Archive for: March 25, 2008

Covington County Judge Ashley McKathan is kinda funny. A couple years ago he was wearing the Ten Commandments stitched into his robes. A Bama Blog did good coverage of the blogosphere’s reaction. I particularly liked Poliblog’s reaction:

As a Christian, I would state that this is about as close to self-parody (and self-defeating parody) as one can get.

As a general observer of politics, I would note that the point of judicial robes is solemnity. If one becomes a walking billboard, the word “solemn” goes out the window.

As one predisposed to believe in judicial restraint, I would point out to my conservative brethen who support this sort of nonsense that it is judicial activism.

As a resident of Alabama who is likely to live here the rest of his life here: couldn’t y’all knock this off, or at least do it in Mississippi or Arkansas?

Well now he’s done it again. The AP is reporting that he held a prayer circle. Even better, the AP says it was during a church-related lawsuit.

McKathan hasn’t done any interviews about this that I’ve seen yet, but during the controversy about his robes I remember him saying something like, “I’m not trying to bring attention to myself.” Please.

Hilarious and effective at getting my attention at the same time.

• H/T Tim Lennox

You lawyer types might be interested in the transcripts of Monday’s oral arguments on Riley v. Kennedy. Thank Votelaw.

Scientists at UAB say they can cure sickle cell anemia in 5 years if their funding doesn’t stop. That seems like a rather specific estimate no doubt used to pressure for appropriations, but they do good work. I’m sure it’s a good estimate.

Isn’t this why we have Richard Shelby around?

This is a few days old, but it’s pretty cool that the 2,400 kids in Alabama who have access to the state’s pre-K program have the best program in the country.

Between 2001 and 2005, Alabama home insurance rates saw the second-highest increase in the country at 69.1 percent.

[Walter] Bell, a former Mobile insurance executive who has been the state’s insurance commissioner since 2003, said he understands that consumers are unhappy about rising prices. But he noted that private companies are still shouldering all risks of hurricane damage in Alabama, unlike in other places where state government has taken on risk or insurance is unavailable.

“If we maintain a market in a very high-risk area and other states can’t maintain a market in other high-risk areas, I would call that successful,” Bell said. “All of our risks are still within the private marketplace.”

Some are suggesting more government intervention in insurance rates, including a proposal for the state to offer insurance. If we assume the insurance companies are properly assessing risk, that would mean there would only be lower premiums if taxpayers subsidized the cost of risk.

I guess public insurance would be run like federal flood insurance.