Series
University Of Alabama Returns $21.5 Million To Hugh Culverhouse
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with attorney Hugh Culverhouse, who pledged $26.5 million to the university. The $21.5 million he had given so far was returned and his name removed from the law school.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Campaigns in Birmingham
In her Friday speech in Birmingham, Sen. Kamala Harris promised to stand up for women's access to reproductive care, take on gun control and work to give all Americans quality healthcare.
UA Returns $21.5 Million to Donor & Strips Name From Law School
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees voted Friday to return a multi-million dollar donation from Hugh Culverhouse Jr. and strip his name from the school of law.
Here’s What You Missed in the 2019 Legislative Session
It was one of the busiest and most contentious legislative sessions in years. The near-total abortion ban passed by Alabama lawmakers overshadowed many other bills. What else happened?
Reading Proficiency, Equal Pay Among Bills Passed in Alabama Legislature
Lawmakers approved a slew of bills this week, which is expected to be the last one of the 2019 session. Measures on equal pay and holding back third-graders who don't read proficiently were among those passed in the push toward the session's end.
UA to Consider Returning $21.5 Million in Dispute with Donor
Hugh Culverhouse, Jr., a major donor to the University of Alabama, has called for a boycott of the school in response to the state’s strict abortion ban. Now university officials say the system’s chancellor will recommend the board of trustees return Culverhouse’s gift and strip his name from the law school.
Proposed Charter School Plans to Serve LGBTQ Youth
Many students who identify as LGBTQ here in Alabama say they’ve been harassed or assaulted because of their sexuality. A new charter school proposed in Birmingham aims to make these young people feel safe in the classroom.
Lawsuit Filed Challenging Alabama’s Abortion Law
Abortion rights groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday seeking to block Alabama’s strict new abortion law.
Alabama’s Abortion Law Could be Bad for Business
Alabama’s abortion law has yet to go into effect, but it’s already causing ripples in the business community. The law sparked widespread criticism, including a campaign on social media calling for people to boycott the state. Officials with the City of Birmingham say it’s hurting the city’s ability to attract business.
Several Hundred Gather in Birmingham for Bernie Sanders Rally
A large crowd of people gathered in Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park Sunday for a rally supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Protesters March to Oppose Abortion Ban
Supporters of abortion rights marched through downtown Birmingham Sunday, one of several rallies across the state in protest of a new abortion ban signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey last week.
Lawmakers Pass a Restrictive Abortion Ban as Time Runs Out in the Session
Alabama lawmakers this week passed what’s considered one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country. We look at the fallout and where this leaves one other major legislative priority here in the state -- prisons.
Alabama Governor Signs Near-total Abortion Ban Into Law
Alabama’s Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.
Alabama Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Nearly All Abortions
The Alabama Senate passed a bill Tuesday evening to ban nearly all abortions. The state House had already overwhelmingly approved the legislation. It's part of a broader anti-abortion strategy to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the right to abortion.
Woodfin Highlights “Moral Obligations” of Proposed 2020 Budget
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says his proposed FY 2020 operating budget represents a “fundamental shift” in how the city thinks about spending, with an increased focus on fulfilling his administration’s “moral obligations” — prioritizing city employees and neighborhood revitalization.
Abortion Bill Vote Delayed After Commotion on Senate Floor
An abortion bill delayed, a medical marijuana measure advances and a switch-out of a lottery bill ... Alabama Public Television has a look back at this week's action in the Alabama legislature.
Former Jefferson County Commissioner Chris McNair Dies
For most of her life, WBHM reporter Sherrell Stewart has had a close up view of McNair's triumphs and heartbreaks. She shares this remembrance, including what they discussed just days before his death.
Bill Would Hold Back Third Graders Who Don’t Read Proficiently
A bill making its way through the Alabama Legislature requires that third graders read proficiently by the end of third grade or else be held back. The state consistently ranks near the bottom on national achievement tests in reading.
Legislative Wrap-Up: Lawmakers Advance Abortion Ban, Education Budget
House members passed one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation this week. And the Alabama Senate passed a hefty education spending plan.
Alabama House Approves Near Total Abortion Ban
The Alabama House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to outlaw almost all abortions in the state as conservatives took aim at the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
County Officials Field Questions About Sewer Rates From Hundreds of Jefferson County Residents
The Jefferson County Commission held a town hall-style meeting Monday to discuss the county’s 2011 bankruptcy and its long-term effects.
Jones and Byrne Have Stacked Up Millions to Lead Fundraising in the US Senate Race
Incumbent Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Bradley Byrne already have millions of dollars in their campaign accounts as the field begins to form for Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate race.
Birmingham Looks at Limiting Dollar Stores, Easing Restrictions on Other Food Vendors as Way to Battle Food Deserts
A new ordinance proposed by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin looks to combat the city’s food deserts by loosening regulations on mobile grocers and farmers markets, while simultaneously limiting the spread of dollar stores in low-income neighborhoods.
Crime Wave Highlights Barriers Between Police and Hispanic Community
Recently there’s been a surge in crimes targeting the Hispanic community in and around Birmingham. Police want victims to feel comfortable reporting the incidents, but that means overcoming some roadblocks.
Alabama Senate Approves Lottery Bill
Alabama Senators voted 21-12 to approve a lottery bill. The measure would limit a lottery to paper tickets. It now goes to the House of Representatives.
Momentum Shifts on Bill to Repeal Common Core
State Sen. Del Marsh wants to repeal the nationwide academic standards known as Common Core this legislative session. But the proposal seems to have lost some momentum.
Referendum on Renewing Property Tax for Birmingham Schools Possible, Up for Discussion Next Week
Next week, Birmingham’s election commission will meet to discuss a potential citywide vote to renew a soon-to-expire ad valorem tax that provides Birmingham City Schools with approximately $27 million in yearly revenue.
Alabama Abortion Bill Designed to Provoke Court Challenge
Lawmakers in states across the U.S. have recently introduced measures to significantly restrict access to abortion as a way to challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. An Alabama bill goes farther than other proposals. It would ban abortion in almost all cases.
School Closures or Early Dismissals Due to Possible Severe Weather
A list of Alabama schools that have announced after-school closures or early dismissals because of possible severe weather Thursday, April 18.
Alabama Committee Advances Bill to Outlaw Abortion
Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the nation, a measure that would make performing an abortion a felony with almost no exceptions.
State Lawmakers Consider Eliminating Marriage Licenses
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling allowing same-sex marriage was a hard pill to swallow for some Alabama probate judges. Some still refuse to issue marriage licenses in their counties. But a proposed bill could force them to comply with federal law.
Trash Talk: Why Doesn’t Birmingham Recycle More?
One way to reduce the amount of trash is to recycle more. That’s a challenge in the city of Birmingham.
