Posts by Craig Monger

The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday barring foreign nationals from donating political funds to candidates or towards constitutional amendments and referendums in state elections.

In a very tense ending to what had been a three-hour meeting, the Alabama Public Library Service board voted to terminate the employment of APLS director Nancy Pack, who has been at the center of an over-year-long dispute in the state regarding sexually explicit or obscene material in the state's public libraries, specifically intended for minors.

A Madison woman is claiming she was threatened with legal action by an Athens-Limestone County Library board member after sending excerpts from a book in the library aimed at minors with sexually explicit themes.

The Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday on a bill allowing criminal charges for approaching or remaining within 25 feet of a first responder when commanded and for cursing or using obscene gestures.   

A now-former Alabama Senior State Trooper was allowed to resign from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency two-and-a-half weeks after being indicted for possession of obscene material of a person under the age of 17.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) Commissioner Nancy Buckner was one of many on Wednesday to vigorously oppose a bill that would mandate that DHR inform parents under investigation and inform them of their rights.

The Alabama House of Representatives passed a four-bill tax cut package sponsored by Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget chairman State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) on Tuesday without any opposition.”

The Alabama House of Representatives advanced legislation for the second year in a row to mandate post-election audits in statewide elections on Tuesday.

An Alabama State Trooper has been arrested and charged in Talladega County for possession of pornographic material of a person under the age of 17.

On Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the hotly debated bill restructuring the State Board of Veterans Affairs and grafting the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs commissioner into the governor's cabinet while naming the next commissioner to take over the department.

The Alabama House of Representatives adjourned on a somber note Tuesday evening after leadership announced the hospitalization of State Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville), as well as the declining health of a former member.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) recently joined in filing articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg for “high crimes and misdemeanors” after recent actions from Boasberg related to President Donald Trump’s deportation initiatives.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) recently filed legislation in the Senate to update federal law surrounding online data collection and advertisements directed at children and teens.

After initially erroneously reporting on a federal investigation into racially discriminatory practices at multiple universities, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights clarified that the University of Alabama at Birmingham is currently being investigated.

In yet another appointment to a military oversight position, President Donald Trump on Monday announced that U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) would serve on the on the Board of Visitors for the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)

Advocates for removing sexually explicit material aimed at minors from Alabama libraries are growing more frustrated at the lack of legislative action.

State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) recently voiced support for the proposed cuts and possible disassembly of the U.S. Department of Education touted by President Donald Trump.

The Alabama Forestry Association announced on Monday that it was endorsing State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) in his bid for the state’s newly opened Senate District 5 (SD5) seat.

State Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope) recently said he intends to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives after over a decade in the legislature to spend more time at home with his growing family.

A $5,000 reward is now being offered for detail in a harrowing robbery where the owner of a Montgomery staple business was assaulted, tied up, and robbed at gunpoint by four masked men.

The Alabama State Department of Education voted on Thursday to take over the Dallas County Public School System, citing a major discrepancy with the use of federal grant money nearing roughly $12 million.

The University of Alabama was recently named among 52 universities currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged “impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation” and other violations of civil rights laws.

James Osgood, 55, was convicted of two counts of murder for the 2010 murder of Tracy Brown. The murder charges were made capital because it was committed during the course of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy.

The Alabama State Board of Education (BOE) had a brief but slightly tense exchange on Thursday while discussing a proposed contract granting Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Superintendent Eric Mackey a 55% raise from his initial contract in 2018, an increase of $135,000.

Alabama State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey was cautiously optimistic on Thursday morning after the state could not withdraw nearly $9 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) hopes that the newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Douglas A. Collins, will be able to curb waste with the proposed rollout of the Oracle federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) system after lawmakers expressed concern with spending and efficiency in recent months.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) recently filed legislation requiring the attorney general to create, maintain, and publish a police abuse registry of persons convicted of using or threatening to use force against a law enforcement officer.