Virginia Martin

Jefferson County Approves Working With UAB on Health Care Authority Agreement as Opposition Effort Dies

A last-ditch effort by Jefferson County commissioners Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson to delay a vote on an authority to govern indigent health care in Jefferson County failed today. Commissioners Jimmie Stephens, Joe Knight and Steve Ammons voted to approve the resolution to enter a due diligence period with UAB Health System to negotiate an agreement to create a University Healthcare Authority. Scales and Tyson voted no. “Today was unfortunate for the poor people, the vulnerable folks of Jefferson County as well as the employees of Jefferson County,” Scales said. “Employees are devastated. Employees feel the county has turned its back on them." Stephens viewed the action differently. “It’s going to be a great day for our indigent in Jefferson County,” the commission president said. “They will be able to receive state-of-the-art care from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. And from what I’ve heard today, I’m very much encouraged that our employees will be taken care of in this process also. Read more. Earlier this week:

Scales, Tyson Seek Delay in Vote Over Giving UAB Responsibility for Indigent Health Care

Jefferson County Commission Will Take Up Health Care Authority in Thursday’s Meeting Despite Concerns

Trash Talk: Why Doesn’t Birmingham Recycle More?

WBHM Some cities recycle more than others. Every Wednesday, Birmingham Recycling and Recovery gets a really skinny load from the city of Birmingham, a situation recycling advocates chalk up to a lack of education and awareness. Read more.

Ivey’s Approval Rating in Alabama Higher Than Trump’s

Gov. Kay Ivey has a higher approval rating in Alabama than President Donald Trump, according to a new poll released this week. Sixty percent of Alabamians approve of the job Ivey, elected to her first full term last year, is doing. Another 28 percent disapprove and 12 percent are not sure, according to a poll released today by Florida-based Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy. Read more.

Gun Surrender, Permit Bills Debated in Legislature

Alabama lawmakers debated two very different gun regulation bills on Wednesday. One would eliminate the need for permits to carry a concealed weapon; the other would allow for the court-ordered removal of weapons from someone who is considered to be dangerous. Read more.

Judge Rules Penny Is Mayor of Fairfield, but the Fight Is Not Over Yet

Circuit Judge Eugene Verin ruled that Eddie Penny is the legal mayor of Fairfield, but citizens who stand behind elected mayor Ed May II have not yet given up. “The Citizen Coalition has decided to do a writ of mandamus, to take it immediately up to the (Alabama) Supreme Court,” May said Tuesday on the steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse in downtown Birmingham. “That should be filed hopefully by the end of the week.” Read more.

Jefferson County Commission Will Take Up Health Care Authority in Thursday’s Meeting Despite Concerns

A four-hour committee meeting of the Jefferson County Commission ended Tuesday with a 3-2 vote to move the creation of a UAB Healthcare Authority to the agenda of Thursday’s commission meeting. Commissioners Jimmie Stephens, Joe Knight and Steve Ammons voted in favor of taking up the measure Thursday, with Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson voting no. Stephens said the health care authority is needed because that was part of the commission’s pledge when in-patient care was closed at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, “to form the best possible indigent care for our citizens.” But Scales pleaded with her fellow commissioners to delay action, saying the move lacked transparency and had little to do with providing health care to the poor. Read more.

Legislature Takes Up Wine Delivery Bill, Other Alcohol-Related Measures

MONTGOMERY — A proposal in the Alabama Legislature would let people have wine shipped directly to their homes, something the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board doesn't currently allow. Read more.

Birmingham Councilors Debate Legislative Bills on Plastic Bags, Wireless Transmitters

Members of the Birmingham City Council expressed concern Tuesday that two bills in the state Legislature would continue to whittle away the city’s home rule. The bills in question, HB346 and SB264, would remove local governments’ regulatory powers by prohibiting them from restricting use of plastic grocery bags and compelling them to allow the installation of wireless communication antennae, respectively. At Tuesday’s meeting, the council passed a resolution opposing the latter bill. The bills, according to District 5 Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, would “basically take away the city’s ability to impact some very important issues.” “I certainly don’t want the state Legislature preempting our ability to regulate something that has a direct impact on our community,” he said. Read more.

Open Sesame: Bill Would Give People More Power to Access Government Records

The Alabama Legislature will consider a proposed overhaul of the state’s Open Records Act this week. A bill sponsored by Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, and Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, would establish new procedures for public document requests and set penalties for custodians who do not follow those procedures. Those penalties would be enforced by the Office of the Public Access Counselor, also created by the new bill, which would manage public inquiries and appeals. The new bill would entirely replace the state’s existing open records law, which has been criticized for its lack of specificity and enforceability. Read more.

Bill Would Stop Seizure of Assets Without Criminal Conviction; Law Enforcement Opposed

Legislation pending in the Alabama Senate would prohibit law enforcement agencies from seizing the assets of people who haven’t been convicted of a crime. “I think that’s how the public assumes it works — before the government takes people’s stuff, there has to be a conviction or a plea,” said Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur. But that’s not always the case under Alabama’s civil asset forfeiture law. Currently, police can seize property if they have reason to believe it was criminally gained. Even if there’s no conviction, law enforcement can keep the property with a civil court order. The property owner must prove his or her property wasn’t part of a crime — at his or her own expense. “The law was originally established to go after the ill-gotten gains of drug kingpins and those who were profiting from their criminal activities,” Orr said. “But it’s being used for low-level crimes for defendants who can’t afford a lawyer on the civil side (to get their property returned).” Read more.