Author: Virginia Martin
Alabama Chief Justice Contributions
Contributions of $5,000 and up for candidates in the Republican primary for Alabama chief justice. There is no Democratic primary. Read more.
PACs: Who’s Behind the Pacronyms?
Many campaigns in Alabama are bankrolled largely by Political Action Committees, which can accept money from multiple people or groups and donate it under one name. But it can be difficult to know who’s behind the often generic-sounding names, which can obscure the source of funds donated to candidates. Here’s a list of some of the bigger PACs contributing to state races this year.
Cavanaugh Holds Slight Edge in Fundraising for the Lieutenant Governor Race
Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh holds a slight edge over William J. “Will” Ainsworth in raising money for their campaigns for the Republican nomination to the lieutenant governor job, with state Sen. Benjamin “Rusty” Glover of Semmes trailing the field. The candidates filed finance reports this week with the Secretary of State’s office, leading up to the June 5 primaries. Read more.
Stuart Trumps Parker in Fundraising for Chief Justice Race
Incumbent Lyn Stuart has raised more than three times the amount collected by opponent Tom Parker in the campaign for the Republican nomination for chief justice of Alabama.
Stuart’s monthly report to the Secretary of State’s office, filed Wednesday, showed receipts of $155,000 during April, bringing her total since the campaign began last year to $697,655. She filed a supplemental report on Thursday showing an additional contribution of $65,000.
Parker’s April report listed $500 in contributions. He has raised $213,750 throughout the campaign.
Read more.
Ivey, Maddox Lead in Fundraising for the Governor’s Race
Gov. Kay Ivey raised almost a half million dollars during April and maintains a big financial advantage over her opponents as the campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination enters its final month.
In the race for the Democratic nomination for governor, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox led in fund-raising during April and in the amount of cash in his account.
The parties will hold primary elections June 5 to select their nominees. Read more.
Survey Finds Low Morale at the Library; Board Expects Another Executive Session May 8 to Discuss Executive Director
May 2, 2018 – Members of a Birmingham Public Library committee told the system’s new executive director Wednesday that morale in the system is low and employees are concerned about internal communications and security.
The committee members advised embattled Executive Director Floyd Council to resume employee orientations and communicate more with all library employees, not just managers.
The advice came after an employee morale survey was conducted last month. Members of the Long-Range Planning Committee who met Wednesday discussed highlights of that survey with Council.
This is the third meeting of a library board group to discuss Council since complaints about his leadership went public.
The library’s board of trustees is meeting again Tuesday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the six-month performance review for Council, who was appointed in mid-November.
Board attorney Veronica Merritt said she expects to advise the trustees go into executive session to have that discussion because of employee privacy and legal considerations.
If they do, it will be the third executive session conducted to discuss issues surrounding Council.
Read more.
What’s in Woodfin’s Budget? Infrastructure Funding, Eliminated Vacancies and a Transit Shake-Up
Mayor Randall Woodfin revealed his proposal for the city’s FY 2019 budget during Tuesday’s meeting of the Birmingham City Council.
At just more than $436 million, it’s the city’s largest budget to date, clocking in at nearly $7 million more than that of the previous year. As the first budget proposal created entirely during Woodfin’s time as mayor, it is the clearest representation of his nascent administration’s economic goals to date.
“It’s a new day in Birmingham,” Woodfin told the council, “not just through the budget process, but with the way we spend and oversee the tax dollars entrusted to us.” The budget, he added, “represents some difficult and responsible decisions that must be made to support our priorities,” most significantly neighborhood revitalization. Read more.
Woodfin to present city budget with changes in funding for pensions, infrastructure, transit
Mayor Randall Woodfin will present his proposed FY 2019 operating budget to the Birmingham City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday morning. Though Woodfin had provided some input on the FY 2018 budget, which was passed last December after months of delays, this will be the first budget that his administration has overseen from the ground up.
Due to the city’s new “zero-based” budgeting strategy, the proposed budget will be built on the Woodfin administration’s assessment of the city’s budgetary needs rather than the previous year’s budget. Among other things, the proposed budget will feature changes to the city’s funding for pensions, infrastructure, and transit.
Read more.
Congressional Votes for the Week of April 23
WASHINGTON – Here’s how Alabama’s members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending April 27.
Lynching Memorial Opens in Montgomery
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the first memorial in America dedicated to remembering victims of lynchings and other racial violence, opens Thursday in Montgomery. The Equal Justice Initiative, a Montgomery-based legal advocacy group that has developed the memorial and a museum, is expecting thousands of visitors this weekend to the memorial, the museum and a slate of events set around the opening. Events include a summit, during which national figures such as former Vice President Al Gore will speak, and a Friday night concert. Read more.
