Posted on January 13th, 2010 by Bob Howell
By Bob Howell – WSFA 12 News Anchor -
For those of you folliwing the State of the State, here is a statement from Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Ag Commissioner, Ron Sparks:
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“Last night’s performance by Bob Riley was shameful. At a time when our working families are struggling under the weight of an 11 percent [...]
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Posted on January 13th, 2010 by Bob Howell
By Bob Howell – WSFA 12 News Anchor, Montgomery, AL
Some rambling thoughts after the start of the regular session of the Alabama legislature and the governor’s State of the State address.
On the first legislative day, a shocking pronouncement! Governor Bob Riley declared there is no financial crisis in Alabama. In fact, during his State of the [...]
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Posted on January 13th, 2010 by Rick Journey
Dr. Natalie Davis wasn’t surprised at all at Gov. Bob Riley’s upbeat view of state finances.
“He’s typically optimistic, very Reaganesque,” says the Birmingham Southern College professor of political science.
A little posturing may have been playing into the speech as well as the governor suggested to the Alabama legislature that the “doom and gloom” of state [...]
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Posted on January 13th, 2010 by Beth Ridgeway
A bill to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in Alabama is back before the State Legislature in 2010.
State Representative Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, proposed House Bill 207.
Todd’s proposal is a 13-page bill that outlines ways marijuana for medical purposes could be used in Alabama.
House Bill 207 aims to make a distinction between medical and non-medical use [...]
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Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Beth Ridgeway
Jefferson County’s Occupational tax troubles are spilling over to the State Legislature.
A review of the more than 200 bills pre-filed before the Legislature’s opening session January 12th turned up six proposed amendments to prohibit the imposition of an occupational tax.
The proposed amendments would prohibit the tax from being put into place in Cullman, Lawrence, Madison, [...]
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Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Beth Ridgeway
State lawmakers could decide the fate of Alabama’s financially struggling Pre-paid Affordable College Tuition program during this session of the Legislature.
About 100 parents with the Save PACT organization rallied their cause in Montgomery Tuesday morning. They’re trying to send a message to State Lawmakers to honor the program and provide tuition for people enrolled in [...]
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Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Rick Journey
Senator Steve French (R-Irondale) hopes to peel away Democratic opposition to his charter schools bill one by one in the Alabama legislature.
Critics, led by the Alabama Education Association, say the bill takes money from public schools.
“Charter schools take taxpayers dollars,” Lance Hyche tells FOX6 News.
Hyche is with the Birmingham office of AEA.
He says, “they (charter [...]
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Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Beth Ridgeway
Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, said Monday he will bring back a constitutional amendment for a statewide referendum on electronic bingo machines.
Black said the state needs revenue and he believes gambling proceeds could provide those dollars.
He could file his bill as soon as Thursday.
It will be similar to the one he proposed in 2009 which called [...]
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Posted on January 11th, 2010 by Rick Journey
Those words from Larry Powell, pollster and professor of Political Communications at UAB.
Dr. Powell says Republicans will pitch “nullification” during this session to cash in on backlash from any Democratic-backed health care reform in Washington. Don’t expect it to be constitutional, Powell says, but expect it to be campaign rhetoric.
Couple the “nullification” movement with ethics [...]
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