March 18, 2026 - Alabama Is About to Be Hijacked by California and China
Where I grew up, the term “hijacking” usually referred to the disappearance of a fresh load of moonshine on its way to market. Hijacking occurs when something, or even some process, is taken over without the consent and, at times, even the knowledge of the rightful owner. Hijacking, like classic high-seas piracy, is one of the most direct and forceful means of stealing something from someone.
Well, folks, I've recently come to realize you can hijack a whole lot more than moonshine in the South. A bunch of hijackers from California, and even China, have come to recognize our home, the Southeastern United States, as a field ripe for the picking.
Just last year, in the November elections in Georgia, millions of dollars from these hijackers flowed into the Georgia Public Service Commission races. As a result, two incumbent Republican PSC commissioners lost by about 24 points apiece. That is the first time a Democrat has been elected to the PSC in Georgia since 2000. That, my friends, was a good old-fashioned hijacking.
So, who was the hijacker? An operation called the Georgia League of Conservation Voters pumped about $2.2 million into the Georgia PSC races. They got their money from their mothership, a national group called the League of Conservation Voters. This organization, with funding from liberal groups across the nation, reckoned that just a little of their money in down-ballot races would let them sneak in under the radar and hijack those Georgia elections. They were right. They pulled it off slick as a whistle. And now they are setting up a hijacking in Alabama.
And while it sounds like something from a John Grisham novel, an outfit headquartered in Beijing is a prominent player in the money trail funneling cash through the League of Conservation Voters and right to Alabama.
Conservation Alabama is the local wing of the League of Conservation Voters, and they partner with and help support a liberal environmentalist group called Energy Alabama. These two organizations are carrying the water for the same folks who hijacked the elections in Georgia.
So, how do we stop them?
Last week, the Alabama State Senate took a major step toward derailing these liberal out-of-state hijackers with the passage of SB360 – a bill that passed the Senate without a single dissenting vote 32-0.
This legislation does three things to deal with rising power bills while stopping the influence of California environmental groupsin our elections.
First, it freezes rates for Alabama Power for three years. Folks, that is an unprecedented action by our Legislature that gives Alabama families and businesses rate assurance that no one else in the nation has.
Second, it enlarges the Public Service Commission from three commissioners elected statewide to seven commissioners elected by Congressional District. This historic change in the structure of the PSC puts more power in the ballot box and in the hands of the people than has ever existed.
Third, it creates a cabinet level position for a Secretary of Energy that will raise the importance of providing affordable, reliable energy to a new level. But this Secretary will not have ultimate power. The elected commission members can override the Secretary and nothing, absolutely nothing, happens without a vote of the seven elected commissioners.
These California hijackers, with financial backing that goes all the way to China, have crossed the Chattahoochee River. But they will find it a whole lot harder to work their devious plans with seven elected commissioners rather than three. Nevertheless, liberal environmentalists are still going to argue that a three-year rate freeze is a bad thing and that giving the people more control at the ballot box is somehow wrong.
After unanimous passage in the Senate, the House will begin work on the legislation this week. A unified show of strength against these out-of-state pirates will help serve notice that Alabama cannot be hijacked by paid social media trolls and intentional deception.
With only a few days left in the legislative session, let’s hope our House of Representatives will finish the job and send these hijackers packing back to California.
See you next week.
March 11, 2026 - A Look at the 2026 Governor and Lt. Governor Races
The 2026 state races have officially begun. The qualifying ended on January 23. It will now be a less than three-month horserace sprint to the finish line.
Our May 19th GOP Primary will be our election day, because winning the Republican Primary is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie.
The Governor’s race will not be one of the best races. Coach Tommy Tuberville appears to have a cakewalk coronation tour to the Governor’s office. He has been running full steam ahead for over a year and has $10 million in the bank. He is recognized as the most conservative right-wing politico in the Heart of Dixie, and only has token opposition in the GOP Primary. However, he will spend some money and campaign. He is a prolific and effective campaigner and loves it.
Some of you may be wondering why I do not consider the candidacy of Democratic candidate Doug Jones a challenge to Tuberville. My belief is a Democratic candidate cannot win a statewide race in Alabama, especially Governor, and even more especially, a recognized and proven Bernie Sanders liberal Democrat like Doug Jones. Around 40% of the vote is what a Democratic candidate can get in Alabama. Therefore, Jones is not a viable or serious candidate.
The Lt. Governor’s race may very well be the best contest on the May 19 ballot.
As qualifying ended, there was a lengthy list of seven qualifiers for this race. The list includes Wes Allen, George Childress, Pat Bishop, Rick Pate, Nicole Jones Wadsworth, John Wahl, and Stewart Hill Tankersley.
This will probably boil down to a three-man race between current Secretary of State Wes Allen, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, and Republican Party Chairman John Wahl. It will be interesting to see who makes the two-man runoff. Although the female candidate in the race, Nicole Jones Wadsworth, has worked hard and will get some votes.
Secretary of State Wes Allen is the favorite to win this race. He began in earnest over a year ago. He has been like a plow horse and has worked tirelessly. He has raised more money than the other candidates. Money is the mother’s milk of politics, and it will be especially important in a down ballot race with sevenpeople in the race. He has received every important, major pro-business group endorsement, including ALFA and BCA.
In addition, with a large field of candidates in this race, Wes Allen being listed first on the ballot alphabetically may be worth a 10-point advantage. He already has some statewide name recognition, having had a successful four-year tenure as Secretary of State, and has significant name identification in the Wiregrass having been Probate Judge of Pike County for 10 years and a Wiregrass legislator for four years.
Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate will be a major player in this race. He has had a very successful eight year run as Agriculture Commissioner and would probably like to run for another four-year term in that important post. However, he is constitutionally term limited. I have never seen anyone in or around state government or Alabama politics who does not like Rick Pate.
It looked like a two-man race between Allen and Pate until a bombshell was dropped into the race the last night before qualifying. President Donald Trump surprisingly endorsed Republican Party Chairman John Wahl in the Alabama Lt. Governor’s race. Wahl qualified the next day. The big question in this race is whether Wahl can raise the campaign money to tell Alabamians he is the Trump endorsee. Again, money is the mother’s milk of politics. Money equates into media, and media equates into name identification, and name identification equatesinto votes.
The problem with raising money for this job is that this job has no power. Therefore, it lacks interest for special interest donors.
More than likely, this Lt. Governor’s race will extend into a very interesting June runoff.
See you next week.
March 4, 2026 - Nathaniel Ledbetter is the Man of the House
Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter is one of the most effective House Speakers in Alabama history. He is in a league of his own when it comes to getting things done as Speaker of the House.
Ledbetter is not known for mincing words or telling you what you want to hear. He shoots straight and always stays true to his word, and his members love him for it. Ledbetter’s word and commitment are as good as gold. He is as strong as new rope. Ledbetter is so effective and entrenched as Speaker of the House that I have dubbed him, “The Man of the House.”
He gets things accomplished in a quiet yet focused way. His subdued yet authoritative demeanor yields results. In his five years as Majority Leader, and now in his third year as Speaker, he has never lost a vote.
Under his leadership, the House has picked up some huge wins, which have translated into even bigger wins for the state. Over$1 billion in taxes have been cut for Alabamians and small businesses. Transformational education reforms have been passed, leading Alabama to become one of the most improved states in the nation.
Numerous pro-business policies have paved the way for companies to invest over $60 billion to create 90,000 new jobs in our state.
Ledbetter and his members have led the way on all these issues.
In past years, special interest groups told the Speaker what to do. Ledbetter is the only Speaker I have seen that tells the special interest groups what to do. One of the best examples of his adroit, independent leadership was in 2017, when he beat back every private interest group to pass a bill mandating insurance companies to cover autism diagnosis and treatment for children.
Speaker Ledbetter remains independent of Special Interests because he has done a yeoman’s job of going into each of the Republican member’s districts and helping them get elected and reelected. He knows each of his GOP legislators’ districts like the back of his hand. He has grown the Alabama HouseRepublican membership from 72 to 76 Seats during his tenure as Speaker.
Ledbetter is from Rainsville in Dekalb County. He was born and raised in Dekalb. He and the great iconic Alabama bandleader Randy Owen are best friends.
Nathaniel was elected to the Rainsville City Council at 23 years old, and then at the town’s Mayor a few years after that.
Nathaniel Ledbetter is poised and well positioned to preside as Speaker of the House for the next quadrennium and probably for years after that.
Alabama’s political leadership will be poised to work very cohesively with Nathaniel Ledbetter as Speaker of the Houseand Tommy Tuberville as Governor. They are truly the best of friends. Ledbetter and Tuberville bonded six years ago when Coach Tuberville first began his campaign for U.S. Senator. Coach stayed in Ledbetter’s home when he camped out campaigning in North Alabama. Ledbetter later became Coach’s titular campaign chairman.
Tuberville and Ledbetter will be a dynamic team. There is an old adage that the Governor proposes, and the legislature disposes. That truism will apply with the Ledbetter-Tuberville partnership.
Another truism will probably be coined in the next quadrennium. Coach Tuberville will be dialing up the plays, and Speaker Ledbetter will be executing them in the legislature. I expect the State of Alabama is going to put a lot of points on the scoreboard.
See you next week.
February 25, 2026 - Alabama Has a Rare Senate Seat Opening This Year
Folks, we are in for a doozy of a political year in the Heart of Dixie. We have a rare open U.S. Senate race.
A senate seat does not come open every year. It was expected, this time last year, that our first term Senator Tommy Tuberville would run for a second six-year term in 2026. However, Tuberville’s decision to leave the U.S. Senate to run for Governor, left the barn door open for our second U.S. Senate seat.
The seat will be filled by a Republican. We are a solidly Republican State. Therefore, the GOP Primary on May 19 will be our election.
As the barn door closed for qualifying three weeks ago, the field, as expected, yielded five combatants: Alabama two-term Attorney General Steve Marshall, South Alabama Congressman Barry Moore, Navy Seal Jared Hudson, Trump and Tuberville staffer Morgan Murphy, and Lineville businessman Rodney Walker.
There are two distinctive roles that a U.S. Senator takes. One is to be an ideologue. Another is to be an effective facilitator and advocate and bring home the bacon for their state. Fortunately, for Alabama’s sake, we had a facilitator and extremely effective U.S. Senator for 36 years in Senator Richard Shelby. It is because of Senator Shelby that UAB, Huntsville, and Mobile have become the beacons of economic growth and prosperity for our state.
For decades, we had a tandem in the Senate that were the ultimate gentlemen, powerful, facilitator senators in America. This duo of Lister Hill and John Sparkman were two of our greatest Senators in Alabama history. Senator Shelby joined them in rounding out our three greatest Senators. Shelbyprobably eclipsed the magnificent Hill and Sparkman.
John Sparkman was the Father of Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal. Lister Hill was the Father of the UAB Medical Center. Richard Shelby became the grandfather of these two Alabama economic gems. Shelby took Huntsville and UAB to unimaginable plateaus that Hill and Sparkman could not even imagine.
For almost two decades, we had a two-man tag team of effective statesmen, respected and feared U.S. Senators in Richard Shelby, and the amicable, colorful, witty, and quietly powerful Senator Judge Howell Heflin. Fortunately, for Alabama’s sake, Shelby mentored and facilitated the election of his successor Katie Britt.
Senator Katie Boyd Britt has the makings of being one of the greatest U.S. Senators in Alabama history. She will join Shelby, Hill, and Sparkman in the annals of effectiveness. In fact, she has gotten off to a faster start than all three combined. She got there at a much earlier age and attained committee assignments never seen by any freshman senator in Alabama nor American history. It is unheard of for any state to have any of their senators on Appropriations, Rules, Banking, and Judiciary,much less a freshman senator.
At the beginning of the race, it looked like a two-man contestbetween Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Second District Congressman Barry Moore. However, with the endorsement of Congressman Barry Moore by President Donald Trump, coupled with Moore receiving the endorsement and total support of the deep pocketed, dark money, right-wing, Republican Club for Growth, this tandem makes Moore a prohibitive favorite.
Prior to Trump’s entry, it was developing as possibly an interesting contest for the open seat. Attorney General Steve Marshall was poised to give Moore a good race. He has been elected twice statewide and has some base of support. The three unknowns, Jared Hudson, Morgan Murphy, and Rodney Walker,are running spirited campaigns.
The Daddy Warbucks Club for Growth endorsement of Moore is important because the key to any senate primary election is who has the most campaign money to spend. Money is the mother’s milk of politics. Money buys media. Media appearances equateinto votes.
It is a given that whichever of these five GOP candidates wins, Katie Britt will be joined by an ideologue.
See you next week.
February 18, 2026 - Trump Endorsement Makes Barry Moore Prohibitive Favorite in U.S. Senate Race
What looked like an interesting and competitive U.S. Senate race in Alabama, changed January 18, almost exactly four months ahead of our May 19 Republican Primary election.
President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Congressman Barry Moore, coupled with the expected endorsement of Moore by the powerful and money laden “Club for Growth,” makes the Wiregrass Congressman the prohibitive favorite in this open Senate Seat race.
Moore, as a State Legislator, was one of the first public officials to endorse newly minted Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Moore, along with Senator Jeff Sessions, spoke on behalf of Trump at a campaign rally in Mobile in August of 2015. Trump was getting significant media attention but was still considered a longshot. That was 10 years ago, during that decade Moore has continued his stalwart, steady support for President Trump and his conservative agenda.
Ironically, the seat Moore is now seeking, is the seat formerly held by Jeff Sessions. Senator Sessions served 20 years in that seat and was consistently recognized as the most conservative member of the U.S. Senate. Moore will more than likely replicate that conservative mantra and label as Alabama’s junior Senator. He has an impeccable ultra conservative voting record during his six-year tenure in the U.S. House.
Barry Moore was born and raised in Coffee County, the samecounty as our Senior Senator Katie Britt. In fact, both grew up in Enterprise, and both graduated from Enterprise High School. Therefore, if Moore is elected, both of Alabama’s U.S. Senators will hail from the same hometown, Enterprise, which is a historic first. Although Moore will be our junior Senator, he is 15 years Katie Britt’s senior in age. Moore is 59. Katie is 44.
Moore was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010 and was in the Alabama House for eight years through 2018. He had an unremarkable tenure. He, as always, had a consistent, right-wing voting record when he attended. He was a close ally of former speaker Mike Hubbard.
Moore was elected to the U.S. Congress from the old Second District in 2020. He beat a favored, well-heeled Dothan businessman, probably because his opponent was perceived as a rich “country clubber” with an air of privilege. Moore came across as a regular farm born, Wiregrass, “aw-shucks,” plain spoken, true Trump conservative, good ole boy, and won an upset victory. Moore won an easy reelection victory in 2022.
In 2023, a federal court redrew Alabama’s congressional map to create a new Democratic minority district. This federal gerrymandering moved the white Republican voters in the Wiregrass into the same district with the First District, Baldwin/Mobile Republicans.
Moore became pitted against First District Republican, Jerry Carl. Moore, with the help of the “Club for Growth,” upset Carl.This Moore/Club for Growth coalition revealed how powerfuland sophisticated a machine the national Club for Growth has become.
The Club for Growth has become the most powerful force in Republican Senatorial and Congressional races in Republican states in America. They are a quiet, dark money, Right Wing organization made up of the multimillionaire/billionaire contributors. They want very restrained government spending,and back very conservative-proven candidates, who have conservative credentials.
At one time, when the “Club” was becoming established as the behemoth in Republican politics, they and Trump were at odds on some races. However, they seemed to coalesce into one solidly aligned team last year, with the passage of the Trump proposed, One Big Beautiful Bill. The Club brought their congressmen, most of whom belong to the right-wing Freedom Caucus, into the fold, probably because the Daddy WarbucksClub for Growth rich guys were given a significant tax cut in the Bill.
President Donald Trump and the Club for Growth seem to be on the same team. This coalition marriage tandem of Donald Trump and Club for Growth will be difficult to overcome in any Republican State Republican Primary, especially in the Heart of Dixie.
My prediction is that with the Donald Trump and Club for Growth seal of approval, Barry Moore will be Alabama’s next junior U.S. Senator.
We will soon see.
See you next week.
February 11, 2026 - Two Groups Have Had an Accomplished Quadrennium
As the 2026 Legislative Session evolves, do not expect much in the form of substantive legislation. It is an election year and historically, legislators do not address any controversial legislation. The election primaries are right around the corner on May 19, and voters have short memories, but they can remember what just happened yesterday.
Although, my observation is that legislative seats have become analogous to U.S. Congressional Seats in that incumbents are very seldom challenged. In most of our 105 State Legislative and 35 State Senate Seats, the majority are held by incumbent Republicans and Democrats and less than 20 percent are being challenged.
However, the irrelevancy of this election year 2026 Session does not matter to two major groups who have had spectacular success in 2024 and 2025. The Association of County Commissions and the Alabama Education Association have had major legislative accomplishments this quadrennium.
The Alabama Association of County Commissions has been led by Executive Director Sonny Brasfield for the past 16 years. He has done a tremendous job. Prior to that, Sonny was the Chief Lieutenant for legendary Executive Director Buddy Sharpless, who was the director of the powerful organization for 35 years from 1974 to 2009.
To say that Sonny Brasfield has done a sterling job is an understatement. The presidency of the organization is elected each year by the membership of all county commissioners from throughout all 67 counties in the state. They have had severalespecially outstanding commissioners, who have been instrumental in securing passage of significant and important legislative accomplishments.
In 2023-2024, Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight was President. Knight set the stage for success and was successful.He spearheaded and was enabled by Sonny Brasfield in passage of major legislative initiatives for the county commissions.
In 2025 alone, county government priorities took aim at a broad range of issues from strengthening county involvement in mental health delivery services to improving professionalism and representation in the local voter registration process. In addition, the county leaders were involved with the statewide prohibition of Glock switches.
A bill passed by Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Representative Alan Baker (R-Escambia) streamlines the sales tax exemption process. This act establishes a process by which county commissions may opt in to applying state sales and use tax exemptions to county sales and use taxes.
Speaking of sales tax, Alabama’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) has been a salvation for the State General Fund, as well as for county governments. The SSUT Act allows Alabama to collect online sales tax. It is a nationally recognized model for online use tax collection that has provided the state and local governments nearly $4.5 billion in total revenue, including almost $1 billion in fiscal year 2025, alone. The Association of County Commissions has been steadfast in defending the SSUT.
The Alabama Education Association has been very successful over this quadrennium under the leadership of Amy Marlowe.The AEA has quietly achieved historic accomplishments that would parallel the years of “King” Dr. Paul Hubbert’s reign as the ruler of Goat Hill. There have been unparalleled pay increases for teachers.
However, if nothing else was accomplished, the passage of the historic K-14 Worker’s Compensation Bill was monumental.This accomplishment achieves what the legendary Dr. Hubbert only dreamed of decades ago.
Beginning no later than October 1, 2026, the new worker’s compensation law replaces the Board of Adjustment’s outdated system with a compensation program offering direct payment of medical bills through the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Program (PEEHIP).
This long overdue law covers full-time public education employees, including teachers, bus drivers, and lunchroom workers. Before its passage, public educators injured on the job had no access to worker’s compensation.
This worker’s compensation accomplishment was spearheaded and championed by Senator Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville). When Senator Givhan became aware that Alabama teachers had no relief for on-the-job injuries, Givhan made it his mission to remedy this wrong. It became a priority and was Senate Bill number one in 2025. He was assisted in the House of Representatives by Tuscaloosa Representative Cynthia Almond, who was appointed by Governor Ivey in 2025 to President of the Alabama Public Service Commission.
See you next week.
February 4, 2026 - Steve Clouse – A Good Man
My lifetime friend, Steve Clouse, turns 70 this week. He was born February 7, 1956. I hope his legislative colleagues and friends wish him a Happy Birthday. He truly is a good man.
Steve was born and raised in Ozark and has represented his home County of Dale as well as neighboring Houston County for 32 years – almost half of his life and well over 72% of his adult life. He was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994 at age 38. He will be re-elected to his ninth, four-year term this year.
Steve Clouse is not only the Dean of the Wiregrass delegation in the House, he is the stalwart, respected leader and heart and soulof the Wiregrass delegation. Coincidentally, when Steve came to the House in 1994, he was the only Republican in the Wiregrass, House or Senate. Today, all Wiregrass Senators and House members are arch Republicans. The Wiregrass is one of the most Republican Regions of the State.
Steve is currently Chairman of the House Transportation Utilities and Infrastructure Committee. However, his most important leadership role was as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he wrote the General Fund Budget for over a decade.
Steve has always had a keen interest and knack for Alabama politics. He also has an astute marketing mind. When he first ran for the House, he coined the phrase, “Put Clouse in the House.” If he were to have an opponent, he could say, “Keep Clouse in the House.” He is truly a man of the House.
Steve is truly a man of Ozark, also. He is Ozark, through and through. His father, Jimmy Clouse, had deep roots in Dale County. Steve worked with his father in the oil distribution business until his Dad passed away a few years ago.
Steve has been a devout member of the First Methodist Church. He and his wife, Dianne, live right across the street from the Methodist Church. They don’t have far to go so it makes it hard for him to skip. He parks his white truck right out front of his antebellum style home, right on Main Street, which tells his constituents, “I’m at home, come see me with your problems.” Believe you me, small town legislators get more cries for help than you can imagine. Especially if you’re Steve Clouse, who knows most of his constituents personally. He has fixed many a Dale countian’s problems and potholes over the past four decades.
I often use the saying Alabama is a Big Front Porch. When it comes to me and Steve Clouse, that adage is definitely apropos.
I have never, not known Steve Clouse. We played together as little boys. Steve’s mama was Ruth Price. She grew up in Pike County. My mama, Gloria Grant Flowers and Ruth Price Clouse were like sisters all their lives. They were best friends as girls and teenagers and continued their friendship after Mrs. Ruth married Jimmy Clouse and moved to Ozark. Mama lived all her life in Troy. When Steve and I were little boys, our mamas would bring us to Troy and Ozark to play together. We became like brothers rather than friends. We are still more like brothers. I don’t think it is just a coincidence that we have the same first name. I also had a sister named Kay and he has a sister named Kay. We are pretty sure our mamas collaborated on that.
When it got time for Steve to go to college, he chose the University of Alabama where I was finishing up. He pledged the same fraternity that I and a good many Southeast Alabama boys were in, Sigma Nu.
Our legislative districts connected for the 16 years I was in the House. We had almost identical pro-business conservative voting records. People still, today, get us confused because we have similar names. He tells me that often in our almost weekly phone conversations. “Someone called me you the other day.” My response to him, “I’m sure you told them that you were a lot younger and better looking.”
Steve Clouse is one of the best men I’ve ever known. He epitomizes honesty and integrity. I cannot believe that my young friend and little brother is 70. Alabama is a Big Front Porch.
See you next week.
January 28, 2026 - Governor Ivey has Sterling Legacy for Appointments
Governor Kay Ivey will have been Governor for almost a decade when she leaves office in January of 2027. She will have been Governor longer than anyone in state history other than George Wallace. She is also the first woman elected Governor in her own right. In addition, she is the first female Republican Governor in history.
Governor Kay Ivey would go down in the annals at the State Archives as unique and accomplished for these reasons alone. However, she has been a very good Governor.
Her legacy in her cabinet and judicial appointments have been spectacular. The Governor has an enormously large number of important appointments. This power of the Governor is often overlooked and underestimated. Governor Ivey has shown stellar acumen and reason in her choices. In my estimation, this inherent power has become one of the most important achievements of Governor Ivey’s administration.
Over the past two years, she has made some outstanding and important appointments. The legislature created the cabinet position of Workforce Transformation. She selected the perfect and probably obvious choice to head this new department. State Senator Greg Reed of Jasper is one of the most profound leaders to come out of the Senate in the past few decades. He had risen to be the President Pro Tem of the Senate. She convinced him to leave his powerful Senate post to take charge of Workforce Development. He is doing a good job.
Kay Ivey convinced another popular and powerful legislator to leave the legislature and take a state position. She garnered Tuscaloosa State Representative Cynthia Lee Almond to take the job of President of the State Public Service Commission. This is a very important position, which Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh handled successfully for years. Twinkle left to head the USDA in the state for the Trump Administration.
The most profound and significant of Governor Ivey’s stellar appointments has been in the realm of her outstanding judicial appointments. First, she has had an amazing number of judicial appointments. Kay Ivey has appointed 42 District Court Judges, 33 Circuit Court Judges, 12 Probate Judges, one Judge to the Court of Criminal Appeals, two Judges to the Court of Civil Appeals, and five Justices to the Alabama Supreme Court.
One of her best judicial appointments was Judge Bill Lewis to the State Supreme Court. He served decades as the Circuit Judge for Elmore County. The governor appointed Lewis to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in February 2024, then to the Alabama Supreme Court last year. Shortly thereafter, our U.S. Senators plucked him from our State Supreme Court and appointed him as a federal judge.
Governor Ivey chose another successful and qualified judge to take the vacancy on the State Court of Civil Appeals. Covington County Circuit Judge Ben Bowden will move to that State Appellate Court. He is a veteran Circuit Judge, and prior to that was Covington County Probate Judge.
Governor Ivey has chosen outstanding, qualified people for local judicial positions throughout the state. Her choices have been reasonable and logical, and met with overwhelming approval, locally.
She appointed judges in Jefferson County, who are qualified and electable. In Democratic Montgomery County, she has appointed Tiffany McCord as a Circuit Judge. In addition, she chose Azzie Taylor Oliver as Montgomery County District Attorney. Governor Ivey made Scott Brewer the District Judge of Talladega County. She appointed Ashley Siebert as a District Judge in Baldwin County. She also appointed Laurie Hoyt to serve as a new Circuit Judge in Baldwin County. In Jackson County, she appointed Matthew Mitchell to a District Judgeship.Governor Ivey appointed Grace Jeter as a Circuit Judge in Covington County. Grace has been an assistant District Attorney for 20 years.
Her latest judicial appointment may be one of her best. She appointed her General Counsel, Will Parker, to the State Supreme Court in November 2025. Parker served as Governor Ivey’s General Counsel for six years. He did an excellent job in this role. Prior to his work with Governor Ivey, he served 10 years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Constitutional Division, which is perfect training for the Supreme Court.
Governor Kay Ivey has a legacy for appointments, especially judicial.
See you next week.
January 21, ,2026 - Healthcare Costs Are Major Concern as Legislators Craft the State Budgets
As the 2026 Legislative Session evolves, it is apparent that this year’s annual session will be short and sweet. That is par for the course in an election year session. This is election year and all 105 House Seats, and all 35 Senate Seats are up for election. Therefore, it is an inherent historical reality that nothing consequential or controversial is addressed in a quadrennium ending election year.
However, it is a constitutional requirement that the legislature enact a budget – in fact, both budgets. Indeed, Alabama has two state budgets. We have a Special Education Trust Fund Budget, which encompasses two-thirds of Alabama’s tax revenues, and of course, we have our General Fund Budget, which has one-third of all revenues. Even though crafting the state’s budgets is difficult and mundane work, it is the most important chore of a legislature.
Fortunately, Alabama has some outstanding and experienced leaders, who chair the Budget Committees, do yeoman’s work, and primarily write the budgets. The Chairmen of the Education Budget Committees are Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville). The General Fund Budget Chairmen are Senator Greg Albritton (R-Escambia) and Representative Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville). They do an excellent job.
The larger Education Budget will be a much tougher task this year because of the rising cost of healthcare, thus health insurance. The teachers’ health insurance fund was founded by and is managed by Dr. David Bonner’s well run Teachers Retirement System. This Public Education Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) has provided health insurance coverage to Alabama’s education employees, retirees, and their dependents since its creation in 1983.
PEEHIP has kept their costs in line for nearly a decade without asking the legislature or members for more money. However, PEEHIP is facing a shortfall for fiscal year 2026, due to a significant decline in federal funding for educators and education retirees. It is a nationwide problem.
There are three main reasons for this national problem: cuts to federal funding for Medicare retirees, general inflation that is driving up the cost of everything, and higher utilization by current members and retirees. Folks are living longer, and those who are living longer expend a lot of healthcare dollars. State revenues probably will not be able to keep up with these rapidly rising costs. It will be a heavy lift for the legislature.
The cost of healthcare is not just an Alabama problem. It is a national problem and probably the paramount problem facing American consumers. The cost of health insurance has risen sharply for the third year in a row, reaching just under $27,000 for a family plan. That is a 6% increase from the year before and builds on two prior years of 7% gains.
These figures are confirmed by the most trusted and largest health insurance analyst KFF. The latest KFF survey suggests that half the U.S. population gets health coverage through a job.
Hospital prices have also grown significantly in recent years for numerous reasons. There is an alarming increase of cancer in the working-age population. Employers are also seeing increased outlays on new and costly therapies, particularly the popular drugs known as GLP-1s, a category that includes the weight loss treatments Wegovy and Zepbound.
A good many private companies are shifting the increased cost of health insurance onto workers in the form of out-of-pocketcharges such as deductibles and copayments. Legislators are struggling mightily with these problems as they craft the budgets.
This increased healthcare and health insurance cost will be a major issue in the upcoming midterm congressional elections. Millions of Americans who were covered under the Affordable Care Act have seen a significant increase in their health insurance premiums beginning this month. There will be political repercussions from voters come November. Who will be hurt politically remains to be seen but, generally, voters blame the party who is in the White House.
See you next week.
January 14, 2026 - Arthur Orr – Legislature’s Most Valuable Player
As this last legislative session of the quadrennium moves forward, these four years would have to be rated as an overwhelming success.
The only constitutional requirement that the Alabama Legislature has to adhere to in their three-and-a-half-monthannual session is to pass the state’s budgets.
They have seen an exponential increase in state income to be budgeted over the last four years. Last year’s Education Budget was $12.1 billion. The General Fund was $3.7 billion.
When the Republicans captured the legislature in 2021, which was last vestige of Democratic remains in the Heart of Dixie, they put an immediate and consequential mark on Alabama government.
Arguably, our State Constitution rests the most power of the triumvirate of constitutional powers in the Legislative Branch.
The logical reason is because the legislature controls the state purse strings. Thus, the adage “those who have the gold make the rules.” Additionally, most campaign contributions by all political action committees and special interest groups flow to legislative candidates, especially incumbents. Legislative contributions dwarf gubernatorial and judicial races.
When Republicans finally took control of the legislature in 2010, they put a conservative stamp on Alabama’s legislative process and budgeting. This continued diligence towards a conservative, fiscally prudent stewardship of Alabama tax dollars has been the hallmark of the super majority Republican legislature the past four years.
Prior to 2010, the Democrats in Alabama spent money just like the Democrats in Washington did. They spent like drunken sailors with no regard for budgets, fiscal restraint, nor adherence to Alabama’s constitutional mandate to have a balanced budget. The Democratic legislature of bygone years would often circumvent Alabama’s constitutional budget mandate, which then would result in proration.
To the contrary, the state has not been in proration in any year of the 15-year Republican majority reign, neither has there been a year when they did not save money in “rainy day” funds. The one constant in this sterling, stellar, prudent budgeting has been that State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) has been in charge.
Because the Education Budget comprises over two-thirds of Alabama’s income and budget, Senator Orr, as Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, deserves the award as the “most valuable player” for the quadrennium 2022-2026.
Senator Orr more than likely deserves it for the last quadrennium, 2018-2022, also. He has written the State’s Education Budget for the past 12 years. He first became Chairman of the Budget Committee in 2014. He also chaired the General Fund Finance and Taxation Committee for four years before that. He is, without question, the most valuable player in the legislature and many would argue, the most powerful player in state government.
Doing a job for 12 years provides wisdom to the process. Orr knows the Education Budget like nobody in state history. We have had some long-time Budget Chairmen in the past, but none have reached the pinnacle of success of Senator Arthur Orr.
Fortunately for Alabama, Senator Orr will be returning for another four-year term in the Senate, and you can bet your bottom dollar that he will, again, be Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Budget Committee for the next four years.
Arthur Orr is only 60 years old. He was born in Decatur in 1965. Orr was first elected to the Alabama State Senate in 2006; therefore, he has been Morgan County’s State Senator for 20 years. He has been Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee for 12 of those years.
Arthur Orr is a sixth generation Alabamian. He graduated from Wake Forest University, and with honors from the University of Alabama School of Law. He has been successful in his law practice and is currently Executive Vice President of Finance for Cook’s Pest Control, a 2000 employee, national corporation based out of Decatur.
Arthur and his wife, the former Amy Bethshares of Decatur, have one son named Jack and a daughter, Anna.
Arthur Orr is an Alabama treasure.
See you next week.