News
The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association launched their second annual Black Belt Road Trip Photo Contest, celebrating summer fun across the region.
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Alabama Political Reporter
- Elections
Wes Allen leads lieutenant governor race in June fundraising for second month
Candidates for 2026 attorney general race file June campaign finance reports
Gudger reports record $1.8M raised for FORGE PAC to back Senate GOP efforts
Minor candidates struggle to raise money in races for governor and lieutenant governor
Jay Mitchell’s attorney general campaign raises over $1.25 million
- Governor
Opinion | Reappointing Gwathney would be a grave mistake for Alabama justice
Gov. Ivey praises results of Montgomery Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit
Gov. Ivey announces $23.2 million in SEEDS grants to boost Alabama’s economic growth
Gov. Ivey taps Grace Jeter as Covington County circuit judge
Gov. Ivey encourages summer reading for Alabama students
- Legislature
New bill would give citizens avenue to directly petition for laws
State Senator re-files bill to make removing Confederate monuments prohibitively expensive
Prefiled bill would require ignition interlock devices for first-time DUI offenders
Hemp retailers sue Ivey, Marshall over law they call unconstitutional ban
Opinion | Alabama lawmakers picked winners and losers, and hundreds of hemp businesses lost everything
- Economy
Ivey celebrates “Made in the USA” Day with praise for Alabama manufacturers
NFIB: 36 percent of small businesses report unfilled jobs in June survey
Sloss Tech Pitch Competition winner awarded $50K to grow innovative startup
Gov. Ivey announces $23.2 million in SEEDS grants to boost Alabama’s economic growth
SNAP cuts threaten 800,000 Alabamians as state faces $300 million burden
- National
Alabama’s Volunteer Lawyers Programs fill gaps in civil justice
House passes Trump-backed budget slashing aid, boosting wealthy, say critics
Senate passes reconciliation bill including child care reforms touted by Britt
Judge denies request to halt law making smokable hemp products illegal
Alabama officials praise Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship injunctions
- Education
Alabama’s CHOOSE Act education savings accounts funded for 2025 school year
Bill to bolster abstinence-only sex education reintroduced for 2026
Opinion | The CHOOSE Act puts parents in the driver’s seat
Opinion | Alabama education policy needs improvements
Opinion | Giving our young people a second chance
- Health
Prefiled bill would overhaul Alabama’s new hemp regulation law
Medicaid cuts could exacerbate healthcare disparities in Alabama’s Black Belt
The Renewal Project announces statewide launch
EPA data shows 165M people exposed to ‘forever chemicals’ in U.S. drinking water
Alabama Medical Association thanks Trump for prioritizing doctor visa applications
- Opinion
Opinion | Wins for West Alabama: 2025 session highlights from HD 16
Opinion | A republic, if we can keep it—and the time for choosing is now
Opinion | Why don’t your kids deserve a better education?
Opinion | The Ledbetter/Livingston 4th of July Breakfast is now a must-go political event
Opinion | When do things get great for you?
Alabama Black Belt stories
Health
In light of dwindling rural healthcare access, an Auburn University program is seeking to use emerging technologies to fill gaps.
News
The photo — by Baldwin County resident Ashley Ammons — impressed online voters in the contest, garnering nearly 750 votes to win.
News
Harris was named to the National Board of Directors for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
Opinion
"Help is on the way for communities that have suffered due to inadequate or nonexistent water and sewer service."
Economy
Alabama’s average poverty rate is 17.6 percent. The Black Belt’s average is 24 percent.
Education
The report notes that just 6 percent of Black Belt students obtained graduate or professional degrees in 2019, compared to 10 percent statewide.
Health
Alabama has the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents in the nation, and cases and hospitalizations continue to climb.
Congress
The Black Belt was named for its soil, but this region has also been fertile ground for Black history and the Civil Rights Movement.
Economy
A number of different federal and state agencies and private groups have different definitions of the Black Belt. So what is it?