Gary Palmer, Alabama Policy Institute

The Alabama Public Service Commission recently held a public hearing concerning Alabama Power Company rates. But the hearing was really about an effort initiated by environmental groups determined to impose cap-and-trade type regulations on Alabama Power.

For the first time in my memory, the PSC was brought into a debate that is really outside their scope of responsibilities. Other than setting rates, they have no regulatory authority.

Under the guise of pressing for lower rates for lower-income household customers, these environmental groups are actually attempting to make the case for replacing Alabama Power’s coal-fired generating plants with renewable energy facilities. The impression they were trying to create is that the coal-fired plants, especially the older ones, are releasing dangerous levels of pollutants into Alabama’s air. In fact, number one on the Southern Environmental Law Center’s list of objectives is “Place stringent limits on nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide at Alabama Power’s Gorgas, Gaston, and Miller power plants, and make sure that the company follows through on installing and operating control devices to maximize emissions reductions throughout the year.”

However, an examination of the federal government’s most recent reports on air quality shows a dramatic reduction in the emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. According to the EPA, there have been no violations by Alabama cities of the EPA standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) since 1980. That’s more than 30 years with no violations.

In regard to sulfur dioxide (SO 2), the EPA uses two different measurements: 99th percentile score in a one-hour period and the 2nd highest maximum in a 24-hour period. The baseline 99th percentile in one hour for SO 2 is 75 parts per billion (ppb). Birmingham hasn’t violated this standard since 2003 and no city in Alabama has violated this standard since 2005.

The baseline for 2nd highest maximum in a 24-hour period is 140 ppb. The only city to violate this standard has been Scottsboro, and that was in 1980.

If environmental groups are successful in their effort to shut down coal-fired plants, it will have a devastating impact on the Alabama economy and in turn, on households.

The Energy Information Administration estimates that electricity generated from renewable sources will be significantly more expensive. Electricity generated from biomass will cost 34 percent more than electricity produced from combined-cycle, natural gas-fired power plants. Geothermal power will cost 39 percent more; onshore wind turbine power will be 80 percent more expensive; thermal-solar will be over 300 percent more; and photovoltaic 480 percent more.

During the debate over cap-and-trade, the Heritage Foundation published a study showing the economic impact on a state-by-state basis. If cap-and-trade had passed in Congress, new regulations would have reduced Alabama’s Gross State Product (GSP) by almost $2 billion in the first year alone. In addition, the personal income would have decreased by $2.7 billion and almost 24,000 jobs would have been lost in the first year.

Energy costs for households with annual income below $50,000 already amount to about 20 percent of their disposable income and about 23 percent for households with annual incomes less than $30,000, including 31.5 million senior citizen households.

A study by the Tax Foundation showed that passage of federal cap-and-trade legislation would have had a particularly heavy impact on low-income households. Households earning between $30,000 – $39,999 would have seen their energy cost increase by almost $960 per year and $845 more per year for those earning $20,000 – $29,999 making cap-and-trade type regulations extremely burdensome and regressive on low-income households.

Alabama has become one of the most attractive places in the world to locate a business as evidenced by our success in landing majoring manufacturing companies in automotive, aerospace, steel, and now, aircraft.

One of the major factors in our success has been our low energy costs. Given the economic progress that we have made and considering the tremendous improvements in air and water quality, it seems foolhardy for us allow outside environmental groups to undermine and harm our economy under the guise of protecting Alabama Power customers from excessive rates.

Their true agenda is to eliminate all coal-fired and nuclear power generation and to force the power generation companies in Alabama to convert to renewable energy sources. But doing so will come at a high price for our economy and for all consumers, particularly lower income families.

Gary Palmer is president of the Alabama Policy Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of free markets, limited government and strong families, which are indispensable to a prosperous society. For information or comments, contact Gary Palmer, 205.870.9900 or at garyp@alabamapolicy.org.

What else is going on?
1. Leftwing Washington Post Writer finds Sessions-Bashing Friend in AL.com
2. Apple CEO (& Auburn Grad) Tim Cook Bashes U.S. Tax System
3. EXCLUSIVE: Shelby Discusses His Economic Development Vision for Alabama
4. Legislature Rejects Bentley Amendment, Pushes Forward With Accountability Act
5. Gun Bill Passes Legislature, Goes to Governor

Over the last 30 years, Jeff Sessions as a U.S. Senator and as a political nominee has faced some disgraceful attacks that have associated him with racism, particularly coming out of the media.

Going back to 1986, when Sessions was nominated by President Ronald Reagan for a federal judgeship, his opponents, including then-Senator Joe Biden, accused him of having used racist language and condemned him for having an outspoken stance on the politics of the NAACP.

His confirmation failed when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted not to allow his nomination to proceed to the Senate floor despite the protestations of the ranking Republican committee member, then-Alabama Republican Sen. Jeremiah Denton.

U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions

Sessions would go on the Alabama Attorney General, then U.S. Senator. Biden has since said that he was completely wrong about Sessions, and deeply regretted how the federal judgeship hearings played out. But even since becoming a member of the U.S. Senate, the completely unfounded racial attacks have continued to be employed by Sessions’ political opponents — including members of the media.

As the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee during Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominations of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, any resistance Sessions showed against the president and his two nominees was deemed “racial politics” in some corners of the media, with his failed 1986 federal court nomination used as circumstantial evidence to back up the claim.

And the same seems to be case in Sessions’ latest fight as a stalwart opponent of the bipartisan effort of the so-called “Gang of Eight” now being waged in the U.S. Senate.

Writing for The Washington Post on Monday, Dana Milbank equated Sessions with former Democratic Alabama Gov. George Wallace, known for his pro-segregation stands highlighted by his 1963 “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” at the University of Alabama.

“Not since George Wallace, perhaps, has an Alabamian taken as passionate a stand for a lost cause as the one Jeff Sessions is taking now,” Milbank wrote.

Milbank, seemingly disdainful of Sessions’ cause, used invective throughout his 750-word screed to describe the Alabama senator, referring to him as a “wiry Southerner” with his “his trademark twang” and “petulant” responses.

That’s come to be expected of Dana Milbank, who once took it too far for his media colleagues when he suggested “Mad Bitch Beer” for Hillary Clinton. He’s a Washington Post scribe with liberal leanings and the delusions of being a clever writer.

Dog bites man, right? Yale-educated lefty hates on Republican Alabama senator.

That wasn’t the case according to Charles Dean of The Birmingham News. Dean determined there was some news value in Milbank’s essay that needed to be showcased to AL.com readers that might have missed it.

“Milbank points out that no senator has talked more during the committee hearings – almost 3 hours total – but that just two of Sessions 49 amendments to the Gang of Eight bill have been approved,” Dean wrote. “And Milbank correctly points out that Sessions efforts to kill the immigration bill are being turned aside not just by Democrats but by fellow Republicans. Sessions has been the leading opponent of the immigration bill charging that the bill will only make worse the nation’s immigration problems.”

That begs the question: If Milbank’s take on Sessions is noteworthy, given he is a frequent guest on MSNBC and as a platform with the Post, will Dean put forth the effort when the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Mark Levin speak in praise of Sessions, given they have further reach than Milbank?

I wouldn’t count on it.

Jeff Poor is the media reporter for the Washington, D.C.-based Daily Caller. He is also a columnist for Mobile-based Lagniappe and a Yellowhammer contributor. He is a graduate of both Auburn University and the University of South Alabama.

What else is going on?
1. Apple CEO (& Auburn Grad) Tim Cook Bashes U.S. Tax System
2. EXCLUSIVE: Shelby Discusses His Economic Development Vision for Alabama
3. Legislature Rejects Bentley Amendment, Pushes Forward With Accountability Act
4. Gun Bill Passes Legislature, Goes to Governor
5. IRS Protest to Take Place Tuesday in Birmingham

So what does Apple do with all of that money?

In 2011, while the U.S. government debated whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, Apple had more cash on hand ($76 billion) than the U.S. Treasury ($74 billion). Since then, the size of Apple’s stash has almost doubled. As of a month ago, Apple had an astounding $145 billion in cash reserves.

That’s all well and good, but Uncle Sam started growing restless when he realized he couldn’t get his hands on the profits that Apple has been earning overseas. So the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent subcommittee on Investigations decided it was time to bring in Apple CEO Tim Cook to explain himself.

Prior to the hearing, members of the subcommittee said they had documentation showing Apple had dodged taxes on $44 billion in income during a three year period between 2009 and 2012. In reality, it appears Apple had simply chosen not to bring money made overseas back into the United States because the IRS would rob them at the border.

“We do have a lower tax rate outside the United States. But this tax rate is for products that we sell outside the United States, not within,” Cook said during his voluntary testimony before the subcommittee. “There’s no shifting going on… We pay all the taxes we owe, every single dollar.”

Cook said that Apple is “likely the largest corporate income tax payer in the U.S.” And suggested the government quit pestering companies and instead fix its own broken tax system that “has not kept pace with the advent of the digital age and the rapidly changing global economy.”

Arizona Senator John McCain wasn’t impressed.

Apple CEO Tim Cook

“Apple claims to be the largest U.S. corporate tax payer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America’s largest tax avoiders,” he said. “Apple’s corporate tax strategy reflects a flawed corporate tax system — and it’s a system that allows large multinational corporations to shift profits offshore to low-tax jurisdictions.”

…Allows…? How about forces?

America’s outrageous corporate tax system demands anyone with a brain avoid it by any legal means available.

Senator Rand Paul chimed in that he was offended by the proceedings.

“Tell me a politician who is up here and doesn’t try to minimize his taxes,” the Kentucky Senator demanded. “I am offended by a government… that convenes a hearing to bully one of America’s greatest success stories. If anyone should be on trial here, it should be Congress. I frankly think the committee should apologize to Apple.”

Instead of grilling their CEO about why Apple chooses not to bring profits earned overseas back into America, why don’t we reduce or abolish our highest-in-the-world (35%) corporate tax rate so that the smart play is to bring money into the country, instead of keep it out?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the almost $2 TRILLION dollars in corporate profits currently sitting offshore flooded back into the country to create jobs and opportunities right here at home?

Unfortunately, it seems most elected officials in Washington are more concerned with finding ways to funnel more money into the coffers of the American government, rather than into the pockets of the American people.

Shelby recently returned to the States after visiting Toulouse and London, where he and Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran went to recruit suppliers for Airbus’s new south Alabama manufacturing plant to come to their respective states. The Airbus facility represents a $600 million total investment and is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs within the production facility when it reaches full capacity. The competition to recruit their suppliers will be intense.

The model of landing a major manufacturer, then following it up by recruiting its suppliers is one that Shelby is very familiar with.

He played a key role in bringing Mercedes-Benz and their suppliers to Alabama in the 1990s after a visit to Stuttgart, Germany.

“I’m drawing on the experience we gained while dealing with Mercedes-Benz,” Shelby said. “We went to Stuttgart and met with them. Mercedes had suppliers they were familiar with and we did everything we could to make sure they followed their manufacturer to Alabama. Many of them did.”

There are now over forty German suppliers located in West Alabama.

Similarly, Shelby believes that, in order to maximize Airbus’s economic impact, Alabama must successfully recruit as many of their suppliers as possible.

“In the next two to three years, you’ll see a lot of these small businesses locate in Alabama,” he said. “But we’re not through. I’m going back to Germany because that is where a lot of Airbus’s suppliers are based. We have to take full advantage of what’s going on in Mobile.”

If the potential Airbus is bringing with it is fully realized, Shelby believes it could be transformational for south Alabama’s economy.

“When the Von Braun rocket team came to Huntsville, it transformed the city. When Mercedes came to Tuscaloosa, it transformed west Alabama’s economy. Airbus and its suppliers are in a position to bring that kind of transformation to Mobile.”

When I asked him to talk about his recruiting pitch to companies overseas, the Senator seemed to focus on three main points: “Alabama is a great place to do business. It’s a great place to live. And our workforce is the best in the world,” he would tell them.

The third point, workforce development, is something that Senator Shelby has been working on for decades.

He chose early on in his political career to constantly take his message straight to the people. He visits every county in Alabama, every single year.

He recently held his 1,800th town hall meeting — an unbelievable accomplishment considering most politicians confine themselves to D.C. after winning a couple of terms and basically assuring themselves re-election.

Shelby realized after holding town halls around the state that Alabama’s college and university facilities were not on par with some of the top notch institutions around the country.

“I noticed our facilities didn’t look like MIT’s or Stanfords,” he told Yellowhammer. “I was sitting on the Appropriations Committee watching all this money going to Harvard and Yale. I realized if Alabama was able to get some of those resources, it would pay off generation after generation.”

Shelby Hall, University of South Alabama

He has since been able to bring hundreds of millions of dollars to our state’s universities to build math, science and engineering complexes.

“We now have first-class facilities at Alabama, South Alabama, Auburn, Alabama-Huntsville, and Alabama-Birmingham,” Shelby said with satisfaction. “Alabama has some of the finest math, science and engineering institutions in the country.”

And while the complexes will no doubt pay off for decades to come, they’ve also become a huge selling point for new companies considering locating in Alabama right now.

“It’s an investment in the future that’s already paying off in the present.” Shelby intoned. “Airbus is excited about working closely with the University of South Alabama’s engineering program.”

When asked to further elaborate on his longterm economic development vision for the state, Shelby said he also sees further development opportunities for the Port of Mobile, especially now that Airbus is moving in.

Specifically, he wants to widen and deepen the port so that it can handle larger ships — and a lot more of them.

Massive projects like that are only made possible when someone with a lot of horsepower can set the process in motion.

Alabama’s congressional delegation is ranked the sixteenth most powerful in the country in Roll Call’s latest “Clout Index,” which scores the influence each state has on national affairs. This is significant considering Alabama ranks as the twenty-third most populous state.

One of the main reasons for Alabama’s strength in Washington is Senator Shelby’s position on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

He flexed his muscle on the committee recently when he secured money to do a study on the feasibility of widening Mobile’s port.

“The study is the first step toward my vision is to widen and deepen the Port of Mobile,” Shelby said. “I want the port to be able to handle some of the biggest ships in the world.”

Shelby explained that the Port of Mobile is basically a straight shot from the Panama Canal. The increased capacity could position Mobile to become a world center of trade and commerce. Another economic boom would no doubt follow.

“This is going to be a ten to twelve year process,” he said.

And that statement illustrates what may be Shelby’s greatest strength — his longevity. It has allowed him to keep from getting bogged down in whatever is the latest scandal in Washington. Instead of riding the political roller coaster in D.C., he has consciously worked to focus on economic development projects back home in Alabama that could take years, even decades to come to fruition.

“All of this is about jobs and the future, and upgrading the standard of living for all Alabamians,” Shelby concluded. “It all starts with making sure the world knows that Alabama is open for business.”

Republican’s landmark school choice bill, the Alabama Accountability Act, will go into effect immediately, in spite of efforts by the Governor to delay it for two years.

The House of Representatives around lunch time voted 57-10 to non-concur with the Governor’s executive amendment to delay the Act’s implementation, then voted 59-6 to override his veto. The Senate voted 19-15 to concur with the House.

Governor Bentley immediately took to Twitter to voice his displeasure.

House members made a mistake by rejecting my executive amendment on the #AccountabilityAct.

— Gov.Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) May 20, 2013

This executive amendment was fiscally responsible. The Legislature rejecting my amendment is fiscally irresponsible.

— Gov.Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) May 20, 2013

The Governor has ratcheted up the rhetoric over the last few days, consistently calling the legislature “fiscally irresponsible” in both public appearances and in statements to the press. While rumors of tension between the Governor and legislative leadership have been overblown the last few years, this unexpected confrontation has put both sides of South Union Street on edge.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard downplayed the disagreement as nothing more than a difference of opinion over process, not vision.

“The Governor and the legislature have the same goal: eliminating failing schools and helping children get the best education possible in the state of Alabama. We simply have a difference of opinion in the way that is accomplished,” Hubbard said.

But many Republicans in the legislature feel like the Governor flip-flopped and left them in the fox hole by themselves. Meanwhile, many in the Capitol feel like the legislature should show more deference to the Governor’s leadership.

It is probably good timing for the legislative session to be coming to a close. Time and distance will give frayed nerves time to heal.

What else is going on?
1. Gun Bill Passes Legislature, Goes to Governor
2. IRS Protest to Take Place Tuesday in Birmingham
3. What to watch for on the final day of the 2013 session
4. Rubio Out-raising Paul 2 to 1
5. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations

The final bill was the product of a compromise between the National Rifle Association, The Alabama Sheriffs’ Association and the Alabama District Attorneys’ Association.

“Achieving this compromise required a long journey with a lot of back and forth among law enforcement, business representatives and gun rights activists, but we finally found the right mix,” Rep. Ed Henry, the bill’s House sponsor, said.

“While not perfect, SB 286 is an important step in the right direction for the law-abiding gun owners in Alabama and residents of other states traveling to and through Alabama,” The National Rifle Association said in a release.

The Business Council of Alabama, however, remained unsupportive to the end.

BCA President & CEO Billy Canary said his organization, which represents the state’s business community, did not support the legislation because it would require businesses to allow employees to keep a gun in their car at work. Canary cited the Fifth Amendment and said the bill “erodes the constitutional property rights of businesses.”

But House Speaker Mike Hubbard said it was important to address the issues with Alabama’s gun laws now in light of the Obama Administration’s continued attempts to infringe on our Second Amendment rights.

“With President Obama dead set on limiting our right to bear arms, it was imperative for us to push legislation that would defend this important constitutional right for Alabamians,” Hubbard said.

The NRA said the bill, if signed by the Governor, “will restore and protect the rights of responsible gun owners and sportsmen in Alabama by reforming the state gun laws in the following ways:

• Allows those who possess a valid Alabama pistol permit to keep firearms stored in their vehicle while at work, as well as allowing those who possess a valid Alabama hunting license to store an unloaded rifle or shotgun in their vehicle while at work.
• Allows transportation of a handgun in a vehicle without an Alabama pistol permit as long as the handgun is unloaded, locked in a container and out of reach of the driver or passenger.
• Shifts the current “May Issue” concealed carry permit system to a “Shall Issue” permit system and requires that a sheriff must issue or deny the carry permit within thirty days.  Should someone be denied a permit, a written denial must be provided and that applicant would have an opportunity to appeal the denial.
• A permit to carry a concealed pistol shall be good for one to five years (to be decided by the applicant seeking the carry permit).
• Requires sheriffs to use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct a background check on concealed pistol permit applicants.
• Allows for all other valid state-issued permits to carry a concealed firearm to be recognized in Alabama.
• Strengthens Alabama’s firearms preemption statute by reserving for the state legislature complete control over regulation and policy relating to firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories in order to ensure that such regulation is applied uniformly throughout the state.
• Extends the current Castle Doctrine to include places of business to ensure the right of self-defense does not end when you enter your business.

What else is going on?
1. IRS Protest to Take Place Tuesday in Birmingham
2. What to watch for on the final day of the 2013 session
3. Rubio Out-raising Paul 2 to 1
4. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations
5. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice

The protest is a part of a national movement dubbed the “Rein in the IRS Rallies” by the national conservative grassroots organization Tea Party Patriots.

According to a press release sent out by a Birmingham Tea Party group known as the Rainy Day Patriots, they are protesting the IRS’s targeting of Tea Party organizations, which was recently revealed by IRS official Lois Lerner.

At least two Tea Party organizations in Alabama, the Mobile-based tea party group Common Sense Campaign and the Wetumpka Tea Party, are known to have been targets of IRS. The Rainy Day Patriots told Yellowhammer that the struggles those groups endured prompted them to forego attempts to attain tax exempt status.

“This IRS debacle is only the tip of the iceberg. In order to intimidate us into silence, we have been portrayed as somehow being dangerous which necessitated the need to be watched and neutralized,” the Rainy Day Patriots said in a statement. “We are thrilled to hear that the facts are finally being reported instead of the misinformation that has been disseminated. There are no greater patriotic and honest Americans than the members of the Tea Party.”

In addition to protesting the IRS, the Rainy Day Patriots say they are also protesting amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The protest is being held Tuesday, May 21, from noon-1:30 at the corner of Lakeshore Parkway and Tom Martin Drive in Birmingham. For more information visit RainyDayPatriots.org.

What else is going on?
1. What to watch for on the final day of the 2013 session
2. Rubio Out-raising Paul 2 to 1
3. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations
4. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice
5. Scandals Engulf D.C.

Monday is the final day of the 2013 legislative session. Both budgets have already passed, which would normally indicate there could be a lot of action Monday. But Senate Democrats have been using every dilatory tactic in the book lately. Whether or not much work actually gets done depends on whether or not Senate Republicans can reach an accord with the Democrats.

Local bills will be up first when the Senate goes into session at 9 a.m. There are 84 local bills on the calendar. The Senate will likely spend the entire morning up to lunch getting through them. After that everything is up in the air. The ensuing special order calendar would probably contain about 50 bills. But if Democrats stall, the Senate may only get to a couple of them.

Here are a few things to look out for in the Senate:

1. Campaign finance reform
Senator Bryan Taylor’s campaign finance reform bill (SB445) would implement numerous changes to make Alabama’s campaign finance laws clearer and more enforceable — including removing the $500 cap on donations a corporation can give to a candidate.

Governor Bentley has said he will veto the bill if it allows any form of PAC to PAC transfers. As of right now it looks like this bill will probably go to conference committee where they will tweak it to the point it would be acceptable to the Governor.

2. Religious Liberty Act
This bill was a part of the House Republicans’ “We Dare Defend Our Rights” agenda, and would allow religiously affiliated or motivated employers to opt out of the ObamaCare contraceptive mandate. This is a bill that Senate Democrats may go out of their way to kill.

3. Spay/neuter bill
Rep. Patricia Todd’s Veterinary Practice Act (HB188) passed the House in early April after an organized lobbying effort by animal rights activists.

According to AL.com, “Under current Alabama law, only licensed veterinarians may hire other veterinarians and only a licensed Alabama veterinarian may be the owner of a veterinary practice. [The Veterinary Practice Act] would add an exemption to allow the non-profit clinics to hire veterinarians.”

Word is that this is one of the bill’s Senate Republicans and Democrats have both agreed to bring to the floor for a vote.

4. Voter registration deadline
Rep. Wes Long’s bill to move the voter registration deadline from ten days before an election to seventeen days before an election has sparked the usual cries from Democrats that Republicans are working to suppress the votes of minorities. On the other side, the Alabama Association of the Boards of Registrars is on fire about this bill, and have been pushing hard for its passage. The changes would have to be approved by the Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act. The bill passed the House in late April.

5. Confirmations
There are a pile of confirmations that the Senate has not yet been able to get to. If Democrats slow Senate business to a crawl on Monday, dozens of appointments could go unconfirmed. Some boards and commissions could potentially not have enough members to have a quorum. Governor Bentley has indicated that he would consider calling a special session if that was the case.

Down in the House, Governor Bentley’s executive amendment to the Accountability Act will be the main thing to watch. As of a little before midnight on Sunday, the vote count on the amendment was very close. Democrats are planning to vote with the Governor. Most Republicans — with a few, mostly expected exceptions — are sticking to their guns.

Here are a couple of other bills to lookout for:

1. Drug testing for welfare recipients
Senator Trip Pittman’s bill would require drug testing for welfare recipients with a history of drug abuse. The bill passed the Senate in late April and shouldn’t have any problems getting through the House.

2. Omnibus Gun Bill
After being debated, tweaked and sent to conference committee, the Senate passed the NRA-backed omnibus gun bill the first week in May. The House will be taking it up today and should pass it with no problem.

What else is going on?
1. Rubio Out-raising Paul 2 to 1
2. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations
3. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice
4. Scandals Engulf D.C.
5. Rumors & Rumblings

Doug Stafford, a top Paul aide, told the Washington Examiner last week that Senator Paul raised $1.5 million in the first fourt months of the year. That is a brisk pace of $12,500 a day.

Paul has picked up a lot of his father’s small-dollar donors from the libertarian wing of the Republican Party. His fundraising efforts have also benefited from his increased national profile, which came as a result of his 13-hour filibuster of the Obama Administration’s drone policies.

A Gallup poll showed Paul’s filibuster had a profound effect on public opinion across demographic and ideological lines. “Support for targeting American citizens suspected of being terrorists abroad dropped 13 points among Republicans, 17 points among Democrats, and a whopping 23 points among Independents,” Business Insider pointed out — further proof that the younger Paul is moving the needle in ways his father never did.

But Paul struggles, in much the same way his father did, to pull in large dollar donations. That is where his Senate colleague Marco Rubio has separated himself to this point from his potential 2016 rival.

According to The Run 2016, a blog devoted entirely to the 2016 presidential race, “Rubio raised $2.3 million during just the first three months of the year.” That’s a blistering pace of $25,555 a day, giving Rubio an almost 2-1 advantage over Paul in three-fourths the time.

“Many top GOP fundraisers believe Rubio will be the undisputed fundraising king for the 2016 GOP nomination, because of his unique ability to raise both small-dollar grassroots money and nail down the big checks from mega-donors,” The Run 2016′s David Catanese wrote.

There’s a lot of time between now and 2016, but Rubio’s proving early that he’s the fundraiser to beat.

In other fundraising news, the National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the month of April, bringing in $3.56 million to the Democrats’ $3.54 million.

According to the Washington Post, “It’s the first month the NRSC has won this cycle, though the difference was small. The NRSC said it ended the period with about $7 million in the bank, while the DSCC ended with $8.6 million in the bank.”

Before we can fully turn our attention to the 2016 presidential race, we’ll be watching this cycle to see if Republicans can win six seats and regain control of the Senate.

What else is going on?
1. Shelby Sees Similarities Between Obama & Nixon Administrations
2. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice
3. Scandals Engulf D.C.
4. Rumors & Rumblings
5. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party

Senator Richard Shelby said today in an interview with Now This News that he sees a lot of similarities between the Obama Administration and the Nixon Administration. “It reminds me of the old dark days we’ve had around here,” Shelby said. “I was hoping we would never go back to this.”

Here are some other notable quotes from the interview, which can be viewed in its entirety in the video above.

On the IRS:

“If laws were broken, and they probably were, then people ought to be prosecuted.”

“My feeling is it probably came from higher up. Did it come directly from the White House? I don’t know, but we should find out.”

When asked if this is a low point for the Obama White House, Shelby said, “Absolutely. I think a lot of things have come together — a lot of things we feared.”

On Benghazi:

“We knew something was wrong about Libya… They were trying to sell a narrative to the American people that was not true. And the Administration got caught on it.”

On similarities between the Obama and Nixon Administrations:

“Now we have found out that they have used the IRS inappropriately… and they’re attacking the AP… There are a lot things wrong with this Administration… A lot of the American people are just now beginning to find it out.”

“Using the IRS, missusing the Attorney General’s office, not telling the truth to the American people about Libya… That’s what wrecked the Nixon Administration, and that’s what I believe is going to wreck this Administration. “

On Obama’s legacy:

“I don’t see a great legacy. He might see that he’s building one. I think historians will look at it differently.”

[Details from Yellowhammer's exclusive interview with Senator Shelby will be posted next week. Stay Tuned.]

What else is going on?
1. Alabama Should Push Forward with School Choice
2. Scandals Engulf D.C.
3. Rumors & Rumblings
4. Luther Strange weighs actions over IRS-tea party scandal
5. Campaign finance reform to get a shot on last day of session