In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner sits down with Kaycee Cavender, Republican candidate for Alabama House District 40, which covers Cleburne County and parts of Calhoun County.

Cavender is a small business owner, homeschool mother of four, and longtime grassroots advocate. In this conversation, she discusses her background in legal advocacy, her work to license midwives in Alabama, and her role in health freedom legislation including HB 12 and the Alabama Right to Refuse Act.

The discussion also covers rural infrastructure concerns, property and grocery taxes, education policy, school choice, disability accommodations in testing, and the role of campaign finance in state politics.

As with all Candidate Conversations episodes, this interview is presented to inform voters about a candidate’s positions in her own words. Make It Make Sense, Alabama provides a platform for candidates across the political spectrum. Views expressed by guests are their own.

Listen on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Visit murdercreekmedia.com/makeitmakesensealabama for links and episode resources.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Whitney Scapecchi and Neeli Faulkner sit down with Ken McFeeters, a Republican candidate for Governor of Alabama in the 2026 race. McFeeters is an insurance agency owner, former president of the Mid Alabama Republican Club, and a 2024 GOP primary candidate for Alabama’s 6th Congressional District who now describes his campaign as a grassroots, outsider push for “local control” and a reset in governance.

McFeeters shares what he says pulled him from political involvement into running for office, including his views on COVID era shutdowns and government authority. He lays out his core priorities for Alabama: food independence, education reform, and what he calls a top to bottom rethink of the medical system. He also discusses property taxes, the role of state government under the Alabama Constitution, and why he believes a “virtuous population” is essential to long term freedom and economic growth.

The conversation also touches on Alabama election culture and political fundraising, plus McFeeters’ recent public challenge to Tommy Tuberville’s residency claims, which he argues should be examined under Alabama’s residency requirements for governor. McFeeters explains his unconventional campaign strategy, including taking his message directly to the public with a bike pulled campaign sign, and he closes with the headline he wants voters to remember.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, we sit down with JR Bowling, a candidate for Alabama State Senate District 4.

JR is a North Alabama native with a background in agriculture and manufacturing and decades of experience as a volunteer firefighter. He describes himself as a political outsider. Not because he lacks experience, but because his path into politics came through public service, not party leadership or career ambition.

Our conversation begins with who JR is outside of campaigning. His work history. His family. And the values shaped by growing up in the fire service. From there, we talk about the moment that pushed him to run for office. An annexation bill that raised deeper questions for him about representation, discretion, and who state government is really serving.

We discuss issues JR says he hears repeatedly from voters. Difficulty reaching elected officials. Legislation moving too quickly and without clarity. Decisions that appear to be made before public debate ever happens. He shares why transparency, accessibility, and clearly written laws matter to him, especially when those laws affect families, children, and basic quality of life.

The conversation also touches on DHR concerns raised by parents across the state, the long term impact of Alabama’s gas tax, and the influence of money in politics. JR explains his opposition to HB445, his support for medical cannabis, and why he believes safer alternatives should be part of any serious conversation about public health and the opioid crisis.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this Candidate Conversations episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, we sit down with Dale Deas. He is a cardiac surgeon and biomedical engineer running in Alabama’s 2026 Republican U.S. Senate primary.

Deas shares his path from medicine to politics. He details allegations of retaliation and whistleblower suppression after raising concerns about patient care, hospital consolidation, and corporate influence in healthcare. He explains why he believes federal and institutional accountability has failed. And why he says those failures affect everyday Alabamians.

We also discuss his campaign priorities. Healthcare reform. Whistleblower protections. Teacher pay. Grocery taxes. And his pledge to reject corporate PAC money in favor of a people powered campaign.

This conversation includes serious allegations and personal claims made by our guest. These claims have not been independently verified and are shared so listeners can hear his perspective in full. We encourage listeners to review primary sources and do their own research.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is a project of Murder Creek Media. Learn more at murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Whitney Scapecchi and Neeli Faulkner sit down with Latoya Garrett, an Alabama mom who has spent nearly a decade fighting to reunite her family after what she describes as a false child abuse allegation that spiraled into years of separation, turnover, and trauma.

Latoya also explains why her case became even more complicated after her children were placed with relatives out of state. She shares how she first learned about Alabama's McClendon standard in family court. She describes it as a high burden that can keep reunification out of reach even after a parent's circumstances improve, and even when a child is old enough to clearly voice where they want to live.

This conversation includes personal allegations and claims related to ongoing child welfare and family court issues. It is shared for public interest and discussion, and reflects the perspective and experiences of the guest.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is a Murder Creek Media podcast focused on accountability, justice, and clarity around the issues that shape life in Alabama. Follow along and find listening links at murdercreekmedia.com/makeitmakesensealabama.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Elijah Davidson, a candidate for Alabama House District 95, for a wide ranging conversation about what voters are dealing with right now. Cost of living. Taxes. Housing. Political accountability. And the frustrations people feel when elected officials are hard to reach once they’re in office.

Davidson shares how he got into politics through his high school Turning Point USA chapter, later working for former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and how volunteering with local charities shaped his views on poverty, pregnancy support, and state level policy decisions. The conversation moves through his platform priorities. Ending the grocery tax, tightening state spending, pushing for term limits, and increasing transparency around how representatives vote and how accessible they are to constituents.

Neeli and Whitney also press on what accountability should look like in practice, what voters can do when they feel ignored, and why younger candidates say the “good old boy” system keeps people locked out. It’s a direct conversation about power. Who has it. Who doesn’t. And what it would take to change that in Alabama.

Learn more about the candidate: davidsonfordistrict95.com

This episode discusses political viewpoints and policy proposals shared by the guest. It is presented for public interest and civic discussion, and does not constitute an endorsement.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Whitney Scapecchi sits down with Jimmy Fuson, a South Alabama parent advocate who has been fighting to reunite with his daughter, Billyana, after she was taken into custody by Alabama Department of Human Resources. Commonly referred to as DHR in Alabama, the agency functions as the state’s child welfare authority, similar to Child Protective Services, or CPS, in other states.

The conversation also explores Jimmy’s advocacy beyond his own case. He explains the idea behind “Billyana’s Bill,” a proposal aimed at creating third party oversight for complaints and increasing accountability in the system. He outlines additional reforms he believes Alabama should consider including due process protections, body cameras for DHR investigations, and expanding access to CASA support for families.

This episode discusses allegations and personal claims related to ongoing child welfare cases. It is shared for public interest and discussion, and reflects the perspectives and experiences of the individuals speaking. 

Submit tips and story leads in Alabama. [email protected].

What happens when a public agency can tell you “trust us,” while keeping the evidence locked away? 

In the first episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi explain the Alabama Open Records Act through one of the most contested categories in the state: police body camera footage. They break down how open records requests are supposed to work, what exemptions agencies rely on, and how court decisions and recent legislative changes have tightened access over time.

Their guest, attorney C.C. Moreno, joins the show to discuss her federal lawsuit against the City of Orange Beach after the city refused to release body camera footage connected to a reported incident at a public building on Labor Day weekend 2024. The conversation digs into why transparency matters, especially in cases involving power, public safety, and accountability.

Guest C.C. Moreno is the Managing Partner of The Moreno Law Group, PLLC. Practicing since 2018, with a focus on real estate and personal litigation, C.C.’s recent work has increasingly centered on what happens when the official story doesn’t match the footage - because C.C. says that in Alabama and beyond, body cameras are supposed to protect the public, not the narrative.

Submit tips and story leads in Alabama. [email protected].