Alabamians can apply for a Medical Cannabis business license starting Thursday
On September 1, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission will allow interested Alabamians to download the forms to apply to be a licensed medical marijuana grower, transporter, processor, dispensary operator, or vertical integrator. Alabama Today spoke with Antoine Mordican, who hopes to be one of the medical cannabis growers on Monday. “The commission published their fees on their website today,” Mordican said. “The fee ($40,000 to be a grower/cultivator) is about what I expected.” Cultivator licenses are $40,000 a year, integrator $50,000, processor $40,000, secure transporter $30,000, and state testing laboratory $30,000. The fee must be paid annually, and the number of licenses is strictly controlled by the state. A non-refundable application fee of $2,500 must also be paid to the Commission just for applying for a license. Mordican, an engineer, said that his facility would be all indoors and use hydroponics. “We will use LED lighting throughout (to grow the plants), and there will be sensors in every room so that the plants get the water that they need.” “There will be no wastewater,” Mordican continued. “There will be a water recirculation system so that it all gets used by the plants.” Mordican said that he is still in the “raising capital” phase of this venture but explained he has been growing hemp for going on three seasons, so all of his processes for growing cannabis are currently in use by him in the real world. However, the marijuana growing facility would be new and a custom build from the ground up. Mordican said that “building relationships” is preferable to him over simply finding financiers who want to make a fast buck in the medical cannabis industry. Medical marijuana is harvested from the buds, meaning that the rest of the plants become waste products. Mordican said that he hopes to be able to recycle the excess plant material as hempcrete or other industrial applications. “There is no composting,” in Mordican’s system because hydroponics do not require a soil medium, Mordican explained. Mordican’s facility will be in Jefferson County. County Commissions and city governments will have a say on whether or not marijuana cultivation will be allowed in their jurisdictions. Chey Garrigan is the executive director and founder of the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association. “We are working with producers on understanding the licensing process,” Garrigan said. “Potential producers need to understand that there is going to be some upfront costs involved with applying for a license.” The Commission has estimated that it will be late 2023 at the earliest before Alabamians will be able to purchase Alabama-grown medical cannabis, as the licensing process will take 11 months, and then the licensees still have to build their facilities. “The important thing to us is that Alabamians with a legitimate medical need can lawfully get the help that they need,” Garrigan said. The Alabama State Legislature passed medical cannabis legislation in the Spring of 2021 and tasked the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission with regulating the new industry. According to the commission’s latest timeline, applicants have until October 17 to request application forms. According to recent polling, marijuana has surpassed cigarettes and tobacco use, reaching a new all-time high. 16% of Americans report having used marijuana in the last week versus just 11% for cigarettes. Cigarette usage dropped from 16% last year to 11% in the most recent survey, while marijuana has increased from 12% use to 16% in the same time period. Marijuana, whether used medically or recreationally, remains illegal federally. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Joe Guzzardi: Migrant school enrollment begins; less teacher time for U.S. kids
New York City public schools are bracing for a significant enrollment of non-English speaking migrants. The recently arrived youths were bused to Manhattan from Texas, an ongoing transfer from Red to Blue areas of the country that has led to bombastic protests from New York’s sanctuary city Mayor Eric Adams. The political implications for Adams and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are yet to be seen. But the consequences for the 80,000 K-12 teachers are immediate and demanding. As Schools Chancellor David Banks said: “There are students coming in every day.” But Banks omitted some key elements of what he called a challenge. The new students have arrived illegally from around the world, about 150 different nations, and will need assistance in every facet of public education. That assistance comes at the expense of New York’s already enrolled student body, as well as its teachers and administrators. No teacher has enough time in his or her day to properly educate existing pupils and simultaneously transition the newcomers into classroom readiness. Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins put on a brave but foolhardy front. Jenkins said that his agency is going all out to smooth the way for the migrants, support their needs and quickly enroll them. Easier said than done, of course. The burden won’t directly fall on Jenkins, Banks, or Adams. The already overworked and under-appreciated teachers will be responsible for educating illegal immigrants, some with no formal classroom background. Good luck to the soon-to-be overwhelmed teachers. Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks, and Commissioner Jenkins are off to a bad start. With schools opening on September 8, the high-ranking trio felt compelled to do something – anything! – to give teachers, school principals, and parents the impression that they have a clue. Adams introduced his short-on-details interagency plan to transition the students before their first day. The children received free-to-them, but taxpayer-funded school supplies and mobile phones. Few kids who live in an understaffed shelter as these do are prepared to begin a new school year in a new country and new environment. The child who is age-appropriate for the fourth grade but has no first, second, or third-grade preparation is unlikely, public education experts concluded, to ever catch up and are at risk of dropping out. President Joe Biden’s open borders agenda has hurt millions of already-struggling, poor Americans. Now, Biden’s brazen, illegal, unconstitutional immigration law-breaking will leave its mark on America’s classrooms. Among the biggest losers in the very long list of immigration policy victims that the Biden administration has willfully created are the students who will now have to compete for their teachers’ attention with non-English speaking migrants. Rita Rodriguez-Engberg, director of the Immigrant Students’ Rights Project at Advocates for Children, admitted that migrants who are learning English and living in shelters “will need targeted support in school, including programming to help them learn English and participate in class.” The city is dramatically short of bilingual English language instructors. Consider that in the 2021-2022 academic year, New York’s K-12 1.1 million student-strong profile showed that 72 percent were economically disadvantaged; 20 percent had disabilities, and 14 percent were English language learners. Into that mix, teachers and education-hungry citizen kids must find a way to accommodate the migrants and create a productive classroom environment – a tough assignment that could spike teachers’ already-high attrition rate. In New York, the two-year teacher attrition rate is 25 percent; 18 percent leave in the first year. The national rate is 10 percent. Because Abbott has bused illegal immigrants to New York, and Adams complained loudly, the fallout between them is headline news. But, remember, Biden has also authorized migrants’ release into the interior’s every corner. Other schools will soon be juggling teacher time and scarce resources between illegal aliens and citizen students. Coming off of two years of COVID-mandated remote learning and then vying for teacher time because of Biden’s reckless immigration agenda, U.S. kids have to apply themselves if they want a sound education that will put them on a path to good jobs. But with Biden, American kids’ educations are a distant second to illegal aliens’ schooling needs. Putting U.S. kids second is consistent with Biden’s now well-established America-last agenda. Joe Guzzardi is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist who writes about immigration and related social issues. Joe joined Progressives for Immigration Reform in 2018 as an analyst after a ten-year career directing media relations for Californians for Population Stabilization, where he also was a Senior Writing Fellow. A native Californian, Joe now lives in Pennsylvania. Contact him at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org.
Hearing on voting machine lawsuit is today
A judge will hear a motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the use of vote counting machines today in Montgomery at 9:00 a.m. The lawsuit was originally brought by Republican primary candidate Lindy Blanchard and State Rep. Tommy Hanes. The candidates had originally sought to bar the use of the vote tabulation machines in the May 24 Republican primary. Both Hanes and Blanchard lost in the primary. Hanes, the incumbent, lost to challenger Republican Mike Kirkland 3,707 48.4% to 3,950 51.6%. Kirkland is unopposed in the general election. Blanchard finished second to incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, but the popular incumbent received 54.8% of the vote in the primary, besting Blanchard and seven other primary opponents combined to avoid a Republican primary runoff. No incumbent governor in Alabama has lost their party primary since George C. Wallace beat incumbent Gov. Albert Brewer in the 1970 Democratic primary. Three incumbents have lost general elections. Failing to block the machine tabulation of both the primary and primary runoff votes, the lawsuit is now just challenging the use and accuracy of the machines in general. Blanchard has left the lawsuit, which is being supported by My Pillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell. Former Gov. Don Siegelman has taken Blanchard’s place in the lawsuit. Siegelman, the last Democratic governor in Alabama history, maintains that he actually won the 2002 general election to then-Congressman Bob Riley. The Republican Party has won the last five gubernatorial elections, and incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to win re-election on November 8. The Alabama chapter of the ultra-MAGA group Focus On America (FOA) is continuing to support the lawsuit. Supporters and members of the group are being asked to attend Tuesday’s hearing to show support. Signs will not be allowed in the courtroom. Secretary of State John H. Merrill has maintained that the vote counting machines, which do not connect to the internet, are both safe and accurate. Merrill said in a statement after meeting with Lindell, “Every Alabamian should be proud that Alabama was recognized as the gold standard for election administration for the first time in our state’s history by the Concerned Women for American Legislative Action Committee. We will continue to work with those like Mr. Lindell and other concerned citizens to provide complete transparency.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit citing a lack of grounds. If the motion to dismiss is denied, the case could move forward to the trial stage in the coming weeks. Merrill maintains that replacing the vote tabulation machines with hand counts by poll workers, like Russia and some countries still use, will slow the vote counting down and add an opportunity for potential fraud as well as mistakes by the human vote counters. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Paul DeMarco: Port of Mobile major player for future of nation’s supply chain and Alabama’s economic development
The United States has been suffering through the pandemic, inflation, and a spike in violent crime. One of the other major issues that has challenged this country has been the supply chain problems with delivering products across the Nation. The good news is Alabama is now earning a reputation as one of the go-to states for cargo ships to land. This past July, the Alabama Port Authority in Mobile broke a record in the number of cargo containers moving through the facility, which is 12 percent higher than in 2021. In addition, that same month, there was almost a 36 percent increase in dry and refrigerated goods and a 185 percent increase in intermodal cargo being handled through Mobile. Alabama has always had a geographic advantage being in the heart of the Southeast and Gulf Coast, but now the infrastructure is in place to really establish the Port of Mobile as one of the premier shipping locations in the United States. With the delays in other ports around the country, Mobile is attracting more shippers to the state because of these attributes. There is work to continue the expansion with a deeper and wider ship channel in Mobile Bay by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, construction to increase railroad connections from the port north is underway. This is on top of the millions that have been spent on new cranes and docks at the facility to upgrade the port to handle more business. All of this work at the port will attract even more shipping companies to Alabama as the destination of choice to move their goods. The United States must improve its supply chain for businesses to distribute their products. With the enhancements at Mobile’s Port, expect to see Alabama’s reputation as a destination of choice for shippers gain even more traction in the future. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be followed on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco.
Alabama AFL–CIO endorses dozens of Libertarians in races without a Democratic candidate
The Alabama chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has endorsed 26 Libertarians for office across the state. While the group isn’t specifically for Democratic candidates only, the sheer number of Libertarian candidates being endorsed this election cycle has been something not seen before in Alabama. According to its website, the mission of the AFL-CIO is to “represent the interests of working people at the state and local level.” Nationally, the AFL-CIO is the largest federation of unions in the U.S., representing more than 12 million active and retired workers. The largest unions currently in the AFL-CIO are the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). According to Independent Political Report, the Alabama chapter released a list of candidate endorsements that included 73 Democrats, nine Republicans, and 26 Libertarians. Seven of the Libertarian candidates are running for State Senate, and 19 are running for the Alabama State Legislature. According to the Libertarian Party of Alabama (LPA) website, the party is committed to individual liberty and personal responsibility, a free-market economy, and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade. This year, the LPA had until May 24 to turn in a petition with 51,588 signatures in order to achieve party status in Alabama and for their candidates to be on the ballot. The party was successful and turned in its list of candidates to Clay Helms on May 19. This is the first time in 20 years that the party is on the general election ballot in Alabama, which gives voters an opportunity to choose candidates outside of the Democratic and Republican parties. Danny Wilson, an Alabama Libertarian Party leader, has expressed frustration over what he sees as a “media blackout” concerning libertarian candidates that haven’t been covered for the upcoming Alabama elections. Wilson is also a libertarian candidate for the Alabama Senate seat in the 19th district. Wilson stated on Twitter, “LPA (Libertarian Party of Alabama) will have 69 candidates in various races across the state. Fifty-five of those races that would have been unopposed-coronations with extra steps. Media Blackout hampers third-party candidates almost as much as ballot access and straight ticket voting. There are other options.” In June, Wilson received an endorsement from Alabama Cannabis Coalition. Just last week, the Alabama AFL-CIO endorsed libertarian candidate Rick Chandler for Alabama State Senate District 3. District 3 includes Morgan County and portions of western Madison and eastern Limestone counties. Chandler, a retired engineer from Huntsville, is a challenging Republican incumbent Arthur Orr. Chandler thanked the organization for the endorsement and gave credit to unions. “The Libertarian party continuously seeks to bring in citizens from across all walks of life to form a more harmonious society,” Chandler said. “Even those workers not part of a union have benefitted from their activities to help people achieve an acceptable standard of life, since large corporations must now strive harder to keep their workforces well compensated and working in a safe environment.” Libertarian candidates are also contesting a number of other statewide positions, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Auditor, Treasurer, and two spots on the Public Service Commission. If any of these Libertarian candidates can successfully earn 20% of the total vote, ballot access for the Party will be guaranteed into the next cycle. If they fail, they must restart the process and get signatures again. The general election is on November 8, 2022.
Justin Bogie: Systemic problems making it difficult to both work in and attract new workers to Alabama
At the end of July, Alabama’s labor force participation rate was 57.2%. The national average was 62.1%. Just four states rank below Alabama. When Alabama’s labor participation rate is low, we all pay the price. Businesses continue to struggle with staffing issues. The worker shortage is contributing to near-record-high inflation, putting added stress on the budgets of Alabama families. Government created the problem by putting barriers in place to enter the workforce and by providing economic disincentives that make it more appealing for some citizens to stay home. Our state government should be making it easier for Alabamians to work in their chosen field, not continuing policies or considering new policies that will make working less appealing. To be fair, a decrease in the labor participation rate is not always a bad thing. When average wages are up, it could mean that one member of a family has the freedom to choose whether they want to work, rather than work being a necessity. The inverse is also true, meaning that when average wages decrease, some lower wage earners will exit the workforce if government assistance is available. The point is that anyone who wants to work should have the opportunity to do so without government interference or disincentives. Labor force participation is defined as the percentage of the population that is 16 or older and is employed or was actively looking for a job in the previous month. The difference in the labor participation rate and 100% represents the able-bodied work-aged population that has not sought employment in the past month, which is 42.8% in Alabama. By contrast, Alabama’s currently record-low unemployment rate does not account for individuals who are no longer looking for a job. While unemployment may be at the lowest level in history, there are also a near record number of people who have left Alabama’s workforce altogether. Earlier this month, Gov. Kay Ivey said there are “more people working than ever before.” That is true strictly by the numbers but reflects the state’s growing population, not increased participation. Alabama’s labor participation rate peaked at 65% in the late 1990s and has been on a downward trajectory ever since. It continues to struggle to recover to its pre-pandemic level. The short-term reduction in labor participation can be attributed in part to a wide variety of assistance programs provided under the guise of COVID-19 relief. There were multiple rounds of stimulus checks and months of enhanced federal unemployment benefits that made it more lucrative for some employees to stay home. Alabama’s government continues to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rental assistance. Just this week, the Biden Administration announced that it will forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt, which may serve as another disincentive to work. While pandemic relief and recent federal policy decisions may explain the short-term stagnation of Alabama’s labor participation rate, there are systemic problems that make it more difficult to both work in and attract new workers to Alabama than in other states. One of the biggest barriers to entering the state’s workforce is occupational licensing. According to a 2018 report from the Alabama Policy Institute and Troy University, Alabama ranked 47th in the country in terms of having the most burdensome occupational licensing laws. It is estimated that licensing requirements cost the state almost 21,000 jobs per year. Occupational licensing is an expensive and onerous process. Beyond the initial costs and educational requirements to become licensed, many professions require annual license renewals and ongoing continuing education. It goes without saying that some occupations should require a license. However, public safety should be the goal of any occupational licensing requirement, not making money. There are other reforms that state government should pursue to incentivize workers and businesses to operate in Alabama. If individual income tax rates are lower, workers will take home more of what they earn. Government cannot make it more profitable to not work than work. Reducing corporate income taxes will make Alabama’s rate more competitive with neighboring states and allow businesses to further invest in the state’s workforce. The ability to keep more of what you earn would be a major incentive for both individuals and businesses to work in Alabama. Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi each enacted corporate or individual income tax cuts over the past year. Alabama is in direct competition with those states for workers and businesses. The same can be said of education. Having a top-tier educational system would provide another big incentive for workers and corporations to come to Alabama. As of now, the state remains near the bottom of most national education rankings, while Florida is near the top and Mississippi and Georgia perform well ahead of Alabama. Quality of education is an important factor for many families thinking about relocating to the state. It also impacts the quality of the workforce that potential businesses will pull from. There are also actions the state should not take. Medicaid expansion could negatively impact the state’s labor participation rate. Some people work solely to have access to health insurance. Alabama has already expanded Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months for new mothers. Further Medicaid expansion would mainly impact working-age citizens, taking away another incentive to work. All Alabamians benefit when the state has a robust workforce. Government must allow citizens unrestricted freedom and opportunity to work. Justin Bogie is the Senior Director of Fiscal Policy for the Alabama Policy Institute.
Historic marker at boyhood home of late U.S. Rep. John Lewis
There’s now a historic marker at the one-story brick house in Alabama where the late civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman John Lewis grew up as one of 11 children. The marker for Lewis’ birthplace was unveiled Saturday in Troy, WSFA-TV reported. Lewis’ family said at the ceremony that they believe it’s their duty to carry his legacy and continue making what they call “good trouble.” “When we see something that is not right, not fair, not just — we have a moral obligation to speak up and speak out,” said nephew Jerrick Lewis. The family created the John R. Lewis Legacy Institute to support civil rights education and engage in social justice, education equality, and health awareness. Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said the house, now a historic landmark, will become part of the story of the civil rights movement in Alabama, starting with his birthplace and ending in Montgomery. “The fact that that he is the ‘Boy from Troy’ and is known all over the world for all that he accomplished, this a great sense of pride for us,” Reeves said. Lewis, born on Feb. 21, 1940, grew up on his family’s farm and attended segregated public schools. In 1965, on a day that became known as “Bloody Sunday,” he led marchers onto the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where state troopers ordered them to disperse, then attacked them. Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981 and to Congress in 1986. His younger sister, Ethel Lewis-Tyner, told WSFA she never thought “in a million years” their home would be a part of history.
Judge issues permanent injunction on Biden administration ban on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, waters
A federal judge sided with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and 12 other plaintiff states in a Louisiana-led lawsuit, issuing a permanent injunction against the Biden administration’s moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and water. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty issued the permanent injunction, declaring that the president exceeded his authority when halting oil and gas leasing and drilling permits. “I am pleased the Court recognized that the President stepped outside his authority,” Landry said in a statement. “Biden’s energy policies have crushed American families with higher energy bills for their homes and vehicles.” Doughty ruled that Joe Biden’s executive order issued on January 27, 2021, violated the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and was “beyond the authority of the President of the United States. Even the President cannot make significant changes to the OCSLA and/or the MLA that Congress did not delegate.” The order implemented a moratorium on new development of oil and gas fields on federal lands just days after the U.S. Interior Department also imposed restrictions on existing leases. Also, under Biden’s directive, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Land Management halted long-planned lease sales, which the lawsuit argued violated federal law and the procedural requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. Landry said his office “will continue to ensure that American energy policy is crafted by the Legislative Branch, not the Judiciary or Executive. We must keep fighting and winning to bring relief to American consumers.” The permanent injunction was issued more than a year after Doughty issued a preliminary injunction on June 15, 2021. The Biden administration appealed the decision, arguing the president has the authority to halt leasing. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed and sent the case back to Doughty, which resulted in him issuing a permanent injunction. Neighboring Gulf state Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who joined the multi-state lawsuit, said the president’s moratorium was “an all-out assault against oil and natural gas production [and] would have killed good-paying jobs and increased consumer energy costs, all while decreasing funds that could be used for the restoration of state coastlines.” The states joining Louisiana and Texas in the lawsuit were Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia. “Joe Biden may have declared war on American energy independence, but we’re fighting back, and we’re winning in court,” Paxton said in a statement. “The executive order was a clear example of unconstitutional federal overreach, and I’m pleased to see the court make the right decision in issuing a permanent injunction to prevent it from taking effect.” In his 43-page ruling, Doughty said, “Millions and possibly billions of dollars are at stake. Local government funding, jobs for Plaintiff States’ workers, and funds for the restoration of . . . Coastline[s] are at stake. Plaintiff States have a reliance interest in the proceeds derived from offshore and onshore oil and gas lease sales. Additionally, the public interest is served when the law is followed. The public will be served if Government Defendants are enjoined from taking actions contrary to law. In a time of high gas and oil prices, draining of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and looking to other nations to supply the United States’ oil and gas needs, the public interest would be served by a permanent injunction.” The administration hasn’t yet issued a statement on the ruling, and another appeal to the Fifth Circuit is expected to be unsuccessful. While Texas leads the U.S. in oil and natural gas production, Louisiana accounts for nearly one-fifth of America’s refining capacity and can process about 3.2 million barrels of crude oil a day. Louisiana has the third-highest natural gas production and reserves in the U.S. and consistently ranks among the top in both crude oil reserves and crude oil production. U.S. Gulf of Mexico energy producers supply nearly 15% of the U.S. oil production and over 2% of natural gas production. Offshore oil and natural gas development supports over 350,000 jobs nationwide and contributes billions to the economy and local, state, and federal coffers. Gulf oil and gas revenues also fund 60% of federal energy revenue that support numerous conservation projects. The ruling came after the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association urged the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to ensure that the Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program include all 10 of the proposed lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the proposed sale for the Cook Inlet in Alaska. It expressed concern that the agency potentially “Leaving open the option to hold zero future lease sales puts U.S. energy security at risk and compromises U.S. producers’ ability to provide affordable, reliable energy to the American people.” “Independent analysis shows that oil and natural gas are going to play an important role in fulfilling U.S. energy needs for the foreseeable future,” Mike Moncla, president of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association,” said. “The question is whether the oil and gas will come from here in the U.S., where it is produced under some of the strictest environmental standards in the world, or if the U.S. will cede our position as global energy leaders and instead become reliant on foreign sources to supply our energy needs.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
