Bill Britt, Alabama Political Reporter Journalist Profile

Articles

Opinion | Alabama’s hemp ban exposes a cocktail of hypocrisy and control

6 days ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

There’s a special kind of absurdity that takes root in Montgomery this time of year. It flourishes behind closed committee doors, then blossoms into bills that make less sense the longer you stare at them. But this one—this one’s a standout.
Opinion | CHOOSE Act drains public schools to fund private agendas

1 week ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

What if the state told you it was rescuing public education — only to quietly hand your tax dollars to private schools instead? Last week, Alabama released its first round of applications under the CHOOSE Act — the state’s new education savings account program that offers up to $7,000 per student for private school tuition and $2,000 for homeschooling expenses. Nearly 37,000 students are represented in this inaugural round.
Opinion | Mack Butler’s chemtrail crusade is pure political cosplay

1 week ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

The Alabama House of Representatives annually presents the “Shroud Award,” a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the most lifeless, DOA piece of legislation of the session. For 2025, House Bill 248 might as well start rehearsing its eulogy—it’s already a top contender. In a state where people struggle to access basic health care, where schools beg for funding and where entire communities lack reliable drinking water, Rep.
Tuberville skips crucial Joint Chiefs vote to attend Masters, sources say

1 week ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

In a pivotal early-morning session, the U.S. Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a 60–25 vote. This decision followed President Donald Trump’s unprecedented February dismissal of Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., marking the first time a sitting chairman was removed mid-term.
Opinion | Alabama’s hemp ban is bad policy with dangerous fallout

1 week ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

In less than five minutes — with no debate and no amendment — Alabama lawmakers advanced a bill that could criminalize legal products, gut small businesses, and send people in need to the black market. They say it’s about safety. But HB445 is a blunt instrument disguised as protection — and the fallout will be severe.
Opinion | Wahl and APLS want to "protect kids" — by banning reality and truth

2 weeks ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

John Wahl wants you to believe he’s just a concerned citizen. But when a man leads a campaign to censor award-winning books, defund public libraries, and impose a narrow religious worldview on state policy, what else should we call him? In a recent open letter to the people of Fairhope, Wahl — who chairs both the Alabama Public Library Service and the Alabama Republican Party — insisted that “some have tried to label the APLS Board as ‘far-right radicals.’” He called the criticism unfair.
Opinion | Tariffs threaten Alabama wallets, jobs, and global trade

2 weeks ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

Alabama voters overwhelmingly backed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and the results were decisive. But now, with sweeping tariffs looming, many of those same voters are growing uneasy — and rightfully so. We should all want every administration to succeed. We should want Congress to succeed. Because when they do, the country succeeds. That used to be a common belief — an unspoken agreement that regardless of party, we were all pulling for the same flag.
Alabama Always sues, says cannabis board too biased to be fair

2 weeks ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

In a bold legal maneuver, Alabama Always filed both a petition and a lawsuit Thursday aimed at forcing a reset of the state’s beleaguered medical cannabis licensing process, alleging deep-seated bias and unlawful conduct by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC). The Montgomery-based company filed a formal petition with the AMCC seeking the disqualification of all current commissioners from participating in any future licensing decisions.
Sen. Gudger pulls the pin on gaming package with 77-word grenade

2 weeks ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

On Thursday afternoon, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R–Cullman, detonated any hope that Alabama’s long effort to pass a comprehensive gaming bill would survive the 2025 session.
Opinion | HB224 endangers First Amendment rights in Alabama

3 weeks ago | alreporter.com | Bill Britt

In a democracy, the public has the right to witness the actions of those who wield power in their name. HB224 would criminalize that right. No constitutional protection is more fundamental to a free society than the First Amendment. It guarantees the right of the people to speak, to gather, and to record the actions of government officials — especially those vested with the power to arrest, detain, and use force.