The American flag flying at Holman Correctional Facility on Oct. 22, 2019. A state senator last week said the price tag on a new men’s prison in Elmore County had grown to $1.2 billion, eating up nearly all the money the Legislature allocated in 2021 for the construction of two prisons. (FIle)
Most Alabama politicians call themselves fiscal conservatives. But in Alabama, fiscal conservatism is usually performative and never consistent.
We often hear boasts that Alabama balances its budgets. This is not a choice. Alabama, like every state except Vermont, has to pass a balanced budget every year. We might struggle to do that if the federal government didn’t pay for 73% of our Medicaid program…