The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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It's been a little over two weeks since the Legislature adjourned Sine Die, and I believe the people of Alabama should be proud of what lawmakers accomplished throughout the last three months. There is always more work ahead of us, but when I evaluate the productivity or success of a session, I ask myself, "Did we improve the lives of the people of Alabama?" As I look back at what we accomplished and how it impacts Alabamians, the answer to that question is a resounding "yes." Recognizing that...
With freedom comes great sacrifice. On Memorial Day, we pause to reflect on the immense sacrifices made by the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. It is a day to honor and remember those who gave their all, laying down their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms and liberties we hold dear. Our hearts swell with gratitude as we think of the countless heroes who faced the ultimate test of courage and duty. Their selflessness and dedication to our country are the foundations...
I will proudly vote for a convicted felon for President of these United States in November. Thursday's verdict-guilty on all 34 counts-was shocking but not surprising. How could it be surprising? We've known from the outset this was a sham trial in a kangaroo court, a purely political bit of theatrical lawfare intended to persecute the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. Even after the verdict, there's a fair amount of confusion as to just what law President Trump supposedly violated....
Bloodless revolutions are the exception, not the norm. Indeed, history is replete with wars pitting various national or regional groups against one another for territory or other economic benefit. Survival of the fittest was not a theory but was a present reality for most of the history of the world, and the slogan “might makes right” was the equivalent of the rule of law in many places. Merge these ideas with the concept of the divine right of kings, and you have a formula for arbitrary gov...
The 2024 Alabama Legislative Session ended on Thursday, May 9. It has been said and properly documented that no man’s life, liberty, or property is safe when the Alabama Legislature is in session. At this point, you can all rest easy. Unfortunately, many people are unaware when the legislature is in session and what is being considered by those elected members while they are in Montgomery. According to the Constitution of the State of Alabama, the Alabama Legislature’s primary res...
STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY H.R. 8580 - Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (Rep. Cole, R-OK) The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 8580, making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year (FY) ending September 30, 2025 and for other purposes. Earlier this year, the Administration and members of both parties in the Congress came together to...
Amidst the troubling rise of anti-Semitic protests and near-riots sweeping across our nation’s college campuses including cancellation of graduation ceremonies by the University of Southern California because of fear of violence, the University of Florida (UF) has emerged not just as a bastion of higher learning but as a fortress of common sense and decency. The policies recently issued by UF in response to these disturbing events offer a blueprint that every university in America should a...
Those of you who live in the new 2nd congressional district have runoffs this coming Tuesday, April 16. This is the most interesting and entertaining political contest in Alabama this year. This new seat is comprised of all of Montgomery County, as well as most of the more rural counties surrounding Montgomery, including Macon, Lowndes, Bullock, Pike, Butler, Crenshaw, Barbour, and Russell. It continues through rural Black Belt counties like an arrow towards Mobile and gathers most of the Black...
We Americans are going to the polls in five months, to elect the next President of the United States. Election day is November 5. We are getting set for a rematch between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Americans are not too enthused to see this replay. I have never seen two candidates with as high negative polling numbers in my lifetime. The old political truism that more people vote against someone than for someone will definitely come into play in this presidential race. If...
This country has witnessed numerous political schisms since the beginning of the republic. We are presently bombarded with diverse and often intense political views--some real and some superficial. A distinct difference in political philosophy existed in the mid-1800s, mainly in the form of Jeffersonian vs. Hamiltonian principles. Reflecting his identification with the old protectionist Whigs, Lincoln, who idolized Henry Clay, supported Alexander Hamilton’s program of central banking, i...
Fifty years ago, Americans were so distracted by Watergate that they failed to notice the unmasking of one of the most consequential spies during the Cold War. Even today, few will remember the name Günter Guillaume; but most will remember a spy precipitating the fall of the West German Chancellor, Willy Brandt. While it is hard to quantify exactly what state secrets Guillaume disclosed to his East German handlers, it is even more difficult to connect his espionage with any specific action...
Here’s a tax reduction proposal everyone should love: · No tax at all on your first $95,000 income ($125,000 if filing jointly) · 1% tax on income above $95,000 (or $125,000 if filing jointly) · An extra 1% super-tax for those making more than $600,000 per year · The super-tax increases to 6% for those making $16 million per year. Too good to be true? Maybe it is -- today. But that’s the tax we had in 1913, the year the 16th Amendment was adopted. The first IRS Form 1040 exempted all income...
In the final scene in the classic movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, British officer, Major Clipton, looks over the carnage of the destroyed train and the dead bodies lying about and utters the immortal line, “Madness. Madness.” Well, it looks like we too are approaching the closing scene in our own movie. I look at many of the things going on around this country and all I can utter is, “Madness.” Let’s look at some of the things that should cause each of us to pause and think about who we el...
In December 2020, a patient of Mobile (AL) Infirmary managed to gain access through an unsecure entry to the cyrogenic nursery at the Center for Reproductive Health (Center). The patient picked up some embryos belonging to at least three couples which had been fertilized between 2013 and 2016. Because the embryos were frozen and stored in the nursery when they were a few days old, the subzero temperature caused a burning of the patient’s hands and they dropped the embryos to the floor. Though s...
We’ve endured another state of our [soviet] union address; fewer DC politburo ‘stand and clap’ durations which conjure youthful recollection of Brezhnev’s heinous addresses. As I recall, Moscow ‘clapping episodes’ also attenuated for Gorbachev as the looming collapse of their [Russian] hegemonic union unfolded during the Soviet bloc’s closing years. Biden bit off more than our Republic of States can afford or we can possibly sustain for our posterity. Witnessing all the proposed spending incr...
In a world filled with transient values and fleeting allegiances, the integrity and steadfastness of certain rare individuals stand as beacons of light, guiding others toward paths of righteousness and communal unity. At the top of the list is Coach Bruce Pearl, whose life and career embody principles that resonate deeply with the values we all should cherish. It is not merely his remarkable success as a coach that merits acclaim but, more profoundly, his unwavering dedication to his faith, his...
Nearly everybody knows that Elon Musk does not like unions—just like he does not like oppressive big government and other violators of free markets and individual liberty. Although purported to be enforcers of fair wages and safe working environments, unions tend to be invasive, coercive, and sometimes criminal. The United Auto Workers is one of them. There is no question that the UAW is lusting to get its meat hooks onto America’s newest, greatest, most prosperous, and most valuable aut...
The lessons of baseball and life begin in spring – play by the rules, try your best, and the sun will still come up again if you lose. Farmers keep pace with the changing seasons. The American food grower knows to bend with these changes, but they are sustained by the promises of spring. If there is another spring, there will be another chance. Not bound by the set dates on the calendar, the remnants of winter are sometimes slow to go, but soon the sun’s warmth will grow stronger every day. Fres...
International automakers play a pivotal role in Alabama's economy, contributing significantly to job creation, economic growth, and community development. These employers provide $72 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue hat helps pay for essential public services. These companies, like Hyundai provide good-paying jobs with benefits that on average cover 90% of health care premiums for workers without unions. The downstream effects of these quality jobs have contributed...
In the high-stakes Republican primary runoff for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, there is one clear cut choice Dick Brewbaker. Make no bones about it, the winner in November may well determine which party controls the US House of Representatives. As someone who's navigated the choppy waters of Alabama politics alongside Dick, I'm here to throw my full support behind him. This isn't just about backing a friend but a leader who has always practiced what he preached; it's about recognizing...
Anyone who follows the Legislative Session each year in Montgomery, knows that it is never short of controversy. The House has its priorities, the Senate has its own, and governors have theirs. And it is fair to say that those priorities are not always the same. You can take gaming this session as an example. However, in this session there is one major push that has brought all our state’s top elected leaders together – an ambitious workforce, economic and community development package called, ...
There's a battle at the statehouse for the 3rd year in a row and it's a battle for small vape store owners to save their livelihood. It's not a battle with China, it's a battle with "little vape and big vape, also known as big tobacco partners. In 2021, big tobacco companies came to lawmakers with an idea to duplicate the FDA premarket tobacco application process at the state level, with one goal in mind- and that was to eliminate any competition and to gain control over the adult clientele of...
When the stakes are high and the dangers are real, America expects its President to stand firm, to assert power, not to whisper timidly. Yet, in what could only be described as the most limp-wristed attempt at deterrence in history by an American President, Joe Biden issued a one-word warning to a hostile Iran: “Don’t.” This single utterance was supposed to prevent retaliation against Israel following the airstrike that eliminated an Iranian general. Predictably, it failed spectacularly. Late...
There’s an inspiring story of innovation taking place right here in Alabama. It is a story of personal responsibility, powered by the engines of free enterprise in a discipline that rarely sees fresh innovative ideas. At the center of this renaissance is ReentryCenters.com, an organization that has brilliantly harnessed the power of the marketplace to address one of America’s most persistent challenges: reintegrating former offenders into mainstream society as taxpaying citizens. Ree...
On the heels of Alabama's ballot harvesting ban, I am turning my attention towards the next step in ensuring Alabama elections are the most secure elections in the country: the outlawing of ranked-choice voting. SB 186 sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr and HB 423 sponsored by Representative Mark Shirey prohibit the use of ranked choice voting in Alabama's elections, with an exception for electors who vote by absentee ballot pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. This...
