Fishery Council approves exempted fishing pilot program for red snapper
Alabama anglers have moved one step closer to being allowed to participate in an experiment involving state control of red snapper season lengths and the collection of harvest data. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council approved an exempted fishing permit pilot program for the 2018 and 2019 Red Snapper seasons in the Gulf of Mexico at meeting in New Orleans on Thursday. All five Gulf States — Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas — had requested the council allow them to try an alternative style of red snapper management last month. Under the experiment, each state has requested a portion of the total allowable catch for private recreational anglers in the Gulf and they will each be responsible for monitoring landings so they do not exceed their portion. Sen. Richard Shelby tweeted the decision was “critical in providing private anglers more days to fish on the water.” “Pleased that the Gulf Council has approved state-led fishery management pilot programs for red snapper, established through my work on Senate Appropriations Committee. This is a critical step in providing private anglers more days to fish on the water,” he posted Thursday afternoon. Pleased that the Gulf Council has approved state-led fishery management pilot programs for red snapper, established through my work on Senate Appropriations Committee. This is a critical step in providing private anglers more days to fish on the water. — Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) February 1, 2018 Alabama 1st District Rep. Bradley Byrne said the decision is good news for businesses along the coast. “I want to thank the Gulf Council for their support of the exempted fishing permit pilot program to ensure local fishermen have an adequate Red Snapper season for the next two years,” Bryne said in a statement. “As I have always said, this issue is about so much for than just our fishermen. A full Red Snapper season is good news for the hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other small businesses in our coastal communities. Byrne continued, “I also want to thank Senator Richard Shelby, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship, and our other Gulf Coast colleagues for working together to ensure our fishermen and coastal communities have a full and adequate Red Snapper season.” Alabama’s proposal has state and federal waters opening for weekends only (Friday–Sunday) from June 1 through September 3 (Labor Day). The season would also include the entire week of Independence Day, June 30- July 8. There will now be a 30 day comment period before the exempted fishing permits are actually issued. This story is still developing and will updated soon.
AG Steve Marshall investigates Alabama lawmakers’ campaign finances
The Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall‘s office is investigating the campaign finances of several current and former state lawmakers, according to AL.com’s Kyle Whitmire. This week current and former Alabama lawmakers have received subpoenas from the AG’s office asking them to produce documentation verifying the campaign finance reports they’ve filed in the past are accurate. The investigation comes on the heels of several lawmakers being found guilty of misusing campaign accounts. Including Decatur-Republican and former State Rep. Micky Hamon. In September, Hamon plead guilty on felony charges Monday to devising a scheme to commit mail fraud involving his campaign funds. As a result of pleading guilty to a felony, Hammon was automatically removed from his House seat. According to court documents, Hammon, who had represented the 4th district in the Alabama House since 2002, used campaign money to pay his own personal expenses as part of the scheme. Hammon wasn’t the only lawmaker who spurred the investigation. Former state Rep. Oliver Robinson, who also pleaded guilty last September for bribery, four counts of fraud and tax evasion. Under Alabama law, candidates are are split into two groups: those who have reached the $1,000 threshold and those who have not. Those who have not reached that threshold are not required to file any campaign finance reports until they reach the threshold. Candidates who have exceeded the $1,000 threshold must report all contributions from a single source and all expenditures to a single recipient greater than $100. Up until now, the state has not looked into whether or not officials are itemizing their expenses greater than $100. According to AL.com Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill confirmed that his office has been assisting a state investigation of lawmakers’ campaign accounts. “They have contacted us over a period of months for information to help them in an investigation of expenditures they wanted more information on,” Merrill said. The Attorney General’s office has a standing policy to not comment on ongoing investigations.
Alabama schools get their own report cards
Thursday, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) released the Alabama State Report card. This is the first time a report of this caliber has been made available to Alabamians. Each school is given a letter-grade based on the results of several academic measures determined by local school leaders, local superintendents and ALSDE. The report draws attention to what schools are doing correctly, and which areas need more improvement. Letter grades are determined by several factors including; state test scores, graduation rates, absenteeism, and college or career-readiness. High schools without a 12th grade used adjusted formulas to account for the lack of graduation rates. “Although a lot of attention has been given to what grade schools are receiving, when reviewed holistically, the Alabama State Report Card shares a great deal of detail about what our schools are doing well and where they can improve,” said Caroline Novak, president of A+ Education Partnership. “Every school in Alabama is faced with different challenges and each has different strengths and weaknesses. The release of the Alabama State Report Card is an opportunity to learn more about the programs, initiatives and other areas where school leaders want to invest and how they can collectively improve student achievement. By looking at the measurements highlighted in the Alabama State Report Card overtime, communities can work together to ensure all students are on track for success in school and after they graduate.” Novak wants parents and educators to use the letter grades as a conversation starter on how to enhance learning environments for students across Alabama. The report card was developed to satisfy Alabama Act 2012-402 and the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act passed in 2015.
A new project: Conservatives for Better Leadership
When I first got into politics, following state and federal policy, in 2000 the mood seemed more collegial even amongst those who worked across the aisle. There was the historic Bush v. Gore campaign and yet our nation didn’t seem as divided even then as it is now. Optimism, rather than anger and fear, drove most days and though politics has never been a place full of saints corruption didn’t seem to be a regular occurrence. Those days seem very far ago but I don’t think they have to remain behind us forever. It’s true in Alabama that many of our conservative leaders have failed us in recent years. Around the country, people see a deep red state that elects conservatives who govern accordingly. Over the last several years the Montgomery establishment has put Alabama in a state of crisis, with ethics scandals, corruption, attempts at tax increases and wasteful spending. We thought the era of big and corrupt government championed by disgraced Governor Robert Bentley was over, but we can’t rest easy yet, Gov. Kay Ivey has spoken in favor of more tax increases and has yet to make a clean break with the Bentley Administration and his many appointees to state government. These misdeeds and mishaps by our state leaders have are not only embarrassing to us on the national stage – they represent a threat to job creation, economic growth and traditional values. We must stand for strong, consistent conservative leadership. Which is why I have joined with several other conservatives to form Conservatives for Better Leadership (CBL). Our goal is to hold Alabama’s leadership to a higher standard than has been on display in recent years and give the people of Alabama the leaders they deserve. Our goal is to keep them honest! The promises they made on the campaign trail are how we expect them to legislate and govern. Also, we can’t forget those who are doing right. Not everyone in our state is corrupt. There have been champions for the taxpayers in Montgomery and we can’t forget them. We will fight big government while also touting what works and who is keeping their word. There are 3 main policy ares that Conservatives for Better Leadership will be looking at: Cronyism and Corruption: Draining the Montgomery swamp Taxes Increases and Wasteful Spending: Opposing proposals that will cost taxpayers money and looking for ways to stop the wasteful spending that many have gotten used to Infrastructure investments that make sense: We need to prioritize our road and growth projects by need not by who is owed political favors or has better connections. The failure of conservatives to lead on these issues have plagued taxpayers and businesses for too long. It is time for you and I to demand a change. It all starts with better leadership. It’s going to be an uphill battle to change the way business as usual is done but we have to start somewhere and we have to start today. Let’s restore Alabama’s reputation and its economy, and ensure it’s a place our families want to live for generations to come.
Jim Zeigler seeks re-election as State Auditor
After mulling over a potential gubernatorial run, and deciding against it, State Auditor Jim Zeigler on Thursday announced he would be seeking a second term. “It has been an honor to serve the people of Alabama as State Auditor, and I humbly ask for their vote again,” Zeigler said in a statement. “State Government needs a watchman against wasteful spending and mismanagement. I have added that role to the State Auditor’s office.” Zeigler will June 5th Republican primary. Zeigler continued, “Montgomery is a swamp full of waste and mismanagement. I will work to shine a light in the darkest corners. I am here to serve the taxpayer and not the political establishment. I made that clear in my first term as State Auditor.” During his time as State Auditor, Zeigler has been a consistent critic of mismanagement and abuse, and called out former Gov. Robert Bentley on numerous occasions for doing so. Zeigler filed the initial ethics complaint against Bentley. On April 5, 2017, the ethics commission found probable cause that Bentley had committed felony violations, including Zeigler’s complaint. Five days later, Bentley resigned. As State Auditor, Zeigler also exposed Bentley’s diversion of $1.8 million of the BP settlement money to restore the governor’s mansion at the beach, which came in the wake of Bentley losing his own personal beach home in his divorce from his wife of 50 years. Zeigler later sued to invalidate the troubled STAARS software contract, claiming it was an illegal no-bid contract. The state then canceled the $47 million STAARS contract. In the wake of cuts to the State Auditor’s office operating budget, Zeigler announced in June that in order to help keep the State Auditor’s office operating he would, in addition to his normal duties as State Auditor, also train to work as a field auditor. There he will do the actual property inventory of the state’s 175 agencies totaling over $1.1 billion in state property. “Under adverse circumstances, we have continued to get things done for the taxpayers of Alabama,” Zeigler said. Zeigler lives with his wife Jackie, a member of the State Board of Education from the seven counties of southwest Alabama’s first district. They have two children.
Alabama Senate votes to toughen fentanyl penalties
The Alabama Senate on Tuesday unanimously voted to toughen penalties for trafficking a powerful synthetic opioid, fentanyl. Fentanyl has caused fatal overdoses across the United States. Sometimes added to heroin or cocaine without the user knowing, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin and morphine, and can kill those who come in contact with even minuscule amounts of it. Many in law enforcement and the health care industry believe it is drug catalyst of the national opioid epidemic. Sponsored by Alabaster-Republican State Sen. Cam Ward, SB39 provides criminal penalties and mandatory minimum sentences for trafficking fentanyl. A person convicted of having more than one gram — roughly equivalent to the size of a sugar packet, having the ability to kill hundreds of people — would get a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison. Anyone convicted with two or more grams would serve 10 years, and those convicted with four grams or more would serve 25 years. The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration.
Alabama House approves day care oversight compromise bill
The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday approved a day care compromise bill that intends to provide the most basic level of safety for children attending faith-based day care facilities throughout the state. A HB76, introduced by Tuskegee-Democrat state Rep. Pebblin Warren, advanced from the House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee on Tuesday. Under the legislation, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR) would be able to inspect the nearly 1,000 faith-based centers throughout Alabama once a year. “We are now one step closer to stopping another tragedy,” said Warren. “This bill would put in place the most basic safety standards for facilities that thousands and thousands of children across our state attend everyday.” The legislation would also require criminal background checks on the people whose care children are being placed into and proof of insurance. Under current law, Alabama is only one of seven states that still allows daycare centers to operate without regulation if they are a part of a church or ministry. Nearly half of the 1,914 day cares statewide claim the religious exemption, allowing them avoid background checks for workers and facility inspections. Warren had submitted the same bill last session. Despite being passed out of the House with bipartisan support, similar legislation was held up by a small number of Senators who voiced concerns about it being an attempt to regulate or influence curriculum and the like. In August, a young boy in Mobile, Kamden Johnson, died while in the care of an unlicensed daycare in Mobile, Ala. creating a bipartisan call for putting in place safeguards. Over the summer, Governor Kay Ivey said state laws need to change and that she believes all daycare centers operating in Alabama should be licensed through the state. “I strongly favor that if you’re going to be a daycare center for children you need to be licensed by the state,“ Ivey told reporters while attending the Association of County Commissions of Alabama Convention in Orange Beach in August. Warren agreed. “After the tragedy over the summer, I said this year would be different. It must be different,” added Warren. “We must put politics and special interests aside and do what is right and I hope with all my heart my colleagues in the Senate will do just that.”
On this day in Alabama history: State capital relocated to Tuscaloosa
The state capital was relocated from Cahaba to Tuscaloosa. Located in Dallas County, Cahaba – originally known as Cahawba – was designated the future state’s permanent capital in 1818 when Gov. William Wyatt Bibb used his connections to arrange for a free land grant at the site from the federal government. At the Constitutional Convention in 1819, however, Cahaba’s detractors successfully passed a constitutional provision designating it as the capital only until 1825. That year, Tuscaloosa’s advocates narrowly succeeded in relocating the capital, citing frequent floods and health concerns in Cahaba. Tuscaloosa served as the capital until 1846, when the Legislature moved the capital to Montgomery to accommodate a population shift to the east. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Mike Rogers: The American people deserve to know the truth
There is nothing more fundamental to our Republic than free elections, equal justice under the law, and honest government. Any threat to them can shake the foundations of our Constitution. Recently, some very disturbing information about the actions of a few high- ranking officials at the FBI and Justice Department has come to light. This information describes an effort to use the most sensitive law enforcement techniques to discredit and potentially nullify the 2016 election. We’ve all heard by now about the shady Steele dossier. We are learning the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and possibly even some officials at the FBI were behind the dossier. Then that same unreliable information was used by the FBI to get a secretive surveillance warrant to spy on the Trump campaign – or in other words, a warrant to spy on fellow Americans for political purposes. We have also learned of a small group of senior FBI officials seemingly scheming to get Donald Trump. Talks of an “insurance plan” against Mr. Trump, of secret “offsite” meetings and over 50,000 texts over 50,000 missing text messages many of which highlighted these efforts. And remember one week we are told the 50,000 texts were forever lost due to a technical error and the next week we are told the FBI Inspector General was able to recover them. Sounds a lot like missing emails doesn’t it? There is growing interest in the public release of a four-page document written by my colleague, Congressman Devin Nunes (CA) who serves as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee that outlines many of these suspicious actions. Especially the potentially illegal use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to spy on President Trump. This document, which I had the opportunity to read in secured area in the U.S. Capitol, was very troubling to me. The memo must be released to the public. The American people have the right to know the truth. ••• Mike Rogers is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. Sign-up for his e-Newsletter by visiting www.mikerogers.house.gov. To stay up to date, you can also like him on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow him on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL, on Tumblr at www.repmikerogersal.tumblr.com.
