Feb 07, 2024

Ah, the early days of the Alabama Legislative session, when lawmakers think they'll be the ones to finally put a state lottery on the ballot -- much like every U.S. presidential administration that's told us it would broker peace in the Middle East.

Thanks for joining us. Here's some Alabama news.

Ike Morgan

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Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her annual State of the State address Tuesday night at the Capitol in Montgomery, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

We've already had much of what she went over, issue by issue, in the past weeks. Something she did bring up that we need to mention -- because we mention it every year -- is the desire to give the state's voters a crack at approving a lottery.

You probably know the history. According to the state constitution, any lottery or gambling must go onto the statewide ballot for voters to decide. And it was way back in 1999 that Alabama voters last had the chance to approve a lottery and give people with poor math skills something to spend their rent money on and, occasionally, win $25 million.

In '99 voters declined then-Gov. Don Siegelman's proposal.

Ivey said she wanted to see a lottery on the ballot, allow limited expansion of legal gambling, and crack down on illegal gambling.

Don't plan on your sales tax falling another 1% of your grocery bill, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

A state law that was passed last year took a percentage point off the amount the state taxes groceries, reducing the tax from 4% to 3%. The law said the tax will continue to fall by a point each year if revenue for the Education Trust Fund grows by at least 3.5%

According to a presentation from Legislative Services Agency Deputy Director Kirk Fulford, that is unlikely to happen.

The big dip in revenues is not unexpected. As we fought and emerged from the COVID pandemic, all those federal dollars coming in artificially gunned the demand side of the economy and stimulated short-term growth that added to tax revenues.

Heatherwood Golf and Country Club in Birmingham has closed up shop after nearly 40 years of tee times, reports AL.com's William Thornton.

Owners told the Shelby County Reporter that the club simply wasn't bringing in enough money. It was designed in 1986 and had been in bankrupcy around a decade ago.

Also, I did the math, in case current rec-sports patterns hold, and Heatherwood is large enough to become home to 3,363 pickleball courts.

(If you haven't noticed, pickleball is taking over the free world, one space at a time.)

As most of us have learned through painful lessons, you can't leave valuable items sitting around or some sorry rascal will walk off with them.

To illustrate, AL.com's Carol Robinson reports that in Jasper, thieves took a 200-foot radio tower from where it's been standing.

When WJLX owner Brett Elmore said when he reported it to the Jasper Police Department, the immediate response he got was, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Now WJLX is out its AM station while figuring out how to replace a six-figure tower Elmore says it can't afford.

The tower was located right next to the Marjac Poultry plant, so it seems unlikely that a the tower slipped out without somebody or some camera catching a glimpse.

Please call Jasper Police at 205-221-2121 if your neighbor has been suspiciously disassembling a 200-foot radio tower in his backyard.

“Look, y’all, I’m not going to stand here and preach like I know a blooming thing about AI."

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, in Tuesday's State of the State speech when announcing a task force to try to maintain responsible use of artificial intelligence.

In 1953, former Houston Oilers linebacker, NFL Hall of Famer and Dr. Doom Robert Brazile of Mobile.

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