A town hall meeting on the status of education in Birmingham has been set for Jan. 15, 6-8 p.m. State Reps. Mary Moore and John Rogers, both D-Birmingham, set the town hall, called "Where Do We Go From Here." Moore said a number of local and state Board of Education members as well as local and state elected officials have been invited to speak.
The Birmingham City Council on Monday delayed voting on an item granting funding to the Five Points West/CrossPlex Business Alliance under the city’s Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) initiative. The grant, proposed by Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office, would give the Five Points West/CrossPlex Business Alliance $26,500 to use for a variety of initiatives, including the creation of five new murals, the development of a training and resource program for the area’s business community, the establishment of a business office for the alliance, and the collection of data regarding businesses and commercial properties in the Five Points West commercial corridor. Read more.
WBHM – When the U.S. Senate returns from the holiday break, there will be one overriding issue: impeachment. Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones shares his thoughts on this and other actions on Capitol Hill. Read more.
WASHINGTON – Alabama’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives split votes on a package of eight appropriations bills (HR 1865) that would fund non-defense agencies and departments for the remaining nine months of fiscal 2020. Read more.
Jefferson County commissioners voted on Dec. 19 to postpone consideration of a request to allow the Family Dollar Store on U.S. 78 in Forestdale to sell beer and wine. While the area where the store is located is zoned for beer and wine sales, and there are other stores in the vicinity that do sell beer and wine, concerns about crime and security and issues regarding cleanliness at the Family Dollar property were at the forefront of the discussion. Read more.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives on the evening of Dec. 18 adopted two articles of impeachment against President Trump. The articles now go to a trial in the Senate, where a two-thirds vote for conviction on either article would remove Trump from office. The votes were largely along party lines, and Alabama’s representatives followed that pattern. The state’s lone Democrat, Rep. Terry Sewell, voted for both articles; and the other members of the delegation, all Republicans, voted no. Read more.
President Donald Trump has been impeached. The U.S. House of Representatives this evening voted 230 in favor, 167 against and 1 present, with 3 members not voting, to pass an article that alleges abuse of power. House members then voted 229 for, 198 against and one present, with 3 members not voting, to pass a second article alleging obstruction of Congress. The case will go to the Senate for trial. Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell, D-7, voted for Article I, alleging abuse of power, and Article II, alleging obstruction of Congress. Alabama Reps. Bradley Byrne, R-1, Martha Roby, R-2, Mike Rogers, R-3, Robert Aderholt, R-4, Mo Brooks, R-5, and Gary Palmer, R-6, voted against Article I and Article II. You can find the complete list of votes on impeachment Article I here You can find the complete list of votes on impeachment Article II here BirminghamWatch will be updating this story this evening.
At their Dec. 17 work session, Jefferson County Commission members discussed the plan for replacing John Henry, the county’s chief financial officer, who is leaving for a new position in Washington, D.C. Travis Hulsey, county director of revenue, will oversee the Finance Office while the position is vacant. The Human Resources Department will conduct a six-week national search to recruit candidates for the position. Read more.
The council voted unanimously to extend the city’s moratorium on new self-storage developments by 90 days. But it also voted to settle a lawsuit from one developer, paying out up to $125,000 and allowing construction on a self-storage facility near Vulcan Park to continue. Read more.
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to name Five Points South an “entertainment district,” making it one of only three areas in the city where it’s legal to drink alcohol in public. The effort was spearheaded by the Five Points Alliance, a consortium of neighborhood business owners and residents. John Boone, the alliance’s vice president, told the council that the ordinance would help the alliance with planning large community events, such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and Taste of Five Points food festival. Read more.
