Kay Ivey pledges aid to Florida as Hurricane Ian approaches coast
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey phoned Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday to promise aid as Hurricane Ian is about to make landfall on the Florida Peninsula as a strong Category 4 Hurricane. Ivey called the storm “unprecedented” and told DeSantis, “that if they need, and we got it, then we’re going to send it.” Earlier in the week, Alabama had been expected to possibly be impacted by Hurricane Ian, so Ivey and the Alabama emergency management team have been monitoring the storm’s progress. Ian took a more easterly track than expected and is now barreling down on Florida’s gulf coast. The storm has also strengthened and is now expected to make landfall as a strong Category 4 hurricane. “Today, I expressed to Governor DeSantis that Alabama is committed to helping our friends in Florida,” Gov Ivey said in a statement. “Us Gulf Coast states are far too familiar with the wrath of Mother Nature, but this storm will, no doubt, be unprecedented. We continue taking steps to ensure we are offering our helping hand however we can. I pray for the people of Florida and anyone in the storm’s path. I told Governor DeSantis today that if they need it and we’ve got it, then we’re going to send it.” Already, Governor Ivey approved emergency response vehicles such as, but not limited to, utility vehicles, bucket trucks and supply trucks responding to Hurricane Ian to have authority to bypass all ALDOT weigh station facilities through October 24, 2022. 17 electric co-ops and Alabama Power teams stand ready to assist. There are also three standby shelters, which would open in a capacity-triggered fashion. Any evacuees in the state are encouraged to dial 2-1-1 for information. Governor Ivey also shared that the Alabama Department of Tourism has established a QR code that evacuees can use to assist in locating available hotel rooms. The White House reports that President Joe Biden has also spoken with Gov. DeSantis on Wednesday and is promising federal aid. The President has also held separate calls on Tuesday with Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa, Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg, and Mayor Frank Hibbard of Clearwater to discuss preparations for the potential impacts from Hurricane Ian. Biden said that he has directed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to ensure that all available federal support is available to prepare in advance and to respond in the aftermath of the storm to augment state and local emergency response efforts, and emphasized the importance of encouraging families to heed evacuation orders. Biden stated on social media, “FEMA Administrator Criswell and I just called Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard to discuss preparations for Hurricane Ian including the efforts we’re taking to encourage evacuations and pre-position resources for Florida. I’ve approved a Federal Emergency Declaration and have instructed Administrator Criswell to ensure that all available federal support is surged to Florida to prepare and respond to the Hurricane. I encourage Florida families to heed evacuation orders.” To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Kay Ivey announces another round of Rebuild Alabama road projects through the Annual Grant Program
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday announced that another $2.6 million in state funding is being awarded to cities and counties for various road and bridge projects. Rebuild Alabama projects from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) have now been awarded in all of the state’s 67 counties. The road repairs and improvements are paid for by a ten-cent a gallon fuel tax increase that Ivey asked the Legislature to pass following her election in 2018. This is the third year of the program. “I am incredibly proud that Rebuild Alabama has now made road and bridge projects possible in all of our state’s 67 counties,” said Governor Ivey. “Three years ago, I promised the people of Alabama that every single penny would go to road and bridge projects, and we are seeing that the proof is in the pudding. This is a remarkable milestone for our state, and I look forward to furthering these efforts to make Alabama a better place to live, work and raise a family.” The funding for these awards is made available through the Annual Grant Program, a program created under the Rebuild Alabama Act. The Rebuild Alabama Act was signed by Gov. Ivey in 2019. It required ALDOT to establish an annual program setting aside $10 million off the top of the state’s share of new gas tax revenue for local projects. There are 11 projects across Alabama receiving funding in the final award under the Annual Grant Program for the 2022 fiscal year. Of those awarded projects, cities and counties also contributed a total of over $1.1 million in local matching funds. Matching funds are not required to be eligible for the program, but all projects are required to move forward within one year of the awarding of funds. These new awards include: Autaugaville in Autauga County will receive $250,000 to resurface North Taylor Street, Golson Street, Line Street, South Washington Street, Sweet Gum Street, Dutch Bend Street, and Pine Street. Local authorities will provide a match of $44,765. Autaugaville in Autauga County will also receive $250,000 to replace Choctaw Bridge over Spear Creek on Timberline Road. The state is providing $250,000 for the project, while local authorities are providing $450,000. Tuscumbia in Colbert County was awarded $250,000 to widen and resurface Glendora Avenue from US-72 to Veterans Boulevard and Graham Avenue from Old Lee Highway to Cossey Drive. Local authorities are providing $77,517 for the project. Midland City in Dale County was awarded $250,000 to resurface Hinton Waters Avenue from CR-59 to 4th Street and to resurface 4th Street from SR-134 to Midland-Michigan Avenue for $250,000. Valley Head in DeKalb County was granted $220,000 to resurface Valley Head Square (Anderson Street, Commerce Avenue, Winston Street, and Sulphur Springs Road) and Carmichael Road). Flomaton in Escambia County received a grant of $250,000 to resurface and make drainage improvements on Hillview Drive, Titi Street, College Street, and Alley 5. Hueytown in Jefferson County received $250,000 to resurface Virginia Drive from 15th Street to Virginia Road. Local governments provided a match of $11,635. Lawrence County was awarded $250,000 to resurface CR-187 from SR-157 to CR-203, CR-203 from CR-187 to CR-81, and CR-81 from CR-203 to SR-157. Local government provided a $ 157,856 match for the $407,856 project. Albertville in Marshall County will receive $250,000 to resurface Pine Street from SR-205 to the city limits. Local government is providing a match of $ 213,130 to finish the $463,130 project. Helena in Shelby is receiving $161,376 to add a right-turn lane to CR-17 at the CR-58 intersection. Sylacauga in Talladega was awarded $250,000 to replace the bridge on Walnut Road over Ogletree Creek. The project includes a local match of $197,535. $130 million in state transportation funding has been awarded through the local grant programs created by the Rebuild Alabama Act. Ivey is seeking re-election in the general election on November 8. She faces Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers on the ballot. There are also a couple of write-in candidates: Dean Odle and Jared Budling. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Democrat Wendell Major is running for Attorney General
Alabama Democratic Party nominee for Alabama Attorney General Wendell Major addressed a diverse group of voters on Sunday following the gubernatorial debate between Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake and write-in candidate Pastor Dean Odle at Huntsville’s Studio 53. “My entire history has been service,” Major said. “I joined the Marine Corps out of high school. I spent 36 years as a Jefferson County Deputy. I am the police chief of Tarrant.” “I will enforce the letter of the law from day one,” Major promised if elected as Alabama’s AG. Major has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and a law degree from the Birmingham School of Law. “I have been a lawyer for 15 years,” Major added. Major is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He is also a licensed polygrapher. “Civil forfeiture is a problem,” Major said. “It is out and out robbery.” Civil asset forfeiture is when law enforcement seizes guns, money, vehicles, homes, businesses, and other property because they believe that the property was used to or obtained by illegal activity – usually the illicit drug trade. Assets can be seized in Alabama without the accused being convicted of a crime or sometimes even charged. Major was born and raised in Alabama. He met his wife here and has raised his family in Alabama. Major is both a father and a grandfather who says he wants to make Alabama safe for generations to come. As a high school student, Wendell Major joined the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Explorers Club program to help his community become safer. Major says that he opposes using police to generate revenue. “I told my Mayor when he appointed me police chief that the day he asks me about revenue is the day I quit,” Major said. Since Major did not have a primary opponent, his campaign has largely been underreported until now. Major faces incumbent Republican Steve Marshall in the November 8 general election. There is no Libertarian nominee for Attorney General. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Hurricane Ian expected to do “catastrophic” damage to Florida coastal communities
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Ian will create catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding in the Florida Peninsula when it comes ashore later today. At 7:00 AM CDT, the NHC reported that the eye of Hurricane Ian was located by Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunter data plus Key West radar about 55 miles west of Naples, Florida. Ian is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph. This general motion with a reduction in forward speed is forecast today, followed by a turn toward the north on Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move onshore within the hurricane warning area later this morning or early afternoon. The center of Ian is forecast to move over central Florida tonight and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday. Ian has maximum sustained winds remaining near 155 mph with higher gusts. Ian is a Category 4 hurricane and is forecast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida as a catastrophic hurricane. Weakening is expected only after it makes landfall. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. Hurricane conditions will begin along the west coast of Florida within the Hurricane Warning area later this morning. Tropical storm conditions have already begun in many areas along the Florida coast. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area on the east coast of Florida beginning today and should spread up the Georgia and South Carolina coasts tonight and Thursday. Alabama should not experience severe weather from Ian. The Florida Keys and South Florida could get 6 to 8 inches, with local maximum of up to 12 inches from this storm system. Central and Northeast Florida should get between 12 to 18 inches, with local maximums up to 24 inches. Eastern Georgia and Coastal South Carolina could get 4 to 8 inches, with local maximums of up to 12 inches. Storm swells along the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coasts are likely to cause life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents. Over 3 million Floridians were ordered to evacuate, and many of them have fled northward to Georgia and Alabama hotels and motels. There is also expected to be a temporary shortage of building materials as homeowners in Florida and Georgia rush to rebuild after the storm. The sudden demand will likely cause a spike in the prices for those goods lasting months, so please postpone any building or remodeling projects if possible. Alabama utility crews, along with those from other states, are poised to go to Georgia and Florida to assist with restoring electricity as soon as the storm passes through, To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
John Wahl says ALGOP won’t be sitting on the sideline taking supermajority for granted
Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl spent the weekend in Washington D.C. planning and strategy sessions for the upcoming midterm elections on November 8. The trip was part of finalizing the Republican Party’s 2022 election priorities. During the four-day trip, he attended multiple high-level meetings with different political organizations. “The Alabama Republican Party is ready to help our candidates at home, as well as around the country,” Wahl said in a statement. “We won’t be sitting on the sidelines taking our state’s supermajority for granted. We’ve been working hard for the people of Alabama and doing our part to help partners in other states so we can take back the U.S. House and Senate. Too much is at stake, and we must do all we can to restore America and reign in the out-of-control liberal policies of the Biden Administration.” Chairman Wahl said he has finalized plans with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). The Alabama Republican Party has been involved in a joint fundraising committee with the NRSC geared at helping U.S. Senate nominees from around the country. The Senate is currently divided 50:50, and Republicans are hoping that they can pick up seats and regain control of the U.S. Senate, which the party lost in 2020. “The ALGOP has been working hard to make sure our candidates have the resources they need. Republicans have the opportunity to flip several seats this year, and I hope our joint fundraising committee will play an important role in gaining a majority in the U.S. Senate,” Wahl stated. The Chairman also spent time with the Republican National Committee (RNC). Wahl said that the RNC’s involvement is crucial in the ALGOP’s Restore America campaigns in Georgia and other states, helping Republican efforts stay on the same page. There could be as many as 100 volunteers from the Mighty Alabama Strike Force traveling to Georgia to help Herschel Walker’s campaign for U.S. Senate. The first round of volunteers will leave Alabama for Georgia on Sunday. “It’s exciting to have so many volunteers from across the state of Alabama joining in the fight to take back the Senate in 2022,” Wahl commented. “This election cycle is going to be critical if we have any chance to save our economy and restore the America we know and love. Herschel Walker is a special candidate who understands the American dream and the struggles facing the middle class because of bad government decisions. He has energized people across the country with his common sense conservative message, and we look forward to helping him win this November.” Wahl said that this trip finalized much of the work started at the RNC Winter and Summer Meetings in Salt Lake City and Chicago. “We had the opportunity to review election forecast data and really look at how we can best help our candidates,” Wahl said. “It’s so important that we know where to best spend our resources – both financial and boots on the ground.” The Alabama Republican Party cited several preparations that they have made for the midterm election and are in the middle of implementing in an attempt to make 2022 one of the Party’s strongest general election campaigns ever. • Set a one-day political fundraiser record of $1.1 million at the Party’s Cullman Trump Rally. • Elected the State’s first African-American Republican, Kenneth Paschal, to the State House • Launched an Outreach Coalition to minority voters • Started the Restore America campaign to help Republican candidates win across the country • Target over 40 candidates across the state of Alabama in one of the largest financial commitments in the history of the ALGOP. The Alabama Republican Party won the governorship for the first time since the 1870s in 1986 when probate Judge Guy Hunt defeated Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley. Since then, the ALGOP has been gaining strength and momentum. In the Red wave 2010 election, the ALGOP won supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature as well as every statewide elected office on the ballot. The elections that have followed have only increased the GOP’s status as the dominant political party in Alabama. The general election will be on November 8. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey awards $82.45 million in broadband grants to Middle-Mile project
On Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey awarded an $82.45 million grant to help make statewide broadband service availability more attainable for more people across Alabama. Ivey made the announcement at the Central Alabama Electric Cooperative headquarters building just North of Prattville. “Achieving full broadband coverage is a journey, not a short trip, and today is an important step toward completing that journey,” Gov. Ivey stated. “The Alabama Middle-Mile project – the infrastructure setting part of this journey – is going to lead our state to be the model for the nation when it comes to providing broadband capabilities. In 2022, being able to be connected at home, work, or on the go is absolutely necessary, and this is certainly key to making that a reality.” Gov. Ivey explained that the funds will be used by Fiber Utility Network, a corporation formed by eight rural electric cooperatives to fund a “middle-mile” broadband network that will have a statewide impact. The eight co-ops include Central Alabama, Coosa Valley, Covington, Cullman, Joe Wheeler, North Alabama, PowerSouth, and Tombigbee. Ivey was joined at the event by state leaders, including Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia), President Pro Tem of the Alabama Senate Greg Reed (R-Jasper), State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville), Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), State Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Baileytown), and Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) Director Kenneth Boswell. “The project is the springboard to supplying broadband services for rural residents, businesses, educational facilities, and other community anchors,” said Director Boswell. “I commend the Fiber Utility Network for their willingness to undertake this necessary step to ensure more Alabamians have access to these services.” ADECA is administering the award through its Alabama Digital Expansion Division, which the Legislature created in order to identify projects that will expand broadband access in Alabama. “In terms of broadband, this is a great leap forward,” said Sen. Scofield, chairman of the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority board. “Governor, you really are America’s broadband governor, and we can’t thank you enough.” “Connectivity is really the great equalizer,” Scofield continued. “This will really put us at the forefront of broadband in Alabama, and it will help us expand much quicker and at a more economical cost.” “This project is probably the most significant step we’ve taken to get high-speed internet access to everyone in Alabama,” said Rep. Shedd, who serves as co-chairman of the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority board. “I could not be any more excited,” Sen. Reed told reporters. “I would like to congratulate the Governor, Sen. Scofield, and Director Boswell. This is the largest thing we could do for our infrastructure.” “This is a tremendous step in the right direction to digitally connect all of Alabama, especially the Black Belt,” said Sen. Singleton. “I am proud to stand with Governor Ivey to award these needed funds to elevate these communities and provide a service that will have an impact on the entire state.” “Thank you, Governor, for always including rural Alabama in your vision for the state,” Singleton said. “This is a game changer.” The Alabama Middle-Mile Network project involves filling in gaps in broadband expansion which will hopefully result in more cost-effective and feasible ways to provide broadband service availability to residents in rural areas. Tom Stackhouse is the president of the Fiber Utility Network. “The eight electric cooperatives that make up the Fiber Utility Network are honored to be a part of building a middle mile network to bring internet service closer to those Alabamians,” said Stackhouse. “We want to thank Governor Ivey and the staff at ADECA for the vision, leadership, and assistance to make this a reality.” Chris Rush is the President of Marshall Medical Center – a hospital in North Alabama. “There are two crucial elements to health care. The first is having quality care, top-quality doctors, nurses, staff, and technology, and also the ability to access that care. In a lot of places and areas, that is not possible,” Rush said. “It is easier to connect through telemedicine with a specialist in a network located at a central urban hospital like we are with the Huntsville Hospital system. I would like to express my gratitude to Governor Ivey, Senator Scofield, and others.” The Fiber Utility Network will create a middle-mile network connecting almost 3,000 miles of existing and new fiber infrastructure within three years. When complete, the network will provide improved access to unserved areas for the last-mile projects that provide actual broadband availability to homes, businesses, and schools. Once connected, residents will have the ability to become a customer of the last-mile broadband providers. Funds for the project are being provided through the American Rescue Plan Act. The use of those funds was approved earlier this year by the Alabama Legislature. Alabama still has over a billion dollars in ARPA funds yet to appropriate. Reed said that the Legislature will address further funding for broadband, “As quickly as the legislature can address this issue.” “I told a reporter that we should spend all of it on this,” Shedd said. “That’s what it is going to take.” To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: New fiscal year begins, teachers and state employees looking good
The new state fiscal year begins October 1, and the two state budgets are flush. Both the General Fund and the State Special Education Budgets will be the largest in state history. The General Fund Budget is a record-breaking $2.7 billion. It increases the revenue for mental health and prisons. Medicaid continues to be a money-eating monster. State employees are getting a 4% cost of living raise. This is the third time in recent history that state workers have gotten a back-to-back pay raise. In addition, retired state employees will get a bonus. State Senator Greg Albritton (R-Escambia) and Representative Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), the budget chairmen, deserve accolades. Veteran Alabama State Employees Association executive director Mac McArthur deserves a lot of credit for state employees getting a 4% pay increase this year and 2% last year. Ole Mac has put together four raises in five years for his folks. Alabama Education Association (“AEA”) head Amy Marlowe and her chief lobbyist ally, Ashley McLain, deserve kudos for garnering a 4% teacher pay raise. Once again, the AEA has become a power to be reckoned with on Goat Hill. The legislature passed a record-breaking $8.17 billion Education Budget. The historic spending plan increases education funding by about $502 million over the current year. It drew praise from all corners of education for its increases, which includes teachers’ salaries and workforce development. There will be more money for classroom materials, the hiring of technology coordinators and reading coaches, and $20 million to implement the K-5 math instruction bill. The budget includes a 4% raise for teachers and lump-sum bonuses for retirees. There is also a $33 million bonus to increase teacher longevity. Other states have been giving similar salary adjustments. One of the budget allotments that has gotten the most accolades is the increase from $700 to $900 per classroom in supply money. The story that has been building over the past several years is the resurgence of the AEA as a power player on Goat Hill. The fruits of their labor emerged immensely during the regular session. It is apparent that AEA was instrumental in crafting the Education Budget with the 4% pay increase for teachers and the money that is going into the classroom. You would have thought Dr. Paul Hubbert was still sitting in the gallery directing legislators’ votes with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. They have built AEA into a power to be reckoned with at the Statehouse. The new leadership of Marlowe/McLain have reorganized by acknowledging that Alabama, and especially the Alabama Legislature, is very Republican. They understand the rule that “money is the mother’s milk of politics” and “you win more bees with honey.” The AEA has generously donated to House Republicans like nobody’s business and no other Special Interest entity. It is no longer taboo or heresy for a Republican legislator or State Senator to accept teacher union money. They have made $10,000 to $15,000 contributions to House members on both sides of the aisle. In reviewing campaign disclosure statements, AEA is the only entity writing checks that large. Checks to senator’s coffers are $25,000 or more. AEA lobbyists, especially Ashley McLain, have earned the friendship and respect of the Republican House members and Senators. She and her team have gone out to their districts all over the state and gotten to know them and their families. They have connected the legislator with key educators in their hometowns who are respected centers of influence and can orchestrate a field or army of teachers to work the districts for their legislative friends. This footwork and shoe leather, coupled with large campaign checks, hits home with legislators of both parties. The telling blow that resonated and echoed off the walls of the Statehouse was the defeat of the so-called School Choice Bill. Senator Del Marsh made it his final mission to place state education dollars into private, parochial, and charter schools. His school choice was given a stinging defeat by none other than the AEA. Folks, make no doubt about it; the AEA is back in Alabama politics. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Alabama eyes fentanyl penalties; critics say they won’t work
Alabama lawmakers may consider harsher penalties for traffickers and distributors of illicit fentanyl next year, but some say a comprehensive approach should also include more health services and helping drug users reduce overdoses. Republicans Reps. Matt Simpson of Daphne and Chris Pringle of Mobile told Al.com they plan bills next year to increase penalties for distributing the deadly drug that accounted for 66% of all U.S. overdose deaths in 2021. Under Simpson’s proposal, prison sentences would increase based on the weight of fentanyl distributed in Alabama. Similar laws exist in other states, but Simpson’s proposal would be among the harshest. Traffickers caught with more than 8 grams of fentanyl could face a life sentence under his plan. “This is not the run-of-the-mill old-time drugs that there used to be,” Simpson said. “It’s not the pot of the 70s or the cocaine of the 80s. I hate to say it, but it’s not the meth of the early 2000s. It’s highly potent and deadly.” Around Birmingham in Jefferson County, health officials report a 118% jump in fentanyl-related deaths from 2019 to 2022, though this year still has more than three months remaining. Pringle’s legislation, which he has pitched in previous sessions, allows a felony manslaughter charge against someone who is not a licensed pharmacist and who sells an illicit pill that causes death. Alabama State House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, a Huntsville Democrat, said he agrees with Simpson that lawmakers, “must do everything possible” to stop the illegal sale of illicit fentanyl. But he told the news outlet lawmakers must also be “smart about how we design tough-as-nails sentencing guidelines that act as real deterrents to those who would traffic in these dangerous drugs.” He said he backs increased penalties, but wants increased addiction and mental health treatment. Others fear stiffer sentences will stack more inmates in overcrowded Alabama prisons, arguing that there’s no proof longer sentences deter drug dealing. “There is no evidence that mandatory minimums deter the illegal sale of fentanyl and other narcotics, and it will most certainly not prevent any new deaths from their use,” said JaTaune Bosby Gilchrist, executive director of the Alabama chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This will only make our prison challenges worse.” Timothy Dickinson, a University of Alabama criminology professor, said punitive measures won’t do much to decrease fentanyl supplies. He said people who ingest fentanyl often do so unintentionally and do not know the drugs they are taking are laced with the substance. He said many people selling drugs may not know either. “If the users and sellers do not know fentanyl is in their drugs, then it stands to reason that harsher penalties for fentanyl trafficking will not impact their decisions to buy and sell the drug,” Dickinson said. Dickinson and others want to ensure that naloxone, under the brand name Narcan, is freely available. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, quickly restoring normal breathing to a person if it has slowed or stopped due to the drug use. The Jefferson County Health Department is distributing naloxone and fentanyl test strips to anyone who requests them statewide, including potential drug users. Fentanyl test strips, long outlawed and considered drug paraphernalia were decriminalized by Alabama lawmakers this spring. The strips, which the Jefferson County Health Department offers for $1 each, can identify the presence of fentanyl. Proponents believe test strips can allow drug users to reduce the risks of overdose. But Virginia Guy, director of the Drug Education Council in Mobile, said education is needed on how to properly use fentanyl test strips. “Do you sit there with the dealer and say, ’Let me test this. I don’t want fentanyl in it”? Guy said. “I don’t know what you do.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Group of state attorneys general say Senate energy bill could impose backdoor Clean Power Plan
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading a coalition of 18 states in opposition to the Energy Independence and Security Act, which they claim is a backdoor attempt to impose the failed Clean Power Plan. “The Biden Administration and its allies in Congress are attempting to not only force unreliable renewables on hard-working Americans but also turn those consumers into bigger pawns of the green energy industry,” Landry said. “The DC elites, in a rushed process, want to restrict the electric power grid by repealing the traditional authority of the states to regulate their own resources and utility policies.” U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, introduced the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022 last week, and the “comprehensive permitting reform” is included in a Continuing Resolution to avoid an Oct. 1 government shutdown. The bill is part of a deal between Manchin, Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Joe Biden to gain Manchin’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act approved by Congress in August. Manchin contends the legislation is necessary to reduce costs for energy projects, though the legislation faces opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. In a letter to Schumer, the attorneys general argued three interrelated provisions in the bill “eviscerate states’ ability to chair their own land-use and energy policies.” “First, it would authorize private companies to use eminent domain against state land. Second, it would authorize (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) to command utilities to construct entirely new transmission facilities whenever and wherever FERC deems necessary. And third, it would authorize companies to spread costs of constructing new transmission facilities onto residents of other states, requiring citizens of one state to subsidize the agenda of citizens in other states,” the letter read. “These provisions eviscerate state sovereign authority, commandeer companies to carry out the will of a three-vote majority of FERC Commissioners, undermine the power of each citizen’s vote to decide policies at the state level, and inevitably force the citizens of our states to subsidize the costs of expensive energy policy preferences of California and New York.” The attorneys general also took issue with the short timeline for approving the legislation, which they argued “is completely unacceptable.” “If this sounds uncannily like the Clean Power Plan, the ultra vires [a legal term that means acting beyond one’s authority] 2015 EPA rule that would have effectively forced all states and regions to adopt the cap-and-trade, renewable-subsidizing policies that to date only some states and regions have chosen, that’s because it is in large part the same policy – but this time with no meaningful public notice, explanation, discussion, input, or legal recourse,” the attorneys general wrote. “As the Supreme Court held earlier this year, the Clean Power Plan was illegal – but at least it was openly proclaimed by President Obama, undertaken through public notice and comment and subject to full judicial review,” the letter read. “To attempt changes on this order without any notice and under rushed timing is completely unacceptable.” Landry was joined in the letter by attorneys generals from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Alabama businesses on trade trip to Germany
Bolstering commerce in Alabama is the focus of a trade mission to Germany this week. A group of Alabama business leaders, headed by Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, are in the central European country this week on a strategic trip designed to help Alabama companies strengthen economic ties, new markets, and potential partnerships. The department’s Office of International Trade is currently working with the U.S. Commercial Service to give Alabama minority-owned businesses the chance to meet with potential partners in Europe. “Through our Office of International Trade, we are leading the charge to ensure that Alabama companies are directly connected to the resources they need to access foreign markets and develop export opportunities,” Canfield said in a release. We are committed to strengthening Alabama’s international ecosystem and working with our trade partners on every level to foster a healthy climate for international business.” The trip, which concludes Wednesday, will see the group visit Munich and Augsburg and is the first trip by the Department of Commerce since before the pandemic. The last trip was in September 2019 to the United Arab Emirates. While in Augsburg, according to the release, the team will participate in the EU-US Small and Medium Enterprise Best Practices Workshop, which is designed to provide more trade and investment opportunities in both regions. In Munich, the team will attend business meetings, according to the release. Munich is billed as a global center of technology, innovation and science, and finance. Alabama companies on the trip include Gene Capture, a biotechnology company based in Huntsville. The company is working to develop portable technology that would be used for identifying infections. BLOC Global Group, which is a Birmingham-based company specializing in corporate real estate and infrastructure delivery, according to the release. Domestique, which is an EV hospitality company, is on the trip. The company is working to create a better user experience and fighting climate change, according to the release. Adah International, which is an industrial engineering and project management services company, and ASHIPA Electric Limited, a company developing power microgrid management software, are also on the trip. According to the release, German-based companies have invested almost $10 billion into the state’s economy since 1999. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
