The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Student loan debt by state Over $32.4 billion dollars in student loan debt remained unpaid across U.S. states in 2025. Student loan debt can have a lasting impact on a household’s finances, just like the benefits of the right education and application can have a lasting impact on career and income. It’s important to weigh the costs and potential benefits, as the wrong educational investment can leave people carrying student debt for decades. Nationwide, an average of 12.55% of adults carry stude...
April 8, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed House Bill 381, known as the Sarah Marsh Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act, establishing new statewide safety standards for Alabama's summer camps and honoring the memory of 8‑year‑old Sarah Marsh, who died during catastrophic flooding at a Texas camp last year. Sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, the legislation creates Alabama's first comprehensive emergency‑preparedness framework for youth camps. The law requires camps to devel...
April 11, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Governor Kay Ivey on Friday signed Senate Bill 99, a measure that will require the display of the Ten Commandments and accompanying historical context in certain Alabama public schools, contingent on donated materials or funding. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley (R‑Anniston) and Rep. Mark Gidley (R‑Guntersville), directs schools serving grades 5–12 to place the Ten Commandments alongside an explanation of their historical significance. The displ...
April 9, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Legislature has approved HB220, a significant restructuring of how appointed members of state boards, authorities, and commissions may be removed and replaced. The measure was jointly sponsored by Representative Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) and Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville). HB220 cleared both chambers and is now waiting for the Governor's signature. HB220 would take effect on October 1, 2026. HB220 establishes broad new...
April 10, 2026 - Hoover, Ala. - The Alabama Republican Party today reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of Republican primaries and vowed to continue the fight to pass party registration. For years, protecting Alabama's Republican Primary has been a top legislative priority of the Party. In the final weeks of session, that effort gained historic traction, bringing the bill closer to passage than ever before. "While we are disappointed that HB541 did not cross the finish line thi...
April 9, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) has signed Rep. Barbara Drummond's (D-Mobile) two bills, HB496 and HB529. Both bill are aimed at preventing urban blight. "In urban areas where property becomes abandoned or neglected, it often leads to a host of problems including higher crime rates and risks to public safety," said Rep. Drummond. "Not only that, they become an eyesore and detract from the beauty of our neighborhoods. I'm grateful to all who supported this i...
April 9, 2026 – State Representative Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) denied that he was attempting to record the discussions of a closed-door Republican Caucus meeting last week. Mooney released a statement to the Alabama Daily news, "Let me be absolutely clear: I did not, nor have I ever, recorded or attempted to record a Republican caucus meeting. That claim is simply false. I believe in respecting the integrity of the legislative process and the trust placed in those who serve, and I have a...
April 8, 2026 – Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed legislation that will allow public school students to leave during the school day to receive instruction in their religion. The program is completely voluntary and is not being subsidized by taxpayers. Senate Bill 248 is sponsored by Senator Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) and carried in the House of Representatives by state Representative Susan Dubose (R-Greystone). "Two years of work and we finally got it over the finish line," said Rep. Dubose. "...
April 9, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – It took all thirty days of the legislative session, but the Legislature has finally performed it's constitutional duty and passed both state budgets: the state general fund (SGF) and the education trust fund budgets (ETF). On Thursday Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed both budgets into law. "Throughout my tenure as governor and even before, we have worked hard to be fiscally conservative in our budgeting, making meaningful investments to benefit the people of Ala...
April 9, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama House of Representatives has passed Senate Bill 57, legislation that would require the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) to seek federal approval to prohibit the purchase of candy and soda with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. SB57 was Sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and a coalition of Republican senators. The bill directs DHR to formally request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food a...
12 million times a year, drivers illegally pass a stopped school bus. America just got its first plan to stop them. Every school day, a yellow bus pulls to the curb, red lights flash, the stop arm swings out, and somewhere in America, a driver blows right past it anyway. Not occasionally. Not rarely. Approximately 39 million times a year. That's the national estimate for illegal school bus stop-arm violations. Put another way, every school bus in the country gets illegally passed roughly once...
April 8, 2026 – Residents of Stockton in Baldwin County met in Bay Minette to hear a presentation from corporate officers at Silicon Ranch about a 4,500 acre solar farm that has already been approved by the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC). For most of the residents impacted by this massive project the first they had heard of any of this was just weeks ago, but according to candidate for PSC Jim Zeigler (R) state and local government officials have known about this projects for months a...
April 7, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Legislature has passed Senate Bill 209, a sweeping rewrite of the state's public‑school sex education framework that mandates a shift toward sexual risk avoidance, expands parental oversight, and sharply restricts the content and methods that may be used in classrooms. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R‑Trussville), cleared both chambers after weeks of debate over how Alabama schools should address human reproduction, abstinence, and stu...
April 13, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced the appointment of 14 individuals to various positions across the state including John Hunter Fikes as District Judge in the 25th Judicial Circuit in Marion County. Fikes' appointment fills a vacancy on the court after the retirement of longtime District Judge Mark Hammitte effective April 1, 2026. A 2010 graduate of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Samford University's Cumberland School of Law in 2014, F...
April 12, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Montgomery endured one of its deadliest stretches of 2026 this week, with four people killed in a series of unrelated shootings that unfolded between Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning. Police say seven shootings occurred in roughly 48 hours, leaving four dead and several others wounded. Investigators emphasize that none of the killings were random - in each case, the victim and suspect knew one another. Below is a clear, narrative breakdown of what...
Even in today's modern attempt to redefine everything according to people's whims, it is hard to believe that the Miss America Pageant succumbed to allowing men to compete for the title of "Miss" America. However, last Friday, the Miss America Organization notified the Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, that it has reversed its position and revised its contract language to where competitors must be natural born females. Making the Miss America pageant, truly "Miss" America. Ensuring the...
Construction faces rising costs and delays as supply chains strain in 2026 It’s a new era of uncertainty in construction. An industry already navigating labor shortages, regulatory pressure, and increasing sustainability demands is now contending with a more persistent and complex challenge: supply chain disruption. In 2026, construction must now focus on managing volatility across global sourcing, transportation, and pricing, often all at once, WSI reports. The way that projects are planned and...
Americans want smarter surveillance. They just don’t trust who’s watching. Consider this: What are the implications when technology designed to enhance safety also creates discomfort? This tension is evident in cities nationwide. Smart surveillance systems, including connected cameras, AI-powered monitoring, and police drones, are now standard tools for emergency response. These technologies deliver faster detection, quicker dispatch, and improved coordination during critical moments. How...
April 14, 2026 – CHELSEA, Ala. – The mailboxes of Republican primary voters across Alabama are stuffed full of glossy double sided ads touting candidates. The American Conservative Fund is a dark money super PAC that was suddenly created this year with money entirely from out of state gambling syndicate Draft Kings. The American Conservative Fund's mailer pieces give a return address of: 60 Chelsea Corners; PMB 2026; Chelsea, Al 35043. On Tuesday the Alabama Gazette drove to 60 Chelsea Cor...
Construction faces rising costs and delays as supply chains strain in 2026 It’s a new era of uncertainty in construction. An industry already navigating labor shortages, regulatory pressure, and increasing sustainability demands is now contending with a more persistent and complex challenge: supply chain disruption. In 2026, construction must now focus on managing volatility across global sourcing, transportation, and pricing, often all at once, WSI reports. The way that projects are planned and...
Consumer sentiment slides, but retail spending holds for now Retail and e-commerce are entering a fragile phase as they head into peak planning. Consumer sentiment is falling again, but the implications for the industry are more complex than a single headline suggests. Beneath the surface, spending remains unevenly resilient, shaped by rising costs, geopolitical instability, and widening financial pressure across income groups. For retail brands, the takeaway is not that demand is collapsing,...
April 15, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama voters will face two high‑profile constitutional amendments on the November 3, 2026 ballot, both centered on daily patriotic observances and student‑led prayer in public schools. These measures-rooted in long‑running debates over religion, civic ritual, and local control-represent one of the most significant statewide votes on school‑based religious expression since the 1980s. Below is a clear, layered breakdown of what voters will decide, why these a...
April 13, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States and Indonesia formally announced the creation of a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP), a significant elevation of the bilateral defense relationship between the two nations and a signal of their shared commitment to long‑term stability in the Indo‑Pacific. The joint statement, issued by the U.S. Secretary of War and the Indonesian Minister of Defense, describes the MDCP as a "guiding framework" designed to deepen cooperation, streng...
April 9, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Legislature passed and sent to the governor legislation to request a waiver to ban sugary snacks, sodas, and energy drinks from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Senate Bill 57 (SB57) is sponsored by State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). Sen. Orr has said that the bill is a public‑health measure and is necessary given that Alabama ranks as one of the most obese in the nation. Orr stated that reduc...
Sports betting companies are dramatically escalating their political spending across the country, and Alabama has emerged as one of their newest targets. According to reporting from AXIOS, several major sportsbooks have contributed tens of millions of dollars to a newly formed super PAC as part of a coordinated effort to expand legalized sports wagering nationwide. The super PAC, Win for America, has received roughly $48 million from members of the Sports Betting Alliance, a coalition that...
