Author: Virginia Martin
Alabama’s Hemlocks Face Threat From a Deadly Insect
In the Bankhead National Forest, Eastern Hemlock trees foster unique habitat for a wide range of species. But a deadly insect is moving closer and closer. Read more.
Heart Disease, Hypertension Take Toll on Alabama Women
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, both nationally and in Alabama. Alabama had the third-highest rate of death from heart disease in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only trailing Oklahoma and Mississippi. That year, the death rate from heart disease for Alabama women was 193.7 per 100,000, compared to 135.6 for women nationwide. Read more.
In Dueling Alabama Congressional Map Proposals, a Dispute Over Possibilities
Can Alabama draw new maps on explicitly racial lines? Maybe.
“It’s kind of head spinning and even lawyers who are in the space get a little confused,” said Michael Li, a redistricting expert and senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
At the Tuesday public hearing, attorney James Blacksher and Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, went back and forth about whether Alabama’s new maps can split counties to be on explicitly racial lines. The answer to that question remains to be seen.
Read more.
2 Developers, Former Judge on Ballot for Open JeffCo Commission Seat
Probate Judge James Naftel III used a 1971 Lipton TV commercial — Is it soup yet? — to address the ballot to fill the vacant District 5 position on the Jefferson County Commission.
“It is soup. It is,” Naftel said Thursday. “We have three official candidates and one who didn’t have enough signatures, so her name will not appear on the ballot. The ballots are being printed and delivered to the absentee (voting office) today.”
District 5 voters will choose from recently retired Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin, Jeff O. Wise and David Silverstein. Read more.
Lawmakers Begin Redrawing Alabama’s Congressional Map
The effort to redraw the congressional map began Tuesday with a public hearing at the State House. This follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding a lower court’s ruling that Alabama’s congressional map does not reflect the state’s Black population. Read more.
Governor Sets a Special Session on Congressional Redistricting to Start July 17
Gov. Kay Ivey called a one-issue special session for July 17 for legislators to adopt a new congressional district map. Read more.
Bham Budget Passed After Compromise With Councilors; Concerns Remain About the Power of the Mayor’s Office
Birmingham’s most contentious budgeting process in years ended Tuesday with the City Council’s unanimous approval of Mayor Randall Woodfin’s $554.8 million FY 2024 budget.
Having extracted a rare compromise from the mayor’s office — nearly half a million dollars redirected from street paving to code enforcement — councilors adopted a conciliatory tone.
“I think all of us came away feeling better than we felt before,” said District 3 Councilor Valerie Abbott. Earlier she had complained, “We’re doing all the glitzy things that are so cool. Well, I’m sorry, I’m tired of cool. I would just like for some things to get done.”
Councilor Hunter Williams clarified Tuesday that he wasn’t talking about the current mayor when he said last week that state legislators had created “a little king,” but he still worried that the current system under a different mayor could result in no checks and balances in city government. Read more.
JeffCo Commission Prez Floats Idea of Fund to Help Existing Businesses Grow, Startups Get Off the Ground
Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens on Tuesday broached the idea of the commission creating an economic enhancement fund. Read more.
Birmingham OKs Rezoning in West Birmingham Ahead of Possible Redevelopment Plan
Eight West Birmingham properties have been rezoned to make way for a federally funded “transformation plan” in the city’s Graymont, Smithfield and College Hills neighborhoods.
The properties rezoned by the City Council Tuesday include the Smithfield Library, the Smithfield Court Housing Community, the former Hill Elementary School and the former Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity headquarters, all of which were redesignated as either “mixed-use medium” or “multiple-dwelling districts” on Tuesday.
The rezoning is intended to support the city’s bid for a Choice Neighborhood Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The city has been announced as a finalist for the $50 million grant, which would be used to redevelop much of the area surrounding Legion Field. Read more.
2023 Kids Count Highlights Hurdles to Child Well-Being in Alabama
Alabama ranks 45th in the country overall for child well-being, according to the 2023 Kids Count Data Book issued this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. That’s one slot higher than last year. But the “improvement” says less about progress in Alabama than it does about losses in other states, according to the report. Read more.
