Government

Alabama’s Federal Employees Return to Work as Federal Shutdown Is Temporarily Ended

Federal employees in Birmingham and across the state returned to work Monday after a record-setting, five-week partial federal shutdown that affected about 5,500 workers, almost 10 percent of the state’s 50,000 federal employees. About 120 of these federal employees work in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in downtown Birmingham, where most of the workers had been furloughed. A first priority at the office Monday morning was getting employees’ time recorded and approved quickly “so folks can get the past two paychecks,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Towns. Another priority for employees back at their desks after five weeks was checking and responding to weeks of voice mails and emails. Employees are prohibited from responding to messages or doing any government business while on furlough. “Folks are happy to be back at work and that the funding lapse is over for now,” Town said. Read more.

by Jackie Romine Walburn

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Jan. 25

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House and Senate last week voted for a continuing resolution that reopened federal government operations through Feb. 15. However, there were no roll-call votes on the final version of HJ Res 28, so the votes of senators and representatives were not recorded. The House and Senate approved the measure Jan. 25 and President Trump signed it into law the same day, ending a 35-day government shutdown. There were votes last week on other unsuccessful bills aimed at reopening the federal government. Here's how area members of Congress voted on those and other bills during the legislative week ending Jan. 25. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

State Asks Judge to Protect Confederate Monument While Lawsuit Appealed

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall fired the latest salvo in the battle over historical monuments in the state, filing a motion to stay a Jefferson County judge’s ruling that the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act is unconstitutional. Then-Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Michael Graffeo said in his Jan. 14 ruling that the law essentially forced a pro-Confederacy message on the city of Birmingham. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Town Hall Set on Sewer Rate Increases

Jefferson County commissioners approved funding a town hall meeting on rising sewer rates Thursday, but not without lengthy debate of whether proper procedures were being followed. The gathering will be in the meeting room at Regions Field on Monday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Jefferson County Deputies Granted 5 Percent Raise, Sheriff Cites Competitive Need

Sworn personnel of the sheriff’s department received a 5 percent cost-of-living raise when the Jefferson County Commission met in Bessemer Thursday. The raise in the sheriff’s department is on top of the raise given to Jefferson County employees at the beginning of this fiscal year. Sheriff Mark Pettway said the extra pay is needed to keep his department competitive with nearby law enforcement departments. “We are losing officers, deputies, daily to surrounding agencies,” he said. “We want to maintain those that we have and bring on good people to work inside the sheriff’s department. Everybody works for money, so we want to make sure that we’re competitive.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Alabama Lawmakers’ Pay up 4% in 2019

Alabamians’ median household income increased in 2017, which means Alabama lawmakers received a corresponding 4.03 percent pay increase this year. Their annual salary is now $48,123. This is the third raise for lawmakers since 2014, when their pay was tied to household incomes through a voter-approved constitutional amendment. “If legislators want a raise, we need to get the median household income up, and if we can get that up, we’ll deserve a raise,” said state Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison. He sponsored the legislation that led to the constitutional amendment in 2012. The amendment went into effect after the 2014 election with lawmakers earning $42,849. The latest raise, $1,866, went into effect Jan.1, according to the Alabama Personnel Department memo, which cites 2017 Census data. Read more.

by Mary Sell

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending Jan. 18

WASHINGTON – Alabama’s House delegation, along with many members of the House, had party-line votes last week on bills to fund disaster relief for businesses and residents harmed by wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, mudslides, volcanic eruptions and typhoons. Republicans opposed the original measure because it would have opened closed portions of the government temporarily without allocating money to build Trump’s wall. Democrats also passed an amendment that would prohibit the president from using disaster relief funds to build the wall, which he has speculated he might do. Republicans failed in an attempt to pass an alternate disaster relief funding bill that would not temporarily reopen government offices but without providing funding for a border wall. In Alabama’s delegation, each of those votes cast Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, on the opposite side from the state’s six other representatives. Read more.

by Voterama in Congress

One-Third of Alabama’s Failing Schools Are in the Birmingham Metro Area

The Alabama State Department of Education has posted its list of the state’s failing public schools, and 25 Birmingham metro-area public schools are on it. Statewide, 76 public schools are on the list. The list is based on standardized test score performances and compiled yearly as a requirement of the Alabama Accountability Act. The law requires that schools with scores that fall into the lowest 6 percent be designated as failing schools. Birmingham City Schools comprise 26 percent of the failing schools, with 20 schools on the list. That number is up from the lists released in 2018 and 2017, when 14 and 13 schools, respectively, were designated as failing. Read more.

by Cheryl Slocum

Scales Opens the Windows of the County’s Committee Meeting Room

Citizens of Jefferson County could only imagine the discussion and debate that happened when commissioners assembled for their committee meetings. The five representatives meet in a board room around the corner from their offices with their respective staffs, the county attorney, the county manager and his staff and perhaps a few others. But Tuesday’s commission committee meeting ushered in a new age for Jefferson County citizens, who were given a peek inside the proceedings courtesy of Commissioner Lashunda Scales. The commission president pro tem brought livestreaming to the business of Jefferson County as a member of her staff broadcast the committee meeting via the internet. She promises to continue to practice with internet broadcasts of future committee meetings and full commission meetings. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Jefferson County Commission Plans Town Hall Meeting to Explain Sewer Rate Increases

Jefferson County Commissioners are planning a town hall meeting to explain sewer rate increases being made as a result of the county’s bankruptcy. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.