Democratic leadership expects Doug Jones ‘firmly in the no column’ on Brett Kavanaugh confirmation
Despite remaining publicly undecided, Democratic leadership expects Alabama’s newest U.S. Sen. Doug Jones “to be firmly in the ‘no’ column” in terms of whether or not he’ll vote in favor of confirming U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, according to a Tuesday report by POLITICO. Last week Jones tweeted that the Senate ought to “hit the pause button” on vote to confirm Kavanaugh following accusations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulting a women during their teenage years. Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in Northern California, said Kavanaugh tried to “attack [her]and remove [her]clothing” during a party when both of them were high school students in Maryland in the early 80s. Jones tweeted, “We cannot rush to move forward under this cloud.” Since that time two more women have made accusations against Kavanaugh. He continues to call the allegations “completely false.” Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a Senate special election in December after bombshell by the Washington Post had multiple women on record accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Make-or-break Senate hearing day for Brett Kavanaugh, accuser
With high drama in the making, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh emphatically fended off new accusations of sexual misconduct Wednesday and headed into a charged public Senate hearing that could determine whether Republicans can salvage his nomination and enshrine a high court conservative majority. The Senate Judiciary Committee — 11 Republicans, all men, and 10 Democrats — was to hear from just two witnesses on Thursday: Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge who has long been eyed for the Supreme Court, and Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor who accuses him of attempting to rape her when they were teens. Republicans have derided her allegation as part of a smear campaign and a Democratic plot to sink Kavanaugh’s nomination. But after more allegations have emerged, some GOP senators have allowed that much is riding on Kavanaugh’s performance. Even President Donald Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh and fiercely defends him, said he was “open to changing my mind.” “I want to watch, I want to see,” he said at a news conference in New York. Kavanaugh himself has repeatedly denied all the allegations, saying he’d never even heard of the latest accuser and calling her accusations “ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone.” The hearing will be the first time the country sees and hears from the 51-year-old Ford beyond the grainy photo that has been flashed on television in the 10 days since she came forward with her contention. In testimony released in advance of the hearing, she said she was appearing only because she felt it was her duty, was frankly “terrified” and has been the target of vile harassment and even death threats. “It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court,” she was to tell the senators. “My responsibility is to tell the truth.” The stakes for both political parties — and the country — are high. Republicans are pushing to seat Kavanaugh before the November midterms, when Senate control could fall to the Democrats and a replacement Trump nominee could have even greater difficulty. Kavanaugh’s ascendance to the high court could help lock in a conservative majority for a generation, shaping dozens of rulings on abortion, regulation, the environment and more. But Republicans also risk rejection by female voters in November if they are seen as not fully respecting women and their allegations. In the hours before the hearing, Republicans were rocked by the new accusation from a third woman, Julie Swetnick. In a sworn statement, she said she witnessed Kavanaugh “consistently engage in excessive drinking and inappropriate contact of a sexual nature with women in the early 1980s.” Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, who also represents a porn actress who is suing Trump, provided her sworn declaration to the Judiciary Committee. Meanwhile, the lawyer for Deborah Ramirez, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when they attended Yale University, raised her profile in a round of television interviews. Transcripts of private interviews with committee investigators, released late Wednesday, show they also asked Kavanaugh about two other previously undisclosed accusations received by Senate offices. One came in an anonymous letter sent to Sen. Cory Gardner‘s office describing an incident in a bar in 1998, when Kavanaugh was working for the independent counsel investigating President Bill Clinton. The other accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in college. Kavanaugh denied them both. Republicans largely expressed confidence in Kavanaugh ahead of the hearing, emerging from a closed-door lunch with Vice President Mike Pence to say the nominee remains on track for confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all week has said Republicans will turn to a committee vote on Kavanaugh after the hearing. They hope for a roll call by the full Senate — where they have a scant 51-49 majority — early next week with the aim of getting him on the court as its new term begins. But at least a hint of doubt has crept in. Asked whether there were signs of Republicans wavering in their support of Kavanaugh in their lunch, Sen. John Thune, the third-ranking Republican, paused briefly before saying “no.” In the hearing, Democrats plan to ask Kavanaugh if he’d be willing to undergo FBI questioning about the various claims — a request Republicans oppose— and press him about his drinking and behavior as a teenager. One goal is to emphasize inconsistencies in his statements so far and make him appear nervous, said a Democratic aide who described the plan on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly. Questions for Ford will be aimed at giving her a chance to explain herself. That includes describing why it took her so long to publicly discuss the alleged incident and how it’s affected her life, the aide said Ford will testify first at the hearing, which starts at 10 a.m. and at her request is being held in a small, wood-paneled hearing room that seats only a few dozen spectators. Republicans have hired an outside attorney, Phoenix prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, to handle much of their questioning. Thus, they will avoid having their all-male contingent interrogating Ford about the details of what she describes as a harrowing assault. Democratic questioners will include two senators widely seen as potential presidential candidates in 2020: Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, who aggressively challenged Kavanaugh during the judge’s earlier confirmation hearing. Ford plans to tell the committee that, one night in the summer of 1982, a drunken Kavanaugh forced her down on a bed, “groped me and tried to take off my clothes,” then clamped his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream before she was able to escape. “I believed he was going to rape me,” she will say, according to her prepared testimony. Kavanaugh is being challenged on multiple fronts by his accusers, former classmates and college friends. They say the good-guy image he projects in public bears little relation to the hard-partying behavior they witnessed when he
US attorneys general discuss social media privacy concerns
A meeting between top state law enforcement officials and Attorney General Jeff Sessions about how the government can safeguard the privacy of social media users ended Tuesday without a decision on whether to investigate. The gathering at the Justice Department was scheduled to discuss whether tech giants are “stifling the free exchange of ideas” and examine whether they “may be hurting competition.” But California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, says the one-hour meeting mainly focused on consumer protection and data privacy issues. Attorneys general from Alabama, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah and Washington, D.C., attended. Five other states sent senior deputies. Justice Department officials said the meeting “centered on ways the Department and state governments can most effectively safeguard consumers using online digital platforms.” Although there wasn’t an immediate decision on whether to open an investigation, the attorneys general discussed the nuances and interpretation of privacy and what might constitute a monopoly in the tech sector, Becerra said. “The conversation really zeroed in on privacy,” he said after the meeting. “I think everyone sees the growth of the industry as something that has become of interest to regulators and enforcers. How it might apply, that is still the open question.” The Justice Department said it will review the “insight” shared by the attorneys general and expects conversations on the topic to continue. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
The Root 100 names Randall Woodfin one of 2018’s most influential African Americans
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has been listed as one of the most influential African Americans in America by The Root 100. The annual list, ranks innovators, leaders, public figures and game changers ages 25 to 45 who are breaking down barriers and paving the way for the next generation. The Magic City mayor took home the no.32 spot for 2018. “This year’s list of honorees is a reminder of the beauty and brilliance of blackness, at a time when the political and cultural landscape has grown even more hostile to the idea of black achievement,” wrote The Root 100. The list described the 37-year old Woodfin is “a shining example of the new progressivism sweeping the South.” Here’s a little of what they had to say: On paper, Randall Woodfin wasn’t supposed to win Birmingham, Ala.’s 2017 mayoral election. He led a field of 12 candidates in contention against William Bell, a seven-year incumbent with more decades in politics than Woodfin had been alive. But the Morehouse grad and former school board president did win, with one of the earliest campaigns to embrace progressive ideas, which are quickly becoming the norm in political races across the country. And he did it by drawing in more than 11,000 voters who’d never cast a ballot in a municipal race before… According to the list Woodfin scored: Influence: 161.6 — overall score Reach: 5/10 — the people they touch through media and Twitter followers Substance: 8.5/10 — the impact of their work Twitter followers: 20,447 Woodfin tweeted he was honored to be included on the list. “I’m honored to be included among 99 other changemakers in #TheRoot100. But that story couldn’t have been written without you – the scores of voters, supporters, friends and allies who pushed for a better Birmingham. I’m proud to lead that charge and to always put people first,” tweeted Woodfin. I’m honored to be included among 99 other changemakers in #TheRoot100. But that story couldn’t have been written without you – the scores of voters, supporters, friends and allies who pushed for a better Birmingham. I’m proud to lead that charge and to always put people first. https://t.co/q5vimf8xzs — Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) September 25, 2018
City Council approves surveillance camera for Birmingham’s high-crime areas
Over the next 90 days, Birmingham, Ala. will install over 100 surveillance cameras in its high-crime areas in hopes of curbing crime and violence in the city. The plans follow legislation unanimously passed Tuesday by the Birmingham City Council that allows Mayor Randall Woodfin to enter a contract with Alabama Power Company (APC) for a surveillance camera pilot program. The contract between the city and APC, who will be providing and installing the monitoring equipment, is for five years. APC will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the equipment provided. The contract totals $672,000 and will be payable through monthly installments of $56,000. “The number one quality of life issue we hear about from our residents is gunfire, and violent crime. It’s a big issue. There is no hiding from it, and we, as city leadership, certainly can’t sit on our hands and do nothing about it,” Councilor Hunter Williams said following the approval of a contract for a pilot program for a citywide public safety surveillance system. All of the footage will be going to the Metro Area Crime Center (MACC) which was opened in 2016 as a central operations hub for multiple law enforcement agencies within Jefferson County. “We can use this footage in real time,” Williams said. Before, detectives in Birmingham would have to parse together various security camera footage from nearby stores or homes to see if they could get any leads. Williams said this contract will take law enforcement out of those silos. The Birmingham Police Department will decide where to place the cameras based off crime data indicating areas where violent crime is most likely to occur. The camera equipment will be able to be moved according to current crime trends. “What I like about this particular program is that it’s not being intrusive,” Councilor Lashunda Scales said, following the meeting. “It’s helping us, in addition to shot spotters, we can identify individuals who are committing crimes. Hopefully what we can do is help these neighborhoods where crime is prevalent, it can help them feel safe. A lot of people don’t right now. We have to combat that and I believe this is one tool that does just that.”
New band uniforms are more than a fashion statement: (Sorta) supporting Randall Woodfin’s latest proposal
It’s not a secret, I’m not the biggest Randall Woodfin fan. I could stand for him injecting more substance and less flash into his day-to-day activities: concentrating on say tackling crime rather than smiling for magazine covers, or working on bringing our ever fragmented city together instead of focusing on his political future and that of his party with the launching his own PAC. Those complaints aside, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge my support of one of his latest proposals: new band uniforms for Birmingham’s public high schools with a catch – of course. I wish rather than using tax payer money, which is better suited for essentials in education, healthcare and crime fighting, he’d have used his “rockstar” charisma to ask that the major corporations and foundations in the city and region donate the money for the uniforms. There’s no reason not to look towards companies to sponsor the marching bands of the seven Birmingham public high schools. If Woodfin can solicit money for his PAC, why not solicit money for band uniforms? If you’re not familiar with his proposal you can find more here, Woodfin announced on Monday he has asked the City Council for new band uniforms for all seven Birmingham public high schools. I have seen some publicly criticize this as a waste of money, I don’t think it’s a waste of money. I just believe different money should be spent. Uniforms and marching bands are a positive investment for our cities youth many of whom live in areas of the city where poverty and violence is the norm and discipline and team building would be a positive and welcome part of their lives. The benefits to students of marching band’s have been researched for years, formally and informally, and the results speak for themselves. Among the documented benefits to students who participate in high school marching bands are: health related, with one study showing that “marching band as physically demanding as competitive sports,” then there’s discipline, the ability to multi-task, confidence and teamwork which are among the 18 lessons that one self-described “Music mom” touts about having a child in the marching band. NPR did a story in 2014 documenting how the marching band is a lifeline to high school students living in poverty in New Orleans. The story explains, “Music isn’t just a part of the local culture; it’s a lifeline for kids trying to survive poverty, crime and urban neglect. Across New Orleans, every afternoon, marching bands save lives. They keep kids off the street, give them a reason to come to school, and even get them into college — if they nail their auditions come winter and spring.” A San Francisco Chronicle story highlights the difference between well-funded programs and those of public schools, particularly the schools where poverty is rampant among students. The story highlights the differences and similarities in programs with Homestead High Music Director John Burn saying “It gives the struggling kids a reason and motivation to show up to school when they might blow it off, and it gives the high-achieving kids, well, it separates them from other high-achieving kids.” Burn donated his high schools old uniforms to another public school in the area and has been a strong advocate of improving the gap and access to band resources regardless of school circumstances. The stories continue across the nation and across the spectrum of financial investment, but they all say the same thing: the benefits of investing in the marching band programs for high school students are worth the costs. While it would impossible to do a side-by-side of the price-tag of the uniforms vs. the results of the investments, anecdotally there’s no comparison. This is one of those programs that should easily be able to be sold in a business-friendly and philanthropic community such as Birmingham. The sentiment is a good one: let’s reach the youth of the city before it’s too late. Let’s send a message that regardless of where you in live in our community your neighbors care about your personal and academic success. Let’s give these students something to be proud of. I encourage the city to do more to facilitate the success, both academic and extra-curricular, of youth in our community, but I caution against going at it alone.
Martha Roby bill to combat horrific crimes against children passes House
America’s children are one step closer to being a littler safer after a bill sponsored by Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby passed the House on Tuesday. H.R. 6847: the Preventing Child Exploitation Act of 2018, combats crimes such as child pornography and global sex tourism, and contains tools to fight child abuse and strengthens protections for children under the law. It also renews funding for the National Sex Offender Registry. “It is our responsibility here in Congress to provide the strongest, most effective tools available to confront, fight, punish, and ultimately prevent horrific crimes against children,” said Roby. “Our children are perhaps the greatest and most precious responsibility given to us. They are vulnerable, innocent, and wholly dependent upon us to protect them. Because of this, both our legal protections for children and the punishments for those who do them harm must be as strong as possible.” The bill itself contains four Judiciary Committee bills that have previously been approved by the House of Representatives: H.R. 1842: the Strengthening Children’s Safety Act — makes communities safer by enhancing penalties for sex offenders who fail to register in the national sex offender registry and then commit a crime of violence. It also ensures enhanced penalties for child exploitation crimes apply equally to all dangerous sex offenders by assuring those convicted of certain sex offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice are subject to the enhanced penalties applicable to recidivists under current law. H.R. 1862: the Global Child Protection Act — authored by Rep. Roby, the legislation combats global sex tourism by closing loopholes that allow child predators to go unpunished for their abuse of children overseas. Specifically, the bill expands the conduct covered for child sexual exploitation cases that involve abuse occurring abroad to include sexual contact. It also broadens the offenses covered in the recidivist enhancement provisions in current law to protect the youngest of child victims. H.R. 1761: the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act — protects child pornography victims by remedying a federal court ruling in United States v. Palomino-Coronado. This decision allowed a defendant to walk free from production of child pornography charges, despite photographic evidence that he had engaged in sexual abuse of a seven-year-old child, because the court found that he lacked the specific intent to produce child pornography prior to abusing the child. To address this loophole in the law, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act adds additional bases of liability to the crime of child pornography production to prevent this heinous crime and bring criminals to justice. H.R. 1188: the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act — reauthorizes the two primary programs of the Adam Walsh Act—the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and the Sex Offender Management Assistance Program—for five years and makes targeted changes to make the system more efficient and just. These programs help prevent child abuse by ensuring the public has access to information on known sex offenders who may live in their neighborhoods. The bill passed the House by a voice vote. It now moves to the Senate for consideration. Watch Roby discuss the bill on the House floor:
Maxwell AFB reserve unit dedicates C-130 aircraft to Troy University
Maxwell Air Force Base’s 908th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command, celebrated the “Trojan Warrior Spirit” on Tuesday when they unveiled a C-130 Hercules airplane with Troy University “nose art.” The artwork was revealed during a ceremony at Troy’s Municipal Airport Tuesday that designated the plane “The Trojan Warrior Spirit.” “We’e got several of our C-130’s that are dedicated to state universities. We’ve got one from the university of Alabama, one from Auburn University, and now we’ve got Troy University added to the mix,” explained Colonel Don Richey of Maxwell Air Force Base during the ceremony according to the Alabama News Network. “This is one of the most famous and venerable aircraft in the storied history of the Air Force,” said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Walter Givhan, Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development and a former command pilot according to Troy Today. “We are certainly honored to have this aircraft at Troy Municipal Airport on the ramp with the opportunity to dedicate it as the Trojan Warrior Spirit.” According to the U.S. Air Force, the C-130 is workhorse of the Air Force combat airlift fleet and the C-130 Hercules has been in service for more than half a century. Designed specifically to transport troops and equipment in the combat zone via airdrop or short runways, the Hercules operates throughout the U.S. Air Force fulfilling a wide range of operational missions in both peace and war situations. During Saturday’s football game against Coastal Carolina the airplane will fly over the stadium for Military Appreciation Day where the school will highlight the service of Vietnam veterans, as the C-130 played a prominent role in the Vietnam War.
Poll: Young people feel anxious about election
Engaged? Check. Anxious? Check. With weeks to go until the November midterm elections, more young Americans are interested but, according to a new poll, they’re also feeling more anxious about the results. A poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found that more young people now say they are feeling anxious about the midterms, compared to July. Nearly half of young Americans ages 15 to 34 now say that they are anxious about the midterms, up from 36 percent in the earlier poll. The increase is most pronounced among young Democrats: 61 percent expressed anxiety compared with 39 percent in July. Young voters could play a critical role in the elections, which will determine whether Republicans will maintain their full grip on Congress. But the big question is whether they will show up to the polls. Young voters rarely turn out in numbers that match their share of the population, especially in years when a presidential candidate isn’t on the ballot. That’s leaving some voters nervous about what to expect. Tia Green, a 33-year-old from Lexington Park, Maryland, said she was worried that the election could inflame an already divided political culture. It’s an issue she’s especially sensitive to after recently seeing posts from a friend on social media that offended her. “In the end, I ended up de-friending her without any confrontation or anything. But I was kind of saddened by it,” said Green, who described herself as a moderate Democrat. “Her views in general were completely disappointing, upsetting and it is hard to deal.” Anxiety about November’s elections also grew among independents: 43 percent now describe themselves as anxious, compared with 31 percent in July. Among Republicans, about one-third say they are anxious about the midterms, roughly the same share that said so this summer. John Laubacker, 32, of Rockport, New York, said he was “appalled” by the state of politics heading into the midterm elections. “Political polarization is at an all-time high. Nobody wants to be civil with anybody,” he said. “Until they figure out that you have to work together whether you like them or not, they’re not going to get anything done.” Laubacker, who identified as a moderate Republican, said he was frustrated by mudslinging by both parties. “You keep hearing, ‘If the Republicans win, the country’s doomed. If the Democrats get enough people in, they’re going to impeach the president,’” he said. “They’re all worried about their own agendas and the agendas of their big-moneyed contributors. Nobody gives a crap about small people anymore.” Though young voters participate in elections at low rates, the poll suggests they are now paying closer attention than they were several months ago. Roughly two-thirds of those ages 15 to 34 now say they are interested in the elections, compared with about 4 in 10 in July. Interest is highest among young Democrats. Seventy-three percent of young Democrats say they are interested in the elections, up from 50 percent in July. A smaller majority of Republicans — 62 percent — say they are interested today, but that’s still up dramatically from 31 percent who said so in July. Young Democrats and Republicans alike say they are more hopeful than they were earlier this year. Over the summer, roughly 4 in 10 in each group said they felt hopeful about the midterms. Now, 58 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of Republicans say they feel that way. Fewer young Americans overall said that they were feeling overwhelmed ahead of November’s elections. Thirty-four percent of those 15 to 34 said they were feeling overwhelmed now, compared with 43 percent earlier this summer. “I’m feeling a little nervous, but cautiously optimistic that things are going to swing in a positive way,” said 31-year-old Ashley Oliver of Kensington, Maryland, who described the political atmosphere as “chaotic” “I’m hoping more Democratic candidates end up in so that we can bring back a little bit of control as to what’s going on,” she said. “Right now, I feel like it’s very chaotic, so I’m hoping that instead of being one-sided, it will be a little more even.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyers submit 4 statements backing up assault story
Christine Blasey Ford‘s lawyers said Wednesday they have given the Senate sworn affidavits from four people who say she told them well before Brett Kavanaugh‘s Supreme Court nomination that she had been sexually assaulted when she was much younger. And according to all four, she either named Kavanaugh as the assailant or described the attacker as a “federal judge.” At the U.N., meanwhile, President Donald Trump said on the eve of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Kavanaugh and Ford that Republicans have been “nice” and “respectful” in their treatment of Ford. He described his nominee as “a real gem” and said he probably would have pushed for faster confirmation rather than waiting for Ford’s testimony. In one of the affidavits, family friend Keith Koegler said he wrote to Ford in a June 29 email, “I remember you telling me about him, but I don’t remember his name,” family friend Keith Koegler wrote to Ford in a June 29 email, according to his statement. “Do you mind telling me so I can read about him?” “Brett Kavanaugh,” Ford responded by email, according to Koegler, her son’s baseball team coach. Trump nominated Kavanaugh, 53, to the high court on July 9. Kavanaugh staunchly denies ever sexually assaulting anyone, and his allies have questioned the credibility of Ford and a second accuser based in part on what they say is a lack of corroboration. Trump has dismissed both accusations as a “Democratic con job.” The affidavits signed Monday and Tuesday of this week could give more weight to Ford’s story on the eve of her testimony — and Kavanaugh’s expected denial — before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Republicans are concerned that, win or lose, the battle over Kavanaugh’s nomination is further animating women already inclined to vote against Trump’s party in November’s elections in which control of the next Congress is at stake. Hanging in the balance is Trump’s chance to swing the high court more firmly to the right for a generation. Despite Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s forecast that Republicans will win, Kavanaugh’s fate remains uncertain in a chamber where Republicans have a scant 51-49 majority. Ford, 51, went public with her story in The Washington Post recently, saying Kavanaugh had pinned her down, tried to remove her clothes and clamped a hand over her mouth at a party when both were in high school. She got away when a second male in the room jumped on the bed and sent all three tumbling, she says. According to the affidavits, Ford revealed the assault in varying levels of detail between 2002 and Koegler’s email in June. Her husband, Russell Ford, stated that he became aware around the time the couple wed in 2002 that his wife had “any experience with sexual assault,” but she provided no details at the time. In 2012 during a couples therapy session, he says, she revealed that in high school she had been “trapped in a room and physically restrained by one boy who was molesting her while another boy watched.” He says she named the attacker as Kavanaugh. The subject came up again when Trump was considering his first Supreme Court nominee, who ended up being Justice Neil Gorsuch. Before the selection, Ford had told her husband that she was afraid the president might nominate Kavanaugh. The matter came up again when Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement and Trump had a second seat to fill. In a third affidavit, Adela Gildo-Mazzon, a friend of more than a decade, said Ford first told her about the assault in June, 2013. The two met at a Mountain View, California, restaurant, where Ford arrived “visibly upset.” “Christine told me she … had been thinking about an assault she experienced when she was much younger,” Gildo-Mazzon’s statement says, adding that she has a receipt from the meal. “She said that she had been almost raped by someone who was now a federal judge.” Neighbor Rebecca White said she was walking her dog in 2017 when she ran into Ford, who said she had seen White’s social media post describing her own experience with sexual assault. “She then told me that when she was a young teen, she had been sexually assaulted by an older teen,” White recalled in the document. “I remember her saying that her assailant was now a federal judge.” The documents are likely to be central in the momentous hearing on Thursday in Washington. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell will be brought in to handle questioning of Kavanaugh and Ford. Mitchell comes from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, where she is the chief of the Special Victims Division, which covers sex crimes and family violence. Hoping the hearing will yield no new surprises, the Judiciary Committee scheduled its own vote on Kavanaugh for Friday, and Republican leaders laid plans that could keep the full Senate in session over the weekend and produce a final showdown roll call soon after — close to the Oct. 1 start of the high court’s new term. Meanwhile, the Republicans were still assessing what Kavanaugh’s Monday interview on the Fox News Channel — an unusual appearance for a Supreme Court nominee — indicates about how he would do in Thursday’s hearing. During the interview, Kavanaugh denied sexually assaulting anyone. He also denied the account of a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who told The New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh caused her to touch his penis at a party when both were Yale freshmen. Some in the White House expressed relief that Kavanaugh, 53, presented a positive image to counter the allegations. Yet he appeared shaky at times. And there remained concern among aides and Trump himself about how Kavanaugh would hold up facing far fiercer questioning from Senate Democrats, according to a White House official not authorized to speak publicly. The affidavits are not the first challenges to Kavanaugh’s denials. James Roche, a Yale graduate who says he was Kavanaugh’s roommate in
Steve Flowers: Supreme Court rules states – can collect online sales tax
The State of Alabama’s fiscal year begins next week on October 1. Our state’s finances are not the best in the world. However, they got a boost from the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year, The high tribunal ruled that states can collect sales tax on internet sales. This was one of the most inequitable scenarios I have ever seen. If you went to the corner hardware store or Lowe’s or Walmart to buy a hammer and paint, you paid sales tax. However, if you bought these same items online you did not. That is not fair to the store or the state. What is even more unfair is if your wife went down to the local dress shop and tried on an expensive dress she liked and then came home and bought it online. How fair is that to the store, the clerk at the store or the state. Finally, and thankfully, the Supreme Court clarified this inequality that had persisted for decades, since the inception of the internet. Alabama had already gotten ahead of the curve in regards to collecting online sales tax. Through the wise stewardship of House Ways and Means Chairman, Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, we had joined 19 other states in passing legislation that companies were to voluntarily pay the online sales tax. The legislation passed in 2015 was entitled the Simplified Sellers Use Tax. It allowed companies the permission to collect sales tax to be remitted to the state voluntarily in exchange for locking in a fixed rate of 8 percent no matter where in the state an online item was sold. As you know, the sales tax rate deviates throughout each city and locale. In Alabama’s case, the money collected under our SSUT Act was divided 50/50 between the state and cities and counties. The city’s and county’s half is disbursed based on population. The state’s half is divided 75 percent to the General Fund and 25 percent to the Education Fund. Chairman Clouse estimates that the state will reap an additional $18-20 million from the Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 ruling overruled decades of old decisions that had cost the state billions of dollars over the years. The cases the Court overturned said that if a business was shipping an online customer’s purchase to a state where the business did not have a physical presence like a store, warehouse, or office, the business did not have to collect sales tax and remit to the state. Over the decades this has been referred to as the Physical Presence Rule. Retiring Justice, Anthony Kennedy, wrote the majority opinion. He said, “Every year the Physical Presence Rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the state.” Retail trade groups praised the ruling saying that it levels the playing field for local and online businesses. President Trump praised the decision via Twitter. The President hailed the Supreme Court opinion as a “Big victory for fairness and for our country.” Speaking of President Donald Trump and the Supreme Court, it is said and it is very true that the greatest legacy a U.S. President can record is an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump has had two in the first two years. Regardless of what transpires in the next two years of Trump’s reign, from conservative Americans viewpoint, this presidency has been a success. The nominations of Neil Gorsuch last year and Brett Kavanaugh this year were BIG. Both men are in their early 50’s and will make a powerful impact on public policy and law in America for decades. Long after Trump is gone, his legacy as a stalwart, conservative President will live on through Kavanaugh and Gorsuch. Both are also men of character with impeccable credentials. They are strict Constitutional constructionists and adherents. Their intellectual prowess will be indelibly inscribed into the Law of the Land for generations. As former President Barack Obama said, the night that Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump, “Elections have consequences.” See you next week. ••• Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at, www.steveflowers.us.
