Alabama

Opinion | Kay Ivey set a governing standard Alabama now measures against

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

Opinion | Kay Ivey set a governing standard Alabama now measures against

History has rarely been kind to Alabama’s governors. Few are remembered for long, and fewer still for having led the state well. Governor Kay Ivey is likely to be judged differently—not because she reshaped Alabama politics, but because she set a governing standard that has too often been absent.

Measured against her peers—in this state and across the region—Ivey has led Alabama better than most. Not louder. Not flashier. Better.

In an era of noisy, self-indulgent governance, she has been better than her peers simply because she treated the job as work, not performance.

She inherited a state that has often confused ideological signaling with leadership and volume with results. What she offered instead was competence, continuity and a seriousness about governing that has grown increasingly rare. Ivey did not promise transformation. She delivered stability. She did not seek national attention. She focused on Alabama. And while her approach rarely produced dramatic moments, it produced something far more valuable: a state that was consistently managed, economically competitive and largely spared the self-inflicted chaos that has plagued executive offices elsewhere.

For most Alabamians, that did not feel dramatic. It felt like schools opening on time, paychecks arriving as expected, roads getting paved and crises handled without panic. Good governance rarely announces itself—it simply spares people from unnecessary disruption.

She will not be remembered for fiery speeches or grand crusades. She will not be remembered for cable-news dominance or viral moments. She will be remembered for keeping Alabama on steady footing at a time when steadiness itself became a scarce commodity.

That steadiness was not accidental. It reflected judgment, discipline and an understanding that governing is not about theatrics, but about responsibility.

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Fault can be found with any leader. Kay Ivey is no exception. There were moments of caution, moments when political realities shaped policy choices, and moments when the gravitational pull of her party’s most aggressive elements was difficult to escape. But what distinguishes her tenure—and what sets it apart from many of her contemporaries—is that she consistently chose outcomes over outrage, policy over performance, and long-term stability over short-term applause.

She governed with policy, not performance.

For decades, Alabama—like much of the South—has talked about the idea of a “New South” governor. At its core, that idea has always meant the same thing: a leader focused on economic growth over grievance, management over messaging, and results over rhetoric. Other Southern states have elected versions of that leader. Alabama, notably, has not.

Instead, the state has often oscillated—sometimes choosing cultural familiarity over competence, sometimes rewarding ideological signaling over executive ability and sometimes settling for leaders who spoke loudly but governed thinly. That pattern did not belong exclusively to one party or one era. It has been a feature of Alabama politics for generations.

Ivey did not become Alabama’s first New South governor. But she governed closer to that standard than most of her predecessors. She practiced conservatism not as spectacle, but as stewardship—a quieter, more functional form that treated governing as an executive responsibility rather than a cultural performance.

As she enters her final year in office, Alabama stands at an inflection point. We know what Alabamians want because they have told us—clearly, repeatedly and across survey after survey that cuts through party labels and campaign rhetoric.

They want a governor focused on affordability and economic stability. They want attention paid to the cost of living, to whether wages keep pace with prices, to whether growth reaches working families instead of stopping at press releases and ribbon cuttings. They want competence in managing the basics—infrastructure, education, health care access, workforce development—and seriousness about the long-term health of the state.

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They are not asking for ideological theatrics. They are not asking for endless conflict. And they are not asking for leadership consumed by national attention rather than Alabama outcomes.

In poll after poll, voters prioritize practical concerns over performative ones. They value results over rhetoric, steadiness over spectacle, and leadership that improves daily life rather than dominating the news cycle.

That is not nostalgia. That is data.

The appeal of competence is not ideological. It is rooted in lived experience, especially among people who cannot afford the consequences of instability, mismanagement or performative leadership.

Alabama remains a conservative state. It always has been. For much of its history, it elected conservatives whether they ran as Democrats or Republicans. What changed was not ideology, but sorting. Beginning with Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy and reinforced through later realignments, including Ronald Reagan’s accommodation with the Christian right, party identity gradually replaced judgment. Over time, the letter beside a candidate’s name came to carry more weight than preparation, temperament or capacity to govern.

That is not wisdom. It is habit.

And habits, left unchecked, can quietly erode the standards voters believe they are defending.

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Kay Ivey’s tenure stands as a reminder of what happens when judgment still matters. She did not govern as a brand or an avatar. She governed as an executive. Her appeal was not novelty or outrage, but familiarity, restraint and a willingness to do the work without demanding constant validation.

When identity replaces judgment, the risk is not that voters choose the wrong ideology. The risk is that they stop asking whether a candidate is prepared to govern at all. And when that question goes unasked, the cost is never abstract—it is paid quietly, over time, by families who do not have the luxury of treating politics as entertainment.

Kay Ivey will not be remembered as the loudest governor Alabama has had. She will be remembered as one who led the state well—and who showed, almost inadvertently, how rare that has become.

Standards, once lowered, are difficult to restore. And when they slip quietly, they rarely announce themselves until the consequences are already felt.

Alabama now faces a choice that will not be resolved by slogans or party labels. It will be resolved by whether voters continue to ask the most basic question of anyone seeking executive power: are you prepared to govern—or only to perform?

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Alabama

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

Published

5 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP has announced its official schedule for the 2026 NAACP-sponsored Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing Weekend, set for March 6–8 in Montgomery and Selma.

Held under the theme “A Time for Standing,” the annual commemoration honors the Foot Soldiers of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rev. Jesse Jackson for their roles in advancing civil rights and voting access.

The three-day event will bring together national, state and local leaders, along with youth and college chapters, faith partners and community members for activities focused on reflection, education and civic engagement.

Scheduled events include a civic discussion titled “The New Civic Path” on March 6 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State University, followed by a Jubilee Gala that evening at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. On March 7, the Birmingham Metro Branch will host a bus trip to Selma, while a statewide civic engagement training will take place in Montgomery.

SEE ALSO: Bridge Crossing Jubilee to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy in Selma
SEE ALSO: 16th Street Baptist Church: Keeping a Legacy Alive 63 Years Later

On March 8, participants will take part in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade, voter activation efforts, worship services at Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, and the traditional bridge crossing at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Organizers say the weekend will emphasize continued civic participation and community engagement across Alabama.

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March 6 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Gala 5:30PM Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104

March 7 — NAACP Birmingham Metro Branch Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Broad Street and Water Avenue in Selma Alabama

March 7 — Alabama State NAACP Statewide Civic Engagement Training 8–4:15PM Homewood Suites, 7800 EastChase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117

March 8 — Alabama State NAACP in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade 8AM–10AM Begins at 1722 Broad St and concludes at the National Voting Rights Museum

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Alabama State University, Untenese and Mobile Branch and University of Alabama, Oakwood University, Broad Street and Water Avenue, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Participation in Worship Services 10AM–2PM Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Youth and College Civic Engagement Voter Activation 8AM–2PM Broad Street and Water Ave, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing 11:15PM – Line up Alabama NAACP Tent on Waters Ave or at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma

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Alabama

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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Alabama

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.

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