Alabama Legislature

Lottery Bill Scheduled for House Vote

A proposal to start a state lottery in Alabama is heading to a key vote in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers are expected to debate the bill this afternoon. The proposed constitutional amendment would authorize a state lottery played with paper tickets but not with video lottery terminals. The lottery legislation faces an uncertain outlook. Some conservative lawmakers are opposed to…

Alabama Senate Passes Abortion Bill with No Amendments

The Alabama Senate voted 25-6 tonight to approve the abortion bill that will outlaw nearly all abortions in the state. Abortions would only be legal if the mother’s life was in danger. The Senate rejected five proposed amendments to the bill. Some had wanted rape and incest to be included among the exceptions. If the bill becomes law, a doctor…

Alabama Senate Could Vote Today on Abortion Bill

  The Alabama Senate goes back into session at 4PM today. It is expected that senators will debate and possibly vote on a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state. The bill would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony. The only exception is when a mother’s life is in danger. The bill…

Chaos in Alabama Senate over Abortion Bill

There were tense moments in the Alabama Senate this morning over the abortion bill. That bill would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state. Tempers flared as Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) had asked for roll call votes for any decisions being made about the bill.  At issue was the rape/incest amendment that was added to the bill in…

Should Alabama Stop Electing Its State Board of Education Members?

Alabama’s state education system currently operates under a eight-member elected school board. But there is a move to change the elected board to a commission appointed by the governor. Gov. Kay Ivey says she’s delivered a letter to the State Board of Education, regarding a bill being filed by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh in the Alabama Legislature today….

Alabama House Committee Holds Public Hearing on Lottery

A proposal to start a state lottery in Alabama is heading to a public hearing in the state House of Representatives. The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee has scheduled a hearing to be held this morning on the lottery legislation. The Senate-passed bill would authorize a lottery played by paper tickets. House members are expected to seek changes to…

Former State Rep. Ed Henry Facing Federal Sentence

A former Alabama lawmaker who led the 2017 impeachment push against then-Gov. Robert Bentley is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty in a health care fraud case. Former state Rep. Ed Henry is scheduled to be sentenced today after pleading guilty to theft of government property. The case involved co-payments that doctors improperly waived for Medicare…

Alabama House Democrats Walk Out to Protest Abortion Bill

Alabama Democratic state representatives walked out of the State House chamber in protest of the abortion bill that was debated this afternoon. That bill passed 74-3. Those who protested the bill were upset that it would make performing an abortion a felony.  They said in a statement that the bill would cost the state millions of dollars in unnecessary lawsuits…