Comeback Town: 8 ways Alabama is stupid

Comeback Town is an opinion column exploring all things Birmingham. It is coordinated by David Sher.

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I love this state and have spent my life working to push Birmingham and Alabama forward. But love does not require blindness. Some of the policies holding us back are not about Southern tradition or fiscal conservatism—they are simply counterproductive.

Here are eight areas where Alabama lags behind the rest of the country, costing residents either cold, hard cash or basic, everyday convenience.

1. The lottery drought

Alabama remains one of just five states in the nation without a lottery, leaving us in the company of Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. The result is a weekly exodus of Alabamians driving to Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, or Mississippi to purchase tickets. We are literally surrounded by states generating revenue from our own residents. Despite a 2026 bill passing the House 72-29, it died in the Senate by a single vote, leaving an estimated $118 million in annual education funding on the table.

2. Stifled gas price competition

Under the Alabama Motor Fuels Marketing Act, gas stations are prohibited from selling fuel below a specific defined cost, effectively banning loss-leader pricing. The Federal Trade Commission has argued that this law protects competitors rather than consumers, likely keeping prices artificially inflated.

3. The state-run liquor monopoly

In Alabama, every private liquor store, bar, and restaurant must purchase its inventory wholesale from the state at state-mandated prices. As one of only 17 “control states”, Alabama removes the competitive market forces that dictate pricing in the other 33 states.

4. Barriers to buying vehicles

Alabama remains one of roughly 14 states with a strict prohibition on manufacturer-owned car dealerships. This means you cannot buy a Tesla directly from the source, as manufacturer-owned stores are illegal here, forcing consumers to utilize third-party middlemen regardless of their preference.

5. Voting hurdles

While 47 states allow for no-excuse early voting, Alabama is one of only three—alongside Mississippi and New Hampshire—that offers no such option. If you cannot make it to the polls on Election Day, you are required to provide an approved excuse to secure an absentee ballot.

6. Forfeiting federal healthcare funds

Alabama is one of 10 states that has yet to expand Medicaid, even though the federal government would cover 90% of the cost. We have already forfeited roughly $4 billion in federal funding, a move that correlates with the closure of nine rural hospitals since 2009. While another rural hospital filed for bankruptcy just last week, neighbors like Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina have all expanded their programs.

7. Partisan judicial elections

Alabama stands as one of only five states that holds strictly partisan judicial elections, placing party labels directly on the ballot for every judgeship. According to Ballotpedia, this ensures that even our highest court seats are subject to the same partisan funding and campaign rhetoric seen in local politics.

8. Restrictions on transit funding

A 1952 constitutional amendment mandates that all state gas tax revenue be spent exclusively on roads and bridges. Alabama is one of three states that directs zero state money toward public transit. Consequently, Alabama has the highest per-person gasoline consumption in the nation, highlighting our total dependency on personal vehicles.

These are not insurmountable hurdles. Other states have navigated their way around these issues, and Alabama could do the same if we choose to change.