Government

Residents Weigh in on 10-Block Downtown Attraction Ideas

The open space under I-20/59 in downtown Birmingham will cover 10 blocks once the massive bridge replacement project is completed. Designers and Alabama Department of Transportation officials were getting the public’s thoughts today at the Boutwell Auditorium. Other sessions are set for July 24. Ben Donsky, who works with the New York-based design group for CityWalk Birmingham, said there’s an opportunity to do things not tried elsewhere. “We’re open to all types of innovative ideas. I was just discussing with a gentleman new technology that would even allow us to grow plants underneath the highway.” The project is to be completed by spring 2021, before the start of the World Games in Birmingham. Read more.

by Sherrel Wheeler Stewart, WBHM 90.3 FM

Congressional Votes for the Week Ending July 13, 2018

WASHINGTON – How Alabama’s members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending July 13.

by Voterama in Congress

It’s Back to the Polls Across Alabama. Voters to Decide Final Nominees for Each Party in Today’s Runoff.

Voting has been light in Jefferson County so far today as people go to the polls to decide several races left up in the air after the June primary. Jefferson County Board of Registrars Chairman Barry Stephenson said turnout has been tracking at between 8 percent and 10 percent. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill also has predicted low turnout statewide, of 15 percent to 18 percent, compared to June’s 24 percent turnout. So far, Stephenson said, there have been no problems reported at the polls. “It’s been normal stuff – just people confirming things like where they needed to go vote, but we’ve haven't any calls about problems at the precincts,” he said. Polls are open across the state until 7 p.m. Stephenson also did not anticipate any major concerns related to crossover voting rules. A May 2017 law prevents voters from voting in the primary on one party’s ballot, but then crossing over to vote another party’s ballot in a primary runoff. During general elections, voters are free to vote for candidates from either party. Who’s on the Ballot? BirminghamWatch has prepared a Voter’s Guide to brief you on the elections before you go to the polls. You can find the races and candidates on the ballots, along with links to their profiles, on the Sample Ballot page. Far fewer races are on the ballots today than were last month. But in some of the races, winning the runoff is tantamount to winning the seat because there is no opposition from the opposite party in November. On the state level, up for grabs are the Republican nominations for attorney general, lieutenant governor, commissioner of agriculture and industries, an associate justiceship on the Supreme Court and judgeships on the state civil and criminal appeal courts. There are no Democrats running for the Supreme Court Place 1 seat, either courts of appeal, or the agriculture and industries commissioner’s job. That means that whoever wins the Republican nomination in those races is almost assured of winning the office in November. There are no Democrats in statewide races in the runoff. In Jefferson County, there are only the statewide races still undecided on the Republican side. But there are several local Democratic races on the ballot, including two District Court seats. In one of those races, for the district 9 seat, there are no Republicans running in November. There also are runoffs in the races for the circuit court clerk and sheriff’s seat. Jefferson County Democratic voters also will be picking nominees for two County Commission seats, in District 1 and 2. Winning those nominations also is tantamount to winning the races, since there is not a Republican running in November. Some Jefferson County Democrats also will vote in the House District 54 race. In this edition of the BirminghamWatch Voter Guide, you will find lists of candidates on the ballot and their profiles, which include basic information about each of the candidates such as the top contributors to their campaigns, the main issues they’re citing in their campaigns and links to their web or social media sites. The toolkit has information about the process of voting and what you’ll need at the polls. It’s all in one package on BirminghamWatch. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch Election Team

AG Ads Flood the Airwaves in Last Week of Campaign

Flooding the airwaves with ads attacking each other, Troy King and Steve Marshall have spent more than $1 million this week as their campaigns to win the Republican nomination for attorney general draw to a close. The two will meet in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff. The winner will face Democrat Joseph Siegelman in the November general election. Marshall, the incumbent, has raised $551,435 and spent $734,526 this week, according to daily reports he has filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Overall, he has collected $3.22 million in contributions and spent $3.09 million since the election cycle began last year. King, who is trying to reclaim the office he held from 2004 to 2011, reported raising $335,100 and spending $337,449 this week. Overall, he has raised $2.26 million and spent $217 million. Marshall and King have aired ads on television stations across the state, sparring over who is a “real” Republican and supporter of President Donald Trump. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Shipt Commits to Birmingham Expansion

Shipt made its plans to expand in Birmingham and create up to 881 new jobs official Thursday after the Jefferson County Commission agreed to chip in up to $720,000 over three years in incentives. “Birmingham has rolled out the red carpet,” Shipt founder Bill Smith said following a press conference in the company’s headquarters in the John Hand Building downtown. “The city and the county have said, ‘We want to partner with you to grow here.’ They’re working closely with us, and to get that kind of support is very attractive.” The commission approved its incentives to encourage the company to create professional positions in Birmingham. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Sen. Jones Proposes Easier Access and a Central Clearinghouse for Civil Rights Cold Cases

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make it easier to obtain records for unsolved civil rights cases. The proposed legislation, the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, would mandate that criminal civil rights records held by the government be gathered and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection would be available for public viewing. The proposal also would establish a Civil Rights Records Review Board, made up of impartial citizens, that would facilitate the review and transfer of records going into the collection. Jones said the improved accessibility would allow a wider range of people to participate more easily in unearthing details related to unsolved civil rights cases, many of which are more than 50 years old. Read more.

by Cheryl Slocum

With Its Finances Tight, Fairfield Seeks Help From Jefferson County to Protect Its Residents

Less than a month after Brighton’s mayor and a council member asked the Jefferson County Commission for help, another distressed western city is seeking aid. This time, the city in trouble is Fairfield. Officials from that city told commissioners George Bowman and Sandra Little Brown recently that they need help protecting their citizens during the next three months, and they were worried about being able to make it through their next pay period. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Birmingham Ticket Amnesty Set

The Birmingham City Council has approved a 60-day period of amnesty for outstanding minor traffic, parking and non-moving violation tickets. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Birmingham Council OKs up to $1.762M for Shipt Expansion

A proposed incentives package for grocery delivery company Shipt nearly stalled over procedural questions at Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council meeting. But after an impromptu presentation by Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office, the council voted unanimously to approve the measure. The incentives package gives Shipt up to $1.762 million from the city to “expand and grow” its Birmingham headquarters, according to the resolution. This will come in the form of reimbursing the costs the company incurs in finding and developing new hires . The city will pay Shipt $2,000 for each new employee, for an expected total of 881 employees. The average salary of these new jobs would be $50,000 per year, Shipt representatives told the council. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

2018 Election Calendar

Election Dates Primary Runoff Election, July 17: July 12 – Last day for voter to make application for an absentee ballot. July 16 – Last day for voter to hand-deliver or postmark an absentee ballot, except for voters who are overseas. Their deadline is election day. General Election, Nov. 6: Oct. 22 – Voter registration

by BirminghamWatch