Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster), Cumberland Law School Dean John Carroll and Democrat activist and consultant Martha Bozeman talk about the current political shocker on Good Day Alabama. Watch here.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

Here it is: when do you become a person? At birth or is it the minute the sperm fertilizes the egg?

Now throw in this complication. What if the fertilized egg isn’t in the womb. Is the human embryo a person even then or only after implantation in the womb?

Rep. John Merrill (R-Tuscaloosa) and Sen. Phil Williams (R-Gadsden) have introduced legislation to legally define l personhood “from the moment of fertilization.” Read HB409 here

Williams bill awaits a full vote in the Senate. Merrill’s version will come up for a vote in the House Health Committee.

“Personhood” legislation has popped up in several states. The closest to passage at this time is Mississippi, where the court’s are considering a ballot measure that would allow voters to decide if it should be put in the state constitution.

The idea: outlaw abortion by declaring fertilization constitutes personhood, thus setting up a potential U.S. Supreme Court battle. Personhood USA is a national anti-abortion movement that has seen limited success in other states and now has included Alabama in it’s focus. Read more here.

“The purpose of the legislation is to protect the rights of the unborn,” Rep. Merrill says, “we’re dealing with peoples’ lives when talking about the abortion issue.”

“I have the highest regard for life, maybe more so than anybody else because I understand the value,” says Jessica Sasser, “that’s what I’m fighting for is a baby. But at the same time, especially with the wording of this bill, there are scientific things you need to look at.”

Sasser testified against the current wording of the bill two weeks ago. Like one in seven U.S. couples, the 26 year old and her husband need fertility specialist to try to get pregnant. After two years with no success, in vitro fertilization appears to be their last, best hope.

Her doctors, and fertility organizations like the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, contend it could raise serious legal questions for fertility clinics if “personhood” is adopted in it’s current language.

ASMR’s Dr. Robert Rebar writes:

Even with natural conception, most fertilized eggs never develop into human beings. This is also true when the conception is accomplished using ART techniques. Because many of the fertilized eggs will not continue their development, physicians generally create several embryos for each patient. This is necessary so that the embryologist can choose the most developmentally competent embryo(s) for transfer and thereby increase patients’ chances of achieving a pregnancy and having a baby. Almost all ART cycles result in extra embryos. If their extra embryos have developed well, patients usually choose to freeze them for later transfer- to try for a pregnancy again if the current attempt was unsuccessful or to have another child. Read the full letter here.

Merrill says roadblocks for fertility patients is not the bill’s intent. As for the medical criticism of the bill in it’s current language, Merrill considers that “speculative” and in some cases, an “obstacle” by opponents.

Sasser and others who appeared before the House Health Committee hope Merrill will amend the bill to declare “personhood” once the fertilized egg is “implanted in the womb.”

Merrill’s bill will be considered by the House Health Committee Wednesday at 9a.m.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

Altman quotes Rep. Jim Barton (R-Mobile) saying “the sentiment of the House – particularly a lot of the north Alabama representatives (is that they) do not want to deal with it…. I think there’s been a lot of pressure on those guys.”

HB74 would boost cockfighting penalties from a range of $20-$50 now to $500 and up. It would cover not just conducting a cockfight, but attending, training or betting on a cockfight. Even business dealings involved would fall under the law.

This week on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States called cockfighting a “barbaric activity.” While promoting his book, The Bond, he called for Alabama’s legislature to strengthen the laws.

“People set up these fights just to watch the birds hack each other to death…. it should be a felony. It’s a felony in 40 other states. Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states.”

“They are all part of God’s creation. We should never do this sort of thing to them,” Pacelle says.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

You can hear the fatigure when Democrats talk about the Republican “Handshake With Alabama,” which was a mid-summer 2010 campaign promise.

Recently, Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) quipped to me “the ‘Handshake’ is about to break my arm.”

Sunday, Dana Beyerle of the NYT Regional Papers wrote Senate Republicans will now take up the House-passed “Handshake” agenda with the greatest conflict perhaps centering around illegal immigration.

Today on Good Day Alabama, House Minority Leader Craig Ford (D-Gadsden) offered a quick criticism of the “Handshake” agenda while discussing efforts to protect last year’s PACT bailout.

“They’ve (Republicans) addressed their ‘Hand Shake With Alabama.’ We spent a third of the session addressing these bills, which are unconstitutional, and now we’re going after the PACT program and take money from the PACT program.”

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

This morning, AEA took the stance as the only group opposing Rep. Greg Canfield’s (R-Vestavia) “Rolling Reserve Budget” bill during a hearing. The state Department of Education backs the idea. This Huntsville Times editorial looks at the issue.

Canfield and Jefferson county Democrat, Rep. Merika Coleman react to Gov. Robert Bentley’s SOTS in this video from FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

Among the many groups lining up to push their bills, the wide-ranging organization pushing to renew Alabama’s Forever Wild program. Tim Gothard of the Alabama Wildlife Federation made his case for renewing the conservation campaign on Good Day Alabama this morning.

You can read more about the challenge facing Forever Wild from this Sunday piece by Tom Spencer of the Birmingham News.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

As for the man who defeated him in a bitter Republican primary, Byrne says Gov. Robert Bentley deserves to be given time.

“Those budgets he presents next week will be key.”

The candidate who was favored to win the Republican nomination for governor, only to lose a runoff race to Bentley, says he will continue his campaign of reform through a grass-roots organization called Reform Alabama.

And we’re not talking about the city in Pickens county.

“We had a great start with the special session,” Byrne said this morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, “we’ve got to keep going with that reform agenda. There’s some issues we need to keep pushing on.”

Byrne identifies reforms in the budgeting process and campaign finance. He proposes everyday electronic filing in final 45 days of an election cycle and searchable databases. He also points to education and economic development as the other part of the non-partisan Reform Alabama agenda.

All of this sounds like last year’s Byrne for Alabama campaign for governor.

“I dont know what the future is going to be,” Byrne said when asked if this gives him a platform for a future political run.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

This morning on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama, Armistead warned Democratic office holders who want to switch parties for the “purpose of being elected next year” won’t be welcome.

The former Shelby county senator says “conservative Democrats” with a “proven track record” will be welcomed if they consider a switch.

One Montgomery insider who knows Democratic party politics well won’t make Armistead’s list: Paul Hamrick

The one-time chief of staff for former governor Don Siegelman was announced in an email from Republican Majority Leader Sen. Jabo Waggoner as a contract consultant of PR/Communications for the Senate Republican Caucus.

It immediately prompted questions from several Senate Republicans.

Armistead says he has heard from several, “I do have a problem with that. I’m getting a lot of calls as party chairman about that. He (Sen. Waggoner) says that’s not a done deal and I’ve asked him not to make that a done deal.”

Armistead says he will focus on county courthouses in 2012 where Democrats still hold a strong majority as Probate Judges and Circuit Clerks.

He dismisses perceived factions between loyalists of former Gov. Bob Riley and supporters of Gov. Robert Bentley as “inside baseball.”

Armistead says his job will be to unite any factions to focus on 2012.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

State Treasurer and Republican nominee for Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey says she’s “ready, willing and able to make this agenda pass.”

Reaction to the state GOP’s “Handshake with Alabama” is predictable.

House and Senate Republican leaders promoted the agenda Monday in their effort to claim control in one or both legislative bodies in November.

Dems say that’s all you’ve got?

GOPers argue a century of Democratic rule in the legislature has accomplished little.

Some spirited back-and-forth summed it up between Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Midfield) and Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood) earlier today on FOX6 News Good Day Alabama.

Over at the Birmingham News, Joey Kennedy writes Republicans “have some pretty good initiatives on their to-do list” in changing the budgeting process for the Special Education Trust Fund and ethics reform, but he observes “they had to start swinging the demagogue stick” in the proposal for an Arizona-style immigration law and attempt to block the federal government’s health care reform act.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

McLaughlin & Associates reports 50% of voters prefer the Republican candidate on a generic legislative ballot.
Thirty-three percent favor the Democrat in the survey.

McLaughlin says Republicans get a boost from Independent voters (49%-15%).

When asked “The Democrats have been in control of Alabama’s State Legislature for 136 years, it’s time for a change,” 61% agree with the statement.

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.

Today, something different.

Dr.Morton says the movement to push the school start date later in the month may have a better shot in the upcoming legislative session.

He points to the man who plans to take up the fight

“Richard Lindsey …. he’d like to move that (school state date) back to August 21st or 22nd,” Dr. Morton tells FOX6 News Good Day Alabama today.

Morton’s reasoning?

Lindsey, A Centre Democrat, has served as chairman of the powerful Education Finance and Appropriations Committee. Political Parlor lists his D-39 race as “Likely Democrat.” If Dems hold power, well, he could be in a prime position to build momentum for the bill.

But…

“Local school boards…. are very determined not to give up their right to set the calender,” Morton points out.

For years, many parents have grumbled about the return to school in early August. It has sparked several unsuccessful efforts to push the school year back.

Most schools start next week with the first day Monday for many.

Dr. Morton says “its going to be a good battle to watch.”

Read more of Rick Journey’s blog here.