Alabama

Opinion | Threat to democracy in Alabama: The tyranny of the minority

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Opinion | Threat to democracy in Alabama: The tyranny of the minority

Democracy, by its very essence, presupposes rule by the majority with due respect and safeguard for minority rights. The founding architects of the U.S. Constitution harbored deep concerns about “the tyranny of the majority,” crafting counterweights such as the Bill of Rights and an independent judiciary. These mechanisms were designed not to stifle the democratic voice but to ensure that no single faction could trample the varied mosaic of individual rights that underpin the United States.

Yet, here in Alabama, we witness an ironic and troubling inversion of this principle: a tyranny of the minority. A Republican supermajority in our state legislature is aggressively pushing agendas that roll back fundamental rights—women’s rights, parental rights in health and education decisions, and the freedoms tied to speech, diversity, and expression. These laws, often lacking widespread support, appear crafted to cater to a minority whose influence is disproportionately amplified by primary elections.

This minority governance manifests itself in how state-funded institutions are coerced into adhering to a narrowly conservative agenda. From restricting what books are available in schools and libraries to defining who gets to benefit from government financial aid, the legislative actions taken are more about control than genuine governance.

Consider the grim irony in Alabama, where female leadership does not translate to women’s autonomy. Our state, led by women in prominent roles, denies other women the most fundamental rights—those concerning their own bodies and life choices. The imposed definitions of womanhood and the legislative incursions into personal choice paint a chilling picture: women as mere vessels, their rights secondary to those of unborn or even potential lives.

Moreover, the state offers substantial financial support to wealthier families while neglecting essential programs like the Summer EBT, which offers a lifeline to poorer children when schools—often their primary source of meals—are out. The contradiction extends to the moral realm; our leaders readily spout religious virtues yet withhold compassion from those who differ in opinion or lifestyle.

This situation does not merely stem from political differences but signifies a systematic assault on the principles of democracy itself. The shift towards a government that does not reflect the diverse will of its people but rather the fears and biases of a shrinking majority cannot sustain itself without inflicting severe damage on the social and moral fabric of our society.

Progress is indeed not linear, and the battle for human rights, particularly women’s rights, is fraught with setbacks often masked as protective measures for family or tradition. These are not benign concepts when used as tools for political control and human rights violations.

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What we are experiencing is not just an erosion of democratic values but an active dismantling of democracy itself, cloaked in the garb of populism. This wave is not just a threat to the diversity and vibrancy of our state but also to the fundamental democratic promise of our nation.

The question that remains for Alabama and for America is this: How can we thrive as a diverse and democratic society if a vocal minority hijacks the liberties enshrined in our foundational documents? The answer lies in recognizing these maneuvers for what they are—a desperate grasp for control—and responding not just with outrage, but with concerted civic action to reclaim the democratic character that is meant to define us.

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Alabama

Texas vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Saturday, Jan. 10

Published

8 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Texas vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Saturday, Jan. 10

The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off a tough loss to Vanderbilt, but at 11-4 overall, they’re still in a great spot this season. On Saturday, they’ll host the Texas Longhorns, who are still seeking their first SEC win of the 2025-26 college basketball campaign.

Texas lost to Mississippi State in overtime and then lost by 14 points to Tennessee this past week. The oddsmakers now have them set as significant underdogs in this game, meaning a 0-3 start in conference play is likely. Let’s dive into it.

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

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Moneyline

Total

Dailyn Swain is leading Texas in points (15.6), rebounds (7.1), assists (3.5), and steals (1.8) per game. You’d be hard-pressed to find another team in college basketball where the same player leads the team in all four of those statistics. Alabama will have to shut him down to win and cover in this game.

The key factor in any Alabama game is how its opponent defends the perimeter. The Crimson Tide is primarily a three-point shooting team, which means the ability for their opponent to defend the three-ball plays a big role in how the game turns out.

Unfortunately, the Longhorns rank 223rd in the country in opponent three-point field goal percentage. They allow teams to shoot 34.4% from beyond the arc, which means Alabama, especially with the Crimson Tide being on their home court, has a chance to shoot the lights out on Saturday.

I’m going to lay the points on Alabama as a big favorite.

Pick: Alabama -13.5 (-110) via FanDuel

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Alabama

How an Alabama moonshiner’s whiskey became the official state drink – and stayed that way

Published

20 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

How an Alabama moonshiner’s whiskey became the official state drink – and stayed that way

Named after a famous 1940s Bullock County moonshiner who eventually served an 18-month federal prison sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base for producing illegal liquor, the Clyde May’s whiskey company was founded in Union Springs in 2001 by the bootlegger’s son, Kenny May.

Though the whiskey it produced was actually distilled in Kentucky, it was supposedly made using Conecuh Ridge spring water that was trucked there from Alabama.

In 2004, the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved a resolution naming the company’s “Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey” as the “Official State Spirit” of Alabama.

Gov. Bob Riley, a teetotaler who did not think the state should have an “official whiskey,” vetoed the resolution, but Democrat lawmakers quickly overrode his veto and allowed the resolution to take effect.

Shortly thereafter, in December of 2004, state liquor agents arrested Kenny May for selling liquor without a license, possessing excessive quantities of liquor in a dry county, and selling alcohol to a minor. He pled guilty to the charges.

Alabama’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board immediately moved to revoke Conecuh Ridge’s distribution license, meaning that once stores sold out of their existing stock, the state’s official spirit could no longer be sold in Alabama.

May’s stock was held in trust pending the outcome of his trial. Attorney Alva Lambert assumed interim leadership of the company.

After May entered his guilty plea, the Alabama House of Representatives moved to repeal the declaration of Conecuh Ridge as Alabama’s “Official State Spirit,” but the reversal legislation never passed the Alabama Senate. It remains the “Official State Spirit” today.
Kenny May passed away in 2016.

Owned and operated by a company based in New York today, Clyde May’s whiskey and bourbon is sold nationwide.
It’s flagship bottle is marketed as “Alabama-style” whiskey, and dried apples are added to the liquor as it ages in barrels, which imparts an apple/cinnamon flavor to the finished product.

Some like it, and some hate it, but all can agree the whiskey carries a fascinating political pedigree.

This story originally appeared in The Art of Alabama Politics, an outlet dedicated to the the wild, weird, and wonderful history of Alabama politics.

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Alabama

2026 Alabama Gymnastics Season Preview

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Ashley Johnston is entering her “senior season” as the Alabama gymnastics head coach at her alma mater. Of course, there is no such thing in coaching, but Johnston feels like she’s gotten to grow up alongside the Crimson Tide’s current senior class as both have spent four years in Tuscaloosa.

“We do always talk about how our senior class, we’re all seniors together as this is my fourth year now,” Johnston said. “And our senior class, we’ve grown, we’ve tweaked the recipe. We’ve really had a variety of experiences over the last three years, now going into our fourth.”

Alabama’s 2025 season ended in the NCAA semifinals. The Crimson Tide is looking to make it back to the finals for the first time since 2017. The road to get back there starts Friday at Clemson.

“We have to treat every meet like we’re competing against our own standard as we want to be a final four team in the country,” Johnston said. “That journey started in August. So this is just one more opportunity to practice being what we want to do this year.”

Schedule

The Alabama schedule features 11 opponents ranked in the preseason top-25, including the top-three teams (Oklahoma, LSU and Florida.) Week in and week out, the Crimson Tide will be competing against the best teams in the nation, which will prepare it for what it will face in postseason play.

Alabama will face the eight other SEC gymnastics teams at least once each in a dual meet format starting at Florida on Jan. 16 and wrapping up at home against Georgia on March 13. The Tide will travel to Norman to face defending national champion Oklahoma on Feb. 6. The first home meet is Jan. 23 against Missouri.

Clemson, Oregon State, North Carolina and Illinois make up the non-conference slate. Alabama will face North Carolina as part of a tri-meet with LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on March 1. Two days prior, the Tide will face LSU in a regular season dual meet.

There are two times this regular season where Alabama will compete on both Friday and Sunday of the same weekend. Johnston likes to do this to get the team prepared for the quick turnaround that happens between competitions during the NCAA postseason. The Tide will be well prepared for the gauntlet it could face in the postseason with the type of schedule it has in the regular season.

Roster

Alabama’s available roster is comprised of one graduate (Jordyn Paradise), three seniors (Gabby Gladieux, Natalia Pawlak and Rachel Rybicki) three juniors (Chloe LaCoursiere, Gabby Ladanyi and Jamison Sears), four sophomores (Love Birt, Ryan Fuller, Kylee Kvamme and Paityn Walker) and five “trailblazer” freshmen (Jasmine Cawley, Noella Marshall, McKenzie Matters, Azaraya Ra-Akbar and Derin Tanriyasukur.) Corinne Bunagan and Karis German will miss the entire season with injuries.

“These freshmen are trailblazers,” Walker said. “They’re like veterans, and I’m so proud of them and how they have come out of their shell.”

Paradise is returning from an injury that kept her out all of last season and will bring a veteran presence to the vault and uneven bars lineup. Birt also returns from injury and will make her Crimson Tide debut this season. The other sophomores are all coming off strong freshmen seasons and will look to continue making an impact for the Crimson Tide in 2026.

LaCoursiere, Cawley and Ra-Akbar are all names to watch for the all-around competition alongside Gladieux of course. Gladieux has been a steady contributor on all four events since her freshmen campaign. The senior has stepped into an even bigger leadership role heading into her final year.

“I think what I’m most excited about for Gabby is not just how she’s leading herself, but how she is leading others,” Johnston said. “I’ve been really excited to see how she has really broken through her own struggles and things that she has been trying to break down the walls of trying to be perfect all the time. I think learning how to be authentically herself, and by being authentically herself, she has really been an incredible role model for the rest of our team. So how that plays out on competition night is not just her worried about her own performances but her really looking around, leaning in and helping to bring in others— learning what it’s like to compete in a really fierce way. She is a fierce competitor, but I think she’s really grown to be able to look around and meet the needs of her teammates, and that’s what being a great team leader is all about.”

Outlook

Over and over this offseason, Johnston has emphasized that there will a lot of new routines in Alabama’s lineups from both new faces and returners. The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 8 in the preseason coaches poll and has a great mix of fresh talent and experienced depth.

It isn’t finals or bust for Alabama this season. Johnston has been building the program in a steady direction, but a Final Four appearance would go a long way. The SEC is always a challenge, now more than ever with parity from top to bottom. Johnston doesn’t want her team to be average, but she wants them to compete their average week after week to have ultimate success.

“I think this team has worked relentlessly to make sure they’re capitalizing on every half tenth, every possible way that they can increase their scoring potential,” she said. “This team’s talented. They’re excited. They’ve worked so incredibly hard, and I’m just excited for each of their stories to break through in their own unique and special way.”

Friday night

Alabama will open the season at Clemson on Friday at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. The Tigers are relatively new on the college gymnastics scene, only having a program since 2024. Clemson did not score higher than a 196.575 all of last season, but the Tigers are under new direction with first-year co-head coaches Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell.

This will be the first meeting between the two programs. Clemson traveled to Tuscaloosa last year for NCAA regionals, but the Tigers were not in the same session as Alabama and finished fourth in their session. The Tide should be the higher-scoring team on Friday night, but Johnston is more focused on learning how ready her team is.

“Clemson is going to be a great kind of litmus test for that,” Johnston said. “While they’re not an SEC competitor, their environment certainly is similar to what an SEC environment is going to look like. It’s going to be a sold-out crowd. I know they sold out tickets early when this meet was announced, so I think it’s going to be a really energetic, exciting environment.

“We’re going to be able to see how quickly our athletes are going to be able to adapt to the different feelings that they’re going to have. They’re going to be a little nervous, they’re gonna be a little stressed, they’re gonna want to be perfect…I’m most interested in seeing how they’re going to handle it, but at the same time, I trust that they’re going to handle it well. This team has worked really hard on handling hard moments where I think that’s our superpower. I think our strength as a team is that we’re able to step into the hardest moments and trust and know that we can get it done.”