Secretary of State John Merrill issues crossover voting reminder
The Primary Runoff Election is on June 21, 2022. Secretary of State John Merrill issued a press release to remind voters that if they voted in the Primary Election, they must vote in the same political party’s Primary Runoff Election. Since 2017, Alabama’s Crossover Voting Law has been in effect, and it prohibits crossover voting within a particular election cycle. For example, if a voter cast a ballot in the Republican Primary Election, then they are prohibited from casting a ballot in the Democratic Primary Runoff Election. That voter must cast a ballot in the Republican Primary Runoff Election and vice versa. However, voters who did not participate in the May 24th Primary Election or voters who strictly voted on constitutional amendments, are free to cast a ballot in either party’s Primary Runoff Election.
Katie Britt releases final campaign ad ahead of June 21 primary runoff
With just five days left until the June 21 primary runoff election, Katie Britt has released her closing ad in her 2022 campaign for U.S. Senator. Entitled “New Blood,” the 30-second spot features the former CEO of the Business Council of Alabama speaking directly to the people of Alabama. In the ad, Britt says, “I’m a 40-year-old mother of two, and I believe if my generation doesn’t wake up and step up, our kids won’t have the opportunity to live their American Dream. That’s why I’m running this race. As your Senator, I’ll defend our Christian conservative values, and I will always put Alabama and America first. I’m Katie Britt, and I approve this message. If you’re looking for new blood to shake things up in Washington and fight for Alabama, I’d be honoredto earn your vote.” In a press release, Britt expressed gratitude for the support she received during her campaign. “We have worked tirelessly this past year, traveling to all 67 counties across Alabama to share our message, listen tohardworking Alabamians, and answer their questions,” stated Britt. “My family and I are truly grateful for all of theprayers, support, and encouragement we’ve received along the way. It is clear that families in every corner of our stateare ready to send a fresh conservative fighter to defend our values and our people in the U.S. Senate. As Alabama’sSenator, I will always fight to grow good-paying jobs and 21st-century opportunity for all Alabamians, regardless of their zip code. Alabama’s future is on the ballot this Tuesday, and I would be honored to earn your vote.” Britt is running against U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks. Donald Trump originally endorsed Brooks, but the former president revoked his endorsement in March. Trump endorsed Britt last Friday, calling Britt “an incredible fighter for the people of Alabama.” The GOP primary runoff election is June 21.
Alabama hits brand-new record low unemployment rate
Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted May unemployment rate is 2.7%, a new record low, down from April’s rate of 2.8%, and below May 2021’s rate of 3.6%. “Once more, we are seeing the resiliency of Alabama’s workforce,” said Ivey. “Yet again, we’re breaking records that were set only a month ago. We’re nearly a full percentage point below the nation’s unemployment rate, we’ve been consistently ranked as having the lowest unemployment rate in the southeast, and our wages are growing at a remarkable pace.” “In fact, Alabama’s average weekly wages have once again reached a brand-new record high, rising by 20% since May 2019. Alabamians are working, and our business community is reaping the benefits!” May’s rate represents 61,621 unemployed persons, a new record low, compared to 63,184 in April and 80,191 in May 2021. Additionally, the number of people counted as employed grew to 2,222,977 in May, a new record high. This represents an increase from 2,213,187 in April and an increase from 2,169,710 in May 2021. Alabama’s average weekly earnings grew to a new record high of $1,004.65 in May, up from $995.44 in April, and $978.06 in May 2021. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said breaking these unemployment records was an indication of people’s confidence in finding a job. “All of the elements needed for positive economic growth continue to improve and are consistently breaking records,” commented Washington. “This prolonged growth bodes well for Alabama. More people have joined the labor force than at any other time this year, showing that people have confidence in their ability to find a job. More people are working, and fewer people are unemployed than ever before. I’d say these are all things to celebrate!” Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 1.6%, Marshall County at 1.8%, and Morgan, Limestone, Elmore, and Cullman Counties at 1.9%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 8.5%, Lowndes and Perry Counties at 5.9%, and Dallas County at 5.4%. Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are Alabaster at 1.4%, Homewood, and Trussville at 1.5%, and Hoover and Madison at 1.6%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 7.0%, Prichard at 5.4%, and Gadsden at 3.8%.
Informational forum held for residents ahead of special election to determine future of Chelsea schools
As the date of Chelsea’s July 12 property tax vote draws closer, residents are still voicing their opinions about the possibility of the city separating from Shelby County Schools and forming an independent school system. Residents have been divided on the topic. Dozens of citizens attended a community forum at the Chelsea Community Center on June 9. According to the Shelby County Reporter, on May 3, the Chelsea City Council passed a proposed ordinance to set the July 12 election, in which the city’s residents will vote on whether to allow the city to levy and collect a 12.5-mill property tax to fund a Chelsea city school system and facility improvements. Mayor Tony Picklesimer and Councilmembers Scott Weygand, Chris Grace, and Tiffany Bittner voted in favor of the ordinance. Councilmembers Cody Sumners and Casey Morris voted against it. Currently, Chelsea is one of only three municipalities in Shelby County that only pays property tax to the county and is void of a municipal property tax. Kim McPherson, CPA with Criterion Consulting, the firm Chelsea authorized to conduct a school system feasibility study last year, was present to answer questions and clarify information included in the study. Weygand presented an overview of the plans if the vote was in favor of the tax, and said the budget laid out in the study with 2019 revenue and expenses shows the city school system would be feasible. “In the feasibility study, Criterion suggested 11 mills of property tax based on 2019 numbers,” Weygand stated. “The July 12 vote is for 12.5 mills based on updated numbers from 2021. What that means to us is that millage can go further and can do more.” Weygand said the institution of a 12.5-mill city property tax would fund the state-required one-month operating reserve of roughly $2.1 million in less than a year. After that, the city would channel the funds into major construction projects, and other educational enhancements. Non-Chelsea residents would be expected to pay an equivalent fee to the 12.5-mill tax, if it passes, to the Chelsea Board of Education if their students wanted to attend Chelsea schools. “The opportunity is in front of us now. It’s about us as a community being able to rally behind our students to simply do better,” Councilwoman Bittner commented. “Shelby County Board of Education has said they do not have a plan to make improvements to our schools that are needed. The other side says there’s a better way. The truth is, there’s not another way right now. This is our one opportunity to have local control of funding through a separate Chelsea city school board that stands on its own.” In April, Councilmen Sumners and Morris introduced an alternative proposal that does not involve an additional property tax and would allow the city to partner with the Shelby County Board of Education to address the immediate needs of the schools in Chelsea. Their proposal calls for the city to leverage the current 1-cent education sales tax in the bond market for improvements and renovations at the schools in the Chelsea city limits. The schools would still belong to the Shelby County Board of Education, and they would still make regularly-scheduled upgrades. Also, all additional funds from the city of Chelsea bonds would be used for additional upgrades and renovations to the current schools to address concerns and needs. A citizen board would be created to determine the needs and priorities of the schools in order to prioritize projects for the schools in Chelsea. The Shelby County Reporter shared some of the following questions at the forum: • Whether school resource officers are included in the proposed budget. • Whether paraprofessionals and services for students with special needs would be prioritized. • Whether the student-teacher ratio would be lower if Chelsea forms its own school system. • Whether teacher salaries would be higher under a city school system. • Whether a Chelsea city school system would improve student outcomes and education. • Why money generated by the 1-cent sales tax is not being used on immediate needs at the schools in Chelsea. • Concerns about school system employees being displaced if the city forms its own school system. • Concerns about elderly residents on fixed incomes affording an additional property tax, especially in a challenging economy. • Concerns about Chelsea continuing to meet the needs of its first responders and other city services if it forms a city school system. Mayor Picklesimer stated that SROs would continue to be covered in the budget. McPherson said paraprofessionals are included as “instruction assistants” in the proposed budget, and that services for students with special needs are protected by law. Regarding student-teacher ratios, McPherson explained that lowering the ratio for different grades would be Chelsea’s decision if the city moves forward with the school system. Picklesimer said Chelsea will continue to fund city services with sales tax only. Chelsea resident Amber Polk, who was elected to the Shelby County Board of Education in May, stated, “It’s not the city’s responsibility to maintain the school buildings, and that is why I ran. I saw the mess that we have going on right now. The disconnect is we were not being represented; a lot of this county has not been represented.” Polk said she attended the forum to listen to what parents had to say. “I’m truly just wanting to be here to hear both sides represented,” Polk said. “I want to know what all the parents feel. You’re validated in your concerns. You are absolutely right; the ball was dropped, and I feel like it is what precipitated all of this anger and all of this frustration.” After the vote in May, Mayor Picklelsimer said his goal has been to find a way for all existing students not covered in the Shelby County Board of Education’s rezoning plan to attend Chelsea schools. “This council has compromised, we’ve talked, and these people sitting at this table with me, even though we don’t
U.S. veterans missing in Ukraine formed bond over background
Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh are both military veterans from Alabama, so it was natural that they formed a bond once they met in Ukraine, where each traveled separately with the intention of helping defend democracy against Russian invaders. “They became buds,” Dianna Shaw, Drueke’s aunt, said in an interview Thursday. Both men are now missing after their group came under heavy fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border on June 9, leaving loved ones at home anxiously awaiting information about their whereabouts. The two families are in touch. “The waiting is the hard part, but we always knew this was a possibility,” Shaw said. The U.S. State Department said it was investigating unconfirmed reports that Russian or Russian-backed forces captured two American citizens and possibly a third. Anyone captured should be considered a prisoner of war and protected by guarantees of humane treatment, and fair trials said spokesman Ned Price. “Anyone who is fighting with Ukraine’s armed forces should be treated as a POW even if Russia refuses to do that,” Price said. If the unconfirmed reports are true, they would be the first Americans fighting for Ukraine known to have been captured since the war began. Shaw said it’s possible the two could just be lying low: She noted that the 39-year-old Drueke had extensive training and experience during two tours in Iraq, while Huynh, 27, served four years in the U.S. Marines. “They know how to evade,” she said. “They might be doing just that.” Russia hasn’t confirmed any information about the men. The president of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said Thursday that “as of now, I don’t have such information, and I cannot comment,“ according to the Interfax news agency. Pushilin spoke while attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Huynh’s fiancee, Joy Black, said she got a message from a soldier telling her that both men had missed their rendezvous point and were in an area that was hit “pretty hard.” Black, speaking in an interview with WAAY-TV, said she ran to her mother’s room and fell on the bed sobbing. “I am trying to stay strong for him to get this word out and to try to get him back home. I am not going to lie and say that it has not been really, really hard,” Black said. It’s unclear how many Americans have traveled overseas to assist Ukraine since fighting began in February but the number is believed to be in the hundreds, if not more. Army veteran Harrison Jozefowicz, who quit his job as a Chicago police officer and traveled to Ukraine soon after Russia invaded, is now helping place volunteers in combat positions and coordinating supplies as head of a group called Task Force Yankee. Several hundred Americans serve in the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine, he said, and still more are assisting outside the force. “In the volunteer world, the people who are here for the long haul are digging in and getting serious — buying warehouses, establishing permanent routes of logistics with dedicated drivers,” he said Thursday. Shaw said her nephew joined the Army at age 19 after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and he believed he could help Ukrainian fighters because of his training and experience with weapons. Drueke pondered whether to go for a few weeks, she said, and then made up his mind. “He approached me and said, ‘I’m going to go to Ukraine.’ I told him, ‘For you, that makes sense,’” she said. “He is really compelled to defend democracy wherever that meant going.” Huynh moved to north Alabama two years ago from his native California and lives about 120 miles (193 kilometers) from Drueke. Before leaving for Europe, Huynh told his local newspaper, The Decatur Daily, he couldn’t stop thinking about Russia’s invasion. “I know it wasn’t my problem, but there was that gut feeling that I felt I had to do something,” Huynh told the paper. “Two weeks after the war began, it kept eating me up inside and it just felt wrong. I was losing sleep. … All I could think about was the situation in Ukraine.” Drueke doesn’t have a wife or children, his aunt said, and he liked the idea of traveling to help Ukraine so someone with more familial connections wouldn’t have to. He left in mid-April and entered Poland legally before going to the border and being allowed into Ukraine, she said. Now, Drueke’s loved ones are in touch with the U.S. State Department, congressional offices or anywhere else that can help them find out what’s going on. And they’re waiting. “It was how we lived while he was in Iraq, and it’s how we live now,” Shaw said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Policy group advocates for Alabama to use ARPA funds for public transit
One Alabama policy group is encouraging the state to invest more funding into public transportation. Alabama Arise published its study, “Alabama’s Road To a Better Public Transportation Future,” and is encouraging state officials to invest its remaining $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding into public transit to create a stronger economy while advancing racial equity and connecting everyone in the state. “We have had a priority to fund public transportation for probably 30 years in Alabama,” Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview. “Our biggest barrier is that Alabama constitutionally blocks using gas tax fund money for public transportation.” The policy group, according to the study, shows that aging residents, those with disabilities, and low-income individuals and families would benefit from an investment into the state’s Public Transportation Trust Fund, which was created in 2018. Alabama Arise, according to the study, conducted a poll of Alabama residents in 42 of the state’s 67 counties showing that if the state did spend the money on public transit, it would allow barriers to public transit to be removed. According to the study, of the people surveyed by Arise, only 1 in 300 use public transit to commute to and from their place of employment. Plus, the study shows that Alabama is one of three states, the others being Hawaii and Nevada, where state money is not put into public transportation. The study also shows that Alabama has a constitutional amendment on the books dating back to 1952 that prevents the use of funds garnered through the gas tax or license fees to be spent on public transportation within the Department of Transportation. “There have been attempts to repeal that amendment, but, obviously, they want the gas tax money to build roads and bridges,” Hyden said. “If you look around surrounding southern states, the gas tax is funding public transportation.” Arise, according to the study, reports that federal funding received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the American Rescue Plan act, have infused temporary cash into the system but those funds won’t last forever. The group is calling for more funding to be allocated to public transit in the state. By providing more funding, according to the study, the additional funding into the public transit system would allow for hiring more drivers, adding more routes, and extending the hours of operation for the system. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
GOP, Dem Senate bargainers divided over gun deal details
Democratic and Republican senators were at odds Thursday over how to keep firearms from dangerous people as bargainers struggled to finalize details of a gun violence compromise in time for their self-imposed deadline of holding votes in Congress next week. Lawmakers said they remained divided over how to define abusive dating partners who would be legally barred from purchasing firearms. Disagreements were also unresolved over proposals to send money to states that have “red flag” laws that let authorities temporarily confiscate guns from people deemed dangerous by courts, and to other states for their own violence prevention programs. The election-year talks have seemed headed toward agreement, with both parties fearing punishment by voters if Congress doesn’t react to the carnage of last month’s mass shootings. A total of 31 people were slain at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. An outline of a deal has been endorsed by President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a lead GOP bargainer, seemed visibly unhappy as he left Thursday’s closed-door session after nearly two hours, saying he was flying home. “This is the hardest part because at some point, you just got to make a decision. And when people don’t want to make a decision, you can’t accomplish the result. And that’s kind of where we are right now,” Cornyn said. “I’m not frustrated, I’m done,” he added, though he said he was open to continued discussions. Lawmakers have said a deal must be completed and written into legislative language by week’s end if Congress is to vote by next week. It begins a July 4 recess after that. Leaders want votes by then because Washington has a long record of talking about reacting to mass shootings, only to see lawmakers’ and voters’ interest fade quickly over time. Other bargainers seemed more optimistic, saying much of the overall package has been agreed to and aides were drafting bill language. “A deal like this is difficult,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said when the meeting ended. “It comes with a lot of emotions, it comes with political risk to both sides. But we’re close enough that we should be able to get there.” The measure would impose just small-scale curbs on firearms. It lacks proposals by Biden and Democrats to prohibit assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in Buffalo and Uvalde, or to raise the legal age for purchasing assault rifles from 18 to 21. Even so, it would be Congress’ most robust move against gun violence since 1993. A ban lawmakers enacted that year on assault weapons took effect in 1994 and expired after a decade. Scores of high-profile mass shootings since have yielded little from Washington but partisan deadlock, chiefly due to Republicans blocking virtually any new restrictions. Federal law bars people convicted of domestic violence against a spouse from acquiring guns, but leaves a loophole for other romantic relationships. Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates firearms curbs, says 31 states bar convicted domestic abusers from buying firearms, including 19 that cover violent dating partners. Senators have disagreed over how to define such relationships, with Republicans working against a broad provision. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, the other lead GOP negotiator, said bargainers would use some state statutes as their guide, though their laws vary. “You need to make sure that you’re capturing everyone that actually beat” up their girlfriends, said Murphy, a Democrat. In addition, 19 states and the District of Columbia have “red flag” laws. Cornyn and the other lead bargainer, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., represent states that do not, and it is unclear how money in the bill would be divided among them. Senators have not said what the measure’s overall price tag will be, though people following the talks have said they expect it to range around $15 billion or $20 billion. Lawmakers are looking for budget cuts to pay for those costs. Twenty senators, 10 from each party, agreed to the outlines of a compromise measure last weekend. Top bargainers have labored ever since to translate it into details. The framework includes access to the juvenile records of gun buyers age 18 to 20. Both shooters in Buffalo and Uvalde were 18, and both used AR-15 style automatic rifles, which can load high-capacity magazines. The plan also includes added spending for mental health and school safety programs, tougher penalties for gun trafficking, and requirements that slightly more gun dealers obtain federal firearms licenses. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
