Alabama’s rate of uninsured children plunged to 2.4 percent in 2016
Things are looking up for children in Alabama. According to new U.S. Census data released this week, nearly 49 of every 50 children in the Yellowhammer State had health coverage in 2016. The rate of uninsured children to dropped to 2.4 percent, from 2015’s 3.1 percent — far below below the national average. A huge piece of the credit for those recent coverage gains belongs to Medicaid and ALL Kids, Arise Citizens’ Policy Project executive director Kimble Forrister said Thursday. Combined the programs cover nearly 800,000 Alabama children who live in households with low or moderate incomes. “All children deserve consistent, appropriate health care, and Alabama does a good job of helping them get it,” said Forrister. “Medicaid and ALL Kids help kids stay healthy so they can learn, play and thrive. It’s essential to ensure these programs have the funding they need to continue providing health coverage for our most vulnerable residents.” The new figures are particularly incredible for the state’s children considering nearly one in four kids, 24.3 percent, in the state lived in poverty in 2016. Congress is currently set to debate federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which is known as the ALL Kids in Alabama, as it is set to expire Sept. 30 unless it is renewed. “Children’s health care is too important to be left up to chance,” Forrister added. “We urge Congress to protect Medicaid and ALL Kids and work together in a bipartisan way to make health care more accessible and more affordable for all Americans.”
Trump administration backs bill to halt aid to Palestinians
The Trump administration declared its firm support Thursday for a bill that would suspend U.S. financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it ends what critics have described as a long-standing practice of rewarding Palestinians who kill Americans and Israelis. The State Department announcement comes nearly six weeks after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the measure. The legislation, which is named after an American who was stabbed to death in Israel by a Palestinian, reflects bipartisan outrage over what lawmakers have termed a “pay to slay” program endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. “The Trump administration strongly supports the Taylor Force Act, which is a consequence of Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization’s policy of paying terrorists and their families,” the State Department said. The department added that President Donald Trump “raised the need to end any part of this program that incentivizes violence against Israeli and American citizens with President Mahmoud Abbas last May in both Washington and Bethlehem.” But the Palestinian Authority has disputed the accusations and called the bill misinformed. Husam Zomlot, chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to the U.S., said last month that the program is more than 50 years old and is aimed at giving support to families “who lost their breadwinners to the atrocities of the occupation, the vast majority of whom are unduly arrested or killed by Israel.” One of the bill’s main sponsors, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said the Palestinian Authority has created monetary incentives for acts of terrorism by paying monthly stipends of as much as $3,500 to Palestinians who commit acts of violence and to their families. The amount of the payment depends on the length of the jail sentence they receive for the crime, he said. Corker is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Palestinians have argued that ending Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem – lands that Palestinians seek for their state – is key to defeating terrorism. Taylor Force was an MBA student at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and a West Point graduate who was visiting Israel in March 2016 when he was killed. Force was from Lubbock, Texas. His parents live in South Carolina. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the Palestinian Authority praised Force’s killer as a “heroic martyr.” He estimated that the Palestinian Authority has paid $144 million in “martyr payments” over the years. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Birmingham City Council sets public hearing for LGBTQ-inclusive human rights ordinance
A nondiscrimination ordinance, which has been in discussion for the last four years, will be on this month’s Birmingham City Council agenda. Originally introduced to the Public Safety Committee by Council President Johnathan Austin in 2013, the “Non-Discrimination Ordinance” seeks to protect any person who wishes to enter into a contract with the City of Birmingham from all forms of discrimination, which could be based on, “race, color, religion, natural origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or familial status,” according to the most recent draft. Supporters of the ordinance are already rallying support on Facebook for the Sept. 26 Council meeting. “While speakers are important, we also need to let the council know that Birmingham supports this ordinance, so we need you to show up even if you don’t plan to speak!” posted the organizers of the event, “Show Up & Speak Out for Fairness.” “We want to pack the chambers and the hallways, so bring some friends with you!” the post continued. The hearing is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eva Kendrick, Alabama director for the Human Rights Campaign, said she was encouraged by the progress being made in Birmingham and hopes the Council will not get “bogged down in the legality” and instead focus on why this is needed. “In Alabama, LGBTQ citizens and others who may be under-protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, don’t have local accountability measures when it comes to discrimination,” said Kendrick. “What this ordinance would do is it would lead in creating local accountability. It seems like we’re more stuck on, ‘can we do this,’ as opposed to ‘why we need to do this.’” *This article has been updated to reflect the change in date of the meeting.
House backs $1.2T spending bill with more money for military
The Republican-led House on Thursday passed a sweeping $1.2 trillion spending bill that provides billions more dollars for the military while sparing medical research and popular community development programs from deep cuts sought by President Donald Trump. The vote was 211-198 for the massive measure that wrapped the 12 annual spending bills into one in advance of the end of the budget year on Sept. 30. Even though the Senate still must act, the government will keep operating through Dec. 8, thanks to legislation Congress passed last week and sent to Trump. House members spent the past two weeks debating the measure’s $500 billion for domestic agencies. GOP leaders then merged that domestic spending package with an earlier House measure that would give record budget increases to the Pentagon and provide a $1.6 billion down payment for Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that he repeatedly has insisted Mexico would finance. “It does everything from strengthening our national defense and veterans’ programs to cracking down on illegal immigration to protecting life to cutting abusive Washington agencies like the IRS and the EPA,” said the No. 2 House Republican, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California. At issue are the spending bills passed by Congress each year to fund day-to-day operations of federal agencies. Trump, following the lead of budget director Mick Mulvaney, a former tea party congressman, pushed for a sweeping increase for the Pentagon and commensurate cuts of more than $50 billion from domestic agencies and foreign aid. House Republicans have responded by adding even more spending on defense, but have significantly scaled back Trump’s cuts to domestic programs like community development grants and medical research. Trump has taken a low-profile on budget issues other than the wall, however, and his administration has done little to fight for his spending cuts since they were unveiled. The House measure adds almost $9 billion to Trump’s funding request for medical research at the National Institutes of Health, rather than accepting sharp cuts recommended by Trump. It keeps as-is a $269 million subsidy for money-losing routes to rural airports that Trump had targeted. And it gives modest increases to GOP favorites such as law enforcement agencies and NASA. But House Republicans voted to slash government accounts on studying climate change, eliminate Title X family planning funds, and sharply cut foreign aid accounts, though not as drastically as Trump proposed. A transportation grant program started by former President Barack Obama would be eliminated, as would hiring grants for local police departments. The limits imposed by a budget agreement threaten the measure’s sweeping Pentagon increases, which total about $60 billion above current levels and almost $30 billion higher than Trump’s budget. That would evaporate next year unless there’s a bipartisan agreement to raise them. A two-year agreement that eased those spending limits expires in September. The legislation is laced with conservative provisions reversing Obama-era regulations, blocking implementation of the Affordable Care Act and defunding Planned Parenthood. But most such measures will be dropped – as in previous years – during subsequent negotiations with Democrats. Passage of the legislation marks the first time since 2009 that the House has backed all of the appropriations bills in one fashion or the other by the end of the budget year. The progress was possible in part because House GOP leaders maneuvered to keep Democrats from forcing controversial votes on issues such as immigration. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama State Board of Education selects Ed Richardson as Interim State Superintendent
The Alabama State Board of Education appointed Dr. Ed Richardson as the interim State Superintendent during their Thursday morning meeting. Richardson is no stranger to the Alabama education system. He previously served as the Alabama State Superintendent of Education from October 1995 to January 2004, and then as President of Auburn University from 2004-2007. “I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Richardson in being the (interim) superintendent.” said Governor Kay Ivey, who also serves as the President of the Alabama State Board of Education. As a retired state employee, Richardson’s contract will be limited to a maximum of two six-month terms, giving the State Board of Education a limited window to find a permanent replacement. Richardson fills the void left Michael Sentance who resigned from the State Superintendent post on Wednesday following months of the board questioning his communication and management skills. Richardson was approved for the position by an 8-1 vote. “There are so many accomplishments that the board is responsible for, because of the leadership of Dr. Richardson,” said Stephanie Bell, Vice President of the Alabama State Board. Dr. Richardson holds a B.S., M.Ed. and Ed.D. from Auburn University, and began his career in education as a classroom teacher in Montgomery County. He was also superintendent of schools for the Auburn City Board of Education.
Breastfeeding Athens mom asked to nurse in gym’s bathroom
An Athens, Ala. mom is frustrated after her local gym asked her to breastfeed in the bathroom. Ruha Alford Tacey on Tuesday took to Facebook to write about the incident that took place the day before at SportFit Athens. For the first time since giving birth to her daughter, Tacey made her way to the gym. While there, the little girl struggled in the childcare room, so the new mom decided to breastfed her to help make her feel more comfortable. The next day she went back to the gym where she was confronted by the front-desk worker. She recounted the incident in her Facebook post: “Hey, can I talk to you about something really quick? In terms of feeding your child, when you need to do that, could you just use the restroom?” The restroom? I asked. I have absolutely never been asked to do that, I said. “Well, we’re a family friendly facility, you see, and yesterday while you were feeding her a man walked by the window.” I told him a man shouldn’t feel shame when he sees a woman breastfeeding. And especially if you’re family friendly, you should be super-pro breastfeeding! He said, “I’m not telling you not to breastfeed, I just think a little discretion is in order.” She canceled her membership on the spot. “It’s hard enough getting to the gym and trying to work out despite a child with lots of separation anxiety. I was sad!,” added Tacey. While Tacey isn’t taking further action, SportsFit Athens request was actually against the law. According to Alabama Code Section 22 1-13, the state allows for breastfeeding in any public or private location where the mother is authorized to be. Alabama Today has reached out to the SportsFit Athens for comment on the reported incident and is awaiting a response. Read Tacey’s full Facebook post below:
Tim Scott admonishes Donald Trump to be more careful on racial matters
The Senate’s lone black Republican urged President Donald Trump on Wednesday to avoid inflammatory racial rhetoric such as his statement blaming “many sides” for the violence at a recent white nationalist protest in Virginia. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said he met for roughly a half hour with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House. He said the president tried to explain his comment, and why he said there were “very fine people” among the nationalists and neo-Nazis protesting the possible removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month. “We had three or four centuries of rape, murder and death brought at the hands of the (Ku Klux Klan) and those who believe in a superior race,” Scott told reporters later at the Capitol. “I wanted to make sure we were clear on the delineation between who’s on which side in the history of the nation.” In a subsequent news release, the White House misidentified Scott in a photo caption by calling him “Senator Tom Scott.” Scott bluntly criticized Trump for assigning blame in a way that put white supremacist protesters on equal footing with counterdemonstrators who turned out for the Aug. 12 protests, sparked by Charlottesville officials’ decision to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. That remark, Scott said, compromised Trump’s moral authority as president. On Wednesday, Trump told Scott that he just meant to convey “that there was an antagonist on the other side” – to which Scott replied, “The real picture has nothing to do with who is on the other side.” Scott continued: “I shared my thoughts of the last three centuries of challenges from white supremacists, white nationalists, KKK, neo-Nazis, so there is no way to find an equilibrium when you have three centuries of history.” The president said that he got the point, Scott said. Asked if the president can regain his moral authority, Scott responded, “That will take time.” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump and Scott had an “in depth” discussion about the Charlottesville comments, “but the focus was primarily on solutions moving forward.” “That was what both people came to the meeting wanting to discuss,” Sanders said during a White House briefing. “What we can do to bring people together, not talk about divisions within the country.” Scott said Trump also brought up Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, who has accused Las Vegas police of using racially motivated excessive force against him. Bennett sat on the bench during the national anthem before Sunday’s game at Green Bay, one of several NFL players protesting in support of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who remains unsigned after starting the protests last year to bring attention to police brutality against minorities. “I believe he found it unsettling and challenging,” Scott said. This came as several athletes, activists and celebrities signed a letter of support for Bennett. “Michael Bennett has been sitting during the anthem precisely to raise these issues of racist injustice that are now an intimate part of his life. Now we stand with him,” the letter said. It was signed by Kaepernick; tennis legend Martina Navratilova; academic Cornel West; John Carlos, a U.S. Olympic champion who famously raised his black-gloved fist during a 1968 medal ceremony, and other athletes and activists. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Illegal immigrant in Alabama arrested for child abuse, now being held by ICE
A mother in Foley, Ala. was arrested Wednesday after police say she tortured her 6-year-old son with a scalding hot spoon. According to reports, 26 year old Maria Cortes was disciplining her child Friday, Sept. 8, when she heated a spoon on the eye of the stove, then pressed it to the lips of her child resulting in 3rd-degree burns. School officials notified authorities on Monday that the child was missing from school and the police went to the Cortes home to investigate. “She kept the child home and didn’t get him medical attention, because she knew she would be in some trouble,” said Thurston Bullock, Asst. Police Chief with the Foley Police Department. “Third degree burns to the lips you know that’s soft tissue area and just the singeing of that area. It was swollen and the child went without medical care for three days.” Cortes was arrested with a $10,000 preset bond. She was almost released, when police discovered she was in the country illegally. A judge then reset her bond to $100,000 and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a permanent hold on her release. The boy received necessary medical treatment and was released into his father’s custody. Cortes has until October 10, 2017 to request a hearing.
