David L. Hudson Jr.: Case of student rapper deserves close examination

  The case of a former high school student from Mississippi punished for a rap song he created off-campus and posted online has the potential to be the most significant K-12 student speech case in several years.

  A divided full panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in Bell v. Itawamba County School Board that school officials were justified because they could reasonably believed that the song would create a substantial disruption at school.

Michael Josephson: Authentic apologies

  “I’m sorry.”

  These are powerful words. Authentic apologies can work like a healing ointment on old wounds, dissolve bitter grudges, and repair damaged relationships. They encourage both parties to let go of toxic emotions like anger and guilt and provide a fresh foundation of mutual respect.

  But authentic apologies involve much more than words expressing sorrow; they require accountability, remorse, and repentance.

Craig Ford: Bentley got his tax increases, but he’s still closing parks and drivers license offices

  As if $86 million in new taxes and an $80 million raid on public education weren’t bad enough, Governor Bentley has now announced that he will close more than thirty drivers license offices as well as some state parks and National Guard armories.

  The governor has spent this entire year trying to convince legislators and the people of Alabama that higher taxes were the only thing that could prevent these closures. The Republican legislature gave the governor the tax increases he wanted, but Bentley is still closing these parks, armories, and most drivers license offices.

Hank Sanders: Senate Sketches #1477: Where there is no vision, the people perish

  Where there is no vision, the people perish. These prophetic words are found in Proverbs 29:18. They were written thousands of years ago but still ring true today. They are screaming out to us right now. Where there is no vision, the people perish.

  We should easily agree that vision is important. We do not easily agree on the definition of vision. To me, vision is that which is not yet in existence but is seen in our mind’s eye in the hope that it comes into existence. Vision is not an idea involving a single person; that is merely an ambition or goal. A vision is for the people. Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse: Robbing education

  The State of Alabama's fiscal year begins this week and we finally have a budget for the year. Constitutionally, the only mandatory requirement that the legislature has each year in its legislative session is to pass the budgets. The education budget was approved during the four month regular session, but it was uncertain if we would have a budget for the beleaguered General Fund.

  Gov. Robert Bentley called a special session in early summer to pass a budget. However, despite costing taxpayers around $400,000, there was still no budget. Therefore, the governor called yet another special session for September. The third time was a charm. A budget was passed with only two weeks to go until the fiscal year begins this Thursday.

Darrio Melton: Bentley dares to selectively defend his rights

  "We dare defend our rights." The state motto has been flaunted by politicians across Alabama to promote partisan agendas for years, however Governor Bentley is taking the motto a step further by asking the Alabama Supreme Court to determine whether certain parts of the state's General Fund budget are unconstitutional.

  Bentley's camp is saying that the Constitution creates certain powers for the Executive Branch that the General Fund budget attacks. Bentley is daring to defend his rights as Chief Executive Officer of the State of Alabama by challenging those provisions in court.

David L. Hudson Jr.: Banned Books Week: A time to reflect on the First Amendment

  Banned Books Week is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the dangers of censorship and the importance of the First Amendment

  This week the American Library Association (ALA), the American Booksellers for Free Expression, and a host of other groups will remind us once again that that banning books damages the “marketplace of ideas” and is contrary to the meaning and purpose of a free society and a constitutional democracy.

Craig Ford: Tax-raising legislator should be ashamed

  It would be an understatement to say that this year has been an odd one for Alabama politics. But nothing surprised me more than when Rep. Paul Lee, a Republican from Dothan, came up to the microphone on the last night of the legislative special session that ended last week and gave a speech where he said that it was “courageous” to raise taxes, and that those who voted against raising taxes “should be ashamed of themselves.”

  Yes. Rep. Paul Lee said it was courageous for him to vote to raise your taxes, and those of us who voted against tax increases should be ashamed of ourselves.

Hank Sanders: Senate Sketches: We failed to rise to the occasion

  The 2015 second special session of the Alabama Legislature is over. However, there is no sigh of relief because there was no relief. There is just a sigh and the prayer, “Thank God it’s over!”

  There is no sigh of relief because budgetary troubles still abound. Government is not soundly funded. We secured a little bit of revenue but not enough. We took revenue from places we should not have. We level-funded things that should be raised. We reduced things that ought to be maintained or raised. We raised things that ought to be reduced. There is no sigh of relief, just the prayer, “Thank God it’s over.”

Sanam Malik: The ‘Clock Kid’ incident is a small part of a bigger problem

  Last week, 14-year-old Texas high school student Ahmed Mohamed brought a homemade digital clock to school hoping to impress his teacher. Instead of receiving praise for his great work, however, he was handcuffed, booked, and falsely charged with bringing a bomb to school. After an intense public outcry, all charges against him were dropped, and he was released. Ahmed is a Muslim American.