POLL: Alabama Senate race tied following bombshell allegations against Roy Moore
A new Friday poll shows the U.S. Senate race in Alabama is now too close to call, following a bombshell report on Thursday that accuses Republican nominee Roy Moore pursued a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl in 1979. Moore has denied the allegations. The Decision Desk HQ–Opinion Savvy poll found 46.4 percent of likely Alabama voters surveyed said they support Moore, while 46 percent said they support the Democratic nominee Doug Jones. In the previous survey, Moore lead Jones by 5.7 percent. Jones now holds a sixteen point lead over Moore among women, down 10 percent from the September poll. While Moore enjoys a twenty point lead among men, which has gone up 1 percent. When asked whether or not they have heard about the allegations against Moore, most respondents had. 82 percent said they had heard the news. And when asked whether Moore should withdraw from the race, 34.9 percent of respondents said yes, while 54 percent replied no. The poll was conducted on November 9th of 515 likely voters via landline and mobile. The poll has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points. Moore and Jones face-off in the Alabama Senate special election on Dec. 12. The entire poll is viewable here.
MPD officials, mayor named in federal racial, sexual discrimination lawsuit
A longtime officer with the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) has filed a lawsuit against the city and MPD officials alleging racial and sexual discrimination, as well as retaliation. Hortensia James filed a lawsuit in the federal courts in August 2017 with complaints dating back to 2013. In a 22-page complaint James spells out several instances where she alleges discrimination by her male coworkers. She also accuses former MPD Deputy Chief Ron Cook of making unwelcome sexual advances in 2015. The lawsuit seeks damages including compensatory damages including but not limited to lost wages, lost seniority, out of pocket expenses, and emotional damages. James also requests a trial by struck jury. Named as defendants are: Former MPD Deputy Chief Ron Cook City Personnel Director Carmen Douglas MPD Chief Ernie Finley Former MPD Deputy Chief Bryan Jurkofsky MPD Cpl. Donald Lowe Public Safety Director Chris Murphy Director of City Investigations Ronald F. Sams Former MPD Deputy Chief William S. Simmons Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange MPD Sgt. Bruce Thornell MPD Lt. Natasha Walker MPD Chief of Staff Chris Wingard The City of Montgomery The City Personnel Department The Office of City Investigations The City of Montgomery declined to comment to Alabama Today on the lawsuit. View James’ full complaint below:
Republican Senate Cmte drops out of fundraising agreement with Roy Moore
Less than 24 hours after bombshell allegations of sexual assault surfaced against Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, the Republican Party’s campaign wing on Friday severed its fundraising agreement with the former state Chief Justice. Paperwork was filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Friday showing the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has been removed from a joint fundraising committee that also includes Moore’s campaign, the Alabama Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. “The allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore are deeply troubling,” Colorado-Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the NRSC said in a prepared statement. “If these allegations are found to be true, Roy Moore must drop out of the Alabama special Senate election.” He explained the NRSC’s focus “is always on keeping a strong Republican majority in the Senate.” The NRSC did not respond to requests from Alabama Today for comment. Moore has been under fire since The Washington Post published an explosive report Thursday afternoon with the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. The news has caused rapid fallout from dozens of Senate Republicans who have called on Moore to withdraw his name from next month’s special election if the allegations are true. Moore faces the Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the special election on Dec. 12.
Kay Ivey awards $208k grant to help crime victims statewide
Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday awarded a $208,845 grant to the Victims of Crime and Leniency (VOCAL) Angel House in Montgomery — a non-profit organization that works with families and victims of crime in Alabama who have been affected by homicide — to assist victims of violent crimes in 59 counties throughout the Yellowhammer State. “When crime unfortunately happens, it is important for professional assistance to be available to help victims move quickly toward recovery,” Ivey said. “I commend VOCAL Angel House for ensuring victims receive the help necessary to start the healing process and for advocating for victims throughout the recovery process.” The organization also assists victims of robbery and family members who have lost a loved one to homicide with filing for compensation. All services are provided free of charge to victims in the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox and Winston. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “VOCAL Angel House provides vital services to crime victims, and this grant will help ensure that those services continue to remain available,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in supporting the important work the organization does to serve victims each day.” Ivey notified the organization’s board chairperson, Pamela Casey, that the grant had been approved. Matching funds of $52,211 will supplement the award. Those seeking assistance should contact the VOCAL Angel House directly at (800) 239-3219 or visit www.vocalonline.org.
Google Fiber seeks applicants for Digital Inclusion Fellowship in Huntsville
In May 2015, the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) — a Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit facilitates the global exchange of knowledge and information helping nonprofits use all aspects of technology more effectively — and Google Fiber launched the first-ever Digital Inclusion Fellowship. The goal of the program was to bridge the digital divide in America, where an estimated 60 million people do not have Internet. Throughout the course of the year-long Fellowship, Fellows and program staff help nonprofits get their communities online, empowering them to meet their social, economic, and civic needs. Fellows work with their organizations to provide programming to their communities aimed at building technology skills and identifying avenues for access. Now in its fourth iteration, the Digital Inclusion Fellowship is once again looking for applicants. Implementing lessons learned in previous Fellowship cohorts, the program has limited applicants to those currently working for nonprofits and social service agencies located in the program areas. Huntsville, Ala. has one fellowship position, sponsored by Google Fiber, open. “Nonprofit staff selected for the Fellowship will create and expand digital inclusion programs to help bring their communities online,” explained Drew Pizzolato, Digital Inclusion Campaign Manager at NTEN. “These programs empower communities in innumerable ways: They can help parents connect with teachers, instruct job seekers on how to craft a professional resume, promote low-cost internet offers, show seniors how to video chat with family, and so much more.” Applications are due by Nov. 17.
Martha Roby: Momentum on tax reform
Congressional efforts to reform our nation’s broken tax code are picking up momentum. After a week of debate and deliberation, the House Ways and Means Committee approved H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It will now go to the full House for consideration. When it comes to tax reform, my top priority is for the plan to benefit the people I represent in Central and Southeast Alabama. A study from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation found that House Republicans’ tax reform plan will offer the median household in Alabama an average of $2,078 in tax relief. Also, our bill expands the Child Tax Credit to $1,600 per child and lowers the income threshold so that more low-income families can take advantage of it. A few thousand extra dollars in the family budget can go a long way, and I believe individuals know how to spend their money better than the federal government does. And remember, these aren’t just one-time savings. This is annual tax relief that hardworking taxpayers can count on and budget for year after year. Another important priority is to boost the economy and create jobs. That’s why the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers business tax rates from 35 percent to a globally-competitive 20 percent while also closing the labyrinth of loopholes that have been written into the tax code for three decades. This will help businesses to grow and hire more workers here in the United States. That same Tax Foundation study estimates that our plan could help create as many as 13,323 new full time jobs in Alabama. Tax reform is a complicated issue on its own, so it doesn’t help that some individuals and organizations are spreading misinformation and confusing the public. For example, Senate Democrats’ false claim that the bill somehow raises taxes on the middle class received “Four Pinocchios” from The Washington Post Fact Checker. Also, a Washington think tank was forced to retract its harsh analysis of the bill and admit they miscalculated how the expanded Child Tax Credit would help working families. Some have characterized our tax reform plan as a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. That’s not true. The bill delivers relief at every level while maintaining the top 39.6 percent tax rate on high-income earners. Our plan actually lowers tax rates for low and middle-income earners and increases the standard deduction, which means that a lot of people will be able to immediately keep more of what they earn. Some feared that our tax reform plan will raise taxes on retirement. That’s not true either. Our bill retains the popular retirement savings options, such as 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) just as Americans know them today. There is one important recent change to the bill I’m pleased to report: The adoption tax credit was successfully added back into the tax reform package. The tax code provides adoptive families a credit of up to $13,570 in qualified expenses for each child adopted, including through public foster care, domestic private adoption, and international adoption. For parents following the call to adopt children, this tax credit can make a big difference in removing financial barriers that often come with adoption. Restoring this tax credit was the right thing to do, and I appreciate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady for listening to the voices of adoptive families across the country. Simply put, I want you and your family to keep more of what you earn in your pocket. I believe hardworking Americans should have relief from our burdensome and frustrating tax code, and that’s what our plan delivers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is just one step of the process. The Senate has released its own version of a tax reform plan, and we still have work to do. As we move forward, I encourage you to read the plan for yourself and stay informed on developments. You can find the text of the bill, frequently asked questions, and tools to help calculate how the plan would benefit you at FairandSimple.Gop. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
