Government

Scales and Tyson Couldn’t Have Been More Different in Farewells to the Birmingham Council

On their final day as city councilors, Lashunda Scales and Sheila Tyson addressed their colleagues during an otherwise uneventful council meeting, reflecting on their tenures before they move to a higher level of government. Scales and Tyson were technically elected to the Jefferson County Commission in Nov. 6’s general election, though they were both uncontested and had been assumed to take their seats since winning their July runoff elections. Scales had been the councilor for District 1 since 2009, while Tyson had represented District 6 since 2013. Both won their bids for re-election last year, but their commission wins meant that they would have to leave their seats with three years remaining in their terms. Their speeches at Tuesday’s council meeting highlighted the contrast in their political styles — Scales loquacious and boastful, Tyson serious and determined — and in many ways epitomized their respective terms on the council. Read more.

EPA Southeast Administrator, Former ADEM Commissioner Indicted on State Ethics Charges

A former director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, who’s now the regional administrator for the EPA, has been indicted on state ethics charges related to the case in which an executive of Drummond Corporation and a partner in the Balch and Bingham law firm were convicted earlier this year. Onis “Trey” Glenn III, who directed ADEM from 2005 to 2009 and later was appointed by President Donald Trump to head the EPA in the southeastern states, was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury of multiple charges sought by the Alabama Ethics Commission. In addition, Scott Phillips, who was once an Alabama Environmental Management commissioner and later a business partner with Glenn, also was indicted on multiple ethics charges. As of Tuesday evening, the indictment documents had not been filed on Alacourt, the state’s online court filing system, so neither the exact number of counts nor the details of each count can be independently verified. However, the Ethics Commission released a brief statement with some details, confirming that the indictment — handed down by the grand jury Friday — was for “use of office for personal gain,” “soliciting and/or receiving a ‘thing of value’ from a principal, lobbyist or subordinate of a lobbyist,” and receiving money in addition to that received in one’s official capacity.” Read more.

The Beat Goes On: The Birmingham Library Board, Still Enmeshed in Director Controversy, Now Faces Two Vacancies

Its embattled executive director might be keeping his job for now, but the landscape at the Birmingham Public Library remains in flux. One seat on the library’s nine-member board of trustees is newly vacant, and a second will be empty by the end of the year. Read more.

Straight-Party Voting Shows Increasing Political Polarization in Alabama, Controlled Outcome of Some Races

Alabama voters are casting straight-ticket ballots in growing numbers, highlighting a trend toward political polarization in the state. That move was on full display in Tuesday’s election and appeared to be a critical factor in the outcome of some races. About 65 percent of those who participated in the general election voted straight tickets, according to totals from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Read more.

Everyone Knew It Was Coming, But Sessions’ Ouster From the Justice Department so Soon After the Mid-Terms Landed With a Boom

Barely 12 hours after the smoke had cleared from the 2018 mid-term elections, another political bomb exploded Wednesday afternoon when news came that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had resigned at the request of President Donald Trump. That Sessions was on his way out was not a shock. The former U.S. senator from Mobile had been one of the first well-known supporters of Trump in the presidential campaign. But shortly after he took the cabinet position, he became a thorn in Trump’s side by recusing himself from supervising the investigation into collusion by Russia during the 2016 election. Trump chafed at the move by Sessions both publicly and privately, accusing Sessions of being disloyal and not acting in Trump’s defense. The rift grew during the two years Sessions served in the post. Sessions’ departure had been expected for months, though political advisers told Trump to wait until after the mid-terms. He did so, barely — Sessions was told by Chief of Staff Mike Kelly to hand in his resignation on Wednesday afternoon, and he did. Reaction to Sessions’ stepping down was quick, most of it praising Sessions or speculating on his next moves and what they could mean for politics in the state. Read more. BirminghamWatch Recommends: A Roundup of Stories on Sessions’ Firing

Alabama Residents Protest Sessions’ Departure (WBHM)

Jeff Sessions Executed the Agenda of a President Who Could Not Look Past a Betrayal (New York Times)

Jeff Sessions Pushed out After a Year of Attacks From Trump (Associated Press)

Former AL Senator Jeff Sessions Resigns as Attorney General (WBHM)

How Sessions’s Firing Could Affect the Russia Investigation (New York Times)

‘You’re Fired:’ A Timeline of Team Trump Departures (Washington Post)

The Latest Drama in Trump’s Slow-Motion Saturday Night Massacre (The Atlantic)

Jeff Sessions Will Run for Senate in 2020, Analyst Says (AL.com)

Two New Lawmakers to Join Incumbents in Jefferson Legislative Delegation

Incumbent Alabama lawmakers serving Jefferson County all won re-election in Tuesday’s general election voting, and two new members who ran for open seats, will join the Jefferson County delegation. Republican Senate candidate Dan Roberts and Democratic House candidate Neil Rafferty will be a part of a large freshman group in the 2019 Alabama Legislature after 22 House members and 10 senators retired in 2018 or resigned to seek other offices or positions. The addition of Roberts and Rafferty, a Republican and a Democrat, does not change the political party makeup of the county delegation since they replaced a Republican and a Democrat. Read more.

Election Night in Alabama: Unofficial Statewide Results in 10 Top Races

Number of counties reporting: 67 out of 67 Governor:  Walt Maddox (D) 40.36% Kay Ivey (R) 59.49% Chief Justice: Bob Vance Jr. (D) 42.52% Tom Parker (R) 57.42% Attorney General:  Joseph Siegelman (D) 41.11% Steve Marshall (R) 58.82% Secretary of State: Heather Milam (D) 38.89% John H. Merrill (R) 61.05% Lt. Governor:  Will Boyd (D) 38.65% Will Ainsworth (R) 61.29% Public Service Commission Place 1 Cara Y. McClure (D) 39.48% Jeremy H. Oden (R) 60.46% Public Service Commission Place 2 Kari Powell (D) 39.85% Chris "Chip" Beeker Jr. (R) 60.09% Auditor Miranda Karrine Joseph (D) 39.46% Jim Ziegler (R) 60.46% State Treasurer John MacMillan (R) 97.15% Write-in 2.85% Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries Rick Pate (R) 97.20% Write-in 2.80% All of Alabama's Republicans in the House of Representatives won re-election: Rep. Bradley Byrne is at 63.24%, Rep. Martha Roby is at 61.43%, Rep. Mike Rogers is at 63.74%, Rep. Robert Aderholt is at 79.798%, Rep. Mo Brooks is at 61.06%, and Rep. Gary Palmer is at 69.22%. Democrat Terri Sewell was unopposed and got 97.80%. Check out more results at AlabamaVotes.Gov. 

Parker Recaptures His Seat as Alabama Chief Justice, Winning Against Challenger Vance

Circuit Court Judge Bob Vance Jr. relishes being the other guy, the one who’s not making the headlines. “The problems that we really need to confront need a serious-minded person who can quietly and professionally deal with those problems,” he said at his campaign party in Birmingham. “We don’t need the drama or the theatrics of another Roy Moore. In order to get the job done and deal with the problems we’ve actually got, we need that kind of quiet, professional attitude to deal with them. That’s why I don’t have a problem with those kinds of descriptions.” Unfortunately for Vance, he has another description after his bid for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court – runner-up. With 53 of 67 counties reporting, Vance trailed Republican candidate Tom Parker 639,619 to 374,233, or 63.05 percent to 36.89 percent. Look here for vote results in races for seats on the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and Court of Civil Appeals.

Jefferson County Voters Deal out Upsets With Wins by Pettway, Carr

Mark Pettway has won the Jefferson County sheriff’s race. According to Jefferson County results, with 97.7 percent of precincts reporting at 11 p.m., he was leading incumbent Sheriff Mike Hale in the race 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent. Danny Carr has claimed victory in his race for district attorney. He was leading incumbent District Attorney Mike Anderton 56.7 percent to 43.2 percent. Incumbent Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight is leading in his re-election race 62.3 percent to challenger J.T. Smallwood’s 37.7 percent. Find results in all the Jefferson County races Read more.

Woodfin Calls for Civility at City Hall; Councilor’s Criticism Continues

Mayor Randall Woodfin called for greater civility between his office and Birmingham City Council on Tuesday, following weeks of escalating tension. The tension culminated with Woodfin and most of his staff being absent from the council’s Oct. 30 meeting. While calling for civility, Woodfin also announced plans to reduce his staff’s presence at council meetings. He said this is an effort to improve efficiency and to spend more time on community outreach. Last week’s absence of Woodfin and his staff drew considerable criticism from councilors, some of whom called it “a slap in the face to the constituents of the 99 neighborhoods.” Read more.