Glenn Stephens

Spending Oversight Bill Clears Legislature, But Not in Time to Avoid Possible Veto

MONTGOMERY -- Last week, as debate in the House of Representative raged into the night on the issue of gambling, lawmakers quietly gave final approval to a bill seeking more legislative oversight of government agencies’ spending, including that of the executive branch. But it didn’t pass in time to avoid a possible veto by the governor. As originally written and passed by the House earlier in the session, Rep. Mike Jones’ House Bill 392 would have required any state agency or department planning to spend more than $10 million or 5% of their annual appropriation from the General Fund, whichever is less, to first be approved by a new oversight committee. However, the bill’s reach was scaled back considerably in the Senate. Instead of a new legislative panel, the Senate version gave oversight to the existing Legislative Contract Review Committee. It also removed the Legislature’s ability to delay contracts until the next legislative session. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

310 New COVID-19 Cases, Seven Deaths in Tuesday Report

Alabama recorded 310 new cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths from the disease in Tuesday's update by the state Department of Public Health. There have been 531,404 cases of the coronavirus through the course of the pandemic. The number of deaths rose to 10,985 in Tuesday's daily report. Alabama hospitals have reported 49,362 COVID-19 inpatients since the pandemic began in March 2020. There were 362 patients from the coronavirus on Sunday. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Legislative Briefs: Raising Age for Nicotine Purchases, Extend Daylight Saving Time

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Legislature met for the 29th day of the 30-day regular session Thursday. Here are the highlights from the State House.  Lawmakers approved and sent to the governor a bill that would raise the age for buying tobacco products, including vaping products, to 21 years old. A bill that would allow the state to adopt permanent daylight saving time, if the federal government approves it, passed its final vote on Thursday. Rep. Ritchie Whorton, R-Owens Cross Road, said this will help with economic growth by allowing businesses to operate longer and improve the overall health of Alabamians. A billl that would let newer teachers in the state roll over each year thier sick leave and get paid for unused days upon retirement was approved by the Senate. It goes to the House for agreement on an amendment added by the Senate. Proponents want to erase some of the “disparity” between Tier I and Tier II benefit recipients. The Senate approved a bill to undo a nearly three-decade ban on the practice of yoga in public schools. It goes back tot the House for approval of amendments. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Alabama Adds 314 New Cases of COVID-19, 20 Deaths

Alabama added 314 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths from the disease in Friday's daily updated by the state Department of Public Health. There have been 530,325 cases of the coronavirus in the state since the pandemic began in March 2020. The state averaged 343 new cases a day over the past week, compared to averages of 349 last Friday and 295 a day one month ago. ADPH has recocrded 10,966 deaths from the coronavirus. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Percentage of Positive Tests for COVID-19 Continues to Decline in Alabama

The average percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Alabama declined this week to its lowest level in a year. The daily average rate of positivity dropped Wednesday to 5.67% and stood at 5.79% on Thursday, the Bama Tracker website reported. That was the lowest percentage since an average of 5.32% was reported on March 5, 2020. The 7-day average reached a high of 37.98% on Jan. 5. Health officials generally regard a rate of 5% or lower to be acceptable. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 436 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, plus another 129 cases that were reported on a delayed basis from previous days. The state has averaged 338 cases a day over the past week. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Redistricting Process Starts in the Legislature with Contentious First Meeting

MONTGOMERY -- A lack of data and a lot of personalities appear to be specific challenges for the group of lawmakers tasked with redrawing the district maps that will be used in state and federal elections in Alabama for the next 10 years. The Alabama Legislature's Joint Reapportionment Committee on Tuesday met for the first time in this round of post-Census redistricting to discuss a framework for how the process will play out. The panel is charged with developing new maps for Alabama's seven congressional districts, eight state school board seats, 35 state Senate seats and 105 seats in the state House of Representatives. Actual maps are a long way off, however, as the U.S. Census Bureau won't have the district-level data ready until August, committee leaders said. Read more.

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

Harris: Herd Immunity Possible by Mid-Summer if Vaccine Rate Increases

MONTGOMERY --  Alabama could reach herd immunity from COVID-19 by mid-summer, the state's top doctor told lawmakers on Wednesday. But it could take longer if the vaccination rate continues to decrease. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said around 70% of the state, or 3.5 million Alabamians, will need to either be fully vaccinated or have antibodies from previous infections in order for the state to reach a level of immunity that will stop significant spread of the disease. “If we reach herd immunity, what we’ll see is a dramatic decrease in cases, but it’s unlikely that it will ever completely disappear,” Harris said. The daily number of vaccinations has been steadily decreasing since the beginning of April, which Harris said could be attributed to several factors, chief among them being vaccine hesitancy. He said that has been evident in the African-American community as will as in white communities, especially in rural areas. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Consultant Chosen to Conduct Search for New Jefferson County Manager

Jefferson County commissioners learned Tuesday about the local company that will be tasked with looking for a new county manager. County Manager Tony Petelos, who announced his retirement recently, told commissioners at their committee meeting that Wheless Partners will conduct a nationwide search for his replacement. “They're going to be contacting all the commissioners to get input,” Petelos said. “I felt like having a local company would be better than having a company from out of state.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Judicial, DA Pay Changes Go to the Governor

MONTGOMERY -- A bill that would change the pay structure for judges around the state and give them a raise has been approved by the Legislature. Senate Bill 292 was amended in the House last week to also change the compensation schedule of district attorneys and the state attorney general. The Senate agreed in a 30-0 vote on Tuesday. The bill now goes to the governor. Current law says circuit judges' salaries are set by statute and then district and appellate judges and Supreme Court justices' salaries are based on circuit judges’ pay. Senate Bill 292 sets separate initial salaries for the various judges, as well as district attorneys and the attorney general, and provides for 7.5% raises each term. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Revamped Gambling Package Goes to House Floor

MONTGOMERY -- A wide-ranging gambling package advanced in the Alabama Legislature Tuesday and is expected to be considered on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday. The plan, which passed the Senate in April, would institute a lottery, authorize sports betting and legalize casinos around the state. It has since been awaiting action in the House of Representatives, where previous gambling legislation has struggled in recent years. There are three pieces of legislation: a constitutional amendment that would go before voters in November 2022 and two enabling bills fleshing out the details of gambling policy and enforcement procedures. Each passed through its respective House committee Tuesday. Read more. More from the Legislature: Judicial, DA Pay Changes Go to the Governor Bill Would Allow Police to Issue Citations Rather Than Make Arrests Read complete coverage of the Legislature

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News