A dream fulfilled: Grace House filled Mama Lois’ vision to nurture and grow young women
Many people expect to enjoy retirement in their 60s. But not Lois Coleman. At the tender age of 69, and after raising five children of her own, she began a new life mission caring for young girls in need of guidance. Known affectionately as “Mama Lois,” Coleman started Grace House Ministries in the Fairfield community near Birmingham in 1992, acting as a mother figure to the young ladies she mentored. She saw a need to help young girls who were in crisis, or who came from troubled homes and needed the stability, encouragement and life skills while transitioning to an adult. While she initially welcomed them into her personal home, Grace House was created to mentor more young women in need. Since Grace House began with one home in Fairfield, the campus has expanded to several properties. With increased space, the number of girls helped has also grown and will continue to do so. Pamela Phipps is the executive director overseeing the campus growth. Mama Lois, at 94 years young, refers to herself as Moses and calls Phipps her Joshua (based on biblical characters). Phipps said she “literally sat at the feet of Mama Lois to learn everything about Grace House.” Phipps, whose background is in modeling and mentoring young women, said she has graciously taken over the mantle and will work to honor Mama Lois’ legacy and lifelong passion to mentor young women. Phipps says while the young ladies may enter a bit cautiously, she and her staff pride themselves on helping them move into Grace House with the utmost skill and compassion. Once the girls come to the program, they are connected with house parents before being shown their room. The parents are a husband and wife team who provide family guidance for the young ladies. Another adult staffer relieves the house parents to rest for a few days out of each month. Endeavoring to offer a thorough care program as these young women move to adulthood, Grace House not only provides a Youth Program, which serves those ages 6-18, but also a Transitional Living Program, which serves young women ages 18-24. For opportunities to serve or support Grace House Ministries, visit www.grace-house.org. *Alabama NewsCenter will feature Living History profiles each Wednesday in February. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama Senate anti-voyeurism bill makes ‘upskirting’ illegal
The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would make it illegal to secretly take video or photos under a person’s clothes — a lewd act sometimes referred to as “upskirting” — without their consent in places where a person should have reasonable expectation of privacy Under existing law, it is a crime to distribute a private image with the intent to harass, threaten, coerce, or intimidate the person depicted. Prattville-Republican state Sen. Clyde Chambliss introduced SB57 to establish the crime of voyeurism in the first and second degree and provide penalties. The bill creates both a first and second degree crime of voyeurism. Under the legislation, it is a first-degree crime of voyeurism — when someone films or photographs the “intimate areas” of another person “for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any person.” The bill stipulates that a first-degree crime is a Class C felony. A second-degree crime of voyeurism —when someone films or photographs another person “whether through, under, or around clothing, with the intent to distribute or disseminate the photograph or film, without that person’s knowledge and consent” — would be a Class A misdemeanor. The bill passed the Senate 27 to 0. It now moves to the House of Representatives.
$6.6 billion Education budget funds pay raise, heads to House floor next week
The Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a $6.6 billion education budget on Wednesday. The 2019 Education Trust Fund budget provides a 2.5 percent pay raises for education employees in K-12 and two year colleges, boost funding for pre-kindergarten by $20 million as well as additional programs, and fund 197 more teachers in middle school grades. “This budget reflects high-priority for classrooms and for supporting teachers, and that’s where the money ought to be,” said Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson during budget talks on Monday afternoon. He said it’s a “strong budget.” Tuscaloosa-Republican and Committee chair state Rep. Bill Poole said he expects the budget to be on the House floor next Thursday. If passed, it will go into effect Oct. 1.
Former U.S. Rep Bobby Bright announces campaign, will challenge Martha Roby
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright is looking to reclaim his seat in Congress — this time as a Republican. Bright, the former mayor of Montgomery, Ala. is seeking a rematch with incumbent U.S. Rep. Martha Roby for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bright made the announcement on Thursday at the Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Birmingham, Ala. where he explained he believes he’ll be more effective in Washington as a Republican. “I tried to be a Democrat, and I didn’t do the job as a Democrat that I wanted to do,” Bright said, “mainly because my beliefs are conservative and that kind of held me back.” This is the first time Bright has discussed running as a Republican. In 2013, he considered running for the state Senate as a member of the GOP as well. History of AL-02 Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District includes just over half of the state capital, Montgomery, as well as most of the Wiregrass Region in the southeastern part of the state. In 2008, eight-time winner Republican Rep. Terry Everett announced his retirement, creating a vacancy for the seat. Bright ran for the seat as a Democrat and defeated Republican-candidate for State Rep. Jay Love. Bright served only one term, from 2009-2011, before Roby ran on the Republican ticket and unseated him in the 2010 midterm elections. “Representative Roby is focused on doing the job that the people of Alabama’s Second District sent her to Washington to do, and she looks forward to discussing her clear conservative Republican record on the campaign trail,” said Roby spokeswoman Emily Taylor-Johnson when Alabama Today asked Roby’s office she thought of Bright challenging her. Challengers Bright will not face not only Roby in the June 5 Republican primary, but also Tommy Amason, Rich Hobson and Barry Moore. The deadline to qualify to run is 5 p.m. Friday.
ACLU files suit against State of Alabama in transgender license case
“Mr. Doe experiences distress whenever he sees the gender listed on his own license” states the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit against the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). The suit was filed on Tuesday and claims the State of Alabama restricts the rights of transgender people by not allowing them to choose which gender their state issued ID identifies them as. Alabama is one of only nine states that requires proof of reassignment surgery before the gender on the state issued ID can be changed. Both trans-rights activists and the ACLU consider this a restriction of the rights of those who identify as transgender who either select not to have the surgery, or are unable to afford it. The ACLU, and two Alabama trans women, Darcy Corbitt and Destiny Clark, believe that by changing this policy trans people will be safer, and more comfortable during everyday activities. “Corbitt was loudly called an “it” in a public area of a crowded driver license office” and “Clark avoids lawful activities that could lead her to have to show her license,” states the lawsuit. According to AL.com, “Eighty percent of the transgender people in Alabama don’t have identification that accurately reflects their gender.” Clark’s motivation behind the lawsuit is to clear a path for younger transgender’s, and to protect them from some of the embarrassment she has experienced. Corbitt believes that the state does not have the right to define their gender identities as their worth. Below is an ACLU video featuring Darcy and Destiny, two of the transgender plaintiffs who are going to court as part of the suit:
Calling on John Kelly and others at White House to apologize for Rob Porter coverup
Let’s admit that Trump and his Administration has had so many days of head-scratching, what-in-the-world-were-they-thinking moments that it would be impossible to list them all. From tweets from President Donald Trump himself, to Michael Wolff hanging out in the White House to write his fictional, but based-on-real-life book, a few questionable hires (can anyone say Anthony Scaramucci?), constant leaks and in-fighting, the self-inflicted wounds won’t stop. That said, just when you think it can’t get worse — it does. This week we saw a White House that defended Rob Porter, a man with a mountain of evidence against him for at least two cases of domestic violence against his ex-wives. What’s worse? All signs indicate that multiple people within the White House knew about the allegations for months. The FBI knew. Did the secret service not know a man with a history of violence was hanging out with POTUS in the Oval? The FBI had been provided the images of a woman with a black eye and that didn’t throw up red flags to anyone charged with making sure those in the WH are secure? Everyone involved should be absolutely ashamed of what they have done. In this case to defend Porter’s character in spite of the evidence is appalling. Are we really going to start using the “but he’s a good guy at work” defense for otherwise indefensible people? Imagine being a victim of this man and having some of the most high-powered individuals in the nation defend him. Here’s the thing folks: You can’t be a “good man” and domestic violence perpetrator. I respect John Kelly, Trump’s chief of staff, tremendously. Not just for his record in the Trump White House, though it should be said he’s done a great service to our country stabilizing the crazy train that was the White House prior to his arrival, but more importantly I respect him for his military service. So what in the world was he thinking this week when he allowed staff (one of which is romantically involved with Rob Porter) to draft and put out his first statement defending the man in light of horrific accusations? Whoever said that was a good idea committed public relations malpractice and shouldn’t be in the West Wing anymore. It’s despicable. At this point what should he do? Well he sure as heck should do more than walk it back with vague sentiments about domestic violence. He should apologize for speaking too soon and not taking the time to get the facts. He should hold those who kept this information from him responsible. He should see to it that Porter is walked from the building and never let back in. He should admit, ‘I spoke before I had all the facts and I regret having done it. I’m going to see to it that everyone involved in covering up and gossiping about this sad situation is disciplined’ It’s absolutely unacceptable for those in the sacred halls of the White House to demean the offices they occupy in this way. Under no circumstances should anyone have attempted to defend a man who’s exes have gone on the record with evidence, statements, police reports, and blogs on their personal websites documenting years of physical and emotional abuse. According to those same ex-wives Porter’s most recent live in girlfriend was also the victim of abuse. The fact is there’s no way in which some individuals did not know what Rob was being accused of, and yet they left him in a power position — without the security clearance of course, because he couldn’t get one — and allowed him to carry on. Working at the White House is an accomplishment that comes with a sense of honor in itself. Throughout Trump’s term I’ve heard people opposed to him, usually based on his personality, ask how and why principled conservatives could work in a Trump White House. That’s never a question I’ve had. I know good men and women who go to work for this administration each and every day and do so because they believe in the power of those with principles showing up and fighting for true conservative values in the West Wing, in agencies, in the EEOB. It makes complete sense: it’s an honor to our country to serve our president, regardless of who that president is or what their politics are. It was an honor of individuals to serve former Presidents Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, just as it’s an honor for people to have served under George Bush, and now under Trump. If you’re a West Wing watcher think, Ainsley Hayes. The office deserves respect. Those in positions of power and influence need to be true believers who want the best for our nation. You aren’t just serving the president; you’re serving the country when you work in the White House. Working in the West Wing is a dream job. The fact that this man had his character defended based solely on his actions at work, despite his actions at home, makes me ill. The White House has to do better. No excuses. No exceptions. There are plenty of people who want to serve our nation in the West Wing who can do a great job and not diminish the office with their personal behavior. If anyone up there needs a few names I’ve got some.
Do you have unclaimed property? Find out if the state owes you.
Every year in the State of Alabama, unclaimed and abandoned assets are surrendered to the unclaimed property division of the State Treasurer’s office. The Alabama Treasury department is then in charge of distributing these assets to their rightful owners. The assets come from financial institutions and businesses that have closed or lost contact with the owners of the property. They can be in the form of stocks, bonds, valuables for safety deposit box, cash or insurance benefits. State Treasurer Young Boozer wants everyone in the state to search for their unclaimed property. To find your unclaimed property simply click this link to navigate to the unclaimed property website and enter your info as shown below: The site will provide you with the most up-to-date properties available for claim as soon as reports are received and reconciled. According to the State Treasury website over $125 has been paid in over the past five years and they endeavor to make the process move as quickly as possible for those making claims, on average taking six to eight weeks.
After debate, Houses passes controversial ‘In God we trust’ bill
After lengthy debate, a bill passed through the state House on Tuesday that would allow “In God We Trust” to be displayed in public spaces across the state of Alabama. Hayden-Republican state Rep. David Standridge filed HB228: The National Motto “In God We Trust” Act ultimately passed 91-4. It would allow the national motto to be placed on government agencies and offices, in and on public buildings, including government office buildings, public school classrooms, and vehicles across the state. “In God We Trust” has been the official motto of the United States since 1956, but that didn’t stop legislators from discussing the bill and the origins of the phrase for over two hours. Where one state lawmaker, Indian Springs-Republican state Rep. Arnold Mooney, was accused of twisting history when he explained the phrase is from the national anthem, and added that Francis Scott Key once argued slaves on a captured ship should return to Africa. Black legislators said Mooney was wrong and didn’t know what he was talking about, as Key himself owned slaves and his third stanza is thought to celebrate the deaths of escaped slaves who actually fought with the British. It now moves to the Alabama Senate.
Doug Jones weighs in on long-term, bipartisan Senate budget compromise
The cycle of budgetary showdowns may soon be a a thing of a the past — Senate leaders struck a long-term, bipartisan agreement on Wednesday that would lift strict budget caps on defense and domestic spending, imposed during sequestration. The budget compromise also invests additional resources to tackle the opioid crisis and closes loopholes in the law that will reduce drug prices for seniors. Alabama’s newly elected Senator, Democrat Doug Jones called the deal “a very encouraging step forward.” “After months of careening from one short-term budget to another, this long-term compromise reached in the Senate today is a very encouraging step forward,” Jones said in a statement. “It funds important health care priorities for Alabama, including renewed investment in our vital Community Health Centers. It also provides an additional four years of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, bringing the total funding commitment to 10 years.” Jones continued, “This bipartisan agreement also paves the way for Congress to consider long-term funding for our military, which will give our Defense Department leadership the certainty that it needs. This is a big step in the right direction. I encourage my colleagues in the House to support this robust bipartisan bill so we can get back to working on the many other important policy challenges we face.” Earlier this week, Jones joined a bipartisan group of senators to to call on Senate leadership to extend community health center funding. On Tuesday, he met with the Alabama Primary Health Care Association to listen to their concerns about how a lapse in funding would impact the roughly 350,000 Alabamians who rely on community health centers to access care. As a result of this deal, the Senate is also poised to reject a House Defense funding bill that does not support important Alabama projects, and will instead take steps this week toward passing an alternative bill that Jones says “better serves Alabama’s military communities and strengthens the United States military overall.”
Here’s how Alabama has the power to prevent another Charlottesville
The “Unite the Right” rally in August of 2017 led to widespread panic and chaos in Charlottesville, Va. One major cause of the panic, coupled with the violence, was the intimidating display of the paramilitary activity that rioters demonstrated. According to new study released by Georgetown Law’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) all 50 states have laws already on the books that would prevent the public displays of a private militia that the nation saw in August, and thus and can prevent similar crises in the future. “What we found is that every state has laws on the books that could be used to help ensure that the violence that occurred during the ‘Unite the Right’ rally never happens again in America,” stated Mary McCord, senior litigator at ICAP. “Local authorities in all 50 states should know that the law empowers them to restrict paramilitary activity during public rallies, while preserving the rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.” Here are the laws Alabama has on the books that could prevent another Charlottesville: Ala. Const. art. I, § 27. Standing army; military subordinate to civil power That no standing army shall be kept up without the consent of the legislature, and, in that case, no appropriation for its support shall be made for a longer term than one year; and the military shall, in all cases, and at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power. Ala. Code § 31-2-125. Unauthorized military organizations Any two or more persons, whether with or without uniform, who associate, assemble, or congregate together by or under any name in a military capacity for the purpose of drilling, parading, or marching at any time or place or otherwise take up or bear arms in any such capacity without authority of the Governor, must, on conviction, be fined not more than $1,000. This section does not apply to any school or college where military training and instruction is given under the provisions of state or federal laws, nor to the order of Knights of Templar, Knights of Pythias, Patriarchs Militant, or Uniform Rank Woodmen of the World. Ala. Code § 31-2-18. Wearing foreign uniforms—Prohibited; exceptions (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in any public place or in the public view attired in any uniform similar to that worn by the military, semi-military, naval, police, storm troop, or other official or semiofficial forces of any foreign state, nation or government, or attired in any distinctive part or parts of such a uniform, and to assemble with other persons similarly attired in any camp, drill ground, or other place for the purpose of engaging in military drill or training or other military purposes. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in any public place or in the public view attired in the uniform or wearing the distinctive garment of any association of persons of whatsoever nature or form which engages in, adopts, or imitates the drill formations, salutes, or other methods or practices or the symbols of any foreign military, semi-military, naval, police, storm troop, or similar foreign organization, and, so attired, to assemble with other persons similarly attired in any camp, drill ground, or other place for the purpose of engaging in military drill or training or other military practices. (c) It shall be unlawful for the proprietor, manager, or keeper of any place of public meeting, resort or amusement to permit therein any assemblage of persons attired as prohibited in this section. (d) This section shall not apply to the officers or members of the military, semi-military, naval, police, or other official or semiofficial forces of any foreign state, nation, or government lawfully within the State of Alabama, any veterans’ organization chartered by Act of Congress, the Boy Scouts of America, any student of any school or academy recognized by the Board of Education of the State of Alabama, nor to the members of the cast of any stage or motion picture production characterizing the officials of a foreign
International Paper to boost investment in Alabama mill to $522.7 million
Memphis, Tennessee-based International Paper (IP) plans to increase its investment in its Riverdale Mill in Dallas County to $552.7 million as it optimizes the facility’s products and productivity. In September 2017, IP announced plans to invest around $300 million at the Selma plant as part of a strategy to grow its industrial packaging business. The additional investment expands on those plans to convert a line making uncoated freesheet, or copy paper, to the production of high-quality white-top and linerboard, as well as containerboard. These products are important to the packaging industry, which is experiencing a boom because of surging levels of e-commerce. “Our system runs most effectively when there is flexibility, and this conversion will also help us define a more streamlined and balanced system overall,” Tim Nicholls, IP’s senior vice president, Industrial Packaging the Americas, said in September. Wayne Vardaman, executive director of the Selma and Dallas County Economic Development Authority, recently briefed county leaders on the IP project, which will be supported by abatements of noneducational property and sales and use taxes. “This is a tremendous investment in our community, and solidifies the presence of IP in Selma and Dallas County,” Vardaman said. “IP is Dallas County’s largest employer, with over 750 employees and numerous indirect jobs. These employees now know that the Riverdale Mill is here to stay.” Dallas County officials said IP is making the largest industrial investment in the county in many years. “This latest number floored us all,” Dallas County Probate Judge and Commission Chairman Kim Ballard said. “It’s the biggest investment in Dallas County that I remember.” Alabama Reinvestment Act Vince Perez, a project manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the IP project is taking advantage of the Alabama Reinvestment Act, a new version of the traditional abatement act used on such projects. The new abatements are designed to assist companies reinvesting in a facility to prevent it from becoming a “legacy plant,” which ceases to get new investment and sheds jobs. “This project is another indication of International Paper’s strong commitment to its Riverdale Mill and its workforce there,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “It’s a great example of a company preserving its investment in a facility, and the jobs there, by pivoting output from one product to another that is in greater demand,” he added. Vardaman said IP’s increased investment stems from discussions between local officials and company representatives. “Since IP’s announcement in late September 2017, we have worked with local and corporate officials on the project, and we are extremely pleased with the increase in capital investment and the generosity of the company,” he said. Vardaman said IP will donate $250,000 per year to the county for six years as an existing industrial development bond winds down and no taxes would be due. When the bond matures, the county will receive more than $5 million in education taxes annually. Once the abatement period ends, the county will receive even more money in noneducational property taxes, he added. “Our work with IP proves our slogan, ‘When We Work Together, Together We Work,’” Vardaman said. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
