Opinion & Policy

Special to the News   Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) are urging parents, young people and consumers to be aware of the potential dangers associated with kratom and products that may contain the substance. This reminder comes as national discussion on kratom heightens and as law enforcement continue their efforts…

Special to the News   On Wednesday Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the capital murder conviction of Marcus O’Keef Wigley, 40, of Lee County. Wigley was convicted in the Lee County Circuit Court on February 12. The evidence at trial showed that the victim, Thomas Green, was abducted from…

Special to the News   U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide state and local law enforcement agencies with guidance on how to prevent the misuse of automatic license plate readers (ALPR), like Flock Safety cameras. “Flock…

Special to the News   A majority of Alabamians rank education as one of the state’s top priorities, according to the 2026 Alabama Public Opinion Survey released last week by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). The statewide poll examines residents’ views on state budget priorities, education funding, school choice, and who should…

Dear Editor, We need to call a hard stop on the quiet policing and expansion of automated block (or Flock) cameras and license plate readers on our public roads. What’s being sold to the public as a “crime fighting tool” has slowly “morphed” into a national surveillance network. These AI-assisted cameras build a permanent digital…

Special to the News   U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) on Tuesday applauded the U.S. Department of Education’s latest investments in Alabama’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and historically Black community colleges (HBCCs). The Department of Education announced a one-time investment of more than $174 million in new funding for HBCUs and HBCCs, reflecting…

Special to the News   Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday announced that Lawson State Community College’s Lineworker Training Program has become the first program in Alabama to receive state approval through the Workforce Pell process, marking an important milestone in the state’s effort to expand access to short-term training for high-demand careers. Ivey provided Lawson State Community College…

  Special to the News   Gov. Kay Ivey awarded a $262,770 grant to help the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS) purchase equipment to assist in opioid and other synthetic drug cases. The funding was awarded through the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program, which helps states and units of local government improve the quality…

Special to the News   Wes Allen, Alabama’s secretary of state, announces that sample ballots for the November 3 general election are now available on the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes. Secretary Allen extends his thanks to the county election officials for their work preparing and approving these sample ballots. “As a former probate judge, I know firsthand…