Key Issues Linger as 2016 Legislative Session Winds Down

| April 22, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:638;s:6:"height";i:479;s:4:"file";s:48:"2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-336x252.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-600x338.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-600x479.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:479;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-414x311.png";s:5:"width";i:414;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-353x265.png";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-600x479.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:479;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1581971785:113
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alabama Tourism Department
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Flickr
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 113
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:2284634;s:14:"optimized_size";i:788300;s:7:"percent";d:65.5;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:76:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM.png";s:13:"original_size";i:803189;s:14:"optimized_size";i:270259;s:7:"percent";d:66.349999999999994;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-140x140.png";s:13:"original_size";i:52369;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18642;s:7:"percent";d:64.400000000000006;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-336x252.png";s:13:"original_size";i:218105;s:14:"optimized_size";i:75789;s:7:"percent";d:65.25;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-450x338.png";s:13:"original_size";i:377431;s:14:"optimized_size";i:132980;s:7:"percent";d:64.769999999999996;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-300x300.png";s:13:"original_size";i:228150;s:14:"optimized_size";i:78734;s:7:"percent";d:65.489999999999995;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-414x311.png";s:13:"original_size";i:323785;s:14:"optimized_size";i:113410;s:7:"percent";d:64.969999999999999;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-353x265.png";s:13:"original_size";i:239668;s:14:"optimized_size";i:83318;s:7:"percent";d:65.239999999999995;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:84:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-24-at-9.45.01-PM-125x125.png";s:13:"original_size";i:41937;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15168;s:7:"percent";d:63.829999999999998;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1618872642 
1461314439

Only five days remain in Alabama’s 2016 legislative session, and big issues are still on the table, from a lottery bill to a possible $800 million dollar bond for building new prisons. However, in recent weeks, these important issues have been overshadowed by scandal in the wake of accusations Governor Robert Bentley had an affair with a former top advisor. This week, a lawmaker introduced a resolution that could impeachment proceedings against Bentley forward. For more on this, we talk with Don Dailey, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama public television. To start, Dailey tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley about Bentley’s recent comments to the media.

54% of support comes from members

 

Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis

Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.

Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature

This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.

Alabama’s racial, ethnic health disparities are ‘more severe’ than other states, report says

Data from the Commonwealth Fund show that the quality of care people receive and their health outcomes worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s your favorite thing about Alabama?

That's the question we put to those at our recent News and Brews community pop-ups at Hop City and Saturn in Birmingham.

Q&A: A former New Orleans police chief says it’s time the U.S. changes its marijuana policy

Ronal Serpas is one of 32 law enforcement leaders who signed a letter sent to President Biden in support of moving marijuana to a Schedule III drug.

How food stamps could play a key role in fixing Jackson’s broken water system

JXN Water's affordability plan aims to raise much-needed revenue while offering discounts to customers in need, but it is currently tied up in court.

More Capitol Journal Coverage