Prominent GOP leader Perry Hooper Jr. arrested for sexual abuse
Former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr., age 67, was arrested on Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Service, Alabama Daily News reported. Hooper has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse. He was held on $15,000 bond. The alleged incident occurred at the 100 block of Commerce Street in Montgomery on August 16 at approximately eight p.m., reported WSFA. That is the address of the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown reported WSFA. Hooper was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in the election of 1983. He served five terms in the Alabama House. Hooper was one of five people that then Governor Robert Bentley interviewed as possible appointees for the U.S. Senate in 2017 following the resignation of Jeff Sessions. Hooper is an active member of the Alabama Republican Executive Committee representing Montgomery County. He is a frequently published political commentator who has had columns published across Alabama and beyond. Hooper was an early backer of Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primary season and chaired the Trump Victory Fund in the 2016 campaign. The Trump bundler was a frequent visitor to the Trump Whitehouse as well as Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Resort in the years following the Trump presidency. Hooper is a licensed insurance salesman and registered state and federal lobbyist. He is a member of the board for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, a prominent Auburn booster, and serves on the Board of the Montgomery Quarterback Club. The Alabama Republican Party has released a statement condemning sexual abuse. “The Alabama Republican Party strongly condemns all forms of sexual abuse and sexual assault,” the ALGOP said in a statement. “We are committed to personal rights and public safety. We will be monitoring this situation closely as it makes its way through the judicial process.” Hooper’s father, Perry Hooper Sr. – now deceased, was the first Republican Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court since Reconstruction. Hooper is married and has three sons and a number of grandchildren. Alabama Today spoke to Daphne Attorney Harry Still III about this case. Still explained that sexual abuse in the first degree is a class C felony under Alabama law. “Section 13A-6-66. Sexual abuse in the first degree (a) A person commits the crime of sexual abuse in the first degree if he or she does either of the following: (1) Subjects another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion. (2) Subjects another person to sexual contact who is incapable of consent by reason of being incapacitated. (b) Sexual abuse in the first degree is a Class C felony. Forcible compulsion means to compel by either: (a) use of physical force; or (b) a threat, express or implied, which places a person in fear of immediate death or physical injury to …self or another …, or in fear that he, she or another … will immediately be kidnapped. Someone is intoxicated to the point that they cannot give consent. Incapable of giving consent or incapacitated.” A Montgomery Police spokesperson explained that Hooper was arrested by U.S. Marshals because the Marshals have an agreement with Montgomery Police to arrest criminals charged with violent crimes. This charge meets that standard. Hooper, if convicted, faces a sentence of between one and ten years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. Hooper has simply been charged with a crime. All persons are presumed innocent until they are found guilty by a jury of their peers. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville and colleagues express concern about policy that allows terrorism supporters to immigrate to the U.S.
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined nine of his Senate colleagues in a letter to Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing their concerns over their departments’ recent determination allowing individuals who provided “insignificant material support” or “limited material support” to terrorist organizations to legally immigrate to the United States. This determination which dates to June 8, changes the current U.S. immigration policy. “We write because the American people deserve an explanation regarding the broad, open-ended nature of this authority for exempting individuals who would otherwise be barred from immigration to the United States for supporting a terrorist organization,” Tuberville and the other Senators wrote. “In contrast, the June 8 determination is not limited to certain conflicts, terrorist organizations, geographic regions, or time periods. Instead, it “broadly permits the admission of foreign individuals who provided material support to terrorist organizations that the Biden Administration deems insignificant or limited. This could include, for example, current or former members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and IRGC-linked entities, which are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. It could include individuals seeking asylum at the southern border.” “The timing of the June 8 Determination, nearly a year after the Administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, also raises questions. If its intent is to ensure that Afghan refugees are able to gain asylum in the United States, there is no explanation regarding why this decision was not made months ago with prudent restrictions limiting its application to Afghan refugees,” the letter continued. The Senators requested that Secretaries Mayorkas and Blinken provide a timely explanation and justification for this broad new authority, which they claim substantially changes U.S. immigration policy. Sen, Tuberville was joined in the letter by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), and Steve Daines (R-Montana). There does appear to be a renewed effort by terrorists to enter the United States. “Democrats are more focused on raising your taxes than resolving the crisis at our southern border,” Tuberville said on social media. “In July alone, 10 people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list illegally crossed into the U.S.” Thus far this year 66 individuals on the FBI’s terror watchlist have been apprehended trying to enter the United States. This is double the number of incidents that occurred in the last five years combined. U.S. forces are continuing to fight the War on Terror. On Tuesday, airstrikes were conducted against militia bases linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria after a remote U.S. outpost was attacked by a drone that intelligence sources believe came from the groups. The airstrikes were ordered by President Joe Biden. Tuberville is in his first term representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate after his election in 2020, where he defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Alabama). To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Mountain Brook City Council incumbents win re-election
The voters of Mountain Brook voted to reject change candidates and instead re-elected both of the incumbents on the ballot in Tuesday’s municipal election. In place 3, incumbent City Council President William “Billy” Pritchard defeated challenger Kent Osband. Pritchard received 5,320 votes (70.7%) to Osband’s 2,186 (29.1%). In place 5, incumbent Lloyd Shelton defeated challenger Tate Davis. Shelton received 5,051 votes (67.2%) to Davis’s 2,459 (32.7%). In Place 1, incumbent Alice Womack did not seek re-election. Graham Smith defeated Christopher Powanda. Smith is a former Legislative Director for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama). She was endorsed by Shelton. Smith received 5,530 votes (73.5%) to Powanda’s 1,990 (26.5%). 41.9% of Mountain Brook’s 18,197 registered voters participated in Tuesday’s election – a very high number for a municipal election. Mountain Brook has staggered elections. Mayor Stewart H. Welch III, Gerald A. Garner, and Virginia Smith have terms that will not run out until 2024. The wealthy Birmingham suburb has been gripped by controversy ever since the school system tried and later withdrew a plan to adopt a tolerance curriculum advanced by the Anti-defamation League. Social conservatives objected to the new policies claiming that the school system was engaging in liberal indoctrination of students rather than classical instruction. Some parents also expressed concerns about the school system’s mandatory masking policy during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Recently conservative Mountain Brook parents claimed that a quiz given to students to gauge their opinions as part of the perceived liberal indoctrination in the schools. The city council does not direct the highly ranked Mountain Brook public schools, but they do appoint the members of the school board. Since conservatives could not vote out school board members, they directed their anger into the city council races. An effort that at this point appears to have backfired as Mountain Brook voters preferred the ‘establishment’ candidate by over a two-to-one margin. Alabama has nonpartisan municipal elections where candidates do not have to declare a party affiliation. Mountain Brook has a city manager form of government. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Special Alabamians
Under the title “Alabama is a Big Front Porch,” made famous by the legendary Alabama storyteller Kathryn Tucker Wyndham, I will continue to share some personal political stories with you this week. As many of you know, I have been friends with our iconic senior U.S. Senator, Richard Shelby, for close to four decades. History will reveal Senator Shelby as Alabama’s greatest U.S. Senator, and folks, that is saying a mouth full because we have had some great ones. We have had a cadre of great Senators, including Lister Hill, John Sparkman, John Bankhead, and Howell Heflin, along with Shelby. As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Shelby has brought untold hundreds of millions of dollars home to Alabama. It would take a book or volumes of books to tell the story of Shelby’s prowess at bringing home the bacon to his beloved state. He is completing 36 years in the Senate this year. Two of my favorite Alabamians and loyal friends are former Congressman and now University of South Alabama President, Jo Bonner and one of the finest ladies in the state, Dora James of Opelika. I visit with each of these two friends almost weekly. They graciously read the column and give me feedback. Jo Bonner epitomizes the adage of being a true southern gentleman. He is admired and beloved all over the state, more than he can imagine. Dora James epitomizes a true southern lady. She is admired and revered in Lee County. She is a true philanthropist and modest, kind and genuinely sweet person. About seven years ago, she hosted book signings for me at Auburn University and in Opelika that attracted several hundred folks at each, not because of me but because of her. Speaking of memorable book signing events, the people of Jasper and Walker County hosted a large event at which Congressman Robert Aderholt was gracious enough to travel down from Washington to introduce me. Over the years, I have enjoyed a special closeness and connection to the folks in Jasper/Walker County who read my column in The Daily Mountain Eagle. They have a rich political heritage with the Bankheads, Carl Elliott, Tom Bevill, and others. To show how old I am getting and how long I have been writing this column, it seems that every state senator I know says, “Please do not write something bad about me because my mama reads your column religiously every week and has for decades.” Speaking of books, I had the opportunity to meet and visit with the legendary author of To Kill A Mockingbird, Nelle Harper Lee. Folks in Monroeville, who knew her well from their generation, called her “Nelle.” Even though she had an apartment in New York that she purchased when her book came out in the 1960’s, Nelle Harper Lee lived her entire life in Monroeville. She lived with her sister, Alice, who was a good bit older than Nelle. I am told that Alice was the first female lawyer in Alabama. She was one of the most prominent lawyers in Monroeville and lived to be over 100. Alice and Nelle were neither married. Nelle Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is one of the five most read and purchased books in history. I am told by Monroeville old timers that it is a total allegory. It is simply a story of Harper Lee growing up in Monroeville. All the characters are real, even Boo Radley. One day a few years ago, Harper Lee sent word to me that she enjoyed and read my column weekly, in the Monroe Journal and would like to meet me. I journeyed to Monroeville, and we exchanged greetings, and she gave me a signed copy of her book. I thanked her and told her that it was bought and read by quite a few more people than mine. She was a person of very few words and renowned for her privacy and reclusiveness. The only thing she said to me, substantively, was, “You are taller than you look like in your picture.” I thanked her for her time and the visit and book. When I got back into my car, I called my older daughter, who is a lawyer in Birmingham, and said, “I know when I die you are going to just pile up my books and throw them away, but there is one you might want to save.” We will continue with more stories 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.
Student loan help for millions coming from Joe Biden after delay
President Joe Biden on Wednesday is set to announce his long-delayed move to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans for many Americans and extend a pause on payments to January, according to three people familiar with the plan. Biden has faced pressure from liberals to provide broader relief to hard-hit borrowers and from moderates and Republicans questioning the fairness of any widespread forgiveness. The delay in Biden’s decision has only heightened the anticipation for what his own aides acknowledge represents a political no-win situation. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Biden’s intended announcement ahead of time. The precise details of Biden’s plan, which will include an income cap limiting the forgiveness to only those earning less than $125,000 a year, were being kept to an unusually small circle within the Biden administration and were still not finalized on the eve of the announcement. Down-to-the-wire decision-making has been a hallmark of the Biden White House, but the particular delay on student loans reflects the vexing challenge confronting him in fulfilling a key campaign promise. The plan would likely eliminate student debt entirely for millions of Americans and wipe away at least half for millions more. The nation’s federal student debt now tops $1.6 trillion after ballooning for years. More than 43 million Americans have federal student debt, with almost a third owing less than $10,000 and more than half owing less than $20,000, according to the latest federal data. The continuation of the pandemic-era payment freeze comes just days before millions of Americans were set to find out when their next student loan bills will be due. This is the closest the administration has come to hitting the end of the payment freeze extension, with the current pause set to end on August 31. Wednesday’s announcement was set for the White House after Biden returns from vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The administration had briefly considered higher education schools in the president’s home state for a larger reveal but scaled back their plans. Biden was initially skeptical of student loan debt cancellation as he faced off against more progressive Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who had proposed cancellations of $50,000 or more during the 2020 primaries. As he tried to shore up support among younger voters and prepare for a general election battle against then-President Donald Trump, Biden unveiled his initial proposal for debt cancellation of $10,000 per borrower, with no mention of an income cap. Biden narrowed his campaign promise in recent months by embracing the income limit as soaring inflation took a political toll and as he aimed to head off political attacks that the cancellation would benefit those with higher take-home pay. But Democrats, from members of congressional leadership to those facing tough re-election bids this November, have pushed the administration to go as broad as possible on debt relief, seeing it in part as a galvanizing issue, particularly for Black and young voters this fall. The frenzied last-minute lobbying continued Tuesday even as Biden remained on his summer vacation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the loudest advocates in recent years for canceling student loan debt, spoke privately on the phone with Biden, imploring the president to forgive as much debt as the administration can, according to a Democrat with knowledge of the call. In his pitch, Schumer argued to Biden that doing so was the right thing to do morally and economically, said the Democrat, who asked for anonymity to describe a private conversation. Inside the administration, officials have discussed since at least early summer forgiving more than $10,000 of student debt for certain categories of borrowers, such as Pell Grant recipients, according to three people with knowledge of the deliberations. That remained one of the final variables being considered by Biden heading into Wednesday’s announcement. Democrats are betting that Biden, who has seen his public approval rating tumble over the last year, can help motivate younger voters to the polls in November with the announcement. Although Biden’s plan is narrower than what he initially proposed during the campaign, “he’ll get a lot of credit for following through on something that he was committed to,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who worked with Biden during the 2020 election. She described student debt as a “gateway issue” for younger voters, meaning it affects their views and decisions on housing affordability and career choices. A survey of 18- to 29-year-olds conducted by the Harvard Institute of Politics in March found that 59% of those polled favored debt cancellation of some sort — whether for all borrowers or those most in need — although student loans did not rank high among issues that most concerned people in that age group. Some advocates were already bracing for disappointment. “If the rumors are true, we’ve got a problem,” Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, which has aggressively lobbied Biden to take bolder action, said Tuesday. He emphasized that Black students face higher debut burdens than white students. “President Biden’s decision on student debt cannot become the latest example of a policy that has left Black people — especially Black women — behind,” he said. “This is not how you treat Black voters who turned out in record numbers and provided 90% of their vote to once again save democracy in 2020.” John Della Volpe, who worked as a consultant on Biden’s campaign and is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, said the particulars of Biden’s announcement were less important than the decision itself. “It’s about trust in politics, in government, in our system. It’s also about trust in the individual, which in this case is President Biden.” Combined with fears about expanding abortion restrictions and Trump’s reemergence on the political scene, Della Volpe said student debt forgiveness “adds an additional tailwind to an already improving position with young people.” Republicans, meanwhile, see only political upside if Biden pursues a large-scale cancellation of student debt ahead
Anthony Fauci to retire in December; Jerry Carl critical of the USA’s top doctor
On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci announced that he will step down from his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President in December. Fauci served various Presidents over decades, but COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the global pandemic vaulted Fauci into being one of the most controversial men in America. Congressman Jerry Carl has long been a critic of Dr. Fauci. “Fauci just announced he’s resigning. It’s about dang time!” Rep. Carl said on Twitter. “I called for his immediate removal last summer, and I’ve also introduced a bill to strip him of his pension since he LIED to the American people. We will hold him accountable.” “After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in a statement. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.” U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has also been a harsh critic of Dr. Fauci and his handling of the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic,” Sen. Paul said on social media. “He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.” Fauci first went to work at the NIH in 1968. Paul and some experts believe that the source of the SARS-CoV-2 strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a lab studying variations of the coronavirus. This lab received some funding from the NIH. Fauci denies the conjecture that the virus escaped from a lab. President Joseph Biden praised Fauci in a statement. “Dr. Fauci has served under seven Republican and Democratic Presidents during his career, beginning with Ronald Reagan,” Biden wrote. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 under President George W. Bush. For almost four decades, he has served as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, helping our country navigate health crises ranging from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19. Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved. As he leaves his position in the U.S. Government, I know the American people and the entire world will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next. Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.” Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey visits elementary school robotic and engineering labs
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey visited Dalraida Elementary School in Montgomery on Monday to inspect the new robotics and building/engineering labs there. Ivey was accompanied by education leaders and members of the capital press corps. “When I was in Fourth Grade, we didn’t do robotics,” Gov. Ivey said. “We just were memorizing our multiplication tables.” The third and fourth-grade students in the robotics lab demonstrated their proficiency at building and operating the little robots that lift and manipulate objects in tasks analogous to construction equipment. Like robots at a factory, they were being operated by the children who assembled them from kits. Dr. Bryan Cutter is the principal at Dalriada Elementary School. Principal Cutter said that there are robotics labs at the high school and middle school levels, but their school was the first in the region to have a dedicated robotics lab in the elementary school lab. The students in the engineering/building lab demonstrated their ability to stack blocks and sticks in order to build a bridge over a construction paper river. The students were working in groups of three. “You did a great job,” Ivey told one group of students after they completed their bridge and were able to roll a toy car over it without the structure collapsing. “You did an amazing job building that.” “This is an exciting visit,” Ivey told reporters. Ivey said that she would like to see more labs such as these across the state to get children interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields). “We have a long way to get there,” Ivey acknowledged. “They view it as a game,” Principal Cutter said. Cutter explained that the school is bringing scientists and engineers to interact with the students. “The students have met athletes and musicians, but they are not used to seeing scientists and engineers,” he stated. Cutter said that the children work in groups. “We want them to learn collaboration. We are looking at teaching them to be good citizens of the world.” “We are excited to be here,” said State Superintendent Eric Mackey. “We have several labs like this around the state. This is a fairly new program.” Mackey said that it is important to get students learning how to manipulate the robots and do early coding in elementary and middle school. “These are not cheap labs,” Mackey said. “The robotics kits have to be purchased, and they wear out.” “Finding teachers to do it and getting them trained,” is the major limiting factor, Mackey said. “We anticipate that we are going to ask for more money next year,” Mackey said. This was the first time that the Governor has addressed reporters in three weeks. During that time, there were unsubstantiated rumors about her health. Ivey was peppered with questions about her health and possible medical treatments. One reporter asked the Governor if she had had a medical treatment requiring her to stay overnight in a hospital. “It seems like some of you want to will these rumors into being, and that is just not going to happen,” Ivey responded. Ivey said that she thanked “God every day for giving me a clean bill of health.” Ivey is the oldest governor in the country. She will turn 78 on December 21. Ivey is running for re-election in the November 8 general election where she faces Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers, Libertarian Dr. James Blake, and independent Jared Budlong. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
