Protesters Gather in Birmingham to Honor George Floyd
Protesters gathered at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham on Saturday to honor George Floyd, the African American man killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this week. Read more.
Government
House Passes Bill to Plug Holes in Paycheck Protection Legislation
Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — All of Alabama’s representatives, along with all but one member of the House, voted for a bill designed to plug holes in previous paycheck protection legislation. Read more.
Crowd Protests in Kelly Ingram Park in Wake of Floyd Killing
UPDATED — Spurred by the police killing of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis, nearly 100 persons gathered at Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park Friday evening to rally for an end to hatred and racism. Alabama Rally Against Injustice has coordinated another protest that began about 5 p.m. Saturday. Speeches from politicians and civil rights activists are set for the evening at Kelly Ingram Park. Cedric Hatcher of Song Ministry was at Friday's protest and said, “I want to bring awareness that this is not just a Minneapolis problem. It's a Birmingham problem. It's an Atlanta problem. It's a New York problem. It's a Detroit problem. It's a California problem. It's a Texas problem. “It's a problem all over the country,” Hatcher continued. “Am I my brother's keeper or am I gonna keep killing my brother?” The group's acronym stands for Saving Our Next Generation. Speeches and the release of black balloons were sandwiched between a pair of marches around the perimeter of the park. The racially mixed assembly chanted the name of George Floyd, the man who died during an arrest while a police officer kneeled on his neck. The officer has been fired and today was charged with third-degree murder. Read more.
High Unemployment Hits Even Inmates; Prisons Losing Millions of Dollars
Nearly 40 million Americans are out of work. So are about 3,300 Alabama prison inmates eligible to work for private and public employers. The Alabama Department of Corrections’ 22 work release and work centers, which include a center for women inmates based in north Birmingham, suspended operations March 18 because of the growing threat of the coronavirus. The suspension originally was slated to run through May 22, but it has not been lifted. “At this time, the ADOC is working on a comprehensive plan to resume more standard operations but has not yet established a definitive timeline for resuming our work release and work center programs,” corrections information specialist Samantha Rose said in an email. Read more.
Two More Weeks of Face Coverings Required, Birmingham Council Says
The Birmingham City Council has extended the city’s face covering ordinance for two more weeks. The updated order, now effective through June 12, also relaxes the original law’s controversial penalties for violation, which had drawn criticism from state and local leaders. “What we’re doing is going to save lives,” Councilor John Hilliard said. "Just a sneeze on someone could kill them. Isn’t that incredible?" Read more.
Senator and State Health Officer Tackle Complex Slate of Coronavirus Questions
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris continued to sound the alarm today about the continuing rise in COVID-19 cases in the state. In a Facebook Live appearance on Jones’ feed, the freshman Democrat and the Republican-appointed health officer said people needed to see beyond politics and commit to social distancing and wearing masks if the state’s infection rate is going to drop. Read more.
Alabama’s Absentee Ballot Rules Draw Increased Scrutiny Amid Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has spurred a new wave of legal challenges to Alabama’s voting laws, particularly its absentee ballot requirements. The League of Women Voters of Alabama is the latest group to file a lawsuit against the state claiming its voting rules are too restrictive. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Montgomery County Circuit Court, urges state officials to expand absentee ballot access during the November general election. Read more.
Senate Confirms New Intelligence Chief, Elections Commissioner
The Senate voted largely along party lines to confirm two Trump appointees last week. Read more.
Opinions Vary on Possible Special Session, but Outstanding Issues Are Plenty
MONTGOMERY — Hundreds of proposed bills, including high-priority prison and economic development proposals, died when the coronavirus outbreak upended the Alabama Legislature's 2020 regular session. Now, when the House and Senate will return to Montgomery for a special session and what topics they’ll address are still up in the air. Some Senate leaders, frustrated by the final days of the condensed session, say they don't see a reason to return to Montgomery this year. But others said there is business left to handle, including extending a job creation tax credit that in recent years has helped lure companies like Toyota-Mazda, Amazon, Google and Shipt to Alabama. The Alabama Jobs Act, the state's primary industrial recruitment statute, is expiring at the end of the year. Read more.
Jefferson County Commission Considers Higher Rent for Polling Places
Polling places in Jefferson County could be in line to receive more money to host elections, according to a report from Barry Stephenson, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Registrars. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the Jefferson County Commission, Stephenson said that the county last increased the rent offered to sites that host polling places in October 2018. That took the rent from $25 to $100. The registrar said an increase in rent this year would be a sign of goodwill. When asked, Stephenson said the rent could be raised to $250 for each of the county’s 175 polling places; he said only 60 polling places actually accept rent. Read more.