Alabama
Alabama Senate’s new leader open to gambling bill, worries about losing revenue to other state
The 2025 legislative session started at noon today, and one of the first orders of business was for the Alabama Senate to elect a new leader.
The senators elected Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, as president pro tem. The vote was 33-0.
Gudger replaces Greg Reed of Jasper, who left the Senate to lead the new Workforce Department under the Gov. Kay Ivey administration, a revamped version of what was previously called the Department of Labor.
The Senate passed a resolution honoring Reed, who spoke, before voting to pick Gudger as his successor.
Gudger was elected to the Senate in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Before coming to the Senate, he served 14 years on the Cullman City Council.
Gudger said he would approach his new leadership position in the spirt of teamwork.
“My job is to make sure that everybody feels included and heard and create a team for the Alabama state Senate as we move forward.”
As for priorities this session, Gudger said they would be protecting Alabama families and values and promoting efficiency and transparency in government.
The senator said fighting illegal immigration would be a focus, and said those efforts would mirror those at the federal level under President Trump.
“Most of the federal government is going after convicted felons, people with warrants, child molesters, and I think we have to do the same,” Gudger said. “We start at the top and work our way down. But right now, that’s what they’re focusing on.”
Last year, a bill to allow voters to decide whether to authorize a lottery, casinos, and sports betting fell one vote short of passing in the Senate. Legislative leaders have said lottery legislation is not a priority this year.
On Tuesday, Gudger said he would wait and see what legislation on gambling is introduced, if any. He said he was concerned about the loss of revenue. Alabama is surrounded by states that offer a lottery.
“I think we’re leaving a lot of money on the table where it’s going to other states,” Gudger said. “That’s my personal opinion. How we handle that, as a Senate body, I’ll be doing what the majority of this body wants.
“So I’m going to have to look at that bill whenever it does get filed, or if it gets filed. And then from that, we’ll take it apart piece by piece and make sure it’s the right thing to do for Alabama.”
Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, speaks to reporters after being elected president pro tem, the top position in the Senate.(Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)
Ivey will give her priorities during her State of the State address tonight at the Capitol. The governor has said bills on crime and public safety would be her top priority.
The push for bills addressing crime comes after Birmingham ended 2024 with 151 homicides, the most in a single year since 1933. Montgomery also saw a surge in violent crime in 2024, prompting the creation of the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, known as MACS.
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Legislators cannot vote on bills until the third meeting day of the session. But they can introduce bills today. Lawmakers pre-filed more than 100 bills in advance of the session.
Alabama football added another member to its 2026 signing class in cornerback Nick Sherman on Sunday evening.
Sherman is the Crimson Tide’s 24th signee, as this news comes 11 days after early national signing day.
The JUCO product was formerly at Itawamba Community College. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is also a Tuscaloosa native, as he went to Northridge High School.
This season at Itawamba CC, Sherman logged 24 tackles and two interceptions in eight games as a sophomore.
Sherman is the fifth defensive back in the Crimson Tide’s 2026 signing class, as he joins cornerbacks Zyan Gibson and Jorden Edmonds, along with safeties Jireh Edwards and Rihyael Kelley.
Coming HOME, COMMITTED 🐘🐘 . pic.twitter.com/6xKIhWIK56
— Nick “ vibez” Sherman ✞ (@nickvibeez) December 15, 2025
Alabama’s 2026 Signing Class
- CB Zyan Gibson, 5-foot-11, 177 lbs. – Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)
- CB Jorden Edmonds, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 03/26/2025)
- EDGE Jamarion Matthews, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 02/21/2025)
- EDGE Kamhariyan Johnson, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. – Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Committed 04/12/2025)
- OL Chris Booker, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 02/20/2025)
- QB Jett Thomalla, 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. – Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/17/2025)
- S Rihyael Kelley, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs. – Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 06/23/2025)
- SN Eli Deutsch, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Franklin, Wisconsin (Committed 06/24/2025)
- RB Ezavier Crowell, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. – Jackson, Alabama (Committed 06/26/2025)
- TE Mack Sutter, 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. – Dunlap, Illinois (Committed 06/26/2025)
- LB Zay Hall, 6-foot-2, 222 lbs. – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 06/27/2025)
- LB Xavier Griffin, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
- WR Cederian Morgan, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs – Alexander City, Alabama (Committed 07/02/2025)
- DL Nolan Wilson, 6-foot-4, 250 lbs. – Picayune, Mississippi (Committed 07/04/2025)
- S Jireh Edwards, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. – Baltimore, Maryland (Committed 07/05/2025)
- QB Tayden Kaawa, 6-foot-5, 235 lbs. – Orem, Utah (Committed 07/22/2025)
- OT Bear Fretwell, 6-foot-6, 295 lbs. – Brooklet, Georgia (Committed 07/25/25)
- OT Jared Doughty, 6-foot-5, 300 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 10/05/2025)
- EDGE Corey Howard, 6-foot-6, 245 lbs. – Valdosta, Georgia (Committed 10/19/2025)
- OL Tyrell Miller, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs. – College of San Mateo (Committed 11/29/2025)
- EDGE Malique Franklin, 6-foot-5, 250 lbs. – Daphne, Alabama (Committed 12/02/2025)
- TE Jude Cascone, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/30/2025)
- RB Traeshawn Brown, 5-foot-10, 190 lb. – Huntsville, Texas (Committed 12/04/2025)
- CB Nick Sherman, 6-foot-3, 190 lb, – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 12/14/25)
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Ringo, an abandoned puppy that was dropped off at the Madison Police Department earlier this week, will get the surgery he needs thanks to an outpouring of donations from the city’s residents.
On Dec. 9, the Madison Police Department said in a Facebook post it was trying to raise $2,000 so Ringo could get an injured leg amputated.
“Citizens of Madison, we need your help. Recently, an abandoned and abused puppy was brought to us—sweet, loving, and still full of hope despite what he’s been through,” the post said.
“To give him the chance at a healthy, happy life, he needs a surgery to amputate an injured leg. Once he recovers, he’ll be ready for adoption and would make an incredible addition to a loving Madison family—just in time for Christmas.”
Just three days later, the department said in an update that they’d raised the money they needed, and Ringo would get his surgery in the middle of January.
During a vet visit, the pup was given a clean bill of health and all his required shots.
“We completely met the goal and could not have done it without the help of all our citizens here so we greatly appreciate everything you guys donated for him,” an update video said.
Now the police department is asking for the community to step up again and help get Ringo adopted before his surgery.
“Our next thing we can do is have him adopted. He is ready to go into somebody’s home so he can get acclimated and ready to go before his surgery,” the post said.
Anyone interested in adopting Ringo is asked to call Madison’s Animal Control at 256-772-5694.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama fell to No. 1 Arizona in Legacy Arena in the fifth annual C.M. Newton Classic. The Crimson Tide held a 2-point halftime lead, but got decimated in the second half, opening the first six minutes of the second frame with just two field goals made.
The top-ranked Wildcats went on to claim a 96-75 victory and dropped the Crimson Tide’s record in the event to 2-3.
“They’re obviously a really good team,” Nate Oats said. “There’s a reason they’re number one in the country. I thought the first half we played pretty well. We were down five on the glass and needed to clean it up a little bit, and then the second half we had this issue where we just haven’t had very good starts to the second half. We came out and didn’t have a very good start, and it got progressively worse. I think they scored, shoot 39 the entire first half. They had 39 in less than 12 minutes to start the second half.
“Start of the second half was bad. Obviously, they came out of halftime ready to play; we didn’t. The toughness factor was a problem. It’s impossible – I shouldn’t say impossible. It’s nearly impossible to win a game when your opponent gets 28 more field goal attempts than you. If you look, we outshot them from the field and from the free throw line, both percentage-wise. Free throws, they made one more free throw than we did and they got 28 more field goal attempts. You can’t win games giving your opponent 28 more field goal attempts. Offensive glass we had three the whole game, they had 22. We lost the rebounds by 20 again. This has been a recurring issue for us.”
Alabama History in C.M. Newton Classic
- 2021 – Davidson 79, Alabama 78
- 2022 – Gonzaga 100, Alabama 90
- 2023 – Alabama 101, Liberty 56
- 2024 – Alabama 100, Illinois 87
- 2025 – Arizona 96, Alabama 75
Watch the above video as BamaCentral writers Katie Windham, Hunter De Siver, and Will Miller, provide thoughts and takeaways from the Alabama men’s basketball team’s 96-75 loss against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The trio discusses the performance of the No. 12 Crimson Tide and the rebounding issues that continue to plague the program.
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