Capitol Journal

We report on a federal judge ordering the state to make significant improvements to mental health care for prison inmates. We will be joined by House Speaker Mac McCutcheon of Monrovia, who will talk about a possible special legislative session to deal with our prison problems. We will also be joined by Senator Paul Bussman of Cullman, who says he hasn't decided whether he will seek re-election and that he is concerned that some of his conservative Republican colleagues aren't running again.

We report on the state's response to this week's storms. We will also report on an Alabama Board of Education investigation into an alleged smear campaign against a former finalist for superintendent. We will be joined by Sen. Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham, who will discuss the latest legal maneuverings over reapportionment. And we will also be joined by Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise, who will talk about his demand that the state health department fire a former veterans health official.

We  report on U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' Senate testimony this week on alleged Russian meddling in last year's election. We will also report on Alabama Congressmen Mo Brooks and Gary Palmer witnessing the shootings at a congressional baseball practice. We will be joined by Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur, who chairs the upper chamber's education budget committee. He says he was disappointed that there wasn't more money for higher education. We will also be joined by state school board member Mary Scott Hunter of Huntsville, who will discuss the new Alabama Ascending strategic plan for improving education, as well as the controversy over incorrectly reported high school graduation rates.

We report on Alabama executing Robert Bryant Melson for a triple murder. We will also report on three big leadership changes in the Alabama House this week. We will be joined by Rep. Jim Patterson of Meridianville, who will discuss the governor signing into law his bill that mandates insurance coverage for autism therapy. We will also be joined by Alabama Mental Health Commissioner Jim Perdue, who will talk about how the state has been hit particularly hard by the opioid drug crisis.

.We're joined by Governor Kay Ivey, who will discuss her first month and a half in office, the possibility of her calling a special legislative session to deal with prisons, and how all of the controversy surrounding former governor Robert Bentley may have hurt the state economically. We will also be joined by Senator Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, who will talk about Ivey signing into law his so-called 'monuments' bill, as well as the failure of his gun legislation. And we will talk about all of the week's top state government news in our Week in Review segment.

We report on Gov. Kay Ivey signing into law both the monuments and midwives bills. We will also report on Ivey appointing Will Sellers to the Supreme Court. We are scheduled to be joined by House Speaker Mac McCutcheon of Monrovia, who will handicap the legislative session. We will also be joined by Alabama GOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan of Mobile, who will discuss the crowded Republican field for the U.S. Senate. And we'll talk about all of the week's top state government news in our Week in Review segment.

We have a complete wrap-up of the final day of the legislative session. And we will be joined be Sen. Trip Pittman of Montrose, who will discuss the General Fund budget, his concerns over the autism insurance bill, and his running for the U.S. Senate. We will also be joined by Rep. John Knight of Montgomery, who will talk about all of the controversy surrounding both reapportionment and an alleged racial email that slowed action in the House.