Martha Roby: Reflecting on 2017 and looking ahead
The new year is upon us, which is an important time to reflect on the work we have done so far this Congress and recommit to delivering even more promises in 2018. Despite what you may see when you turn on cable news, there is a lot for us to be proud of in our country right now. We’ve seen tremendous economic growth and our tax reform overhaul brought some great news to families around the country this holiday season. Countless companies have already rewarded their employees with bonuses and higher wages due to tax reform, and I’m confident this is only the beginning of positive news to come as a result. Americans have rightly been frustrated with gridlock in our government, and I’m often asked “why can’t Congress get anything done?” While there have been many legislative priorities stuck in the Senate, the House responded to Americans’ frustration with action last year. Did you know that we’ve already passed legislation on nearly every major agenda item? In 2017, the House passed legislation to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a system designed to lower costs and increase choices. We passed legislation to overhaul Dodd-Frank and untangle the mess of financial regulations hurting hometown lenders, small businesses, and farmers. To act on our promise to finally secure our nation’s border, the House passed an appropriations package to fund construction of a border wall. We’ve acted on historic VA reforms, increased resources to fight the opioid epidemic, and added tougher penalties for sex traffickers. We’ve cracked down on sanctuary cities that violate our nation’s immigration laws, provided service members with their biggest pay raise in eight years, enhanced Second Amendment protections with concealed carry reciprocity legislation, and we’re not stopping there. I’m proud of the work we were able to accomplish in 2017, and I’m hopeful that the new year will bring new momentum to continue fighting for conservative, pro-growth priorities. President Trump and Congressional leaders have already started conversations this year about how to reinvigorate our nation’s aging infrastructure. Having reliable roads, bridges, ports, and railways is fundamental to our ability to do business, but we haven’t done enough to properly maintain them. I’m eager to work with my colleagues to deliver on an infrastructure plan that could turn what is a serious liability into a major strength for Alabama and our entire country. This new year also presents an opportunity to reshape federal agriculture policy for the better. Soon Congress will begin debating and crafting the farm bill, and I will continue to advocate for policies that treat Alabama commodities like cotton, peanuts, timber, poultry, soybeans, and catfish fairly. I am optimistic that Congress and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue can work together to deliver policies that help Alabama’s farmers do what they do best – produce the food and fiber that our country depends on. Last, but certainly not least, I’m committed to working with my colleagues to end the cycle of short-term government funding resolutions that do not properly fund the Department of Defense. I’m proud to have a seat at the table on the defense subcommittee that delivers funding for military programs that matter to our area, Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, and Fort Rucker. Properly funding the military is one of our most basic responsibilities. For far too long, however, our military funding was drastically and unfairly cut under the Obama Administration. I have and will continue to work with my colleagues to build support for strong military funding that properly provides for those who serve and have served in uniform. Our unified Republican government has an incredible opportunity to accomplish more for the American people in this new year, and I will do everything I can to ensure that we capitalize on this historic moment for our country. As the second session of the 115th Congress gears up this month, I look forward to hearing from you and sharing the work that I’m doing on your behalf. It’s an honor to work for you, and I look forward to a productive 2018. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Donald Trump announces renomination of five Alabama judicial nominees
President Donald Trump on Friday announced his intent to renominate five Alabamians who were nominated to be Federal judges last year, along with 16 other nominees from across the country. According to the White House, Trump looks forward to the swift confirmation of these nominees, which include: Annemarie Carney Axon | if confirmed, will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Axon is a member of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, & Brandt, LLC, a Birmingham-based law firm where her practice is devoted entirely to litigation, with a concentration in fiduciary and probate litigation. In addition to fiduciary litigation, Annemarie’s experience includes litigation involving state and federal environmental laws, federal securities law, state immunity under 42 U.S.C. 1983, and general contract and tort law. After graduating law school, she clerked for Judge Inge P. Johnson for the same district court she’s been nominated to. She received her B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Alabama and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. Liles C. Burke | if confirmed, he will serve as District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Judge Burke serves as an Associate Judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Prior to his elevation to the Court of Appeals, Burke served as a Marshall County District Judge, as Acting Circuit Judge, and as a City of Arab Municipal Judge. Prior to ascending to the bench, Judge Burke practiced at the law firm of Burke & Beuoy, P.C., where he represented businesses and individuals in general practice, including domestic, criminal, civil litigation, juvenile, and probate matters. He has also served as a Municipal Prosecutor and Municipal Attorney, and currently serves in the Alabama Army National Guard Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. He received his B.A. from the University of Alabama and J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. Jeffrey Uhlman Beaverstock | if confirmed, he will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama Beaverstock is a partner in the Mobile, Ala., office of Burr & Forman, LLP, where his practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation in State and Federal courts. Before entering the practice of law, Beaverstock served on active duty for four years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, and has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since leaving active duty. He currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Army (Reserve) and is the Chief of Contract and Administrative Law for the 377th Theater Sustainment Command. Beaverstock earned his B.A. from The Citadel, where he was selected as the Distinguished Military Graduate and as the Most Outstanding Army Cadet. He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Alabama Law Review. Emily Coody Marks | if confirmed, she will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama Emily Marks is a partner in the Montgomery, Ala. office of Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A., where she has practiced since joining the firm as an associate in 1998. There, she specializes in labor and employment law, civil rights law, and appellate practice, and routinely lectures on these topics before employers and other members of the bar. Marks earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spring Hill College, and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she served as chair of the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board and as a senior editor of the University of Alabama Law & Psychology Review. Terry F. Moorer |if confirmed, he will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama Sworn in as Magistrate Judge in 2007, Moorer is expected to be the nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. A retired Col. in the Alabama National Guard, Moorer was the primary architect of the Alabama Code of Military Justice. He has a J.D. degree from The University of Alabama Law School, a B.A. degree from Huntingdon College, as well as A.A. degree from Marion Military Institute. Prior to his appointment as Magistrate Judge, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Alabama from 1990-2007. From 2001-2007, he served as the Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, where he was responsible for coordinating the investigation of and prosecution of major narcotics trafficking.
Roy Moore accuser Leigh Corfman files defamation lawsuit against him
The woman who said former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 14, filed a defamation lawsuit against Moore and his campaign on Thursday. Leigh Corfman filed the suit in the Montgomery County Circuit Court. In November, The Washington Post published a bombshell report with the accounts of Corfman and three other women who claimed Moore sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. Corfman specifically said she was only 14 years old when Moore, then 32, approached her outside a courtroom in Etowah County, Ala. According to the report, he ultimately drove her to his home in the woods,told her she was pretty and kissed her, and then undressed her. Moore has vehemently denied Corfman’s allegations of abuse, calling them “politically motivated,” “completely false” and “malicious.” She asserts those words are defamatory in the suit. Corfman is not seeking financial compensation, only legal fees, and is looking for Moore to publicly apologize for what he has said about her. She is also seeking a court-enforced ban on Moore or his campaign that would prohibit him from allegedly criticizing her in the future. Moore’s campaign representative Brett Doster, responded to the suit by saying, “We look forward to transparently discussing these matters in a court of law.”
High time Congress takes up marijuana
My expectations for Donald Trump‘s administration, in terms of agency actions and executive orders, have by-in-large been exceeded to date. Just when I’m getting comfortable, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo on Marijuana Enforcement that felt like a curveball, and as some have pointed out a contradiction to Trump’s previous positions. At the end of the day, however, Sessions was right. We are the party of small government and states’ rights, but we can’t pick and choose laws to ignore. We (conservatives) screamed our heads off when Barack Obama decided to just pick and choose which immigration laws he wanted to ignore so it’s only fair we can’t pick and choose the marijuana laws to ignore. The Controlled Substances Act needs to be amended. Like many jarring decisions and flip-flops of decisions made in the last year, the problem isn’t in the action but the execution of the action. Sessions himself, or the Trump administration as a whole, should have given Congress a heads up that they needed to take up this issue. With the immediate application of Sessions’ memo those selling pot in states where it is legal now find themselves facing prosecutorial discretion not a position I wish on anyone. This discretion if used will only lead to prolonged court battles, which in turn will lead to judges taking control of what is a legislative problem. So while yes, some of the social conservative base will push back on federal action they’d be wrong. The Republican platform leaves little room for federal control on state issues even ones of subjective moral opposition. Let’s be blunt: Congress has made it a point in recent years of side-stepping or avoiding tough issues it’s time they take this one on let the will of the people state-by-state prevail.
International Builders’ Show to put spotlight on Alabama Power’s smart neighborhood
Alabama Power’s cutting-edge Smart Neighborhood™ project is getting the attention of the building industry at the world’s biggest construction conference. The Smart Neighborhood team will present next week at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Florida, about the project, now under construction in Hoover. The International Builders’ Show is the largest annual light construction show in the world, attracting 60,000 visitors from 100 countries. Smart Neighborhood is a state-of-the-art community of 62 homes equipped with emerging energy-efficient technologies, materials and appliances, all connected to the Southeast’s first community-scale microgrid. Performance data and energy usage gathered from the homes’ innovative features will provide insight into how neighborhoods of the future will function, and which programs and services can provide energy solutions for customers. “We expect our research to yield meaningful contributions to the future of homebuilding and home energy usage,” said John Hudson, senior vice president of Marketing and Business Development for Alabama Power. “Our team is looking forward to sharing details about the components of Smart Neighborhood with building industry leaders, and pleased about the attention this collaborative project is already getting from across the nation.” Alabama Power Market Specialist Shon Richey, Southern Company Research Engineer Jim Leverette and Signature Homes President Jonathan Belcher will provide a project overview on Jan. 11 during the conference’s “Disruptors & Innovators: The Future of Home Building” panel. The discussion will focus on how the prototypical Smart Neighborhood will demonstrate the impact of changing codes and technology to builders, consumers and the grid, and how lessons learned will shape the way homes are built and customer expectations are met in the future, according to the NAHB. The panel discussion also will explore the future of housing and the products, processes and people on the cusp of transforming and disrupting the home construction industry. Among those presenting at the conference are industry leaders and futurists who will address market shifts expected to take place in home design, labor, construction techniques, financing and more. Smart Neighborhood is a collaborative partnership with Signature Homes, Southern Company, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and others. Construction of the neighborhood is expected to be complete this spring. The first homeowners moved into the neighborhood in November, and all homes in the neighborhood have sold. The neighborhood’s microgrid began operating at the end of 2017. It is the first of its kind in the Southeast. The microgrid has the capacity to generate more than 600,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, which is enough to power the neighborhood and provide support to the existing electric grid. The microgrid includes a 330 kWh AC solar array, about 600 kWh of battery storage and 400 kW of natural gas backup generation. The Smart Neighborhood’s mix of solar panels with battery and natural gas backup and their ability to interact with each home’s HVAC systems and water heater make it a state-of-the-art project. Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), is focused on providing innovative energy solutions to improve customers’ lives. Learn more at www.alabamapower.com. Learn more about Smart Neighborhood at www.smartneighbor.com. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
