Archive for: May 7, 2008

Bob Riley’s bill that would have raise taxes on offshore natural gas wells has died in the legislature. It was estimated that it would have raised $40 million in state revenue. It was either going to stick it to evil energy companies or make energy more expensive, depending on who you talk to.

• Loretta Nall: Rep. John Rogers Discusses Sex Toy Bill
• Flashpoint: AL House OKs bill to add sexual orientation to hate crimes law
• Flashpoint: The Flashpoint AL-05 Candidate Questionnaire
• Thomason Tracts: QUIT ALREADY
• Thomason Tracts: Let’s not!
• Left In Alabama: Grocery Tax Brings Out True Colors - GOP Represents Rich
• The World Around You: It’s Over…
• The World Around You: AL-02 Likely R?
• Birmingham Blues: Childish and Vindictive
• GordonUnleashed: Philly police: Kicking ‘em when they’re already down
• That’s not fair: Thomason Tracts
• Left In Alabama: Help a Democrat Turn a “Ruby Red District” Blue
• Left In Alabama: Artur Davis Has His Eye On the Governor’s Mansion
• Doc’s Political Parlor: Courage to be Different?
• Tim Lennox: Roadside Distractions
• Captain Plaid: Is Bama Senator Rusty Glover a conspiracy nut?
• A Bama Blog: What happened at Tuskegee?
• Croweblog: Gullible Goobers
• The Alabama Democratic Party: Food Costs Rising, Wages Stagnant, Grocery Tax Must Go
• Alabama Republican Party: AEA Admits Defeat on Double-Dipping
• Bessemer Opinions: Alabama Hate Crimes law update, and Stonewall Findings
• Legal Schnauzer: A Roadmap of Corruption in Real Time

This makes it seem like this is a gray area of the law, but… Langford’s wrong. Just plain wrong. Seriously, his argument is not legally correct at all.

• H/T Birmingham Weekly

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is talking about distributing money without the city council’s approval. In fact, they specifically did not approve the appropriation.

It’s kinda too bad he has lawyers around to explain these things to him. Apparently Langford thinks a vote tied at zero means a majority for what he wants.

John Giles has endorsed State Senator Harri Anne Smith in her run for Alabama’s second Congressional district.

Giles is most well known as the guy who left as head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama because they were too liberal.

I guess it time again for a columnist to talk about Artur Davis running for Governor.

Many thanks to the mooncat at Left in Alabama for making available the YouTube of Nancy Pelosi’s address at Alabama’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. Part 2 is below the fold.

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Yesterday I talked about the heated moment in the Senate regarding the $500,000 appropriation Senator Steve Fench tried to move the Senate Pro Tem’s budget to the National Guard. Today’s “Good Morning Democrats” focuses on this issue.

Yesterday, Senator Steve French tried to take $500k of unspent monies out of the Pro Tem’s budget, which is basically a slush fund, and direct those funds to be used as local match money for the operation of our National Guard Armories. Unfortunately, Sen. Bedord and others in your party refused to give money to our National Guard – with them was Sen. Parker Griffith, who is running for CD5. It is sad to see your party turn their backs on the military during these perilous times, and it speaks volumes for the kind of Congressman that Parker Griffith would be if elected. Guess Nancy Pelosi did have some influence during her trip.

“Good morning Democrats” is a daily press release from the Republican Party where they complain about Democrats.

Is the Pro Tem’s budget “basically a slush fund”? I ask seriously.

I am obviously pumped. I’m not even going to be drinking. I love Free the Hops enough to work both sessions.

The event is again at Sloss Furnaces.

Session 1: Saturday, May 31: 7PM - 11PM
Session 2: Sunday, June 1: 3PM - 7PM

Check out the MCBF ‘08 website for more information, advance tickets, and information on how you can volunteer for a session (and thus get into the other one free). If you want to know what kind of beers will be available, you need to contact your state senator as it’s up to him or her. They should decide Thursday.