On Thursday, 355 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the state, bringing the total of cases since the pandemic began to 9,046. Twenty-six new deaths also were reported. Since the pandemic began, 369 Alabamians have died from the disease. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — Alabama lawmakers continued their budget-focused, abbreviated session Thursday, sending the General Fund budget to Gov. Kay Ivey's desk and getting one step closer to final passage of the education budget. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — After private wrangling between the Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey over the authority to spend nearly $1.8 billion in federal coronavirus relief money, Ivey on Thursday publicly ceded primary responsibility to lawmakers.
“I have never desired to control a single penny of this money and if the Legislature feels so strongly that they should have that authority, I yield to them both the money and the responsibility to make good decisions – in the light of day where the people of Alabama know what is happening,” Ivey said in a written statement to reporters Thursday afternoon.
But, she said, she will not call the Legislature back into special session until it publicly releases a detailed list of how the money will be spent. And it better not include $200 million for a State House, she warned.
That proposed expenditure was on a wish list of spending circulated at the State House this week and obtained by Alabama Daily News. Legislative leaders disavowed any knowledge of the proposal. Read more.
Also in the Legislature:
House Passes Education Budget, General Fund Goes to Ivey
Gov. Kay Ivey’s “safer-at-home” order allows doctors to resume elective medical and dental procedures. For some patients, that’s good news. Read more.
The Jefferson County Commission followed a 45-minute meeting with an hour-long executive session today as commissioners received guidance on their use of federal stimulus money because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In calling for an executive session, County Attorney Theo Lawson cited the state statute regarding pending litigation and matters likely to be litigated in court. “There are already three entities that are already set up by the President to do audits and investigations on the manner in which these moneys are to be spent.” Lawson told BirminghamWatch. “That could include law suits to bring back and recoup those moneys in the event something happens. Read more.
In February, hundreds of spectators filled the stands for the state wrestling championship in Huntsville. High school wrestlers took to the mat while the crowd cheered them on. It was the last big match of the season for Nick Smith, a rising senior at Hoover High School. He won the state title in the 120 lb. division. Smith, who has been wrestling for 12 years, is now looking forward to the next level. Smith said college wrestling coaches usually recruit high school guys at national competitions during the summer, but most of those have been postponed or canceled due to the pandemic. Read more.
The rate of increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths is trending upward in Alabama, which is not good news as the state enters a period of relaxing restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the pandemic. Gov. Kay Ivey and state health officials took the first step toward opening up Alabama Thursday evening and now are considering whether to further relax restrictions before the current COVID-19 order expires May 15. As of late Wednesday night, the figures posted by the Alabama Department of Public Health on its COVID-19 web page show that 8,691 people have tested positive, and 343 deaths have been attributed to the virus. Read more.
A House committee Wednesday approved the Senate-passed $2.38 billion General Fund budget, putting it and the $7.3 billion education budget in line for final passage by Saturday. House leadership on Wednesday afternoon said it will not be taking up bills that aren't directly tied to the budgets or local to members' districts, effectively killing some senators' proposed legislation. Read more. Also in the Legislature on Tuesday: Senate Passes General Fund Budget, Stakes Domain Over Coronavirus Funds Push for No-Excuse Absentee Voting Likely Going Nowhere
Alabama has allowed many retailers to reopen at limited capacity, but businesses such as gyms, nail salons and barbershops remain closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Some sheriffs said they won’t enforce the statewide order. Read more.
The Alabama Senate approved Tuesday a resolution that says it’s “imperative to the democratic process to propose and adopt” no-excuse absentee voting, but the passage of actual legislation to loosen restrictions on the ballots seems unlikely in the Republican-controlled body. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, filed a bill Monday that would authorize no-excuse absentee voting. Smitherman’s Senate Bill 335 strikes out the list of excuses that qualify a voter for an absentee ballot and deletes a section of state law that says a voter must have one of those excuses to apply for an absentee ballot. Some cities have been pushing for no-excuse absentee voting in recent weeks. Read more.
