Gene Policinski: Trump, Fox, Kelly and the history, hype and hope of debates

  What’s going on with presidential primary debates?

  And I don’t mean the latest issue many will think of first: The flap between Fox News and GOP front-runner Donald Trump over Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.

  Granted, the discussion over which journalists will or will not get to ask questions in televised debates generally plays out behind closed doors — in talks between campaign officials and debate sponsors — not in the Twittersphere and in the nightly news.

  Rather, the observation that should catch the attention of First Amendment advocates is Trump’s view of the purpose behind this last Republican debate before the Iowa primary, apparently shared by many, that the point of the exercise is television ratings and network profits.

Sam Fulwood III: Why #OscarsSoWhite matters

  Hollywood has an image problem. When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced the nominees for its top acting awards for films produced in 2015, controversy erupted over the fact that—for the second year in a row—all of those honored were white people. Predictably, social media mavens rushed in to complain, resurrecting the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, which quickly went viral. Meanwhile, some celebrities called for a boycott of the Academy Awards show when it airs next month.

Craig Ford: Is the Republican lottery bill really just an attempt to kill the lottery?

  There’s no doubt that momentum for the lottery is building in Alabama. A public opinion poll, paid for by the House and Senate Republican Caucuses, found that 62 percent of likely Republican Primary voters support the lottery, and 59 percent even support expanding gambling in Alabama.

  These strong numbers show why two Republican state legislators, Rep. Alan Harper and Sen. Jim McClendon, recently put out their own lottery bill.

  At first, this would seem like an encouraging turn of events. Finally, after decades of Republican legislators fighting the lottery, there seems to be enough support from both parties to actually let the people vote.

  But what if the real goal isn’t to pass a lottery but to kill it?

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse: Bracing for a raid of Alabama's education budget

  As discussed last week, several of the headline Alabama news stories of 2015 may also be the blockbusters of 2016. The Mike Hubbard trial and the decision of the federal courts on Alabama’s legislative district lines will be determined in the first half of this year.

  The biggest news and political story of this year may be a continuation of last year’s major issue, and it also surrounds the Alabama Legislature. The state's General Fund woes will again be front and center.

Darrio Melton: Alabama Republicans can't keep fighting a fictional war against Obama

  If you've turned on a TV lately, you might have caught Senator Richard Shelby's latest TV ads featuring him driving a Ford Explorer through the Alabama country roads and talking about how he fights Obama in Washington every day. Sound familiar?

  Senator Shelby isn't the only Alabama politician who prioritizes fighting President Obama, and the sentiment is echoed loudly and frequently throughout the Alabama Legislature. The sentiment also creates problems when it comes to fixing our budget woes and putting Alabama back on track for a successful future.

Charles C. Haynes: Religious diversity, school calendars and the quest for fairness

  The school board in Howard County, Maryland took the religious-diversity plunge this month by voting unanimously to close schools for the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha and the Asian celebration of Lunar New Year.

  Students in the suburban Maryland district already get days off for Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

  Welcome to the new religious America – a pluralistic society where Protestants are no longer the majority and people of every conceivable faith and belief are increasingly visible in the public square.

Hank Sanders: Senate Sketches #1493: Is democracy dying on the vines in the United States?

  Is democracy dying on the vines in these United States of America? There are some pervasive signs. My one vote won’t make a difference. My vote doesn’t count. Voting doesn’t change anything. The situation raises the question: is democracy dying on the vines in these United States of America?

  In President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address, he said, “Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.” Is democracy dying on the vines?

Craig Ford: Republicans' proposed pay raise for teachers is ripe for abuse and deeply flawed

  When the Alabama Legislature returns to Montgomery in two weeks, one of the top issues will be a cost-of-living pay raise for educators. Both parties agree that the money is there and now is the time. But there are some major differences in how Republicans and Democrats are approaching this.

  House Democrats will propose a 5 percent pay raise for all teachers, support personnel and retirees. The bill some Republicans are working on is much different. It would not only fundamentally change how teachers are paid but would also create an expensive and intrusive new bureaucracy.

Darrio Melton: MLK'S legacy depends on you

  This week we took a day out of our schedules to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a tireless advocate for socioeconomic justice and equal rights at a time of tremendous upheaval in our nation's history. Dr. King shared his dream with America and empowered us to continue moving the bar forward, never accepting less than fair and equal representation for all people.

  Yet in 2016, almost 50 years after Dr. King's death, we still face tremendous socioeconomic and political disparities in our state and in our nation.

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse: Keep an eye on the Hubbard drama and the redistricting challenge this year

  A good many of the news stories that were the most noteworthy events of 2015 will continue into this new year of 2016 and may repeat as the major headlines of this year.

  Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard will go on trial in his home of Lee County in early spring. Hubbard, the Republican Speaker, is the architect and leader of the GOP takeover of the Alabama House. Ironically, one of the cornerstone issues heralded by Hubbard in his coup was ethics reform. Interestingly, one of the most incriminating emails revealed during discovery was one in which Hubbard essentially asked his buddy, former Gov. Bob Riley, why in the world did we pass that ethics law?