Association of County Commissions of Alabama supports Amendment 2
The Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA) is urging voters to vote to ratify Amendment Two to the State Constitution. Under the Alabama Constitution of 1901, local governments are largely prohibited from giving a “thing of value” to a public or private entity. Amendment 2 would authorize the state, a county, or a municipality to grant federal award funds or any other source of funding designated for broadband infrastructure by state law to any public or private entity for the purpose of providing or expanding broadband infrastructure. A “Yes” vote on Amendment 2 would allow local governments to work in unison with the state and use American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds for broadband expansion. The ACCA encourages Alabamians to vote YES on Amendment 2 on the General Election ballot on November 8, 2022. Over the past several years, Alabama leaders have worked to expand essential broadband services across the largely rural state of Alabama. The COVID-19 global pandemic that closed schools and businesses and forced patients to visit their doctors online thru telemedicine has only heightened the necessity for internet access and made it glaringly evident that Alabama still has much ground to cover to effectively reach the underserved areas of our state. The ACCA said that considering the enormity of this feat, it is important that local leaders join the state in putting forth a concerted, collaborative effort to expand broadband services. Broadband providers are often hesitant to install broadband infrastructure in rural areas because of low subscription rates from consumers. Broadband expansion usually involves governmental entities providing incentives to these providers to install the requisite infrastructure in rural areas. It is, arguably, presently illegal for a local or county government to offer these incentives to a business or corporation. Amendment 2 would change that so that local governments can partner with the state government in incentivizing cable and other companies to extend broadband lines even into areas of the state where it is not commercially viable at this time in order to serve those residents that live there. The Alabama Constitution of 1901 is the longest in the world and is currently the oldest state constitution. It is frequently amended by the legislature, and voters are asked to ratify those amendments, including this year’s Amendment Two. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be on Saturday, October 29
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is urging Alabamians to participate in the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 29. The 23rd DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has approximately 60 registered collection sites throughout Alabama scheduled to be available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29. Unused prescription drugs, especially narcotics, are a temptation for persons who are either addicted to drugs or who are seeking a drug experience. Many young people get into drugs or worsen a drug habit through the illicit use of drugs from their parents or grandparents or a neighbor’s medicine cabinet. “With an increasing amount of unused and expired prescription drugs in many homes, it is more important than ever to dispose of them safely and properly,” said AG Marshall. “When old prescription drugs are left in our homes, children may be poisoned or fall prey to drug abuse and addiction. Your old medications can also be a lure to criminals looking for drugs to sell. On Saturday, October 29, please take the opportunity to safely remove these hazards by bringing prescription drugs that are out of date or no longer needed to collection sites across Alabama for safe and proper disposal.” The program is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to combat the abuse or misuse of potentially dangerous medicines that have expired or are no longer needed. Law enforcement officers will be present at sites throughout Alabama to receive unused prescription drugs for safe and proper disposal. The first Take Back event in Alabama was held in September 2010. Since then, the amount of drugs collected continues to increase. Throughout all of Alabama’s previous DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back events combined, a total of about 109,671 pounds of unwanted, unused, or expired drugs have been removed and disposed of safely. Law enforcement agencies and interested community partners such as pharmacies, schools, and civic groups are working together to provide local drop-off sites throughout Alabama. If you do not find your area listed on the DEA website, please check with your local law enforcement officials to see if they may be participating in a Take Back event in your community. Deliveries of drugs to DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events are confidential, with no personal information collected and no questions asked. Participants are encouraged to remove labels or black out information beforehand. This is much safer environmentally than pouring unused drugs down the sink. It is important that medicines be disposed of in a proper manner rather than simply being thrown into the trash, flushed away, or poured down drains, as they could contaminate water supplies and cause an environmental hazard. The DEA wrote that the drug overdose epidemic in the United States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting. 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021 – the most in history. The DEA believes that we can make our communities safer and healthier, and we can do this by reducing overdoses and overdose deaths. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Dynetics awarded a hypersonics contract
Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, on Thursday announced that it has been awarded a contract to increase the capacity for America’s hypersonic flight testing. The program, known as Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB), was awarded by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane division on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense. MACH-TB supports hypersonic programs by creating opportunities to test technologies with robust, agile, and modular approaches. It will demonstrate ways to affordably prototype a test bed that leverages multiple, commercially-available launch vehicles for hypersonic payloads. The data collected from the test will provide insight to the DoD on technology improvement and capability validation, enabling a more robust and successful development of hypersonic weapon systems. MACH-TB will also provide a modular Experimental Glide Body (EGB) to create opportunities for technologies to be tested in relevant hypersonic environments to inform acquisition decisions for weapon systems. “We’re honored to be a part of this innovative and vital initiative,” said Leidos’ Dynetics Group President, Steve Cook. “Hypersonics are a top priority for our nation, and we’re honored to be a part of this innovative and vital initiative.” Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “Since 1974, Dynetics has been an integral part of the business climate in north Alabama. Started by two engineers, Hershel Matheny and Dr. Steve Gilbert, the company grew from 25 employees in its early days in Huntsville to thousands of employees today in multiple locations across 11 states.” “In January 2020, Leidos Holdings, Inc., a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, acquired Dynetics, which, according to Dynetics, strengthened the company’s innovation and leadership position in defense, intelligence, and civil markets while extending its portfolio with new offerings and technical capabilities,” Jones explained. “The October 2022 hypersonic flight test research and development contract award is exciting news for Dynetics, our state’s economy, and national security.” This hypersonics flight test bed will bring to fruition a centralized hypersonic testing capability that can be leveraged by Navy Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Air Force hypersonics programs, DoD research programs, small businesses, industry, and academia stakeholders. This program was initiated by the Navy’s CPS Program and will be managed by OSD’s Test Resources Management Center (TRMC) and executed by NSWC Crane. Dynetics will work with the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) and a team of over 20 partners across industries, small businesses, national laboratories, and academia to develop and execute the program. The planned partners include Peraton, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Stratolaunch, JRC Integrated Systems, NineTwelve Institute, Corvid, SpinLaunch, Varda, Kitty Hawk Technologies, Systima Division of Karman Space and Defense, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, X-Bow Systems, RLNS and other experts in hypersonics. “We have always been fortunate to work in an industry where missions align on a single focus: protecting our nation,” Cook said. “Our team is comprised of some of the best in the industry and dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today.” The Work will be performed in Crane, Indiana, Huntsville, Alabama, and the National Capital Region. Dynetics provides responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific, IT solutions to national security, cybersecurity, space, and critical infrastructure sectors. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Court upholds judges’ removal for racist, sexist comments
The Alabama Supreme Court has upheld a decision removing a probate judge from office who was accused of racist and sexually inappropriate behavior that included showing an explicit video to an employee and making inappropriate comments after George Floyd’s murder by a police officer. The justices last week unanimously upheld the 2021 decision by the Court of the Judiciary — a disciplinary panel that hears complaints against judges — to remove Randy Jinks as Talladega County probate judge. “The record indicates that Judge Jinks made multiple racist and racially insensitive comments, engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct, engaged in inappropriate acts of anger and use of profanity,” justices wrote. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary, the panel tasked with hearing ethics complaints against judges, last year ruled that Jinks failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the court system. The initial complaint against Jinks included that he made derogatory comments about women and African Americans, including references to Floyd, whose death sparked nationwide protests. The panel ruled that there was clear and convincing evidence that Jinks had displayed inappropriate behavior that included showing an explicit video to an employee; asking an attorney if he knew of an acronym involving a racial slur; asking a Black employee if he was selling drugs after he purchased a new car, and other inappropriate comments. Jinks denied most of the claims and blamed workers for misinterpreting jokes. He appealed the decision, but the Supreme Court ruled there was evidence to support his removal from office. “Those acts were not isolated but occurred on a number of occasions while Judge Jinks was in the probate office acting in his capacity as the probate judge. Those acts were numerous enough to establish a pattern of objectionable behavior on the part of Judge Jinks,” the court wrote. Amanda Hardy, an attorney representing Jinks, issued a statement saying they respect the decision but “believe the judgment was inconsistent with the evidence adduced at trial.” “The system has been abused by a few individuals, and the Judicial Inquiry Commission’s prosecution and the Court of the Judiciary’s charging decisions now allows for great risks for all judges of all races and political parties in this state,” Hardy wrote in an email. Her statement added: “These governmental agencies have substantial power to discriminate based on the content or viewpoint of speech by suppressing disfavored speech or disliked speakers.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: General Election is upon us
Believe it or not, our 2022 General Election is upon us, November 8 to be exact. It seems to be going under the radar screen of most Alabama voters. There will be a record-breaking low voter turnout because there are really no contested statewide races. Why? Because we are a one-party state when it comes to state offices. All 21 of our state elective offices are held by Republicans. The Democratic party does not field serious candidates because it is a foregone conclusion that a Democrat cannot win an elective statewide race in the Heart of Dixie. The best they can hope for is 40%. Thus, the Democratic candidates have no money to spend because nobody takes them seriously, and the Republican candidates, who are flush with campaign cash, do not want to waste their money because it is a foregone conclusion that they will win. Therefore, with not much money being spent on advertising, the average voter may not realize there is an election, which equals a very low turnout. The real 2022 election was held in May and June when the Republican Primary took place. Winning the Republican Primary is tantamount to election in Alabama. Just because the real 2022 election was held in May instead of November does not mean it is not an important election. It is a very important election. All of our statewide constitutional offices are being elected for the next four years, including Governor, Attorney General, State Agriculture Commissioner, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and State Auditor. Governor Kay Ivey is the Republican nominee for Governor. She is seeking her second full term. This will probably be Kay’s last hurrah. She will win 60 to 40. State Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate is the Republican nominee for this important Alabama post. He will be reelected 60 to 40. He did not even have an opponent in the Republican Primary. Attorney General Steve Marshall is seeking his second term. He is a solid conservative Republican and will win easily. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is going to be reelected to his second term on November 8. Like Marshall, there is no doubt that he is conservative. Marshall and Ainsworth are young and formidable. They are also from the same county. It would be interesting if they faced off against each other in the 2026 Governor’s race. Young Boozer will be elected to his third term as State Treasurer. He served two consecutive four-year terms, waited three years, took over from John McMillan a year ago, and will win another full term on November 8. He has done a tremendous job as Treasurer and is probably the most qualified person to ever serve as Treasurer in my lifetime. He will more than likely have the longest tenure as State Treasurer in state history. Two young Republicans were elected to constitutional offices in June, Wes Allen as Secretary of State and Andrew Sorrell as State Auditor. Both have bright futures in Alabama politics. Even though he is only 46, Wes Allen has already spent 15 years in elected office. He was Probate Judge of Pike County for 11 years and State Representative for Pike and Dale for four years. Secretary of State is an important post in state government. There will be jockeying among Ainsworth, Marshall, Pate, Allen, and Sorrell to see who gets the most votes on November 8, as all are eyeing the 2026 races. All have Libertarian opponents. Forty-year-old Katie Britt will be elected to her first of many to come six-year terms as our United States Senator. She will more than likely be the top vote-getter on November 8. She is already being touted as a superstar in Washington. For those of you who do vote, we have some important Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. Our original 1901 Constitution may be one of the most flawed and is the most amended in the nation. There is outdated, overtly racist language in our Constitution that has no relevance in today’s world and needs amending. The Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, a group of outstanding Alabama leaders, has worked diligently to update our antiquated Constitution. I would encourage a “Yes” vote for the first constitutional amendment on the November ballot. Hope all of you get a chance to vote. 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.
Jerry Carl, Mike Rogers urge border wall be built
On Monday, Congressman Jerry Carl and Mike Rogers took to social media to urge the Biden administration to act forcefully to slow border crossings. “Nearly 2.4 million illegal immigrants have attempted to cross our southern border this fiscal year,” Rep. Carl said on Facebook. “We need to build the wall and put an end to this crisis!” That is the highest number of border crosses that the Department of Homeland Security has ever encountered. Rep. Carl posted a graphic showing that the number of border encounters during the fiscal year 2022, which ended on September 30, was up considerably from FY2021. The 227,534 encounters with border crossers was a significant increase from September 2021, where there were 192,001 migrant encounters. That is markedly up from the crossings during the Trump administration, where Border agents encountered 57,674 migrants in September 2020 and 52,546 in September 2019. “20 suspected terrorists were arrested at the southern border in September alone,” Rep. Rogers said on Facebook. “We need to secure our border and finish building President [Donald]Trump’s wall.” Rogers referenced a Fox News report that 20 suspected terrorists were arrested along with the 227,000 migrants that the Border Patrol and Customs Enforcement encountered in its record September. Sixty-six people on the FBI’s terror watch list had already been captured trying to get into this country through July. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville said on Twitter, “BOTTOM LINE: Democrats have created a humanitarian crisis at our nation’s Southern border, and they don’t care to stop it.” Tuberville referenced a report by Fox News showing that 856 migrants have already died on the Southern border with Mexico. Earlier this month, Congressman Gary Palmer said on Twitter, “Joe Biden’s disregard for the law has left our southern border in a crisis. This is an unsustainable path for our country. Americans deserve a nation that’s safe.” Republicans have made the chaos on the southern border a significant election issue in the approaching midterm elections, while Democrats have largely ignored the border issue. Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote on his website, “America is the greatest nation on earth. It wasn’t founded on ethnicity but a creed. Every day our broken immigration system gets worse and worse. It’s time to secure the border, enforce our laws, and find a real solution. We are a nation of immigrants but also a nation of laws. Securing the border has to be the first step in developing a realistic solution to our country’s broken immigration system. Immigration reform must take a common-sense approach that focuses on a long-term solution that is clear, concise, understandable, and enforceable.” Eleven of the last twelve polls show that nationally voters prefer Republicans on a generic congressional ballot over Democrats. According to the most recent poll by Emerson, voters prefer Republicans 46% to 41% for Democrats. If this is an accurate representation of what voters are thinking and what they will do on election day, then Republicans likely will take control of the House of Representatives in the November 8 general election. There is also a strong possibility of Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate. The GOP has not controlled both Houses of Congress since 2018. If that happens, then Republicans will have to decide what immigration reform and enhanced border security look like to them – something they failed to agree upon even though they controlled both Houses of Congress and the presidency. If Republicans take control of Congress, they will still have to deal with the Biden White House on these issues. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Paul DeMarco: Public officials using taxpayer dollars for electioneering should be prohibited
Candidates are working hard in Alabama as we approach the upcoming election to connect with voters, whether by pressing the flesh at the local meat and three or attending their hometown high school football game. Getting their message out to voters requires raising money to pay for television, radio, mail, and billboards. Without raising campaign funds, it is hard for those running for office to attain name ID, particularly for challengers against incumbents. And in Alabama, it is even harder, as some elected officials use government dollars to pay for advertisements to splash their faces for potential voters to see. These advertisements are displayed under the contention that they are promoting or informing the public about their office. It is not right nor fair for taxpayers’ money to be used by officeholders to prop themselves up just as their names are going to be on the ballot. Time and time again, we see officials buy “advertisements” that prominently display the official’s name and face to raise their name identification, especially close to election time. There have been photos plastered on billboards, newspapers, at gas pumps, in the produce aisle, and on television commercials. And all of these were purchased at the expense of monies that should have been used to administer their office responsibilities and not for their own self-promotion. Too many officials spend their days in office focused on working for re-election as opposed to doing the job they were sent to do. During the next legislative session, Alabama lawmakers must change the law to prohibit those who serve in office from using public funds to campaign and self-promote. A bill that would bar such expenditures six months from an election cycle should be the bare minimum requirement. We hear officials complain they need more money to fund their offices but then turn around and expend it to publicize themselves. State representatives and senators will return to Montgomery next Spring, and they should add this to the list of bills to work to earn the trust of state citizens. Alabama taxpayers deserve no less. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco.
Halloween warning: Beware rainbow fentanyl pills hidden in candy boxes
From coast to coast – from California to New York, from Texas to Florida – law enforcement officers are warning parents about rainbow fentanyl pills being hidden in candy boxes ahead of Halloween. The pills look like candy but are laced with illicit fentanyl intended to kill children and others who ingest them. Two milligrams, the size of a mosquito, is considered a lethal dose. After a major drug bust at the Los Angeles Airport, LA County Sheriff’s Department issued a warning saying, “With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kid’s candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them. “If you find anything in candy boxes that you believe might be narcotics, do not touch it and immediately notify your local law enforcement agency.” The sheriff’s office issued the warning after its Narcotics Bureau detectives and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents seized approximately 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills hidden inside “Sweetarts,” “Skittles,” and “Whoppers” candy boxes that a passenger was trying to take on a plane at the Los Angeles International Airport. In Tampa on Tuesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and law enforcement officers warned parents about the dangers of rainbow fentanyl ahead of Halloween. “Halloween can be scary, but nowhere near as scary as rainbow-colored fentanyl that looks like candy and can be lethal in minute doses,” she said. “Whether these drugs are being transported in candy boxes or mixed with other common drugs and sold to unsuspecting users, the threat posed to the safety of kids and young adults is very real. “Just one pill laced with fentanyl can kill, so parents, please talk to your children about the dangers posed by this extremely lethal drug.” Earlier this month, Florida law enforcement officers seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly half of Florida’s population after they shut down a major drug trafficking operation run by gang members affiliated with Mexican cartels. Last month, two Maryland men were charged with fentanyl trafficking offenses after selling illicit pills to undercover DEA agents, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut said. Investigators confiscated 15,000 fentanyl-laced pills, many of which were hidden inside numerous Nerds candy boxes and Skittles candy bags. Earlier this month, DEA agents seized the largest amount of fentanyl to date in New York City – 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills hidden in a Lego toy box. Agents said the pills were primarily supplied by two Mexican cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartel. “Using happy colors to make a deadly drug seem fun and harmless is a new low, even for the Mexican cartels,” New York narcotics city prosecutor Bridget Brennan said in a statement. She said more than 80% of drug overdoses in New York City involve illicit fentanyl. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has designated the two cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and has called on President Joe Biden to do the same. Fentanyl is pouring through the border “because of President Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott said. He’s continued to call on the president to close the border, sounding the alarm on the volume of drugs pouring through. Since the president has been in office, Texas law enforcement working through Operation Lone Star have seized enough lethal doses of fentanyl to kill everyone in the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have seized enough lethal doses of fentanyl to kill 5 billion people. The DEA also recently said it had seized 36 million lethal doses of fentanyl in operations from May to September nationwide. Moody and 17 attorneys general have called on the president to classify illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. “With massive amounts of fentanyl flooding in from Mexico, we know that deadly drugs are more available,” than they were before, Moody warned. She’s urging parents to talk to their children about how dangerous just one pill is: it can kill. Her office has published a range of resources about the dangers of fentanyl, including a Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit to educate parents about digital drug dealers who are aggressively targeting children and young adults on social media apps. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
