Government

School Calendar, Literacy Rollback Bills Stir Debate in State House

MONTGOMERY — An Alabama senator wants to undo a major provision of the 2019 Alabama Literacy Act with legislation eliminating the mandate that students not reading on grade level must repeat the third grade. In the House, another bill to require longer summer breaks has some powerful co-sponsors. Both bills were filed last week and are now awaiting committee action, but they are already stirring debate in the State House. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Alabama Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Screening Visitors to Battle Risk of Coronavirus; National Groups Advise Strict Limits

Alabama nursing home and national assisted living officials are taking the coronavirus threat seriously enough to analyze visitors’ health even though Alabama did not have any reported cases of the virus late Tuesday. The president of the American Health Care Association, Mark Parkinson, on Tuesday advised nursing homes and assisted living centers to curtail social visits and take steps to keep some employees away. Parkinson recommended that family members not visit nursing homes. Parkinson called the mortality rate at five Seattle-area nursing homes “shocking.” While Alabama nursing home officials have not gone that far, they have increased security for visitors at most nursing homes. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Changes Shake up Birmingham City Council Committees

The Birmingham City Council quietly restructured its committee system Tuesday, voting without discussion to institute several leadership changes and to split the Administration and Education Committee in two. The changes were spearheaded by William Parker, who took over as council president in October. Parker added the new lineup to Tuesday’s meeting agenda as a last-minute addendum, handing out paper copies of the assignments just before the vote was called. “Just make sure we pass that,” he said to the council. Councilors appeared to be studying the list intently up until the moment of the vote. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

New Poll Shows Tuberville Leading Sessions in Alabama Senate Race

MONTGOMERY — A new poll shows former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville with a double-digit lead over former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate. A survey conducted by Cygnal showed that if the March 31 runoff election were held today, 51.5% of voters would choose Tuberville, while 39.5% would choose Sessions. Nine percent of voters remained undecided. Read more.

by Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

House, Senate and President Agree Across Party Lines to Adopt Coronavirus Funding Bill

Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — All of Alabama’s representatives in Washington last week voted in favor of a bill to appropriate $8.3 billion for public-health initiatives to counter the spread of the coronavirus in the United States while helping the U.S. diplomatic community cope with the epidemic overseas. The vote cut across party lines, being passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the president in just days. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

PSC Hearing Starts Monday on Alabama Power Request to Add $1.1 Billion in Energy Capacity

Alabama Power Company says it needs to add $1.1 billion in energy sources to meet future demand for electricity. Major industries, environmental groups and clean energy advocates are among those opposing the move. The company says adding the resources, predominantly from natural gas generation, will allow it to meet customer needs for years to come. It estimates the expansion would cost residential customers an average of $4 per month. Alabama Power reduced its prices by 3% this year, meaning an estimated $4.50 per month reduction for the typical residential customer. A multi-day hearing on the matter will be heard by an administrative law judge beginning at 10 a.m. Monday before the issue goes to the Public Service Commission offices. Read more.

by Hank Black

Lawmakers Want Electronic Monitoring of Inmates off ADOC Property

Alabama lawmakers are working on legislation to require some state inmates who work outside of Alabama Department of Corrections facilities to wear electronic monitoring devices. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Mental Health Bills Advancing in State House

MONTGOMERY — Lawmakers this week began taking action on a package of bills and resolutions related to mental health in Alabama. “The mental health problem in Alabama is an epidemic, not just a problem,” said Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman. “The Legislature before most of us got here had to cut the funding … because we were in the Great Recession in 2010. “We’re feeling the repercussions of that now in today’s society from more and more people that are needing in-patient and out-patient (mental health care), there’s not enough on both sides,” he said. Those cuts included the closures of three mental health hospitals in 2012 and 2015. Read more.

by Abby Driggers and Devin Pavlou, Alabama Daily News

Jefferson County Commissioners Talk About Preparations in Case Coronavirus Hits the Area

The coronavirus is the subject on everyone’s lips, so it likely didn’t surprise Jefferson County Commissioners Jimmie Stephens and Joe Knight when the subject came up recently. The pair addressed questions from media about the county’s preparedness for the deadly virus. UAB Medicine was cited as a key part of the army that will battle the disease. Watch the interviews.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Jefferson County Commission Restricts Use of Mass Messaging System, at Least for Now

Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales took exception to the word “control” in the explanation given today for a resolution to set guidelines for commissioners’ non-emergency use of the Everbridge mass communication system. “That’s what I don’t agree with,” she said, “to control another commissioner’s district or ability to utilize this system for what they believe (needs to be circulated). Why would we have to bring it to the commission, who may not value what your district values?” The commission ultimately approved on a 3-1 vote that commissioners will not use the system for non-emergency messages, at least until it has had a chance to meet with the board of the Emergency Management Agency, which administers the system. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.