Tony Lowden was at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday, speaking to the County Commission. Today, the pastor of former President Jimmy Carter was introduced as President Donald Trump’s appointment as “reentry czar” to help former prisoners as they step back into society. The appointment came during the President’s speech at the North Carolina Opportunity Now Summit in Charlotte. Read more.
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones today said that after considering the evidence through the lens of a prosecutor, he had no choice but to convict President Donald Trump of the impeachment charges brought by the House of Representatives. Ultimately, Jones said, it came down to a president putting his personal interests above the interests of the nation. Jones made the remarks to Cumberland School of Law students and faculty at Samford University in a talk designed to give the future lawyers from his alma mater insight into how he thought through the process and reached what he said was not political decision on his part. Read more.
Recent growth in Alabama’s General Fund revenues has some lawmakers wanting to save for future lean years. A bill filed Thursday in the Alabama Senate would create the General Fund Budget Reserve Fund. “Although we are currently enjoying the benefits of the longest period of growth that I am aware of, we will have an economic downturn – we always do,” Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, said. He's sponsoring the legislation. “Creating a reserve and planning for a rainy day is just good public policy. When we save for a rainy day, we will be better prepared when tough times come.” Read more.
A proposal in the Alabama State House would do away with the Alabama Auditor’s Office and transfer its duties to the Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts Department. The auditor’s position is created in the Alabama Constitution, so abolishing it would have to be approved by voters through a constitutional amendment. With voter approval, Senate Bill 83 from Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Gadsden, would shutter the office when Auditor Jim Zeigler’s current term ends in 2022. Read more.
Three zoning matters approved today by the Jefferson County Commission provide evidence that growth is coming to the northern part of the county. Commissioners approved one zoning case in Morris and two in Mount Olive. The property at 950 Kimberly Cut-Off Road in Morris set the stage for a two-lot residential subdivision, changing the property from A-1 agricultural to R-1 single family. One case heard today makes way for a 63-lot subdivision at 4901 and 4851 Newfound Road in Mount Olive, rezoning from I-3 industrial and A-1 agricultural to R-7 planned unit development. The other proposes 204 lots at Brookside Coalburg Road and 3885 Hodges Cemetery Road in Mount Olive, shifting the site from I-3 surface mining and I-3 industrial to R-7 planned unit development. Read more.
Problems like the ones in the Iowa Democratic caucus cannot happen in Alabama because the state holds elections, not closed meetings of political parties to select candidates, the state’s top elections official said Thursday. “A caucus is not like any election that we have here,” Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said. “A caucus is administered and counted by (political) parties in Iowa and not by the secretary of state. It has nothing to do with the election process in that state. “People running the election do not do so on a regular basis,” Merrill said. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has told lawmakers she wants the facts on the financial impact of a lottery and expanded gambling in Alabama and is putting together a working group to get them. She won’t take any action on the matter until then, she said. But that information is months away, and a key lawmaker said Wednesday he’s moving forward with a proposal for a statewide lottery. Ivey’s working group also will analyze a possible compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. “I’ll give them to the year’s end, but if they get through sooner, that’ll be fine too,” Ivey told reporters Wednesday. “But I want them to be thorough and get the facts, that’s all I want is the facts, not recommendations. We just want the facts about how much money the state can expect to gain if we do a lottery or if we do expanded gaming or a compact and what the heck does a compact look like?” Read more.
MONTGOMERY — Bills to deny bail for those accused of violent crimes were discussed in House and Senate committees Wednesday but did not advance. In the Senate, a constitutional amendment by Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, would automatically deny bail for six specific violent offenses: murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, kidnapping, sexual abuse or sexual torture and human trafficking. The bill, which opponents say would unconstitutionally pre-convict a suspect, is being considered in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Ward is chairman.
This statement was provided by U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’ staff before his speech. All of these remarks were included in the speech, but Jones expanded on them considerably in final remarks.
Both United States Senators from Alabama cast their votes along party lines as President Donald Trump was acquitted Wednesday of both articles of impeachment filed by the House of Representatives. Sen. Richard Shelby voted with his fellow Republicans to acquit Trump, while Sen. Doug Jones went along with fellow Democrats and voted for conviction. The final total was 52-48 for acquittal on the abuse of power article and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress, far from the two-thirds majority required to remove Trump from office. Read more.
