Sen. Cam Ward opts not to run for Bachus seat in Congress
State Sen. Cam Ward announced Wednesday that he would not run for the District 6 seat in Congress with longtime Rep. Spencer Bachus retiring and not running again in 2014. Ward, R-Alabaster, said he...
View ArticleLawmakers seek to strengthen Open Meetings Act
Gov. Robert Bentley and legislators Thursday announced a bill they said would strengthen provisions of the state’s Open Meetings Act, which critics said was weakened by three recent Alabama Supreme...
View ArticleAlabama Senate approves creation of task force to study prison overcrowding
The Alabama Senate Thursday approved the creation of a new commission that would work with the Council on State Governments to determine the causes of the state’s prison overcrowding problem and...
View ArticleAmid clashes, Alabama Senate expands and approves lobbying bill
It started as a bill to close a lobbying loophole. It came out of the Senate Tuesday as a sweeping piece of legislation addressing everything from the Governor’s activities after leaving office to...
View ArticleUnder the Dome: Accountability Act, meet Revolving Door
A bill placed on the floor of the Senate undergoes substantial alteration, to the point where it can reasonably be viewed as an entirely different piece of legislation. One side warns, amid some tense...
View ArticleSenate committee approves bill aimed at strengthening Open Meetings Act
The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday afternoon approved a bill aimed at strengthening the state’s Open Meetings Act, following rulings from the Alabama Supreme Court that critics said severely...
View ArticleEducation Trust Fund budget scheduled to appear in Senate committee
A Senate committee is scheduled to take up the state’s Education Trust Fund budget Wednesday morning, along with attendant questions on teacher pay raises and debt repayment. The Alabama Department of...
View ArticleSenate committee approves 48 hour waiting period for abortions
A Senate committee Wednesday afternoon approved legislation extending the waiting period for abortions from 24 to 48 hours, a week after the House of Representatives passed a package of anti-abortion...
View ArticleState employees could get one-time bonus in General Fund proposal
State employees may get a one-time bonus worth around $400 under a 2015 General Fund budget proposal approved by a Senate committee Wednesday. The bonus would be paid for by a $4.5 million allocation...
View ArticleDeath penalty secrecy legislation moves forward in Senate
A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would keep those involved in the manufacture and distribution of drugs used in executions shielded from public view. However, further negotiations over...
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