Feb 04, 2025

One of our favorite seasons -- the state Legislative Session -- gets underway today.

On the podcast we're talking about Alabama's latest national assessment (and it's not bad news).

Today's report follows. Thanks for reading,

Ike

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The regular season for Alabama state politics opens today on Goat Hill.

Gov. Kay Ivey will reveal her priorities this evening when, for the eighth time, she gives the State of the State speech at the Capitol on the opening day of the Legislative Session.

AL.com's Mike Cason reports that Ivey is going to make crime fighting her top priority for 2025. Look for proposals intended to support law enforcement, discourage crime and make criminal-justice reforms.

The impetus behind this is the rise in violent crime in some areas, including in the capital city. But most notably are the 151 homicides in Birmingham last year that broke the city's all-time record.

The Republicans are still fully in charge, which gives Ivey's priorities a strong advantage. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, a Rainsville Republican, said he's working with the governor on a crime package that will be introduced early in the session.

The Senate will need to elect its leader -- the president pro tem. That should happen today, and the position will almost certainly go to Garlan Gudger, a Cullman Republican.

Gudger said that besides crime, look for multiple bills on immigration. He indicated they would support crackdowns on illegal immigration and particularly the removal of violent criminals, but he also expressed a need to be supportive of migrants who are here legally.

Former lawmaker and Ambassador William J. Cabaniss Jr. of Birmingham passed away over the weekend, reports AL.com's Heather Gann.

Cabaniss served in the state House of Representatives and Senate from 1978 through 1990. As a Republican serving during the era of Democratic domination at the State House, Cabaniss was perhaps ahead of the curve among evolving conservatives.

He ran for U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Howell Heflin in 1990.

It wasn't a particularly close election, but Cabaniss was chasing an upset that would've turned the seat red six years before Republican Jeff Sessions won it. It also would've deprived us of seeing Chris Farley's outrageous take on Sen. Heflin on Saturday Night Live during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.

But that campaign might be credited with elevating Cabaniss's name nationally. President George H.W. Bush campaigned for him, and later President George W. Bush would make him U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Before his political career, he served as an Army Airborne Ranger and founded a metal machining company.

Bill Cabaniss was 86 years old.

Former Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran is taking over as head football coach at West Alabama, reports AL.com's Matt Stahl.

If you remember Cochran at all, you remember the intensity and vocal volume he brought to workouts during much of the Nick Saban era.

He left the Tide five years ago to coach special teams on Kirby Smart's staff at Georgia. He left after the 2023 season and has dealt with addiction issues and has been speaking to teams through his nonprofit, American Addiction Recovery Association.

And now he's the head Tiger. West Alabama was 9-2 last season under Brett Gilliland, who has moved into the athletics director's office.

It's Cochran's first head-coaching job.

“I’m not retiring or burned out because I have more energy and vision than I’ve ever had. The transition of roles we’re announcing allows me to work even harder to grow Highlands College and empower others for ministry.”

Chris Hodges, founding pastor of Church of the Highlands, on giving way to Lead Pastor Mark Pettus.

In 1913, civil-rights activist Rosa Parks of Tuskegee.

In 1943, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section keyboardist Barry Beckett of Birmingham.

In 1943, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section guitarist Jimmy Johnson of Sheffield.

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Reporter Rebecca Griesbach joins us to discuss Alabama's latest performance on the National Report Card.

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