Legislature
Recorded state government meetings available through new League of Women Voters channel
The Alabama Channel will capture and save live video recordings of legislative meetings and make them available to the public online and on demand.
Alabama House Set to Consider Gas Tax Increase
It's hard to know how much consensus there will be among Alabama House members on a proposed gas tax increase. The House is set to consider the bill Friday.
Another Legislator Indicted in Corruption Case Involving Diabetes Health Clinic
by Virginia Martin Alabama Rep. Randy Davis has been indicted on allegations he was involved in a plan to pressure Blue Cross Blue Shield to cover diabetes treatments at a string of health clinics with which he was involved. Davis, a Republican from Daphne, was charged by federal prosecutors in Montgomery with several […]
Historic Monuments Bill Passes, City Council Raises Blocked
This week in the Alabama legislature, the Senate voted to block a big pay raise for the next Birmingham City Council. And after hours of heated debate Thursday, lawmakers in the Alabama House passed the controversial historic monuments bill.
What to Expect From Bentley Impeachment Hearings
The Alabama House Judiciary Committee begins Impeachment proceedings for Gov. Robert Bentley today. On Friday, Bentley’s attorneys tried to stop the proceedings, and a Montgomery Circuit Judge ruled in their favor. But on Saturday the Alabama Supreme Court allowed the Judiciary Committee to move forward with the impeachment process. WBHM’s Gigi Douban talked with University […]
Pro-Life, Higher Ed Bills Gain Traction Days Into The Legislative Session
Funding cuts for public colleges and universities that don’t follow federal and state immigration law, and an amendment declaring Alabama a pro-life state were among the issues quickly making their way through the Alabama legislature this week. It mirrors a trend we’re seeing in other states where Republican lawmakers are acting quickly to approve legislation that […]
Ala. Legislature Passes Ed Budget, Teacher Pay Raise
The Alabama state legislature today approved an education budget and a teacher pay raise. Conference committees approved the measures Thursday afternoon and Governor Robert Bentley has indicated his support. Assuming he signs the legislation, teachers and other educators making less than $75,000 per year, plus all principals and assistant principals, will get a four percent raise in fiscal […]
Trisha Powell Crain On State Supreme Court Upholding Alabama Accountability Act
The Alabama Accountability Act has been controversial since the night it passed the state legislature in 2013. What started as a school flexibility bill morphed into a way to give tax credits and scholarships to students to attend other public schools and private schools. But late Monday the state Supreme Court upheld the law. WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with Alabama School Connection writer Trisha Powell Crain to talk it over. Crain starts with a brief overview of the Act, and some concerns.
INTERVIEW: State Senator Del Marsh On New Charter School Bill
Charter schools are public schools exempt from many of the curriculum and staffing rules that apply to standard schools. But to stay open, charters are supposed to meet achievement goals spelled out in their charter contract. Alabama is one of eight states that does not allow charter schools, but that could change soon. After failing to pass a charter bill in 2012, Republican lawmakers are trying again in the session that's starting today, March 3, 2015. WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, the charter bill's sponsor. He says being late to the game is actually an advantage.
The General Fund Budget Pie
State lawmakers will gather in Montgomery Tuesday to kick off this year's legislative session. One of the biggest issues they face is how to make up for a projected shortfall in the General Fund budget. There are no easy fixes.
A College For Inmates, And An Interview With Its President
The United States locks up people at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. Some of the most overcrowded prisons are right here in Alabama. Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women is one of them. But some inmates there have access to a unique state-funded program that offers academics and "life skills" they'll need after release. The problem is, this J.F. Ingram State Technical College program, which could ease overcrowding, is struggling for funds. WBHM's Dan Carsen has the story and a full-length interview with J.F. Ingram's president.
State Schools Chief Of Staff On Decrease In Per-Pupil Spending
Since before the recession, the number of dollars Alabama spends per student has dropped more than it has in any other state. Percentage-wise, Alabama's decrease was second only to Oklahoma's. That’s all according to a recent report from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. WBHM’s Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen caught up with Alabama schools Chief of Staff Craig Pouncey to find out why, and what it all means.
