Kay Ivey reports successful first year for Strong Start, Strong Finish education initiative
Alabama’s Strong Start, Strong Finish (SSSF) education initiative is off to a strong start, Gov. Kay Ivey reported Monday providing a one-year progress report on the initiative she announced on July 26, 2017. The program, which endeavors to integrate Alabama’s early childhood education, K-12 education and workforce development efforts into a seamless educational journey, is composed of three major strategies: Pre through Three; Computer Science for Alabama (CS4AL); and Advanced Training, Better Jobs. According to the Governor’s office, o the past year Ivey has secured progress toward each of the SSSF goals in the following ways: Pre through Three First Class Pre-K Program and the P-3 Pilot Under Ivey’s leadership, investment in First Class Pre-K has grown from $77.5 to $96 million in just one year. The $18.5 million increase in 2018 was the largest ever single-year increase in program funding approved by the Legislature. Looking forward to the 2018-2019 school year, First Class Pre-K will officially break the 1,000 classroom mark with 1,040 classrooms serving 18,720 four-year-olds, which will reach 35 percent of the eligible four-year-old population. In December 2017, Ivey announced Alabama was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support the launch of the Pre-K-3rd Grade Integrated Approach to Early Learning pilot program (“P-3”), starting with 35 classrooms in 2017-2018. The program will grow to 75 classrooms in the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. The Alabama Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Ivey empaneled a diverse, 100-member Executive Team to assist in establishing 11 regional councils that will recruit a host of local campaigns for grade-level reading. The Executive Team met for the first time in June 2018, and the team will begin establishing the regional councils and recruiting local campaigns during the fall of 2018. In the 2018 Legislative Session, Ivey secured a $4 million increase for the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), which will be used to refocus ARI on grades K-3 and to reinforce the gains produced by the First Class Pre-K program. During Summer 2018, Ivey established the Alabama Summer Achievement Program (ASAP) for students who are reading below grade level proficiency in grades 1-3 in effort to prevent the backsliding that often occurs over the summer for children in low-income families. An ASAP pilot program was launched at four elementary schools in Montgomery County, serving hundreds of children, with plans for expansion in Summer 2019. Computer Science for Alabama (CS4AL) In 2016, only 86 schools in Alabama offered a high-quality computer science course. Today, more than 175 Alabama high schools offer such classes. In September 2017, Ivey established the Governor’s Advisory Council for Computer Science Education. In March 2018, Ivey and the Alabama State Board of Education approved the Alabama Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study and Standards. Currently, only 10 other states in the nation have computer science standards. Ivey also worked to secure $300,000 for computer science professional development for middle and high school teachers, during the 2018 Legislative Session. On April 2, 2018, Ivey championed and signed legislation creating the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering. Based in Huntsville and scheduled to open during the fall of 2020, the school will be a destination magnet school that will also serve as the hub for computer science professional development in Alabama. Advanced Training, Better Jobs Alabama Postsecondary Education Attainment Goal On April 30, 2018, the Attainment Committee issued the Success Plus Plan for post-secondary attainment. Based on those recommendations, Ivey set the statewide post-secondary attainment goal of adding 500,000 highly-skilled Alabamians to the workforce by 2025. To achieve that goal, and in light of the recent reauthorization of Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, Ivey is working to increase the efficiency of our workforce development programs to meet Alabama’s growing economic demands and to incentivize more private-sector partners to offer apprenticeships. Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG) Expansion The Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG) program has grown from 23 to 29 programs in 2018 alone. Ivey worked to secure a $250,000 increase in the state appropriation for JAG, which provided funds for four new programs in Tuscaloosa, Morgan County, Madison County and Wilcox County. Ivey also utilized federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) monies to establish two additional JAG programs in Geneva County and Montgomery County. Ivey is happy with the progress thus far but plans to further work toward these goals and continue to strive for improvement in Alabama’s education system.
Pamela Cousins, Jefferson County judicial candidate, back on general ballot
A Jefferson County district judge candidate will be reinstated on the November general election ballot, following a ruling by a Montgomery County Circuit Judge on Friday. Pamela Cousins, a Democratic candidate for district judge in Jefferson County was disqualified recently for not filing a Statement of Economic Interests with the Ethics Commission. After learning of her disqualification, Cousins filed a complaint in court according to the Associated Press, explaining she had filed the statement with the Democratic Party and the state Supreme Court, but not the Ethics Commission; but either way it shouldn’t matter. In her complaint, Cousins contends that although she did not file the proper report with the proper entity, she had qualified and run in both the June 5 primary, and the July 17 runoff election without receiving any notification about the failure; and won. Cousins also stated that she promptly filed the correct statement with the Ethics Commission after receiving the notification of her failure. On Friday, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick ruled that she followed the spirit and intent of the law, and that she belongs on the ballot. “The Court finds that Plaintiff filed her Statement of Economic Interest with the Alabama Democratic Party and the Alabama Supreme Court. Having done that, Plaintiff complied with the spirit and the intent of the statute in question and acted in good faith,” AL.com reported. “Hardwick also ruled that the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee has the authority to name Cousins as its candidate even if is determined that she had been disqualified because of the failure to file a statement until this week.”
Mo Brooks congratulates Decatur-based company’s successful solar probe launch
A Decatur-based rocket building company United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced the successful launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Parker Solar Probe on Saturday. Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks congratulated ULA on a successful launch on Facebook, saying: “Congratulations to Decatur-based United Launch Alliance on successfully launching the #ParkerSolarProbe, which will study the sun’s outer atmosphere and space weather. Yesterday’s launch continues ULA’s unbroken streak of successful launches and is a remarkable testament to the great work of ULA’s talented employees who built the rocket in Decatur. I look forward to all that we will learn from the probe as it transmits information back to Earth on its journey to the sun’s orbit.” Brooks has long been a supporter of national space programs, and is the founding member of the The House National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Caucus, dedicated to bringing attention to space agency’s economic and national security importance and serve as a forum to educate policymakers on current NASA initiatives. The Parker Solar Probe The Parker Solar Probe will be flying through the sun’s atmosphere, getting closer to the sun’s surface than any other spacecraft in history. “Parker Solar Probe will revolutionize our understanding of the Sun’s corona. Facing brutal heat and radiation, the spacecraft will fly close enough to watch the solar wind speed up from subsonic to supersonic, and fly through the birthplace of the highest-energy solar particles,” NASA reported. NASA used ULA’s Delta IV Heavy rocket to launch the space probe out of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida this weekend, marking the companies 37th launch of the Delta IV rocket and the 129th successful launch since the company was formed in 2006. “The unique requirements of this mission made the Delta IV Heavy the perfect launch vehicle to deliver Parker Solar Probe into orbit with the highest precision,” Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs said in a press release. “Congratulations to our team and mission partners, we are proud to launch this exceptional spacecraft that will provide invaluable scientific information benefiting all of humankind.”
Checking in: What has Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson been up to?
Ever wonder what your mayor been up to each month? Sure you may have helped elect them, but what happens after that? Alabama Today has you covered. Each month we’ll highlight what the Yellowhammer State’s Big 5 mayors have been doing in an effort to hold them accountable and keep things more transparent. In the last month, Mobile, Ala. Mayor Sandy Stimpson has implemented several changes to the city, traveled to the United Kingdom on behalf of his constituents, and announced the launch of the city’s first bike sharing program among other things. Here’s what he’s been up to for the last month: July 12 The city of Mobile enhanced Three Mile Creek Trail; adding picnic tables, fitness zones, pet stations, and several other amenities. “These new amenities will encourage fitness, support recreation and educate our citizens on one of our most precious waterways,” Stimpson said in a press release. “Our goal is to link neighborhoods, businesses and residents across Mobile. Within a mile radius of this segment alone, there are 69,000 residents, 900 businesses and 3 hospitals. Three Mile Creek was once Mobile’s drinking water source before World War II, and now it can once again connect communities throughout the City of Mobile.” July 15 – 17 Stimpson attended the Farnborough International Air Show in London meeting with Governor Kay Ivey, and several airplane manufacturers about expanding in Mobile. “Our strategy this week is all about jobs! Our momentum is surging with Airbus and Bombardier expanding at Brookley,” Stimpson posted to his Facebook page. “We have a busy week of meetings and businesses are eager to learn more about Mobile.” July 23 Stimpson attended and spoke at a community meeting at Williamson High School on the Ladd Peebles Stadium. July 25 Stimpson spoke to the Mobile City Council about the Ladd Peebles Stadium, addressing the comments of the community to the council. “For years, the problems at Ladd Stadium have been kicked down the road for someone else to handle. It’s time for that to change,” Stimpson posted on his Facebook page. July 30 Stimpson announced the launch date of Mobile’s first bike sharing program, Limebike. “In a statement, Stimpson called for Mobilians to help make the bike share program a success,” the Associated Press reported. “He asked motorists to give cyclists plenty of room, and asked cyclists not to park their bikes in places that block vehicular or pedestrian traffic.” August 4 Stimpson hosted the fourth annual Mayors Cup, a full day of football, soccer, and track events for young people in the community. “I am extremely excited to welcome back the Mayor’s Cup this year. I look forward to seeing the local community come together for a fun day outdoors and enjoy one of our beautiful parks in the City of Mobile,” Stimpson said in a statement. “This event teaches our young people the important values of teamwork and sportsmanship. May the best man or woman win!”
Five things you need to know about Dr. Will Boyd
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election less than 90 days away. Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Dr. Will Boyd, who had no primary opponent, now faces one big challenger in the November general election, Republican nominee Will Ainsworth. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Will Boyd: 1. He holds numerous degrees, in several different fields. Born in South Carolina, Boyd received a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He later returned to school, earning a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Regis University, a Doctorate’s degree in Philosophy and Religion from Capella University, and another Doctorate’s of Psychology with a focus on Clinical Christian Psychology with a Christian Worldview. He has also been awarded several honorary doctorates in Divinity and Christian Counseling, according to his campaign website. 2. He’s held several jobs in various career fields. Beginning his career in the business field, Boyd began working as a Manager-In-Training in both the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China at A.O. Smith, the largest manufacturer and marketer of water heaters in North America. Boyd then held several positions in various firms the manufacturing industry including Production Manager, Quality Manager and Manufacturing Engineer. Signaling a transition in his career, Boyd began serving as the Dean of Student Success & Adjunct Assistant Professor at Greenville College in Illinois. He’s also written three books entitled: Scratching the Surface; Can You Hear Me Now? How Active Listening and Continuous Articulation of Core Values Can Improve Leadership Effectiveness in Any Organization, Even the Church; and Watch God! 3. He is a Bishop and Pastor. Transitioning his career further into ministry, Boyd moved to Florence, Ala. to become the Chancellor at St. James the Elder Theological Seminary, a Co-Patriarch and Dean of the Holy Catholic Church International college of cardinals. Boyd currently serves as the Bishop of Zion Ministries and Pastor of the Saint Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Florence, acording to his Linkedin profile. 4. He’s previously run for two separate U.S. Senate seats, and held several elected positions. Before moving to Alabama, Boyd was the first African American elected to serve as a City Councilman in Greenville, Ill. he also ran for the senate seat left vacant by then U.S. Senator Barack Obama. Once in Alabama, Boyd picked up the politics again becoming the Democratic nominee for Alabama’s 5th congressinal disctict, and running for the U.S. Senate seat won by Doug Jones in 2017. 5. He currently serves as chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee. Boyd currently serves as the Chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee, and Lauderdale County Chair on the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee.
Rick Dearborn, former Trump Deputy Chief of Staff, to serve as law firm adviser
Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions’ longtime Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn took a post with the the Trump administration for over a year before leaving the White House in April to take gig as partner at the Cypress Group, a D.C.-based strategic advisory and advocacy firm. Now, Dearborn is adding another title to his extensive resume: Senior Policy Advisor at the Birmingham, Ala. office of the Louisiana-based Adams and Reese LLP law firm. The location has over 20 practicing associates. “We are excited to bring an advisor of Rick’s caliber to our team,” said B. Jeffrey Brooks, a partner in the firm’s government relations practice and chairman of Adams and Reese’s Executive Committee. “Rick is well connected among senior officials and legislators in Washington, and he is an exceptional strategist. He is a great addition to Adams and Reese and adds immense capability to our team.” Dearborn has more than 30 years of government and private-sector experience in Washington, D.C., having served two U.S. presidents, six U.S. senators, a premier think tank and a major trade association on Capitol Hill. From January 2017 through March 2018, Dearborn served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Intergovernmental Affairs and Implementation under President Donald Trump. He also led President Trump’s Presidential Transition Team as its executive director. Prior to those roles, Dearborn served as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions from 2005 – January 2017, and had served as the senator’s Legislative Director since 1997. In 2003, between serving as Senator Sessions’ Legislative Director and Chief of Staff, President George W. Bush nominated Dearborn to become the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Congressional Affairs, a role in which he worked with the Senate, House and Tribal Governments on the president’s energy agenda. “I am proud to associate with an esteemed team of government relations advisors and attorneys at Adams and Reese,” added Dearborn. “It’s an honor to work with a forward-thinking team with such outstanding talent in the legal and business spheres. I look forward to bringing my knowledge to the table and collaborating with my colleagues on federal and state strategy and public policy.”
NPR heads to Birmingham to record ‘Code Switch’ podcast on race, culture
On Tuesday, the Magic City will play host to NPR’s national podcast Code Switch, featuring a conversation on race and culture. The segment will be recorded at the Alys Stephens Center on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham at 8 p.m. and will featureBirmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, poet Ashley M. Jones, and WBHM News Director Gigi Douban. “Race is the subtext to so much of the American story – Birmingham’s story in particular – and Code Switch is here to bring that subtext to the forefront of our conversations. Sometimes, they make you laugh. Other times, you’ll get uncomfortable. But you’ll always find unflinching honesty and empathy,” wrote UAB about the recording. Tickets to the evening are available for $20, $10 for students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased at AlysStephens.org.
Nancy Worley re-elected Democratic Party chairwoman
Nancy Worley has been re-elected as chairwoman of the Alabama Democratic Party, narrowly defeating a challenger who was backed by U.S. Sen. Doug Jones. The party’s executive committee on Saturday voted 101-89 for Worley over Montgomery attorney Peck Fox. Jones, the only Democrat in statewide office, nominated Fox for the chairmanship. He said the party needs change, Jones said the party must begin to provide fundraising and candidate support in 2018 or will keep the status quo of one Democrat in office. The meeting put party divisions on display. Worley has been supported by Joe Reed, the leader of the influential Alabama Democratic Conference. Reed also controls a substantial number of committee votes. Worley has been chairwoman since 2013. She said the party has reduced debt and fielded more candidates. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Against all odds: Democrats pour money into longshot races
Thara Narasimhan, who hosts an Hindu radio program in Houston, has already given $1,200 to a Democrat running against Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, who once drove around his solidly conservative Texas district with a “NEVER HILLARY” bumper sticker on his pickup. Her plans to donate even more bewilder friends. “It’s not the question of why I have to support a failing candidate,” said Narasimhan, mingling at a fundraiser for Democrat Sri Kulkarni on a sweltering Texas summer night. “Unless you put some faith in it, you’re not going to make it work.” The November midterms are on pace to shatter records for political spending. While more than $1 billion raised so far nationally is helping finance battlegrounds that are poised to decide control of Congress, restless donors aren’t stopping there — they’re also putting cash into races and places they never have before to help underdog Democrats. Examples include: a district home to the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium and held by the GOP since 1983; the South Carolina district of outgoing U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford; and a reliably Republican Southern California district that President Donald Trump won by 15 points. All are places where Democrats are outraising their Republicans opponents — a feat that while perhaps not changing the conventional wisdom about their chances, is succeeding in giving their campaigns unusual viability. In Texas, 15 Democratic challengers running in Republican-held districts have so far raised at least $100,000. In 2014, only one cracked six figures. The average cost of winning a House seat is more than $1 million. And in Texas, some candidates still lag substantially behind despite their early hauls in places where Republicans have been invincible. But driving donors’ eagerness to open their wallets to longshot candidates, supporters say, is a mix of anti-Trump enthusiasm and optimism following upsets like Democrat Doug Jones’ last year in a Senate race in Alabama. Campaigns, meanwhile, say donors are simply responding to finally having better candidates in historically lopsided districts that previously attracted only fringe contenders who made little effort to professionally fundraise or run hard. At a crowded house party in suburban Austin for Democrat MJ Hegar, Jana Reeves found a seat on a kitchen bench that was a long way from her own Hill Country home that isn’t even in Hegar’s congressional district. Hegar has raised more $1.7 million in large part due to a polished six-minute campaign ad called “Doors” that got attention online and enticed donors like Reeves to give her a hand. “Even though it’s hopeless? You know why?” Reeves said of the giving to Hegar and other Democratic challengers. “Even though maybe my paltry money can’t do much, I still want to support these people in the deep red districts, because the Democrats (at party headquarters) aren’t going to do it.” In few places is the surge of money more evident than in Texas. At the top of the ticket, Rep. Beto O’Rourke is outraising Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in a state where Democrats have not won a statewide race since 1994. Seven Democrats also outraised their GOP opponents between April and June in districts held by Republicans, bolstered by primary runoffs that forced campaigns to double down on fundraising. Hegar is among the most successful. The military veteran is running against Republican Rep. John Carter, who was re-elected to an eighth term in 2016 by 20 points over a Democrat who only raised $16,000 total. Now she has the attention of Trump’s campaign team, which last month announced it would financially help Carter along with roughly 100 other Republican House and Senate candidates. For her part, Hegar doesn’t inveigh against Trump while passing the hat: She didn’t even mention his name while speaking to a living room of about 50 supporters at the Austin fundraiser. She said afterward that she understands Trump was motivating some of the donors but she preferred to talk to them about other issues. “They want to fight against racism. They want to fight against bullying and intimidation and things like that. And they’re labeling those things with a person’s name,” Hegar said. “I think it’s more effective to fight against those themes.” Near Fort Worth, Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez has raked in more than $358,000 and has campaigned through summer with more money than her heavily favored Republican opponent, Ronald Wright. They’re both running to replace GOP Rep. Joe Barton, who represented the district for more than 30 years but abandoned plans for re-election after a nude photo of him circulated online. Sanchez bemoaned the “fish fries and pancake breakfasts” that candidates used in the past to raise money and spends six hours a day on the phone, competing with a half-dozen campaigns that she said are “sucking up most of the money” from big donors. On her list of ways to spend that money: hiring a campaign manager who has previous flipped a Republican district. “People who say, ‘Money doesn’t vote,’ have never run a campaign,” Sanchez said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Tea party groups get $3.5 million payout in settlement with IRS
A judge gave final approval on the settlement between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and hundreds of tea party groups groups across the country. The decision closes the class action suit, which lasted more than five years, that alleged the IRS illegally targeted the conservative groups when applying for tax-exempt status during the 2012 election. The IRS agreed to pay $3.5 million to the disgruntled, targeted groups. “It shows that when a government agency desires to target citizens based on their viewpoints, a price will be paid,” said Edward Greim, a lawyer who led the class-action case in federal court in Cincinnati, according to the Washington Times. Judge Michael R. Barrett deemed the settlement “fair, reasonable and adequate.” History of IRS targeting tea party groups Republicans were outraged in 2013 when the IRS admitted the targeting, in part by zeroing in on groups with words such as “tea party” or “patriot” in their names. Many had their applications delayed for months and years. Some were asked improper questions about their donors and even their religious practices, an inspector general’s report found. The Obama Justice Department announced in 2015 that no one at the IRS would be prosecuted. It said investigators found mismanagement but no evidence that the tax agency had targeted a political group based on its viewpoints or obstructed justice.
Bradley Byrne: Hitting the road
Each August, the House of Representatives typically enters a period of recess known as the August District Work Period. This is time set aside for Members of Congress to travel across their home districts visiting with the people they represent. For me, this is incredibly valuable time that I can spend listening to my constituents and gaining a better understanding of the issues impacting our area. Here is just a quick highlight of my August District Work Period so far. As you probably already know, I love to hold town hall meetings throughout the First District to hear directly from the people I represent. This August, I am holding a “Better Off Now” Town Hall Tour with twelve stops in all six counties that make up the First District. So far, we have held town hall meetings in Salipta, Atmore, Brewton, Dauphin Island, Millry, Citronelle, and Mobile. Later this month, we will make stops in Grand Bay, Monroeville, Seminole, Loxley, and Spanish Fort. You can get all the details about the town halls online at Byrne.House.Gov/BetterOffTour. Visiting local businesses and talking with employees is another priority for me in August. For example, I have already visited Olin in McIntosh, the Louisiana Pacific facility in Clarke County, Serda Brewing in Mobile, and Metal Shark Boats and Master Marine in Bayou La Batre, just to name a few. The visits help me learn firsthand how federal issues are directly impacting employers and employees in Southwest Alabama. A really special opportunity was being able to ride along with UPS to help deliver packages on the Eastern Shore. I dressed up in the full UPS uniform, rode in the truck, and personally delivered packages. It really helped to step in the driver’s shoes and see the difficult work they do every day. I am especially grateful to Chris Dorgan for showing me the ropes. Just last week, I hosted Chris Oliver, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, down on Dauphin Island for a Red Snapper research trip. As one of the leading federal officials responsible for our fisheries, I welcomed the opportunity to show off the health of the Red Snapper stock in the Gulf, as well as the very impressive research being done locally by the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Also last week, I traveled to the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi to meet with the director and get an update on services for our veterans. As you may know, the Biloxi VA oversees most of our local VA facilities. It was a productive visit as I work to hold the VA accountable and ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve. We had the annual Women’s Forum in downtown Mobile, which is organized by the Community Foundation of South Alabama. We had another outstanding crowd as local women had the opportunity to network and hear from speakers and panelists about issues important to them. I find great value in holding roundtable discussions to hear directly from leaders about specific issues. With this in mind, we held separate roundtables with local school superintendents, economic developers from our area, and community leaders from Chatom. Each of these roundtables were very informative, and we have more scheduled later this month. As you can probably tell, this August District Work Period has already been a huge success. The good news is that we are just getting started! I look forward to spending more time around Southwest Alabama throughout August to help me be the best Congressman possible. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
