Bradley Byrne recognizes anniversary of Row v Wade decrying abortion in multiple statements
Rep Bradley Byrne, joined Martha Roby and others throughout the nation commemorating the 46th anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision and the March for Life today by reaffirming his commitment to pro-life policies. He said, The sanctity of human life is immeasurable. Since I have been in Congress, I have consistently stood up for the unborn, and I continue to stand up for life. I am proud hundreds of Alabamians, most of them young people, are in our nation’s capital today to stand up for life as part of the March for Life. Those who support pro-life causes support American values, allowing all the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, nearly 61 million abortions have been carried out in the United States. That is absolutely unacceptable. I remain dedicated to doing everything I can to ensure we defund Planned Parenthood, permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion, overturn Roe, and ensure all lives are protected. Byrne also tweeted a video version of this message against abortion. The sanctity of human life is immeasurable. Since I have been in Congress, I have consistently stood up for life. Those who support pro-life causes support American values, allowing all the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. #ProLife pic.twitter.com/VxxFvEd0iu — Archive: Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) January 18, 2019 In a press release today, Byrne listed the pro-life actions he has taken just this year. Re-joined the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus; Sponsored H.R. 369 –the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2019, which would place a one-year moratorium on federal funding to Planned Parenthood and increase funding to community healthcare centers that do not perform abortions but provide more comprehensive care; Sponsored H.R. 490 –Heart Beat Protection Act, which bans abortion after a detectible heartbeat; Sponsored H.R. 616 – the Life at Conception Act, which defines that human life begins at conception; Sponsored the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), which prohibits sex-selective abortions while protecting women upon whom sex-selective abortions have been performed; Signed a letter to President Trump asking him to veto any funding bill that weakens pro-life protections and any bill that weakens federal policy on abortion. In addition to his video message, Byrne has tweeted other pro-life messages today. I remain dedicated to doing everything I can to ensure we defund Planned Parenthood, permanently end taxpayer funding of abortion, overturn Roe, and ensure all lives are protected. #ProLife — Archive: Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) January 18, 2019 The sanctity of human life is immeasurable. Since I have been in Congress, I have stood up for the unborn, and I continue to stand up for life. Those who support pro-life causes support American values, allowing all the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. pic.twitter.com/KpHzgO3t2X — Archive: Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) January 18, 2019 Thank you @POTUS! #ProLife https://t.co/UvHgen9Fe6 — Archive: Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) January 18, 2019 The March for Life is the world’s largest pro-life event, during which more than 100,000 attendees march in Washington, DC.
State might lease prisons, instead of building them
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s options for replacing state prisons could include leasing facilities built by a private firm. Ivey in her inaugural address Monday said that she would be announcing a prison plan in the coming days. Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Bob Horton wrote in a Friday email that the department is evaluating the possible construction of three new regional men’s correctional facilities. Horton said the analysis will evaluate the best approach for constructing the facilities “either through a bond issue, or a build-lease option.” Legislators in 2017 rejected a prison construction bill because of concerns about the price tag and job losses when existing prisons closed. State Sen. Cam Ward said one option before Ivey is to contract with a company that builds prisons and “lease it back.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama unemployment rate drops to 3.9 percent
Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped ever so slightly in December. The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) said December’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate is 3.9 percent — a decrease from November’s 4 percent. “We are ending 2018 with great economic news all around,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “To see this kind of record job growth is extraordinary. Alabama employers have added nearly 45,000 jobs over the past year – economists predicted that our economy would grow by 27,000 jobs. I’m happy to say that we more than exceeded their predictions.” For seven consecutive months, the number of people counted as employed has reached record highs, with December’s count measuring 2,130,194, an increase from November’s count of 2,127,934, and an increase of 49,018 compared to December 2017’s count of 2,081,176. December’s rate represents 86,023 unemployed persons, compared to 87,754 in November and 82,378 in December 2017. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County: 2.5% Cullman County: 2.9% Marshall, Madison, Limestone, and Elmore Counties: 3.0% Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County: 8.7% Clarke County: 7.1% Dallas County: 6.6%. Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood and Vestavia Hills: 2.3% Alabaster, Hoover, Madison, and Northport: 2.5% Daphne: 2.9% Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma: 7.9% Prichard: 6.3% Bessemer: 4.8%
Martha Roby: Commemorating the 2019 March for Life
46 years ago this month, the Supreme Court of the United States offered its infamous Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion on demand in this country. While many abortion activists celebrate this anniversary as a victory for so-called “women’s health,” it represents a very somber occasion for those of us who advocate for life at all stages. Since that 1973 ruling, more than 60 million unborn children have had their lives ended by abortion. To say this is a tragedy is an understatement. I don’t think it’s any secret that I am unapologetically pro-life. I believe life begins at conception and that our laws and policies should protect it. Of course, not everyone shares my convictions about life or the rights of unborn children, but still, our pro-life momentum is strong – especially around this time each year. On Friday, January 18, thousands of Americans gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to participate in this year’s March for Life. As you may know, this is an annual event where the pro-life community comes together to advocate for the lives and rights of unborn children. I had the opportunity to speak on the House floor to offer encouragement and thanks to participants of this year’s march. I’m truly grateful for the individuals who made the trip to Washington out of dedication to what I believe is a deeply worthy cause. When Republicans held the majority in both the House and the Senate during the 115th Congress, we made great progress in our pro-life efforts. In the House, we passed a number of important bills to protect the unborn, such as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks based on the medical evidence that babies can feel pain at this point. We also passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to require that medical care be given to any child who survives an attempted abortion and the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which makes the Hyde Amendment permanent and government-wide. If you’re not familiar, the Hyde Amendment is a longstanding measure directing that no taxpayer dollars be used to perform abortions. During the Obama Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized a rule that prevented states from redirecting Title X dollars away from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. In the 115th Congress, we passed H.J. Res. 43, which I proudly cosponsored, to overturn this rule. President Trump signed the measure into law in April of 2017. Of course, now that Democrats gained the majority in the House, our pro-life efforts will likely face significant challenges. So, I recently joined 168 of my House colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to reject any legislation that would weaken our existing pro-life policies. For some background, Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush both promised, in writing, to veto any legislation that weakened pro-life laws during their presidencies. I believe this type of commitment is a great way for President Trump to underscore his dedication to the pro-life cause, and I am eager to see him make this promise. Regardless, as I said during my most recent speech on the House floor, my commitment to the people I represent and to all pro-life Americans is that I will continue to use this platform I have been given in Congress to be a vocal advocate for the unborn. This is a very important responsibility, and it’s one I do not take lightly. We’ve made some real progress, but a lot of work remains, and I won’t stop fighting until our laws and policies protect life at every stage. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
12 Alabama agencies score ‘perfect’ audits says State Auditor Jim Zeigler
12 state agencies scored perfect audits — with no missing state property — for the latest quarter, according to a report released Thursday by State Auditor Jim Zeigler. Zeigler said he was surprised “all property in all the agencies was accounted for. Our new procedures are working, and there is more accountability.” Zeigler’s office is tasked with providing accountability to the taxpayers of Alabama by maintaining accurate records of all personal property valued at $500 and above by conducting property and equipment audits for all 176 agencies statewide with230,744 total assets. Typical items are state vehicles, computers and furniture. The 12 agencies with perfect audits: The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners had 27 items of state property valued at $118,642.00. The Alabama Public School & College Authority had 5 items of state property valued at $5,152.75. The Alabama Hearing Instrument Dealers Board had 1 item of state property valued at $695.00. The Alabama Board of Examiners for Dietetics and Nutritionists had 2 items of state property valued at $2020.40. The Alabama Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology had 18 items of state property valued at $20,332.50. The Alabama Board of Examiners of Psychology had 31 items of state property valued at $32,281.86. The Alabama State Board of Chiropractic Examiners had 21 items of state property valued at $18,174.17. The Alabama Peace Officers Annuity & Benefit Fund had 15 items of state property valued at $53,017.84. The Alabama Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission had 172 items of state property valued at $469,227.79. The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science had 317 items of state property valued at $491,403.86. The Alabama Board of Public Accountancy had 98 items of state property valued at $167,258.00. The Alabama Department of Revenue had 3,777 items of state property valued at $7,954,034.12.
Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi feud heats up again
She imperiled his State of the Union address. He denied her a plane to visit troops abroad. The shutdown battle between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is playing out as a surreal game of constitutional brinkmanship, with both flexing political powers from opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue as the negotiations to end the monthlong partial government shutdown remain stalled. In dramatic fashion, Trump issued a letter to Pelosi on Thursday, just before she and other lawmakers were set to depart on the previously undisclosed trip to Afghanistan and Brussels. Trump belittled the trip as a “public relations event” — even though he had just made a similar warzone stop — and said it would be best if Pelosi remained in Washington to negotiate to reopen the government. “Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative,” wrote Trump, who had been smarting since Pelosi, the day before, called on him to postpone his Jan. 29 State of the Union address due to the shutdown. Denying military aircraft to a senior lawmaker — let alone the speaker, who is second in line to the White House, traveling to a combat region — is very rare. Lawmakers were caught off guard. A bus to ferry the legislators to their departure idled outside the Capitol on Thursday afternoon. The political tit-for-tat between Trump and Pelosi laid bare how the government-wide crisis has devolved into an intensely pointed clash between two leaders determined to prevail. It took place as hundreds of thousands of federal workers go without pay and Washington’s routine protocols — a president’s speech to Congress, a lawmaker’s official trip — became collateral damage. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said the speaker planned to travel to Afghanistan and Brussels to thank service members and obtain briefings on national security and intelligence “from those on the front lines.” He noted Trump had traveled to Iraq during the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, and said a Republican-led congressional trip also had taken place. Trump’s move was the latest example of his extraordinary willingness to tether U.S. government resources to his political needs. He has publicly urged the Justice Department to investigate political opponents and threatened to cut disaster aid to Puerto Rico amid a spat with the island territory’s leaders. Some Republicans expressed frustration. Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted, “One sophomoric response does not deserve another.” He called Pelosi’s State of the Union move “very irresponsible and blatantly political” but said Trump’s reaction was “also inappropriate.” While there were few signs of progress Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence and senior adviser Jared Kushner dashed to the Capitol late in the day for a meeting with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And the State Department instructed all U.S. diplomats in Washington and elsewhere to return to work next week with pay, saying it had found money for their salaries at least temporarily. For security reasons, Pelosi would normally make such a trip on a military aircraft supplied by the Pentagon. According to a defense official, Pelosi did request Defense Department support for overseas travel and it was initially approved. The official wasn’t authorized to speak by name about the matter, so spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the president does have the authority to cancel the use of military aircraft. Rep. Adam Schiff of California slammed Trump for revealing the closely held travel plans. “I think the president’s decision to disclose a trip the speaker’s making to a war zone was completely and utterly irresponsible in every way,” Schiff said. Trump’s trip to Iraq after Christmas was not disclosed in advance for security reasons. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump wanted Pelosi to stay in Washington before Tuesday, a deadline to prepare the next round of paychecks for federal workers. “We want to keep her in Washington,” Sanders said. “The president wants her here to negotiate.” The White House also canceled plans for a presidential delegation to travel to an economic forum in Switzerland next week, citing the shutdown. And they said future congressional trips would be postponed until the shutdown is resolved, though it was not immediately clear if any such travel — which often is not disclosed in advance — was coming up. Trump was taken by surprise by Pelosi’s move to postpone his address and told one adviser it was the sort of disruptive move he would make himself, according to a Republican who is in frequent contact with the White House and was not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations. While he maintained a public silence, Trump grew weary of how Pelosi’s move was being received on cable TV and reiterated fears that he was being outmaneuvered in the public eye. Trump was delighted at the idea of canceling Pelosi’s trip, believing the focus on the resources needed would highlight her hypocrisy for cancelling his speech, according to the Republican. Trump has still not said how he will handle Pelosi’s attempt to have him postpone his State of the Union address until the government is reopened so workers can be paid for providing security for the grand Washington tradition. Pelosi told reporters earlier Thursday: “Let’s get a date when government is open. Let’s pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it’s OK not to pay people who do work. I don’t.” Trump declined to address the stalemate over the speech during a visit Thursday to the Pentagon, simply promising that the nation will have “powerful, strong border security.” Pelosi reiterated she is willing to negotiate money for border security once the government is reopened, but she said Democrats remain opposed to Trump’s long-promised wall. “I’m not for a wall,” Pelosi said twice, mouthing the statement a third time for effect. The shutdown, the longest ever, entered its 28th day on Friday. The previous longest was 21 days in 1995-96, under President Bill Clinton. In a notice to staff, the State Department said it can pay
MLK holiday represents big moment for 2020 Democrats
Monday’s observance of what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th birthday is emerging as an important moment for Democrats eyeing the White House to talk about one of the most divisive issues in American politics: race. At least a half dozen declared or potential presidential candidates will attend events and talk about what King’s legacy means to Americans in 2019. Among them is former Vice President Joe Biden, who, amid intense speculation over whether he’ll seek the presidency, will make his first public appearance of the year at the National Action Network’s annual King breakfast in Washington with its founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King III. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, still considering a bid, is also on the schedule. And New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who jumped in the 2020 race this week, will appear with Sharpton later in the day in Harlem. Meanwhile, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont will attend events in South Carolina, where black voters make up 60 percent of the Democratic primary. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is expected to speak in Boston, where King attended seminary. The King holiday marks the first time in the early days of the Democratic primary that so many White House hopefuls are holding public events on the same day. That reflects the wide-open nature of the 2020 field, which is likely to include several candidates of color for the first time. Some Democrats say the party’s presidential nomination could ultimately go to the person who best navigates racial issues. “On King Day, they should all have messages for how we enable people who live on the outskirts of hope to come back into the circle of opportunity,” said Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. “That’s what Dr. King would do.” Politics loom large over this year’s remembrances. In a tweet earlier this week, President Donald Trump again mocked Warren, using the slur “Pocahontas” and referring to the 19th-century Battle at Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee Massacre. Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, prompted bipartisan criticism with racist remarks that questioned how white supremacy and white nationalism became offensive terms. King has said his comments were taken out of context. Against that backdrop, Sharpton said it’s crucial for the candidates speaking on Monday to directly address racial politics. “It will be telling if they do not represent an alternative to the situation we’re in,” he said, referring to the country’s racial divisions. “They’ve got to deal with the issues in a way that we know that they’re not just making a one-day-a-year speech.” “The challenge,” he added, “is how you distinguish yourself without appearing disunifying.” Last fall’s midterm elections show the potential for assembling such coalitions, with several minority congressional candidates winning in mostly white districts. And while black Democrats suffered defeat in Georgia, Florida and Missouri, the gains they made show promise for minority candidates eyeing 2020. Andrew Gillum, who lost his Florida gubernatorial bid in November by 30,000 votes, has met with several potential 2020 candidates in recent weeks, and he said the topic of race has come up. The issue was unavoidable in his own bid to become Florida’s first African-American governor. “Under no circumstance could I deny my race and how that has informed who I am today,” Gillum said. “People aren’t stupid. I don’t want anyone to pull any punches about how race shows up in society and how it impacts us.” But the balance is tricky, particularly for candidates of color, he said. For them, navigating race “is like walking on a lake freshly frozen,” Gillum said. “You never know what step might take you under.” Regardless of their race, Democratic candidates will have to find a way to appeal to a broad coalition of voters with a message that energizes a diverse base without alienating whites whose support will also be crucial. In a video accompanying the launch of her presidential exploratory committee, Warren included a chart outlining the disparate household wealth between white and black families and called for an economy that “works for all of us.” A similar video from Gillibrand included broad appeals such as a pledge to support the middle class, along with a clip of her saying, “It is outrageous to ask women of color to bear the burdens of every single one of these fights over and over and over again.” Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, who is white, defeated African-American challengers in his primary before going on to win a special election in 2017, becoming the first Democrat in a generation to represent the solidly Republican state. Jones said his background as the prosecutor who brought the 16th Street Baptist Church bombers to justice was an advantage with black voters, but added that he also had a proven track record on issues of equality, respect and voting rights long after that case. “Folks are going to be looking at candidates and saying, ‘Have you got a history of this, or is it just the first time you’re looking at it?’” Jones said in an interview. “I talked about issues important to the African-American community, but they were really a lot of the same issues that were important to the white community: health care, jobs, education, those kitchen-table issues that cross all manner of racial lines and get to the heart of the matter.” Authenticity will be important for candidates, regardless of color, in delivering a message that resonates with voters, Jones said. “If you’re talking to the black preachers in the Black Belt of Alabama, you ought not be afraid of giving the same speech to the Chamber of Commerce in Madison County,” he said. “It’s a matter of messaging. You’ve got to be who you are. … Not trying to pander to anyone, not to appear that you’re pandering to anyone or not trying to minimize your support.” ___ Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
