Alabama Politics This Week

Ron Sparks Returns + Death By a Thousand Cuts for Alabama Schools


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This episode opens with a discussion of alleged retaliation inside Alabama’s prison system, following reporter Beth Shelburne’s updates about key whistleblowers from The Alabama Solution documentary. The hosts debate the moral, practical, and financial failures of Alabama’s corrections approach, including solitary confinement concerns and broader prison “racket” incentives.

Former Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks joins to explain why he’s running again, emphasizing consumer protection and the rollback of key enforcement functions like gasoline testing and fraud investigations. Sparks also highlights past accomplishments, including upgraded animal diagnostic labs across the state and rural development work such as expanding telemedicine.

The episode closes with the hosts’ “bonehead” segment criticizing legislative efforts to politicize the AHSAA and warning that school voucher policy dynamics are bleeding into high school athletics.

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ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, with properties across the U.S. and Caribbean — including Alabama — offering entertainment, dining, hotels, and amenities.

Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive.

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Alabama Politics This WeekBy Alabama Politics This Week

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