Michael D. “Mike” Miles
Jefferson County Treasurer
Glenn Stephens
J.T. Smallwood, 2020 general election
Jefferson County Tax Collector
Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh
Alabama Public Service Commission President
Robert Mardis III
Alabama Public Service Commission President
Robin Litaker
Alabama Public Service Commission President
Legislature to Get Bills Addressing Needs of Alabama’s Troubled Prisons
MONTGOMERY -- In her state of the state address to open the current legislative session, Gov. Kay Ivey praised the work of a study group she appointed to “address the needs to rehabilitate those within our prison system” and said she looked forward to working with lawmakers “on bills specifically designed to address some of these issues.” Now it looks as if the rubber is about to hit the road. State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, one of six legislators on the prison study group and one of the Legislature’s experts on the overcrowded and violence-plagued prison system, said a package of prison bills that Ivey’s office is putting together could come forth next week, Ward said he said he may be the Senate sponsor of some of the bills. He also said he plans to hold hearings on the package before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is chairman. As described generally by Ward, the measures in the package reflect some of the recommendations of the study group, which issued a report earlier this year. The governor’s office said it had no comment. Read more.
Actions of Barr, Trump Create Potential Constitutional Crisis, Former U.S. Attorney Says
The actions of President Trump and Attorney General William Barr in the Roger Stone case have created a potential constitutional crisis, a former federal prosecutor from Birmingham said -- joining his protest to that of nearly 3,000 ex-officials of the Department of Justice. “As long as we have an attorney general and a president who cannot distinguish between politics and the rule of law, I think we are in a constitutional crisis,” said Henry Frohsin, who served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations. Frohsin was one of a number of former federal prosecutors from the Birmingham U.S. attorney’s office to sign a nationwide petition set up by the organization Protect Democracy. The petition calls for Barr to resign after Trump tweeted that the recommended sentence was too high for Stone, a Trump ally convicted of witness tampering, obstructing an investigation and five counts of perjury related to the independent counsel’s Russia investigation. Read more.
Ivey Budget Proposal Includes North Alabama Forensics Lab, Taylor Hardin Addition
Gov. Kay Ivey’s proposed 2021 General Fund budget includes money for a range of one-time projects focused on mental health, forensic sciences and youth services. Ivey’s budget includes funds for a new forensic science lab in North Alabama and more beds at one of the state’s three mental health hospitals in Tuscaloosa. Also, money for renovations at the Department of Youth Services’ residential facility near Montgomery is included in capital project line items totaling $95.3 million. Read more.
Jones Calls for Changes in the Impeachment Process
U.S. Senator Doug Jones today said that, in the aftermath of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, he’d like to see procedural changes that would streamline the process in the future. “We’re done, we’re through, we’re moving on. We’re already talking to colleagues about new legislation that we’ll be introducing, one of which may deal with this impeachment,” he said. “I’d like to see some new processes and new rules in place. There’s a lot of talk. There may be some things seen in the next couple or three weeks about that.” Jones made the remarks after speaking to a full house of Cumberland School of Law students and faculty at Samford University in a talk designed to give the future lawyers from his alma mater insight into how he thought through the process and reached what he said was not a political decision on his part. Read more.
Carter’s Pastor Picked by Trump to Help Former Prisoners Return to Society
Tony Lowden was at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday, speaking to the County Commission. Today, the pastor of former President Jimmy Carter was introduced as President Donald Trump’s appointment as “reentry czar” to help former prisoners as they step back into society. The appointment came during the President’s speech at the North Carolina Opportunity Now Summit in Charlotte. Read more.