While legislation stalls, children join drag queen on stage at Birmingham “Family Friendly” event
Over the weekend, the Birmingham Festival Theatre held their “family friendly” drag show. The theatre has put on shows like this before and says that the show is for “all ages.” As first reported by 1819News, the event featured dancers including, “Idle King, a self-proclaimed ‘Auburn based genderfluid autistic drag king,’ and Birmingham-based Flap Jack and Fawn who identify as “non-binary.” In a video posted to their website before the event celebrated the benefits of previous underage attendees included young children. This event featured a several drag queens and “genderfluid” performers who interacted with some of the children who were present. Including one performer who after dancing provocatively while collecting tips brought the children to the stage to teach them a few moves before having the two young girls perform with him. You can watch both videos below. The event comes on the heels of a similar event being restricted to adults in Fairhope, Alabama and while the state legislature considers legislation that would prohibit children from participating in such performances. Alabama has filed legislation prohibiting drag performances in public places where children are present. The bill by Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney would add a provision to the state’s anti-obscenity laws to prohibit “male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings” from performing in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and in other public places where minors are present. It is currently awaiting a committee hearing in the State Government Committee which is chaired by Representative Chris Sells. The language of that bill specifically bans, “Any sexual or gender oriented material that exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities, including but not limited to topless, go-go, or exotic dancers, or male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings. This sexual conduct is prohibited in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and in other public places where minors are present.” Earlier today, 1819 News reported on video of the children later collecting money thrown on the floor for the performers while being called “Drag Kittens”. There are just 7 meeting days of the 2023 legislative session.
Birmingham Festival Theatre hosting ‘family friendly’ drag show
Birmingham Festival Theatre has scheduled what they are referring to as a “family friendly” drag show this Saturday, May 20, 2023. The theatre has put on shows like this before and says that the show is for “all ages.” As first reported by 1819News, the event features dancers including, “Idle King, a self-proclaimed ‘Auburn based genderfluid autistic drag king,’ and Birmingham-based Flap Jack and Fawn who identify as “non-binary.” Their website states, “Back by popular demand, Flapping and Fawning Podcast and Birmingham Festival Theatre are hosting another family friendly drag show. The last family friendly show was a total blast and fun was had by all. This event is open to all ages. Join the fun and dance with wonderful performers on Saturday May 20, 2023.” Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-13, and children younger than six get in free. This type of performance has happened in the past and apparently was sold out. On their Facebook page, it states, “And on Saturday May 20th we’ll be hosting another Family Friendly Drag Show brought to us by Flapping & Fawning Productions. Last time we sold out so be sure to reserve your spot! (This show will be appropriate for all ages.).” The photo below shows the entertainers from an earlier “family friendly” event a note on their FB page stated, “This drag show is at a reasonable hour and fun for all ages! Join Fawn and Flap Jack at Birmingham Festival Theatre and bring your cash to tip the entertainers. Lineup includes:Sweetie Mays-StarrWomana WilesT. WeilandRummorah Campbell” A video on their Facebook page says that family friendly drag shows “build confidence” and are “empowering.” Some of the theatre’s sponsors include the Magic City Acceptance School and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Alabama has filed legislation prohibiting drag performances in public places where children are present. The bill by Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney would add a provision to the state’s anti-obscenity laws to prohibit “male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings” from performing in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and in other public places where minors are present. The language of that bill specifically bans, “Any sexual or gender oriented material that exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities, including but not limited to topless, go-go, or exotic dancers, or male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings. This sexual conduct is prohibited in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and in other public places where minors are present.” In Florida, Gov. Ron Desantis signed a set of bills Wednesday that includes bans on minors from attending drag shows, strip clubs, or other “sexually explicit adult performances.”
Sen. Gerald Allen optimistic about getting national anthem bill before the Senate
On Thursday, Alabama State Senator Gerald Allen (R-Northport) expressed optimism that the Senate would address his national anthem legislation soon. Allen’s bill, Senate Bill 238 (SB238), is a proposed amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 1901 that would require every public school in the state to play the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, at least once a week during the school year. On May 3, the Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee gave a favorable report to the legislation, but since then, it has not been brought to the Senate floor. Following the end of Thursday’s legislative session, Alabama Today asked Allen about the status of his bill. Allen said he had just talked about that while the Senate was in. “It is going to be on the floor soon,” Allen said. Alabama Today asked if it would be on the floor next week. “I don’t know about next week,” Allen said. According to the synopsis, “This bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to public K-12 schools, to require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each K-12 public school to broadcast or sanction the performance of the first stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner at least once per week during school hours.” Allen said in Committee that he had brought legislation last year that would have required that the anthem be played before every public school athletics competition. He dropped that requirement in this bill and is simply requiring it just once a week during school hours. Allen was asked if it does pass the Senate and if he has someone willing to carry this bill in the House of Representatives. “Yes, I do – Arnold Mooney,” Allen said. There is a very high burden for the passage of SB238 since it is a constitutional amendment. Passing a constitutional amendment requires a three-fifths majority of both bodies of each House. The Alabama Republican Party has commanding supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature, but it is not known whether the Republican caucus will support this legislation or not. Without support from the GOP caucus, the leadership will not bring the bill to the floor. If SB238 does get approval from the legislature, the proposed amendment would still have to be ratified by a vote of the people next year in the presidential election. Tuesday will be day 21 of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. The session is limited to just 30 days by the Alabama Constitution. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House passes bill to extend domestic violence protections to grandparents, grandchildren, and step grandparents
On February 22, 21-year-old Jared Smith-Bracy was charged with murdering his grandparents, 80-year-old Leonard Smith and 72-year-old Barbara Smith; his brother, 27-year-old Jeremy Smith; and 71-year-old family friend Shelia Glover in Daphne. Tragically, Smith-Bracy had been arrested earlier after an altercation at the home. He was released. On Thursday, State Representative Matt Simpson explained to the Alabama House of Representatives that if similar events had occurred with parents or a girlfriend, Smith-Bracy would likely have been charged with domestic violence rather than assault and would have been held overnight for a cooling-off period – rather than immediately getting out and returning to the home for his murderous rampage. House Bill 76 (HB76) was introduced by Simpson in response to this incident and the apparent oversight in Alabama law. “The bill originally just dealt with grandparents,” Simpson said. “After working in the committee, we included step-grandparents and grandchildren.” The committee changes were made in a committee amendment to HB76. The House voted 105 to 0 to adopt the committee amendment. Simpson explained that the legislation includes a “no contact provision to keep him from going to that home.” Rep. Arnold Mooney said, “We just had two sheriff’s deputies shot coming into his parents’ home. He was abusive to his parents. Thank you for bringing this bill Rep. Chris England said, “Over the years, in domestic violence situations, you can make warrantless arrests. They do not necessarily have to see the incident.” “The bill makes sense,” England continued. “This is one of those bills that could prevent a very tragic incident from happening. I applaud you for bringing it.” Simpson is a former prosecutor. According to the synopsis, “Under existing law, a person commits the crime of domestic violence if the victim is a current or former spouse, parent, step-parent, child, step-child, any person with whom the defendant has a child in common, a present household member, or a person who has or had a dating relationship with the defendant. This bill would provide that a grandparent may be a victim of domestic violence.” The committee amendment added step-grandparents and grandchildren. HB76 passed the House of Representatives in a 105 to 0 vote. It now goes to the Senate for their consideration. The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Jared Smith-Bracy has been charged with five counts of capital murder and could potentially face the death penalty. Tuesday will be day 16 of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. The regular session is limited by the Alabama Constitution of 1901 to no more than thirty legislative days during a regular session. The House will convene at 1:00 p.m. and the Senate at 2:30 p.m. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama bill would put limits on drag shows
Alabama has joined states trying to limit drag shows after legislation was filed Thursday that would prohibit the performances in public places where children are present. The bill by Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney would add a provision to the state’s anti-obscenity laws to prohibit “male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings” from performing in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and in other public places where minors are present. A federal judge last month temporarily blocked Tennessee’s first-in-the-nation law placing strict limits on drag shows, siding with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates the First Amendment. Republican legislators in several states have been considering restrictions on drag show performances in what critics say is a wave of anti-LBGTQ legislation. The Alabama bill is pending before the House State Government Committee. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
House Committee advances legislation guaranteeing that patients can have visitors
On Wednesday, the Alabama House Healthcare Committee voted to advance legislation that would guarantee that family members may spend time with their sick and dying loved ones in an Alabama hospital or nursing home. Senate Bill 113 (SB113) is sponsored by State Sen. Garlan Gudger. It is being carried in the House by Rep. Debbie Wood. The bill replaces last year’s patient visitation law. “Last year, we passed House Bill 521,” Wood said. “The problem was we still had family members who were not able to get into see their loved ones.” “Sen. Gudger worked hard to come up with another one with teeth in it,” Wood explained. The synopsis states, “Under existing law, a health care facility must follow certain requirements related to visitation for patients, clients, or residents. This bill would repeal existing law related to healthcare facility visitation and would require healthcare facilities to adopt visitation policies and procedures that meet certain standards. This bill would provide that residents, clients, or patients of a health care facility have the right to visit with any individual of their choosing during the facility’s visiting hours.” “This bill would allow a resident, client, or patient to designate an essential caregiver and would require healthcare facilities to allow essential caregivers at least two hours of daily visitation. This bill would require that any safety-related policies or procedures may not be more stringent than those established for the health care facility’s staff. This bill would prohibit a healthcare facility from requiring visitors to submit proof of vaccination or from prohibiting consensual physical contact between a visitor and a resident, client, or patient. This bill would allow a health care facility to suspend in-person visitation of a specific visitor if a visitor violates the facility’s policies and procedures.” Our healthcare facilities are the greatest asset we have,” Wood said. The bill also defines “end of life.” “End of life means something totally different to different people,” Wood explained. “I would think end of life would mean the last few weeks of life, but to a healthcare facility, end of life might mean the last fifty minutes.” Wood explained that the substitute bill carves out an exception for psychiatric care facilities from the visitation requirements if a doctor signs that the patient cannot receive visitors. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, hospitals and nursing homes banned visitors to try to halt the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Those measures largely failed, as did vaccine requirements once the vaccine was commercially accessible. Thousands of Alabamians died, many of them believing their family had abandoned them because of the strict limits against visiting the sick and seniors in nursing homes. “We also learn when we go through something traumatic,” Wood said. State Rep. Arnold Mooney said, “Thank you both for your work on this.” “We are a state that respects the dignity of life,” Mooney continued. Rep. Pebblin Warren asked, “Was there any conversation or dialogue with the institutions? The Hospital Association and the Nursing Home Association.” “This bill is a joint effort of everyone to make sure that we have policies and procedures that we The bill is named after Harold Sachs – the longtime Chief of Staff of the Alabama Republican Party. Sachs was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia in late 2020. His condition deteriorated quickly, and after a few weeks, he passed away. Sachs’ family – like many Alabama families- were not allowed to visit Harold in the COVID-19 ward. “They have been instrumental in pushing this issue,” Wood said. Rep. Paul Lee. is the Chairman of the Healthcare Committee Rep. Mooney made a motion to give the bill a favorable report. The favorable report motion passed unanimously. SB113 has already passed the Senate on a 33 to 0 vote. It could be taken up by the full House of Representatives as early as Thursday. Wednesday is the sixth legislative day of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Legislature finishes the ARPA special session
On Thursday, the Alabama Senate voted to pass House Bill 1 (HB1), which appropriates $1,060,000,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for water projects, broadband, healthcare, and other projects. Following Senate passage, the Alabama House of Representatives voted to concur with the changes made by the Senate, and the bill has been sent to the governor. HB1 was sponsored by State Representative Rex Reynolds and was carried by Sen. Greg Albritton. The state has received approximately $2.1 billion in ARPA funding from the federal government. Half of that money has already been appropriated by the Legislative and is in the process of being allocated by the executive branch to projects across Alabama. This second tranche of ARPA money includes about $339,175,000 that will go for healthcare needs, including $25 million for Mental health and $9 million for the expansion of telemedicine. $260 million will be used for broadband, including a cybersecurity component. $395 million will go to water and sewer projects. $55 million will be used to compensate state agencies for the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. $1,179,000 will go for administrative costs of overseeing and allocating the money. State Sen. Arthur Orr said, “I don’t see what a lot of this has to do with COVID, but I can also see when a train is coming. “We have also got $55 million that can be for food assistance for food banks and nutritional programs,” Orr said. “I appreciate all your hard work on both of these ARPA bills,” Orr said to Albritton. “I think if we never have another ARPA, you would be happy with that.” “It does not fully fund the PEEHIP assistance, which is why the fed passed the original assistance bill,” Orr said. The full Senate voted to adopt the committee amendment introduced Wednesday for Sen. Chris Elliott. Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison offered a floor amendment to the bill. Coleman Madison said, “I would like to know why in-kind contributions was left out. It saves money from contracting out. It saves time. It helps the money go further.” “All of these moneys are under very strict guidelines by the federal Treasury Department,” Albritton said. “If we allow an in-kind contribution that opens up a means of reporting that may become problematic,” Albritton said, “We are talking about the $395 million for water and sewer projects. That is less than 40% of the total ARPA money.” “I ask that you withdraw the amendment,” Albritton said. Coleman Madison said, “I do not want to do anything where the federal government will come back and require a clawback. They want money and not any kind of service. I would like to withdraw my amendment.” Albritton provided a breakdown of the water and sewer dollars in the bill as amended by Elliott’s committee amendment. · $195 million is for water and sewer. · 100 million is water, sewer, and stormwater and may have, but does not require a match. · $100 million in water, sewer, and stormwater and does require a match “Every county in the state will have an opportunity to apply and will actually get funding for a project in their county,” Albritton told the members. “Counties across this state got $495 million directly to counties, and some of them chose to do nothing about stormwater with it,” Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said. “Now they come to us and want us to fix it for them.” State Sen. Rodger Smitherman proposed an amendment to require ADEM to work with a town or county whose application was denied due to an error on the application. “This is simply to help our small towns,” Smitherman said. “If you are in a metropolitan area, you probably have someone who can do this, but our small towns cannot afford that.” “It has already been done,” Albritton objected. “That was in ARPA one. I hesitate to put that language which is already occurring in statute. I am going to vote no on this. We have already added one amendment. I don’t want another amendment one. It raises the possibility of nonconcurrence.” Smitherman’s amendment passed over Albritton’s objection 29 to 1. State Sen. Will Barfoot applauded the members for providing funding for healthcare but urged the members to do more for rural healthcare in the regular session. “I am challenging each of you here to start looking at bills to address healthcare in our rural communities,” Barfoot said. Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed said, “We have to stay focused on rural healthcare.” “We are going to have several pieces of legislation addressing nursing,” Reed said. “A lot of areas in my district, we would not have healthcare if we did not have nurse practitioners.” Reed said that broadband expansion is part of healthcare because of telemedicine. “The technology is advancing tremendously,” Reed said. “That is one way that local hospitals will be able to stay in business. We need to find ways to increase healthcare benefits, particularly in rural places like in my district.” State Sen. Vivian Figures said to Albritton, “Thank you for making sure that the cities and counties that can’t afford to put up a 35% match will be able to do these projects as well.” “I want to thank you for all the work that you have done,” Singleton said to Albritton. “It is a lot of money to spend. We have a lot of needs, but we are beginning to see a difference in the state. We are not going to be able to get it all, but we are knocking a dent in it.” “I wish you could have set aside more of the money for rural hospitals like we did in the first round,” Singleton said. “When that $40 million was cut out for them in the last round, they were ecstatic.” Reynolds asked that the House concur with the Senate changes to HB1. “The second amendment requires that ADEM has to work with a system if an application is denied because of an error,” Reynolds explained. “That system has to have an opportunity to correct that error, and if that application is denied, it has to be
Lawmakers advance plan for American Rescue Plan funds
Alabama lawmakers on Thursday advanced a spending plan to use the state’s final $1 billion in federal pandemic relief funds on water and sewer infrastructure, broadband expansion, health care reimbursements and other projects. The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved the legislation with one dissenting vote. It now moves to the full House of Representatives, where lawmakers plan to vote on it Tuesday. The sponsor of the bill, Republican Rep. Rex Reynolds of Huntsville, said he has multiple meetings with House members about the plan and is hoping for broad support during next week’s vote. “We need to get this passed and get it up to the Senate, and we’ll address any amendments that come up,” Reynolds said. Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney voted against the bill after saying he had some unanswered questions, including if lawmakers will have adequate oversight of the spending. Mooney said the Alabama Legislature is “constitutionally given the responsibility to appropriate funds and make sure that those funds are used in a correct manner.” The spending plan directs pots of money to state agencies, such as the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and other entities to distribute for the allotted purposes. Reynolds said that lawmakers voted to create the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on American Rescue Plan Act State Funds, which can request reports on expenditures. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called lawmakers into special session this week to address how to use the state’s remaining $1.06 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act — the sweeping $1.9 trillion relief plan approved by Congress to help the country climb out of the coronavirus crisis. The proposed spending plan would allocate: — $339 million for healthcare costs, including $100 million to reimburse hospitals for pandemic-related expenses, $100 million to reimburse nursing homes, and $25 million to support mental health programs and services. — $400 million for water and sewer infrastructure projects, including $195 million for high-need projects, $200 million for matching funds for public water and sewer systems, and $5 million for septic systems in the Black Belt region. — $260 million for improvement and expansion of broadband network access. — $55 million for projects that address economic impacts of the pandemic. The legislation says the Department of Finance may distribute the money for a wide range of needs, such as food banks, long-term housing, and summer learning programs for children. House and Senate committees on Thursday also advanced separate legislation to use $60 million from the current budget surplus to finish repaying money borrowed a decade ago during a budget shortfall. Alabama voters in 2012 approved borrowing $437 million from the Trust Fund — a state savings account fueled by offshore drilling royalties — to avoid cuts to state services. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Low number of corrections officers in Alabama prisons cause for concern
The Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Finances and Budgets-General Fund met in Montgomery at the Alabama Statehouse for legislative oversight of state general fund agencies ahead of the legislative session. The Alabama Department of Department of Corrections (ADOC) has just 1,732 corrections officers to guard the state’s 20,643 inmates. ADOC is the second largest agency in the state general fund (SGF) budget. Alabama has an antiquated budgeting system where there are two budgets: the SGF and the education trust fund (ETF). ADOC Commissioner John Hamm was appointed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey about 13 months ago. He previously served as the Deputy Secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and as head of the State Bureau of Investigation. Hamm addressed the budget committees about his request for an additional $122.4 million in funding from the SGF for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins on October 1. The Department of Corrections appropriation in 2023 was $594,647,303. ADOC received $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Hamm said that the largest component of the ADOC budget is personnel. The lack of corrections officers is a public safety issue. Most importantly, it means that there are fewer guards to protect inmates from their fellow inmates. It is also a problem for the state legally as a federal court has already ordered ADOC four years ago to hire 2000 more guards – and the state has failed to accomplish that task. “One of our court orders says we must hire x number of security staff,” Hamm said. “I don’t know how we are going to make them come to work.” “This is also an issue with other states,” Hamm said.” Texas and Florida have gotten real aggressive on compensation. They are now well ahead of us. Recruiting corrections officers is coming from here. We are competing with sheriffs and police departments. Our compensation is lower and the benefits. Some of them are paying in the $50s and even $60s. We are 50% lower than that.” Hamm said that there have been some signs of progress though, recently. “We had about eight quarters of decline. We leveled off last quarter,” Hamm said, suggesting that this may indicate a turnaround. Hamm said that the Department had 688 vacancies for corrections officers, with just 1732 guards presently on staff. ADOC also has 1168 administrative workers with 264 vacancies. One legislator suggested that ADOC simply train prisoners how to be corrections officers to fill the vacancies. Hamm said that there are APOST standards for corrections officers that would prevent ADOC from hiring former prisoners as guards. ADOC is building two new mega prisons. Hamm said that the mega prison in Elmore County has poured its foundation pad, but now they have to put in the drains and plumbing before construction can begin. “It is on our Draper campus in a 300-acre site,” Hamm said. “The general contractor – Caddell construction – is on site. Soon there will be 800 workers out there. Hamm suggested that sinkholes on the site and drainage had slowed the project. “Site work is ongoing at Escambia County,” Hamm said. “We don’t have a general contractor for Escambia yet.” Hamm predicted that the state would be able to hire a general contractor once they finalized the design at Elmore. That design will then be duplicated at Escambia, saving money. Two legislators asked about the controversial decision to award the prison healthcare contract to a new company that appears to simply be an old company in several pieces of litigation due to walking out on prison healthcare contracts in other states. Rep. Arnold Mooney asked if YesCare was simply Corizon reorganized. “YesCare is a new company,” Hamm insisted. Hamm told the legislators that there are only five companies in the country that provide large-scale healthcare services for prisons and that four of those submitted bids. A committee was tasked with evaluating the four bids, and they recommended two companies. Hamm said that it was his decision to accept the bid from YesCare. “I made the choice of Yes Care,” Hamm said. The Department of Justice is suing the State of Alabama, claiming that the conditions in Alabama’s prisons are so bad that imprisonment in the state’s prisons constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment, and as such imprisonment under the conditions found in ADOC is unconstitutional. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Forestry Association announces first endorsements for the Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama Forestry Association (AFA) announced its endorsement of several candidates for the Alabama House of Representatives. The AFA represents Alabama’s forestry community and is dedicated to protecting and improving the business, regulatory and legal environment for landowners and forest business owners to ensure the sustainable growth of Alabama’s forests and forest industry. This year the AFA is endorsing Joe Lovvorn, Arnold Mooney, Tommy Hanes, Margie Wilcox, and Jamie Kiel for seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. Joe Lovvorn is running for reelection for House District 79, which covers part of Lee County. Lovvorn has a bachelor’s degree from Auburn’s College of Agriculture and earned his Master’s degree from Auburn’s College of Business. He is a realtor and owns Two Men and A Truck in Auburn and Montgomery. He and his wife, Jenifer, have two children. “As the grandson of a saw miller and the son of a timber farmer, I was raised to appreciate the positive impact of the forestry industry in Alabama,” stated Lovvorn. “I value and appreciate the endorsement of the Alabama Forestry Association and look forward to serving Alabama another four years.” Arnold Mooney is running for reelection for House District 43, which covers part of Shelby County. He has spent over 40 years in the commercial real estate business. He has been married to his wife, Kelly, for over 37 years. They have three children and ten grandchildren. “I am very pleased to receive the endorsement of such an outstanding organization as the AFA,” said Mooney. “The forestry industry is a multi-billion dollar contributor to the economy of our state and Shelby County, where my house district is located. AFA and its members support conservative values and principles and are pro-business and free enterprise. They stand, as well,for fiscal responsibility, private property rights, and limited government. I am proud to stand with them!” Tommy Hanes is running for a third term for House District 23, which covers parts of Jackson and DeKalb Counties. He is a member of the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee. Hanes is a retired firefighter. He has been married to his wife, Rhonda, for over 43 years. “I’m once again honored to receive the endorsement for my reelection from what is considered to be the most conservative group in the state,” Hanes stated. “It’s great to be in such great company as the Alabama Forestry Association!” Margie Wilcox is running for reelection for House District 104, covering part of Mobile County. She was first elected into the House in 2014. Wilcox is a small business owner, owning Mobile Bay Transportation and Pensacola Bay Transportation, and she is a longtime resident of Mobile County. “I am honored to be supported by Alabama Forestry representing thousands of hard-working Alabamians,” said Wilcox. “Their conservative principles are near and dear to my own beliefs, and I look forward to continuing our efforts to protect Alabama’s conservative values, low taxes, and amazing quality of life.” Jamie Kiel is serving his first term in the House and is running for reelection for House District 18, which covers parts of Colbert, Lauderdale, and Franklin Counties. He is a graduate of the University of North Alabama and is a small business owner. His business, Kiel Equipment, has been operating for about 27 years in Russellville. Kiel and his wife, Melissa, have threedaughters. “I am honored to be endorsed by the Alabama Forestry Association.,” said Kiel. “The AFA works hard for fiscally conservative policy in our state. I appreciate their stand for low taxes and responsible spending. I will continue to fight for the hard-working forestry-related businesses who are a key component of our state’s economy.” The primary election is on May 24, 2022.
Chris England calls for ADOC commissioner Jeff Dunn to be fired
State Rep. Chris England has become yet another leader to speak out about issues within the Alabama criminal justice system, Al.com reported. England took to Twitter on Sunday and called for Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn to be fired. Gov. Kay Ivey and other state leaders have been pushing the construction of new correctional facilities to reduce prison overcrowding and violence. In June, the deadline for investors to come aboard Ivey’s prison lease plan passed with no takers. Ivey proposed a plan to have private companies build three prisons and charge the state millions in annual rent to house prisoners in them. The Alabama Department of Corrections is currently being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice over conditions in the state prisons, saying the state is failing to protect male inmates from inmate-on-inmate violence and excessive force at the hands of prison staff. Just this month, Dunn asked federal officials if COVID-19 funds could be used to improve state prisons with “better, enhanced, and/or extended infrastructure.” England Tweeted, “Let’s start with the obvious. ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn needs to be fired. 10 men have died in prisons THIS MONTH. Well, 10 that we know about. Not only, is the ADOC poorly managed, they routinely hide information so it’s hard to know what’s going on.” England stated, “What will it take for us to realize that Alabama’s criminal justice system is broken and it is going to take more than new buildings to fix it? We got federal lawsuits, corruption in ADOC, people dying daily in our prisons and a pardons and paroles system that doesn’t work.” State Auditor Jim Zeigler has also been a vocal opponent to Ivey’s plan for mega prisons. Zeigler commented, “The Ivey plan would have forced Alabama taxpayers to pay rents starting about $94 million a year and going up to about $106 million. At the end of 30 years, the state would own equity in the prisons of zero. No equity. That was a bad business plan. The Ivey plan did not address the problems in the prison system – the safety of staff and other inmates, overcrowding, mental health, suicide, recidivism, and inadequate job training. The plan merely threw $3.6 billion of taxpayer money into rented buildings.” Zeigler, along with more than a dozen organizations, sent a letter to Ivey in January, opposing the mega-prison plan. Representatives Rich Wingo, Arnold Mooney, and Steve Clouse all expressed concerns about the plan as well. Clouse, who chairs the budget committee, said, “there are a lot of questions that the Legislature would like answered.” Part of the letter Zeigler sent to Ivey stated, “Our prisons are unconstitutional not because they are in need of repair, but because the ADOC is the most dysfunctional department of corrections in America. The DOJ has targeted our prisons because they are racist and violent. Are we supposed to believe that the same department that got us into this mess will run functioning prisons just because they get new buildings? “Even if building modern facilities addresses some concerns, it is unlikely to take us out of the DOJ’s crosshairs. The best use of taxpayer dollars cannot be to pursue the action most expensive and least likely to avoid federal intervention—paying $2.6 billion to rent 3 prisons. Why have there been no known attempts to determine the cost of pursuing the DOJ’s actual recommendations?”
Email Insight: Jim Zeigler and coalition of activists oppose mega prisons, call on legislature to audit Department of Corrections
Jim Zeigler has been outspoken on his belief that Governor Kay Ivey’s plan to build 3 mega prisons is a costly mistake that Alabama shouldn’t make. In a recent op-ed, Zeigler stated, “Governor Kay Ivey is just days away from signing contracts that will saddle taxpayers with a minimum $2.6 billion bill for leasing three new mega-prisons for 30 years. In the end, we will own equity in the prisons of exactly ZERO. The companies that held these lucrative leases will own the prisons, and we, the taxpayers, will have to start completely over and pay for the prisons a second time – pay 100% again.” Ivey’s plan would create three mega prisons, each housing around 10,000 inmates and would force the closure of several existing prisons. Representatives Rich Wingo, Arnold Mooney, and Steve Clouse have all expressed concerns. Clouse, who chairs the budget committee, said, “there are a lot of questions that the Legislature would like answered.” Zeigler has called for an independent audit of the Alabama Department of Corrections. Now 13 citizen groups support his audit request. Here is the letter they are sending to Kay Ivey and the Alabama legislature. Alabama is Getting Swindled For Billions 1/29/21 To the Alabama State Legislators: We are a coalition of people, communities, and organizations committed to stopping the ill-conceived construction of prisons being forced upon Bibb, Elmore, and Escambia counties. We are made up of communities of farmers and activists in each of those counties, more than a dozen organizations and churches across the state, and nearly 300 Alabama students from 28 colleges, universities, and law schools, writing to you in opposition to Governor Kay Ivey’s attempt to spend $2.6 billion on three new mega-prisons without a shred of transparency. We are Communities Not Prisons, and our futures depend on your immediate action. It is no secret that barring significant action, our prisons will remain unconstitutional—ensuring a federal takeover by the Department of Justice. It is equally clear that our prisons are in need of long-overdue maintenance. But Governor Ivey and Commissioner Dunn have elected to pursue a multi-facility mega-prison construction project that will address only a small aspect of the overall criticisms from the Department of Corrections. Throughout the entire process, they have acted behind closed doors, keeping the public and even you—our elected leaders—entirely in the dark. The DOJ report on Alabama prisons details 5 pages of actions Alabama could take to become compliant with the 8th Amendment prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment.” Not a single recommendation mentions new construction. Though part of the DOJ lawsuit does highlight infrastructural deficiencies, these primarily could be addressed by installing more cameras and repairing broken locks. If a cost estimate for implementing these minimum infrastructural repairs has been done, the people of Alabama deserve to know about it. The quality of our current facilities, however abysmal, is a minor concern in comparison to the core reasons our prisons are unconstitutional—violence stemming from a dysfunctional Department of Corrections, chronic understaffing, and poor leadership. Our prisons are unconstitutional not because they are in need of repair, but because the ADOC is the most dysfunctional department of corrections in America. The DOJ has targeted our prisons because they are racist and violent. Are we supposed to believe that the same department that got us into this mess will run functioning prisons just because they get new buildings? Even if building modern facilities addresses some concerns, it is unlikely to take us out of the DOJ’s crosshairs. The best use of taxpayer dollars cannot be to pursue the action most expensive and least likely to avoid federal intervention—paying $2.6 billion to rent 3 prisons. Why have there been no known attempts to determine the cost of pursuing the DOJ’s actual recommendations? With growing needs for investments in healthcare, including mental health, and the additional burden that COVID-19 has placed on critical departments, as we heard outlined in this week’s budget hearings from the leadership of the Department of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, and the Alabama Medicaid Agency, it is astounding that Governor Ivey is prioritizing fiscally irresponsible and devastating contracts for prisons that do not address our most urgent needs as Alabamians. While we understand the need for action and the difficulty of legislating around prison issues, we do not accept the degree of secrecy under which this plan has developed. Governor Ivey has attempted to act unilaterally and has refused to answer the legitimate questions of her constituents. The people of Alabama have had no say in this. Residents in Tallassee and Brierfield, where two of the prisons will be built, have been opposing this plan for months. Governor Ivey has made it clear that our farmers and rural communities do not matter to her. This is not how Alabama works. This is not how America works. This is tyranny, not democracy. It is past time for our legislators to intervene. We demand more information through an independent and transparent assessment of the Alabama Department of Corrections before Alabama is strapped into this expensive, irreversible plan. Without an audit, we risk torching a significant portion of our already strapped discretionary spending. Furthermore, due diligence has not been exercised to determine the environmental impact of these proposed prisons. Basic questions about wastewater treatment, water sourcing, storm runoff, additional infrastructure, and more have not been answered, even when local residents have asked about them. This is unacceptable and irresponsible. We demand the legislature do everything in their power to intervene in this process and stop Governor Ivey from trapping us into a 30-year mistake. We demand Governor Ivey immediately stop her assault on farmers and the rural communities whose homes and livelihoods will be destroyed if these contracts are signed and these prisons are built. We are calling on you, our leaders, to intervene. Alabama cannot move forward with this plan. We implore you: do everything in your power to delay these contracts from being signed. You are the last line of defense against this anti-democratic process and appalling executive overreach. Sincerely yours, Block the Brierfield Prison No Prison for Tallassee Alabama Students Against Prisons The
