Capitol Journal

Todd Stacy sits down with ABC Administrator Mac Gipson & Farrell Turner of the Alabama Rural Health Association.
 Plus, American Enterprise Institute President Robert Doar & Senior Fellow Ian Rowe discuss AEI's efforts in Birmingham.


Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, (R)-Rainsville; AL Republican Party Chair John Wahl; AL Democratic Party Vice-Chair Tabitha Isner; Alabama High School Athletic Association Director Alvin Briggs

We're bringing you the candidates at the top of the ticket in Tuesday's election. Gov. Kay Ivey and Yolanda Flowers in the governor’s race. Katie Britt and Will Boyd in the race for U.S. Senate.



The nation’s report card is in and there are promising results for Alabama. We’ll walk through the numbers. Congressman Jerry Carl joins us to discuss what the next term in Congress might be and the battle for majority control. State Representative Steve Clouse discusses the record budget increases in the General Fund plus his campaign to be the next House speaker. Alabama Port Authority Director John Driscoll talks about the banner growth the state’s port is seeing and what the future holds. And Othni Lathram of the Legislative Services Agency explains the effort to recompile and reorganize the Alabama Constitution that will be on the ballot November 8.

A big economic development announcement bringing hundreds of jobs to the Capital City. We’ll take you there. The State Board of Education talks through its budget request and legislative agenda for the upcoming year; An Alabama principal wins the “Oscar of Education” for his impressive leadership. And charter school advocates gather to discuss ways to get more support from the Legislature in the coming year. We’ll sit down with U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville on a range of topics, from his military families bill to the impact of inflation. And Wendell Major, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, joins us in studio to talk about his election bid. 


There’s extraordinary growth in the state’s revenue with budgets seeing record surpluses. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed joins us to talk about how we got here and what the Legislature will do with the money. Alabama in the national spotlight this week as the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on whether the latest congressional redistricting map complies with the law. I’ll sit down with one of the plaintiffs of the case, Evan Milligan, and Tish Faulks from the ACLU to hear their side. Attorney General Steve Marshall is in studio explaining the state’s case in the matter.

A major broadband expansion announcement from Governor Ivey  in Prattville. Karen Goldsmith takes us there. Discussion is ongoing about the state’s death penalty after recent trouble with executions. Randy Scott goes deeper on the issue. Department of Human Resources Commissioner Nancy Buckner explains the high turnover rate among child services social workers and what can be done to fix the problem. Barry Matson of the District Attorneys Association discusses increasing penalties for fentanyl trafficking and other law enforcement topics. And Leah Nelson from Alabama Appleseed talks about some concerning new data about drug abuse inside state prisons from her new report. 

In light of suicide prevention month, we’ll talk with Commissioner Kent Davis of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs about efforts to combat veteran suicide.  Commissioner Chris Blankenship of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources discusses the various outdoor recreation offerings in Alabama and the $80 million worth of upgrades coming to state parks.  And with the Ken Burns Holocaust documentary debuting this week on PBS, Dr. Dan Puckett, a Professor of History at Troy University will talk about Holocaust history and education in Alabama and beyond.

A special focus on the opioid epidemic in Alabama - how to prevent addictions and what treatment is available.    Guests:  Katherine Robertson with Sallye Longshore; Dr. Stephen Taylor; Carie Wimberly; Dr. Luke Engeriser

  More budget hearings at the State House reveal how state agencies are faring financially.

  Joining Todd at the desk are: Finance Director Bill Poole Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield.