Yeager, even after weeding out cases which don't constitute price gouging, it's a long investigative process.
Election 2008: National Conventions
Republicans are leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, following the conclusion of the Republican National Convention. That leaves 60 days for John McCain's and Barack Obama's camps to battle it out on the campaign trail. One Republican delegate who is eager for that fight is Alabama State Senator Hank Erwin. He says he's upbeat, excited and energized about McCain as he returns to Alabama.
Bunking in Bartow
More than 12,000 people are making Alabama their temporary home today, fleeing the destruction of Hurricane Gustav. That doesn't count those who may be staying with relatives or in hotels, outside the official numbers of the state's shelters. One of those shelters is UAB's Bartow Arena. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke to evacuees bunking at Bartow. He heard plenty of frustration, anxiety, and anger. As well as plenty of talk about a hurricane other than Gutav.
Sewer Split
When it comes to Jefferson County's sewer debt crisis, there's a well-documented split among county commissioners. They've clashed over how to solve the problem, and now they're divided over how to even gather public input about it. WBHM's Andrew Yeager reports.
Larry Langford Profile
Birmingham mayor Larry Langford is a man on fire and under fire. In his first eight months in office, Langford has proposed nearly $1 billion in new projects including a bid for the 2020 Olympics. But his ability to get some of the projects done is being tested by federal investigations into alleged misdeeds and the mayor's own management style. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Chief Roper: The Interview
He's been on the job for eight months, has initiated a zero-tolerance arrest effort to chip away at a culture of lawlessness on the streets, and says his faith tells him to fight the evildoers. The mountain is a steep one, but Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper tells WBHM's Steve Chiotakis the department is marking inroads.
Birmingham City Budget
The Birmingham City Council is expected to look at - and possibly vote on - the city's operating budget that Mayor Larry Langford proposed weeks ago. The council wants to approve the budget by July 1st, when the new fiscal year begins.
ShotSpotter
For many Birmingham residents, gunfire is a familiar sound especially around holidays... with bullets falling towards rooftops and city streets. In order to combat random gunfire, Birmingham Police recently spent one million dollars of federal grant money to install ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system. WBHM's Colin Quarello takes a closer look at the system and ShotSpotter's effectiveness.
Dan Carsen on Larry Langford
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's recent public expressions of his faith have met with all sorts of reactions, including these thoughts from commentator Dan Carsen...
Langford and Religion
The phrase 'separation of church and state' can be tracked back to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. He referred to the First Amendment of the Constitution creating a 'wall of separation' between church and state. But in the South, that wall has always been a wobbly one, with local governments and school districts often ignoring court rulings on religion. In his first six months in office, Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has blurred the line between church and state, and as Tanya Ott reports, his potent mix of politics and religion may result in another lawsuit.
