Alabama’s October Unemployment Rate is 2.7%
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced on Friday that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted October unemployment rate is 2.7%. That is up slightly from September’s rate of 2.6% but below October 2021’s rate of 3.1%. 61,760 Alabamians were counted as unemployed, which is down from 70,569 in October 2021. The U.S. unemployment rate also ticked up from 3.3% in September to 3.4% in October. “Despite the challenging economic climate nationally, Alabama continues to hold steady. At 2.7 percent, we are now supporting more jobs than at any point in our state’s history,” Ivey stated. “Our wages continue to move in the right direction, more world-leading firms are relocating here every day, and our workforce development efforts are producing newly credentialed workers almost every day. It’s more than apparent that we have much to be thankful for as we head into the holiday season.” Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 46,600, with substantial gains in the education and health services sector (+11,700), the professional and business services sector (+9,500), and the manufacturing sector (+6,800), among others. Wage and salary employment increased in October by 17,100. Monthly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+3,900), the government sector (+3,600), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+2,600), among others. “Alabama experienced remarkable job growth, both over the month and over the year, in October,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “This growth actually set a brand-new record in Alabama for how many jobs our economy is supporting. We have nearly 47,000 more jobs now than we did last year. That’s extremely encouraging.” Total private weekly wages increased in October to $1,017.98, a new record high. Wages in the construction industry, the trade, transportation, and utilities industry, as well as the professional and business services industry, saw new record highs in October. The counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 1.8%, Cullman County at 1.9%, and Marshall County at 2.0%. The counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 9.6%, Lowndes County at 6.6%, and Perry County at 6.5%. The major Alabama cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood at 1.6%, Vestavia Hills and Trussville at 1.7%, and Alabaster and Madison at 1.8%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 7.2%, Prichard at 6.5%, and Anniston, Gadsden, and Bessemer at 4.4%. Inflation and the high cost of living is continuing to attract more Alabamians into the labor force. The total size of the labor force in October was 2,301,932, which is up from 2,291,928 in September. The labor participation rate also increased to 57.4% in October from 57.1% in September and 56.4% in October 2021. The state’s labor participation rate of 57.4% still trails the national average of 62.3% in October, which is up from 62.2% in September and 61.8% in October 2021. Gov. Ivey recently won re-election in a landslide. The Ivey campaign emphasized her record of creating jobs and the historically low unemployment rates achieved under her administration. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
All deer killed in Lauderdale and Colbert Counties this weekend must be tested for CWD
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced that all deer harvested in Lauderdale and Colbert Counties this weekend must be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Under Alabama’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone Regulation (220-2-.167), all deer harvested in the High-Risk Zone and the Buffer Zone of the state’s CWD Management Zone (CMZ) must be submitted for CWD testing during specific weekends of the 2022-2023 white-tailed deer season. This is one of those weekends. The mandatory sampling weekends in the High-Risk Zone of the CMZ are November 19-20 and December 3-4, 2022. The mandatory sampling weekends in the Buffer Zone of the CMZ are November 19-20, 2022, and January 7-8, 2023. The mandatory CWD sampling weekends apply to all of Lauderdale and Colbert counties in northwest Alabama. To find a sampling location near you within the CMZ, visit www.outdooralabama.com/cwd/cwd-zone-map. The mandatory weekends for the High-Risk Zone and Buffer Zone correspond with peaks in Alabama’s deer harvest – the season’s opening weekend and the rut in northwest Alabama. While it is not required to test for CWD outside of those weekends, hunters are still encouraged to voluntarily drop off samples for testing at the self-service freezers located in the appropriate CMZ zone. All deer harvested by hunters on public land in the CMZ are required to be sampled throughout the entire season. Those public lands include the Freedom Hills WMA, Lauderdale WMA, Seven-Mile Island WMA, and Riverton Community Hunting Area. Carcass restrictions are also in place under the CWD regulation that prohibits the transport of deer carcasses and deer parts in the CMZ. Deer harvested within the High-Risk Zone must remain and be disposed of within the High-Risk Zone. Deer harvested within the Buffer Zone must remain and be disposed of within the CMZ. Hunters may take deboned meat, cleaned skull plates, and raw hides with no visible brain or spinal cord tissue outside of these zones. Transporting deer carcasses outside of the management zone can potentially spread CWD to currently unaffected areas. Hunting license and Game Check requirements apply to all white-tailed deer harvests statewide. CWD is a contagious neurological disease of white-tailed deer and other deer species. It belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The disease is caused by a mutated protein called a prion. It is always fatal for white-tailed deer. The best-known prion disease is mad cow disease. Unlike Mad Cow Disease, there is no known case of CWD infecting humans who consume infected animals; however, avoid consuming the brain or spinal cord tissue of any deer as a precaution. The first case of CWD in Alabama’s deer herd was detected in Lauderdale County in January 2022. Below is a list of mobile CWD sampling locations in the High-Risk Zone and the Buffer Zone. Lauderdale WMA (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – HRZ 7001 County Road 14 Waterloo, AL 35677 Florence Frozen Meats (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – HRZ 1050 S. Court St. Florence, AL 35630 34.789636; -87.670613 Cloverdale VFW (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – HRZ 11370 Highway 157 Florence, AL 35633 Freedom Hills WMA (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – BZ 4200 White Pike Cherokee, AL 35616 Cherokee VFW (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – BZ 1455 6th St. Cherokee, AL 35616 North Alabama Deer Shack Processor (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – BZ 407 Tracey Ln Rogersville, AL 35652 Highway 247 VFW (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.) – BZ 4655 Highway 247 Tuscumbia, AL 35674 For more information about CWD in Alabama, visit www.outdooralabama.com/cwd-info. ADCNR has four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Infant mortality in Alabama increased 8.6% in 2021
On Thursday, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) announced that in 2021, 443 Alabama infants died during their first year of life. Alabama infant mortality was up significantly in 2021 over 2020. The death rate for children one year or less was 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. That is up from 7.0 in 2020. The state’s infant mortality for 2021 is an 8.6 percent increase over 2020. Alabama’s infant mortality rate is significantly higher than the national average for 2021 of 5.5 deaths per 1,000 births. Infant deaths, fetal deaths, live births, and estimated pregnancies all increased in Alabama from 2020 to 2021. Black mothers continue to have the highest infant mortality rate in the state. In 2021, the rate increased to 12.1 from the 2020 rate of 10.9. By comparison, the infant mortality rate for White mothers was 5.8. That, however, represents an increase from 5.2 in 2020. The infant mortality rate declined among Hispanic mothers from 7.2 (37 infant deaths) in 2020 to 5.2 (29 infant deaths) in 2021. “While there were several positive indicators of progress in 2021, decreasing infant mortality remains a significant challenge,” said State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris in a statement. “Infant mortality is closely related to social determinants of health, such as race, poverty, and education. Alabama must continue our commitment and efforts to prevent infant deaths by promoting evidence-based initiatives such as home visiting nurses to first-time mothers and high-risk pregnancies, safe sleep education, and the ‘Count the Kicks’ campaign.” While the recent spike in infant mortality is disturbing, the general trend over time has been for infant mortality to decrease. In 2016 infant mortality was 9.6 deaths per thousand – significantly higher than in 2021. The number of births to mothers in Alabama rose from 57,643 in 2020 to 58,040 in 2021. The number of births to Black mothers declined from 20,151 in 2020 to 19,170 in 2021. However, births to White mothers increased from 37,492 in 2020 to 38,870 in 2021. The 5,598 births to Hispanic mothers in 2021 were the highest seen among the ethnic category in the past decade. The percentage of low-weight births decreased from 10.8% to 10.5%; however, the percentages of births at less than 37 weeks of gestation and births with a birth interval of less than 2 years increased in 2021. The percentage of births with no prenatal care decreased from 2.6 percent to just 2.2%. For births with no prenatal care, 52.5 percent were to white mothers, 52.4 percent were to mothers aged 20-29, and 74.7 percent were paid by Medicaid. The overall number of births to teenagers continues to decline; however, the percentage of births to Black teen mothers increased slightly increased in 2021, from 8.3 to 8.5. The percentage of births with maternal smoking was just 6.1% in 2021. That is the lowest percentage ever recorded since ADPH began keeping records on maternal smoking. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Democrats praise Nancy Pelosi’s leadership
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will step down next year from her position leading the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pelosi made the announcement the day after election results showing that Republicans will control the lower House of Congress once the new Congress convenes on January 3. Pelosi is stepping down from her top leadership role but will remain in Congress next year. “I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” she said. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.” Alabama Democrats praised Pelosi’s leadership. Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley said that the move by Pelosi surprised him. “It really hit me hard,” Kelley told Alabama Today in a phone interview. “She has done a fantastic job. Whomever succeeds her will have big shoes to fill.” Congresswoman Terri Sewell praised Pelosi in a press release. “Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a true public servant whose tenure as Speaker of the House will be remembered as one of the most effective examples of leadership in modern history. For two decades, she has led the Democratic Caucus with dignity and grace, breaking down barriers for women and girls and putting the needs of the American people above all,” stated Sewell. “I have been honored to partner with Speaker Pelosi to advance the needs of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, including our work to pass H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” Sewell continued. “While she will no longer lead our caucus, I have no doubt that Speaker Pelosi will remain a powerful force for good in our party and our nation. I look forward to continuing to serve alongside her.” Pelosi became Speaker of the House for the first time following the 2006 election. 2008 saw the election of Barack Obama to the presidency – giving Democrats control of both branches of Congress and the Presidency for the first time since 1994. Pelosi helped pass the Obama agenda, including the Affordable Care Act of 2010 – Obamacare. The Tea Party movement that arose to oppose Obamacare gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives in a massive “red wave” election in 2010. Despite the setback, Pelosi remained as the leader of the diminished House Democrats. In 2016 New York City billionaire Donald Trump won the Whitehouse, giving Republicans control of the government again. In 2018 Americans voted blue in large numbers giving Democrats control of the House again. Pelosi made history during the next two and a half years by impeaching Trump, not once but twice. In 2020 voters gave Democrats control of the Senate and elected Joe Biden over Trump. Pelosi helped Biden pass the CARES Act, the infrastructure bill, and the Inflation Reduction act. Despite this, or perhaps because of this legislative success, voters gave the GOP narrow control of the House of Representatives on November 8. Election results by November 16 showed that Republicans would indeed lead the House going forward and that a Republican – likely Rep. Kevin McCarthy – would be the next Speaker of the House. “She has done an exemplary job,” Kelley said. “She helped pass the infrastructure bill and the CARES Act.” The number two Democrat in the House – Rep. Steny Hoyer, is also stepping down from his leadership position, meaning there could be a wide-open contest on who will lead the Democrats moving forward. “I really have not gotten any idea who should fill that role,” Kelley said when asked who he felt should be the Democratic leader going forward. “I won’t get into trouble by naming somebody.” With Republicans now in control of the House, there is speculation that it might become more difficult for Biden to advance his agenda. “I think there is some (Republicans) who have done everything they could to stop his agenda,” Kelly said. “He has been very effective at passing his agenda, though.” Kelly said that the next two years will become essentially one long presidential campaign. “This is basically two years of campaigning for the President’s race in 2024,” Kelly said. “The Republicans will do everything they can to sabotage his presidency. The good news is that the Democrats held onto control of the Senate, and there certainly was no “red wave” as many of the prognosticators had predicted.” Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, is still recovering from a beating by an assailant with a hammer. Stepping down from leadership will allow her to spend more time with him as his recovery continues. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama calls off execution of Kenneth Smith after difficulties inserting IV
Alabama’s execution of a man convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher’s wife was called off Thursday just before the midnight deadline because state officials couldn’t find a suitable vein to inject the lethal drugs. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said prison staff tried for about an hour to get the two required intravenous lines connected to Kenneth Eugene Smith, 57. Hamm said they established one line but were unsuccessful with a second line after trying several locations on Smith’s body. Officials then tried a central line, which involves a catheter placed into a large vein. “We were not able to have time to complete that, so we called off the execution,” Hamm said. It is the second execution since September the state has canceled because of difficulties with establishing an IV line with a deadline looming. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Smith’s execution when at about 10:20 p.m., it lifted a stay issued earlier in the evening by the 11th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals. But the state decided about an hour later that the lethal injection would not happen that evening. The postponement came after Smith’s final appeals focused on problems with intravenous lines at Alabama’s last two scheduled lethal injections. Because the death warrant expired at midnight, the state must go back to court to seek a new execution date. Smith was returned to his regular cell on death row, a prison spokesperson said. Prosecutors said Smith was one of two men who were each paid $1,000 to kill Elizabeth Sennett on behalf of her husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance. The slaying, and the revelations over who was behind it, rocked the small north Alabama community Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey blamed Smith’s last-minute appeals for the execution not going forward as scheduled. “Kenneth Eugene Smith chose $1,000 over the life of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, and he was guilty, no question about it. Some three decades ago, a promise was made to Elizabeth’s family that justice would be served through a lawfully imposed death sentence,” Ivey said. “Although that justice could not be carried out tonight because of last minute legal attempts to delay or cancel the execution, attempting it was the right thing to do.” Alabama has faced scrutiny over its problems at recent lethal injections. In ongoing litigation, lawyers for inmates are seeking information about the qualifications of the execution team members responsible for connecting the lines. In a Thursday hearing in Smith’s case, a federal judge asked the state how long was too long to try to establish a line, noting at least one state gives an hour limit. The execution of Joe Nathan James Jr. took several hours to get underway because of problems establishing an IV line, leading an anti-death penalty group to claim the execution was botched. In September, the state called off the scheduled execution of Alan Miller because of difficulty accessing his veins. Miller said in a court filing that prison staff poked him with needles for more than an hour, and at one point, they left him hanging vertically on a gurney before announcing they were stopping. Prison officials have maintained the delays were the result of the state carefully following procedures. Sennett was found dead on March 18, 1988, in the home she shared with her husband on Coon Dog Cemetery Road in Alabama’s Colbert County. The coroner testified that the 45-year-old woman had been stabbed eight times in the chest and once on each side of the neck. Her husband, Charles Sennett Sr., who was the pastor of the Westside Church of Christ, killed himself when the murder investigation focused on him as a suspect, according to court documents. John Forrest Parker, the other man convicted in the slaying, was executed in 2010. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever expect you to forgive me. I really am sorry,” Parker said to the victim’s sons before he was put to death. According to appellate court documents, Smith told police in a statement that it was “agreed for John and I to do the murder” and that he took items from the house to make it look like a burglary. Smith’s defense at trial said he participated in the attack, but he did not intend to kill her, according to court documents. In the hours before the execution was scheduled to be carried out, the prison system said Smith visited with his attorney and family members, including his wife. He ate cheese curls and drank water but declined the prison breakfast offered to him. Smith was initially convicted in 1989, and a jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence, which a judge imposed. His conviction was overturned on appeal in 1992. He was retried and convicted again in 1996. The jury recommended a life sentence by a vote of 11-1, but a judge overrode the recommendation and sentenced Smith to death. In 2017, Alabama became the last state to abolish the practice of letting judges override a jury’s sentencing recommendation in death penalty cases, but the change was not retroactive and therefore did not affect death row prisoners like Smith. The Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based nonprofit that advocates for inmates, said Smith stands to become the first state prisoner sentenced by judicial override to be executed since the practice was abolished. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Smith’s request to review the constitutionality of his death sentence on those grounds. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Richard Shelby praises NASA’s successful Artemis launch, notes Alabama ties
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby released a statement regarding the successful launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft for its flight test, Artemis I. This 42-day mission is the first step toward returning American astronauts to the moon. “Congratulations to NASA and all of those who have worked on the Artemis program. Today’s successful liftoff was a historic achievement in our goal of deep space exploration,” said Senator Shelby. “Launching aboard NASA’s Space Launch System – the most powerful rocket in the world, made at Marshall Space Flight Center right here in Alabama – the Orion spacecraft will orbit the moon and return to Earth before next launching with a manned crew. Today, we demonstrated our commitment to returning humans to the Moon and beyond. Today, we made history. I’m proud of the major role that Alabama played in this monumental success.” On Wednesday morning, the Space Launch System (SLS) launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Onboard was the Orion spacecraft which the SLS launched into space on its way to the Moon. The Artemis I mission is unmanned but is an essential precursor to man’s return to the Moon after almost a fifty-year absence. Sen. Shelby played a key role in advocating for the U.S. Space Command headquarters to be in Huntsville, Alabama. Shelby is retiring at the end of this year after six terms in the Senate. He is the Ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Appropriations committee, which he chaired until Republicans lost control of the Senate in 2021.
Federal judge blocks Ron DeSantis-backed law barring ‘woke’ education
A federal judge in Florida on Thursday blocked a law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in colleges. Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a temporary injunction against the so-called “Stop Woke” act in a ruling that called the legislation “positively dystopian.” The law prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. It also bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender, or that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity. “Our professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and the State of Florida’s decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all,” Walker wrote. “If our ‘priests of democracy’ are not allowed to shed light on challenging ideas, then democracy will die in darkness.” The ruling is at least a temporary setback to the powerful Republican governor’s agenda to combat what he describes as the “woke ideology” of liberals and critical race theory, a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism. DeSantis won a landslide reelection to a second term this month after a campaign that focused heavily on cultural issues. The governor has often said rulings that halt his legislative priorities are likely to be reversed by appeals courts in Florida that are generally more conservative. A spokesman for DeSantis said they would appeal the ruling. “The Stop W.O.K.E. Act protects the open exchange of ideas by prohibiting teachers or employers who hold agency over others from forcing discriminatory concepts on students as part of classroom instruction or on employees as a condition of maintaining employment,” said Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary. In his lengthy ruling, Walker quoted from George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984,” writing, “‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,’ and the powers in charge of Florida’s public university system have declared the State has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of ‘freedom.’” Judge Walker in August issued a similar ruling on the law that blocked it from taking effect in businesses. The law is also subject to another legal challenge from a group of K-12 teachers and a student. The governor began pushing for the law late last year, and the Republican-controlled Legislature passed it during the 2022 legislative session. “What you see now with the rise of this woke ideology is an attempt to really delegitimize our history and to delegitimize our institutions, and I view the wokeness as a form of cultural Marxism,” DeSantis said when first floating the legislation. “They really want to tear at the fabric of our society.” Critical race theory was developed during the 1970s and 1980s in response to what scholars viewed as a lack of racial progress following the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society. Conservatives have rejected critical race theory, arguing the philosophy racially divides American society and aims to rewrite history to make white people believe they are inherently racist. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
House Republicans pledge to use majority to investigate Hunter Biden and the president
House Republican lawmakers are doubling down on investigations into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and how President Joe Biden may have been involved. Lawmakers at a Thursday news conference argued that Hunter Biden, in particular, used his father’s influence to negotiate business deals overseas that may have used federal resources and even compromised the Biden family. “Evidence obtained by Committee Republicans reveals Joe Biden lied to the American people about his involvement in his family’s business schemes,” House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky., said. “The Biden family business model is built on Joe Biden’s political career and connections with Joe Biden as the ‘chairman of the board.’ Biden family members sold access for profit around the world to the detriment of American interests. If President Biden is compromised by deals with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision making, this is a threat to national security.” This is the latest in a string of inquiries and investigations into Hunter Biden, the president, the president’s brother James, and who else may have benefited or been “compromised” in these dealings. “Hunter Biden and James Biden have racked up at least 150 suspicious activity reports for their business transactions,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. said. “How many involved Joe Biden?” The announcement came just hours after Republicans officially learned they claimed a majority in the House, offering a glimpse of how they hope to use their two years in power, especially since they will be unlikely to have any partisan legislative wins. President Joe Biden has repeatedly deflected accusations and defended his son, who is currently under federal investigation. Jordan also raised questions about how tech companies and federal agencies have worked together to suppress information that could have damaged the Biden campaign, as reporting has shown. “I think there are all kinds of questions that need to be answered, and we are determined to get there,” Jordan said. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have sent letters to six top Biden administration officials requesting documents, communications, records, and other information. Those inquiries have been sent to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen requesting Suspicious Activity Reports, a letter to Acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall seeking information about the potential use of Air Force Two for family business during the Obama administration. The lawmakers also have reached out to Hunter’s associate Eric Schwerin and financial advisor Edward Prewitt. They are also requesting information from FBI Director Christopher Wray about Hunter Biden’s assistant and alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party. The lawmakers were likely emboldened by the GOP taking control of the House, meaning Republicans will have the committee chairmanships and greater teeth to their investigations. “The American people deserve transparency and accountability about the Biden family’s influence peddling,” Comer said. “With the new Republican majority, Oversight Committee Republicans will continue pressing for answers to inform legislative solutions to prevent this abuse of power.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Execution set in murder-for-hire of preacher’s wife
Alabama is preparing to execute a man convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher’s wife, even though a jury recommended he receive life imprisonment instead of a death sentence. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison on Thursday evening. Prosecutors said Smith was one of two men who were each paid $1,000 to kill Elizabeth Sennett on behalf of her husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance. Elizabeth Sennett was found dead on March 18, 1988, in the couple’s home on Coon Dog Cemetery Road in Alabama’s Colbert County. The coroner testified that the 45-year-old woman had been stabbed eight times in the chest and once on each side of the neck. Her husband, Charles Sennett Sr, who was the pastor of the Westside Church of Christ in Sheffield, killed himself one week after his wife’s death when the murder investigation started to focus on him as a suspect, according to court documents. ADVERTISEMENT Smith’s final appeals focused on the state’s difficulties with intravenous lines at the last two scheduled lethal injections. One execution was carried out after a delay, and the other was called off as the state faced a midnight deadline to get the execution underway. Smith’s attorneys also raised the issue that judges are no longer allowed to sentence an inmate to death if a jury recommends a life sentence. John Forrest Parker, the other man convicted in the slaying, was executed in 2010. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever expect you to forgive me. I really am sorry,” Parker said to the victim’s sons before he was put to death. According to appellate court documents, Smith told police in a statement that it was, “agreed for John and I to do the murder” but that he just took items from the house to make it look like a burglary. Smith’s defense at trial said he agreed to beat up Elizabeth Sennett but that he did not intend to kill her, according to court documents. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Smith’s request to review the constitutionality of his death sentence. Smith was initially convicted in 1989, and a jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence, which a judge imposed. His conviction was overturned on appeal in 1992. He was retried and convicted again in 1996. This time, the jury recommended a life sentence by a vote of 11-1, but a judge overrode the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Smith to death. In 2017, Alabama became the last state to abolish the practice of letting judges override a jury’s sentencing recommendation in death penalty cases, but the change was not retroactive and therefore did not affect death row prisoners like Smith. The Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based nonprofit that advocates for inmates, said that Smith stands to become the first state prisoner sentenced by judicial override to be executed since the practice was abolished. Smith filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to block his upcoming execution because of reported problems at recent lethal injections. Smith’s attorneys pointed to a July execution of Joe Nathan James Jr., which an anti-death penalty group claimed was botched. The state disputed those claims. A federal judge dismissed Smith’s lawsuit last month, but also cautioned prison officials to strictly follow established protocol when carrying out Thursday’s execution plan. In September, the state called off the scheduled execution of inmate Alan Miller because of difficulty accessing his veins. Miller said in a court filing that prison staff poked him with needles for over an hour, and at one point, they left him hanging vertically on a gurney before announcing they were stopping for the night. Prison officials said they stopped because they were facing a midnight deadline to get the execution underway. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
