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Florence city councilman weighs in on new historic marker that may be coming to downtown
By Jillian Kay Feb 9, 2024 Updated May 8, 2024 A new historic marker may be coming to downtown Florence. Leaders of " Project Say Something " are working to get one put up outside the Lauderdale County Courthouse near a controversial Confederate monument. Their goal is to educate the community about the Black experience during the Civil War. Camille Bennett leads Project Say Something. She says they're closer than ever to getting the change they say is necessary, and they a
Mar 132 min read
Start school day with prayer or lose funding: Proposed Alabama law will ‘end up in court,’ legislator warns
By Ruth Serven Smith | rserven@al.com https://www.al.com/news/2026/03/start-school-day-with-prayer-or-lose-funding-proposed-alabama-law-will-end-up-in-court-legislator-warns.html For three years, an Alabama lawmaker has argued that not enough schools say the Pledge of Allegiance or allow students to pray. He wants every public school in the state to begin their day with a prayer. “It’s just being exposed to what this country was built on -- in God we trust,” Rep. Reed Ingram
Mar 132 min read
Ledbetter prioritizes constitutional amendment to put prayer back in school; Bill on House floor Tuesday
Apryl Marie Fogel | 03.09.26 https://1819news.com/news/item/ledbetter-prioritizes-constitutional-amendment-to-put-prayer-back-in-school-bill-on-house-floor-tuesday House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) has fully endorsed State Rep. Reed Ingram's (R-Pike Road) bill to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to bring prayer back to schools. House Bill 511 (HB511) passed the House State Government Committee last week, despite testimony from a leftist who sa
Mar 132 min read
School prayer bills advance in two Alabama House committees
March 5, 2026 • By Trisha Powell Crain https://aldailynews.com/school-prayer-bills-advance-in-two-alabama-house-committees/ MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Two school prayer bills introduced by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, were approved in two Alabama House committees Wednesday, leaving lawmakers with competing proposals that could cost school districts millions of dollars if they refuse to comply. House Bill 43 passed the House Education Policy Committee, while House Bill 511 cleared
Mar 134 min read
Alabama House committee passes bill requiring school displays of Ten Commandments
By: Andrea Tinker -March 5, 2026 7:01 am A bill that would require schools to display the Ten Commandments advanced out of an Alabama House committee Wednesday. HB 216 , sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, would require fifth through 12th grade history classrooms to have a poster displaying the Ten Commandments. “We passed this out of the House off the floor last year,” Gidley told the House Education Policy committee. “I worked with the governor’s office and with m
Mar 132 min read
'Prioritizing Western Christianity and the Bible': Liberal activist opposing Ingram prayer bill gets schooled on nation's Christian roots by committee members
Apryl Marie Fogel | 03.05.26 https://1819news.com/news/item/over-objections-its-prioritizing-western-christianity-and-the-bible-from-racial-and-social-justice-activist-ingram-school-bill-passes-house-committee State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) presented his legislation on Wednesday afternoon to offer residents of the state a constitutional amendment to restore voluntary prayer and devotion time in schools and to mandate that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited daily in al
Mar 136 min read
Florence Council votes down marker 4-2
By Bernie Delinski Staff Writer Published: January 22, 2026 FLORENCE — City councilmembers who voted down a marker designed to give context to the Confederate monument outside the Lauderdale County Courthouse expressed a desire for unity. Those favoring the marker said history must be fully addressed before unity is reached. Council members denied a request to place the marker on the courthouse lawn by a 4-2 vote with Jackie Hendrix, Josh Bowling, Thomas Spence and Chapel Kin
Jan 244 min read
Florence City Council Votes to Suppress the Truth About Their Confederate Statue
By: Kevin M. Levin Published: Jan. 21, 2026 The issue at hand for the Florence (Alabama) City Council this week was not whether their Confederate statue would be removed. That question had essentially been settled by the state when it passed the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 , which which restricts removal or relocation of monuments older than 40 years without state approval and imposes penalties for unauthorized alteration. Rather, the question for the city coun
Jan 244 min read
Florence debates historical marker to add context to Confederate monument
Author: Valentina Chelala, FOX54 News Published: 8:46 AM CST January 19, 2026 Updated: 6:23 AM CST January 20, 2026 FLORENCE, Ala. — Florence City Council will debate placing a historical marker in front of the Lauderdale County Courthouse to provide context about the Confederate monument there during Tuesday night's meeting. The resolution would authorize city officials to have the marker manufactured, installed, and funded. Under Alabama law, the monument is considered his
Jan 242 min read
What We Lose When We Win: Exhaustion and the Fight Against Racist Repression
By: Camille Bennet Published June 21, 2022 ’m exhausted. It’s the same exhaustion I feel every year around this time. Until it’s over, my mind betrays my body into thinking that I don’t need to rest. As soon as the legislative session ends, tiredness creeps into my bones. But I’m not just tired in my body; my heart is also exhausted. My story is not unique. I am an organizer who works countless hours, day and night, to fight for my community in Alabama. The level of exhaustio
Oct 23, 20256 min read
House Public Safety Committee members raise concerns over police obstruction bill
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/03/20/house-public-safety-committee-members-raise-concerns-over-police-obstruction-bill/ By Alex Jobin Published on March 20, 2025 at 7:22 am CDT On Wednesday, the Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a public hearing on HB224 , a bill introduced by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-District 51, that would expand the definition of “obstructing governmental operations” to include any instance where a person “intentionally appro
Oct 23, 20254 min read
Project Say Something founder provides update on Florence Confederate statue marker
By Aria Pons https://www.waff.com/2025/10/01/project-say-something-founder-provides-update-florence-confederate-statue-marker/ LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. ( WAFF ) - The founder of Project Say Something, Camille Bennett, and the historical commission recently approved language for a historical marker to be placed next to a Confederate monument outside the Lauderdale County courthouse . Bennett says the marker is needed to give the statue historical context, since its removal is
Oct 1, 20251 min read
SB 247 Moves Forward: Now Is the Time to Say Something
Let’s be clear: this bill is not about safety. It’s about silencing dissent.
Apr 8, 20252 min read
Project Say Something Stands Firm Against HB 224: Defending the Right to Protest
Camille Bennett, founder and director of Project Say Something, voiced strong opposition on March 19th, opposing the bill during the committee hearing.
Apr 2, 20252 min read
HB 224: A Threat to Our Right to Protest and Hold Authorities Accountable
Sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, HB 224 seeks to amend existing laws related to obstructing governmental operations.
Apr 1, 20253 min read
SB 247: A Direct Attack on Our Right to Protest
Introduced by Senator Arthur Orr, SB 247 seeks to impose severe restrictions on protests in residential areas and near places of employment.
Mar 31, 20253 min read
Activists in Alabama city continue fight to contextualize Confederate monument
By Safiya Charles Source: https://www.splcenter.org/news/2024/08/30/activists-alabama-city-continue-fight-contextualize-confederate-monument The City Council meeting on May 7 was the last straw for Camille Bennett. Three months later, that frustration materialized into a 10-by-22-foot billboard along the main boulevard running through Florence, a scenic city along the Tennessee River in the northwest corner of Alabama. The billboard depicts two council members with a message
Aug 30, 20246 min read
Shoals nonprofit pays for billboard to denounce the votes of two councilmen
By Aria Pons Source: https://www.waff.com/2024/08/21/shoals-nonprofit-paid-billboard-denounce-votes-two-councilmen/ FLORENCE, Ala. ( WAFF...
Aug 20, 20243 min read
Florence City Council votes against historical marker
By: Archie Snowden Source: https://whnt.com/news/shoals/florence-city-council-votes-against-historical-marker/ FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) – On...
May 10, 20242 min read
Students, teachers and advocates fight against censorship in Alabama schools
By Rhonda Sonnenberg Senior Staff Writer Source: https://www.splcenter.org/news/2023/07/14/alabama-students-teachers-fight-censorship...
Jul 14, 20237 min read
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