By Glynn Wilson – GROVE OAK, Ala. — Jamie Godwin began telling me her story at a party by a campfire on a bluff looking out over Shoal Creek in St. Florian, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals. She is inspired in part by the story of a native American medicine woman named Teh-la-nay, who once walked…
Tag Archive for Governor Robert Bentley
New Alabama Attorney General Announces Special Prosecutor to Investigate Governor Robert Bentley
By Glynn Wilson – A special district attorney has been appointed by Alabama’s new attorney general to investigate allegations of misconduct by Governor Robert Bentley. Steven T. Marshall, appointed by the governor as state attorney general to replace Luther Strange, who will assume the U.S. Senate seat of Jeff Sessions recently confirmed as President Donald…
A Prayer for Alabama Legislature: Bless Us With Disaster, Sweet Jesus
By David Underhill – MOBILE, Ala. – A prayer for the Alabama legislature as it reconvenes in a special session, following another special session that failed to find funding enough to allow the state’s Medicaid services to function at a level keeping the needy alive. Schemes to finance the services with a lottery, or with…
Alabama Lottery Stopgap Medicaid Plan Dies in Failure for Governor Bentley
Alabama House Passes Lottery Bill at Midnight, Senate Must Approve in Conference
Alabama Lottery Plan Surprisingly Survives ‘Train Wreck,’ But No Guarantee of Passage
By Glynn Wilson – It just goes to show that just about anything can happen in a place where nobody really knows what they’re doing. After just about every news corporation in Alabama had reported in print and on television that Governor Robert Bentley’s plan to bring the legislature back to Montgomery to pass a…
Alabama Governor Bentley’s Lottery Plan to Fund Medicaid Dies in Special Session ‘Train Wreck’
Lottery, BP Settlement Bills Clear Alabama Legislative Committees in Special Session
By Glynn Wilson – Two very different lottery bills won approval in the Alabama Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee on Tuesday, the second day of a special session prompted by a Medicaid funding shortfall, according to Arise policy analyst Carol Gundlach. Both are sponsored by Senator Jim McClendon, a Republican from Springville, and the Senate…
Eight 100 Million Dollar Ideas for Prison Reform in Alabama
By Stephen Cooper – Guest Column – Instead of wrapping an $800 million dollar ($1.5 billion over 30 years) albatross around the necks of Alabamians to build four new super-prisons, here are eight $100 million dollar ideas, each of which, I respectfully submit, are more efficient and morally sound ways to tackle Alabama’s prison problems:…
Ashamed to Be From Alabama
Open Letter to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley – Please Fully Fund Medicaid
Watch this short video with an exchange between watchdog reporter Glynn Wilson and state Senator Trip Pittman – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – MONTGOMERY, Ala. — This is an open letter to Alabama’s Republican Governor Robert Bentley asking him to please fully fund Medicaid. Dear Governor Bentley: I know times are tough.…
Right-to-Lifers Vote to Kill Children and Kidney Patients
By David Underhill – MOBILE, Ala. – The fetus is the new Jerusalem. Medieval crusaders fancied they were on a divine mission when they marched toward the Holy City to save it from the Muslim infestation. The sanctity of this quest gave them permission to do whatever advanced toward the goal. Rape and plunder propelled…
HUGE Medicaid Crisis Looms in Alabama
Critics Say More People Are Going to Die Needlessly Due to Legislative Inaction – Watch this shocking video to see what legislators are saying about the inevitability of many people dying due to the budget shortfall. – By Glynn Wilson – MONTGOMERY, Ala. — More sick babies, old folks and poor people are just going…
Concerned Citizens to Converge on Montgomery for Medicaid Hearing
By Glynn Wilson – A number of people from across Alabama have indicated they will converge on Montgomery Wednesday, April 20, when a joint committee of the House and Senate will hold a hearing on the problems of funding Medicaid in the state. After Governor Robert Bentley refused for the past three years to accept…
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley’s Prison Plan Called Misguided, Reckless
A national best selling author, attorney and advocate for prisoners and justice in Alabama says Governor Robert Bentley’s plan to close some prisions and build more isn’t the answer for fixing the state’s broken system. Bryan Stevenson, the head of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, calls Bentley’s plan to build four new prisons “misguided…
State Sponsor of Terrorism Iran Orders 114 Planes From Airbus
Will they build them in Mobile? How will state and local officials and the local media respond? – By Glynn Wilson – MOBILE, Ala. — When Alabama officials celebrated the news that Airbus would open a plant to build planes and provide jobs here, little did they know one of the biggest customers would turn…
States Miss Economic Opportunities by Failing to Expand Medicaid
By Glynn Wilson – MARION, Va. — The Council of Economic Advisers released a report on Wednesday detailing the negative effects on local economies and public health in states where Republican administrations failed to cooperate with the federal government and expand Medicaid. The report, entitled Missed Opportunities: The Consequences of State Decisions Not to Expand…
Fake Medicaid or No Medicaid? Don’t Buy It
By Pippa Abston – MD, PhD, FAAP – Governor Bentley has persisted in failing to offer hope for the uninsured poor in Alabama, through a Medicaid Expansion or otherwise. Behind the scenes, various insiders are passing rumors not to worry — he really will do it … after the primary. Or after the general election.…
Governor Bentley Finally Releases Alabama Water Management Plan Report
By Glynn Wilson – Now that the Alabama Legislative Session of 2014 is safely over and Governor Robert Bentley is virtually assured of winning the Republican Party’s primary in June without any tea party opposition from the far right, Bentley’s office finally released the water management plan report being sought by environmental groups for the…