countrycat Posts

Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chair, Jay Love accidentally spilled the beans about the real purpose of the Alabama Accountability Act: support private schools with public money.  Love would never admit that outright, of course, but all it takes is a little math.Let's do some.The chairman o

It was a beautiful, sunny day yesterday in Montgomery as pro-choice supporters descended on the Statehouse to rally and lobby against HB57 - the TRAP bill specifically designed to close women's clinics in Alabama.The group cheered speakers that included Alabama legislators, Planned Parenthood officials, ADP Chair Mark Kennedy, and some awesome young women who help organize pro-choice women on their college campuses.We also had a cadre of hecklers who seemed to think that shouting epithets at speakers and passers-by is the way to "bring people to the Lord." They were ready when

Alabama author Matthew Weber surely had no idea that the Alabama legislature would render one of the key plot points in his 2012 debut novel "inoperative" during the 2013 legislative session.  But they did.Weber's novel, "The Bull," is set in a small town outside Birmingham - Fulton Springs - where the local government is controlled by local mega-church preacher cum mayor, Davenport Cornelius.  The novel begins with a description of how the mayor has managed to pass new laws "for the betterment of society," only to have the new laws - like increased busine

HB188, Rep. Patricia Todd's compromise bill that will allow Alabama's nonprofit spay & neuter clinics to continue operating, is set for a vote on Tuesday, April 2.Chances of passage look promising, since Speaker Mike Hubbard signed on as a co-sponsor.  Supporters however, shouldn't feel

On April 6th, the Alabama College Democrats will gather for their 3rd annunal state convention.  The event also doubles as a leadership summit for the future leaders of the Alabama Democratic Party.  Make plans to join them at Alabama State University.  Registration information here.From the ACD Web site:We are working hard to craft a program to help students develo

Who's funding the Foundation for Accountability in Education?  The Alabama Republican leaders who run the group won't say.  And the group's Web site doesn't offer any clues either.  It wants your information on a petition, but shares nothing about itself - not even a mailing address.  Most startlingly, the group's Web site doesn't have a donation link.  You know, where ordinary peopl

Former Alabama Agriculture Commissioner candidate Dale Peterson may get a new nickname - "Sticky Fingers" - if this keeps up.  He was recently arrested at Sam's Club for eating a can of cashews and not paying for them. We pretty much ignored the story of Peterson's WalMart arrest (for allegedly

On March 25, 1911, approximately 500 young women - most of them Jewish and Italian immigrants aged 15 to 30 - arrived for work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, a New York sweatshop factory that made tailored blouses for women and paid the workers an average of $6/week.Of the 500 women who reported for work that day, only 354 would leave alive. The factory occupied th

The chickens may be able to come home to roost, but it's going to get a bit harder for airplanes to land in Alabama in the coming months.  The FAA has issued its list of airports slated to lose their control towers due to sequestration budget cuts.  You can almost say that we're getting off easy in Alabama: Mississippi is losing 5 control towers and West Virginia loses 3.

Spring may seem pretty far away right now, no matter what the calendar says, but it will arrive.  And a number of environmental events are scheduled across the state in the next few months.  Last week, the Bama Environmental News released it's annual spring calendar of environmental events scheduled by conservation groups throughout Alabama. Starting with the celebration of "Earth Hour" tonight in Montgomery, there are more than 40 E

It's time to tell the Alabama Legislature that "enough is enough."  Women's health advocates will gather at the Statehouse in Montgomery on April 2 for a rally and lobby day.  Please make plans to join us!We can only hope that Alabama legislators will have to courage to actually meet with rally attendees.  After

Two Alabama teens are pushing for an end to a bad Alabama law that instructs teachers to tell students that homosexuality is a crime and "not a lifestyle accepted by the general public."  In a Change.org petition, they're asking people to urge the Alabama Legi

The Decatur City Council is offering a private developer $40 million in sales tax rebates and infrastructure incentives to build a retail development in Limestone County - and asking the Limestone County schools to kick in even more by giving up some expected sales tax income.

Remember the Richard Laird/Gerald Dial set of political slush fund bills from last year?  They were so bad Governor Bentley called them "slush funds" and vetoed them.  The legislature promptly overrode the veto and only the timely intervention of Attorney General Luther Strange killed them for good.

On Monday, Madison County Democratic Party Chair Clete Welti asked this question: "So, if we accept that 'corporations are people', then states should be, too. What if Alabama was court-ordered to attend a twelve-step program?" Here are steps 7 - 12.   Part One is here.7.  Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.Or, "Her"… or, whatever you individually believe. Anyway, we promise that we really want some progress and

This isn't your grandfather's Alabama Democratic Party.  Thank goodness.  Within the past few weeks, state and local ADP party leaders have taken a firm, public stance and challenged the Alabama GOP supermajority to end the War on Women.ADP Chair Mark Kennedy spoke to the Madison County Democratic Women on March 7 and led off his speech with this statement: "No woman in Alabama should e

Madison County Democratic Party Chair Clete Welti asks this question: "So, if we accept that 'corporations are people', then states should be, too. What if Alabama was court-ordered to attend a twelve-step program?" Here are his answers to steps 1 through 6: 1. We admitted we were powerless over Fear, Apathy, and Prejudice - that our lives had become unmanageable.We fear “Big Government”, but we receive over two dollars for every one dollar we pay in Federal taxes. “Big Government”, in case you weren’t sure, inclu

When Republicans mocked President Obama for for saying he was looking for "empathy" in a SCOTUS nominee, they had good reason to be worried.  Because when you truly empathize with the situation of another, it's hard to support public policies that hurt that person.The quality of empathy seems to illustrate a major difference between Democrats and Republic

The only way anyone could use the phrase "charm offensive" to describe AL-05 Congressman Mo Brooks is to note that he's totally without charm and often offensive.  Even to his own House GOP leadership. You know, those guys who dole out committee appointments and control the contents of legislation with an iron fist.

For over a year, state budget cuts have left consumers unprotected.  With only 5 weights & measures inspectors in the entire state, Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan's solution was to ask consumers to watch the gas pumps and grocery scales and give him a call if they're suspicious.Senator Billy Beasley (D SD28) is proposing a diffe