Barry Moore supports legislation to abolish IRS, eliminate income tax
Rep. Barry Moore released a statement after co-sponsoring The Fair Tax Act, introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter. This legislation eliminates the tax code, replaces the income tax with a sales tax, and abolishes the abusive Internal Revenue Service (IRS). “Instead of hiring 87,000 IRS agents to take more money from the wallets of hard-working Americans, the new House Republican majority believes in simplifying our tax code,” said Moore. “The current tax code is four times as long as the Bible but contains none of the good news. The Fair Tax is the gold standard for tax law and would turn a convoluted, abusive, and biased system into a straightforward code that works for every American.” According to Moore’s press release, the Fair Tax Act would: Rep. Gary Palmer is also one of the co-sponsors for the bill.
Legislature does not appear to be poised to address gambling
The Alabama Legislature met for two days this week for an organizational session in which they elected leadership, appointed committee chairs, and approved updates to the rules for the next four years. The regular session begins on March 7, 2023. One issue that could come up is gambling. The Alabama Supreme Court has emphatically ruled that bingo is a game played on paper cards and that electronic bingo is illegal under the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The court has ordered three electronic bingo facilities in Macon and Lowndes County close. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall appealed to the Supreme Court after the lower court denied the AG’s motion. “What he and what the Supreme Court is doing is disenfranchising the voters of those counties,” Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton told Alabama Today. Singleton contends that when voters passed county-specific constitutional amendments allowing bingo to be played there, they knew that bingo meant electronic bingo and that the court is interpreting the law wrong. “To say that electronic bingo does not mean bingo is just wrong,” Singleton said. Alabama Today asked if Victoryland, Whitehall, and Greenetrack are closed by the time the session begins, would that encourage the Legislature to pass a gambling bill legalizing some mix of the currently operating casinos. “I would think it would, but I just don’t know,” Singleton said. “I don’t know,” said State Rep. Neil Rafferty when asked if the Legislature would address gambling. “It’s going to take a lot of collective effort to get anything done like that.” Senate Republicans hold a 27 to 8 supermajority in the Alabama Senate, and House Republicans hold a 77 to 28 supermajority in the Alabama House of Representatives, so any gambling would have to have considerable Republican support. “Some people might think there shouldn’t be any gambling in Alabama,” Singleton said. For a gambling constitutional amendment to pass, it would need at least a three-fifths supermajority in favor to pass in both Houses of the Legislature because it takes a constitutional amendment. “It will come up,” Rafferty predicted for the regular session but did not know whether it could possibly pass. Singleton was asked about the top goals of the legislative minority. “Medicaid, Medicaid, Medicaid,” Singleton stated. Singleton acknowledged that Republicans were reluctant to take up the issue last year. “I think that was before the election,” Singleton said. Singleton expressed optimism that a deal on Medicaid expansion can be negotiated with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and the Republican leadership. Singleton was asked about ending the sales tax on groceries. “What’s going to replace it?” Singleton said, referring to the $500 million in lost revenues. “The federal government has put $60 billion into this state,” Singleton said. “There could be some lean times when that is no longer there. We need to be building up some reserves.” Singleton said that he believes that the Legislature could pass his needle exchange bill to provide free intravenous needles to IV drug users. “I believe the timing is right, right now,” Singleton said. “We talk about fentanyl and all the different drugs out there. This is the time to do with it to be able to aid and help with our drug problem.” To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama leaders respond to tragic tornados
Tornados struck Dallas, Autauga, and Elmore Counties on Thursday. Severe thunderstorms ripped across the central part of the state bringing with it severe tornado damage in Dallas and Autauga County. At this point, there are six Alabamians known to have died due to Thursday’s severe weather. According to Autauga County EMA, at least six deaths in the Old Kingston and Marbury Communities in Autauga County, and dozens of people are injured. Twelve people are reportedly hospitalized. The search for victims is ongoing. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said, “I am sad to have learned that six Alabamians were lost to the storms that ravaged across our state. My prayers are with their loved ones and communities. We are far too familiar with devastating weather, but our people are resilient. We will get through it and be stronger for it.” Ivey and her staff are working with Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) director Jeff Smitherman and his staff. Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter issued a statement regarding Thursday’s severe weather system. “The weather system that swept across our state today left behind unthinkable damage and loss of life,” Ledbetter said in a statement. “My deepest sympathies go out to those suffering in the wake of this storm. I’m continuing to reach out to our representatives in affected areas to make sure they’re safe and see where they need help. Days like today remind us how precious life is and how dangerous these storms can be.” Speaker Ledbetter and his staff have been in contact with state and local officials on the extent of Thursday’s storm damage. Speaker Ledbetter will travel to Autauga and Dallas counties on Saturday to survey the extent of Thursday’s storm damage. U.S. Senator Katie Boyd Britt also released a statement regarding the day’s severe weather across Alabama. “Our hearts break seeing multiple Alabama communities devastated by severe weather today,” said Sen. Britt. “I know that Alabamians in every corner of our state join us in praying for the families of those we’ve lost and for speedy recoveries to those who have been injured. Thank you to the first responders and linemen who are courageously serving their fellow Alabamians. My office is in contact with the Governor’s office and local officials in affected communities, and we stand ready to assist. Please continue to follow local alerts and warnings in affected areas.” U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said on Twitter, “Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by today’s tornado in Selma, and to those who are still sheltering in place waiting out the storms. Thanks to the heroic first responders who are braving adverse conditions on the ground to help victims.” Congresswoman Terri Sewell is a native of Selma. A tornado struck the heart of the town of Selma, and damage is extensive there. “I am devastated and heartbroken by the tornado damage in my hometown of Selma and throughout the Black Belt,” Rep. Sewell said in a statement. “My office has already begun coordinating a federal response. I have spoken with the White House, FEMA, and the Small Business Administration as well as state and local officials including Alabama EMA about securing disaster assistance and expediting all available resources. I will be arriving in Selma tonight to survey the damage myself and assist with recovery efforts.” “I am keeping my constituents and all those affected in my prayers,” Sewell continued. “The people of the Black Belt are strong, and we will get through this together!” “I am heartbroken to hear about the damage and loss of life from today’s severe storms in Elmore and Autauga counties,” Congressman Barry Moore said. “Heather and I are praying for all the families affected. My staff is monitoring the situation and ready to help with any related federal issues – please call us if you need assistance.” “Whenever Alabamians suffer tragedy and find themselves in times of need, their neighbors and communities are quick to respond and embrace them,” said Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth. “It’s what makes our state special. My office and I are working to provide all available help to those affected by today’s tornados, and we stand ready to do whatever is necessary. I ask that you join me in lifting up those who suffered losses with our prayers.” Selma residents are under a curfew until dawn on Friday. Most streets in the city remain closed. Alabama EMA already has people on the ground in the counties affected by the severe weather and will have a more accurate survey of the damage on Friday morning. Alabama Power reports that 40,000 people are without power, but they are working on restoring power to affected communities as quickly as possible. Friday will bring much colder temperatures to the state. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House votes to block China from buying oil from U.S. reserves
The Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to block oil from the country’s emergency stockpile from going to China. The bill, one of the first introduced by the new GOP majority, would prohibit the Energy Department from selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to companies owned or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. It passed easily, 331-97, with 113 Democrats joining unanimous Republicans in support. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., the new head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the bill would help end what she called President Joe Biden’s “abuse of our strategic reserves.” Biden withdrew 180 million barrels from the strategic reserve last year in a bid to halt rising gasoline prices amid production cuts by OPEC and a ban on Russian oil imports following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The monthslong sales brought the stockpile to its lowest level since the 1980s. The administration said last month it will start to replenish the reserve now that oil prices have gone down. McMorris Rodgers accused Biden of using the reserve to “cover up his failed policies″ that she said are driving up energy prices and inflation. “Draining our strategic reserves for political purposes and selling it to China is a significant threat to our national and energy security. This must be stopped,″ McMorris Rodgers said. The measure is the first in a series of GOP proposals aimed at “unleashing American energy production,″ McMorris Rodgers said as Republicans seek to boost U.S. production of oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels. “There’s more to come. This is just the beginning,″ she said. Democrats, including former Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, said Republicans were trying to fix a problem of their own making. China is among numerous potential adversaries that buy U.S. oil after the GOP-led Congress lifted an export ban in 2015. “If Republicans were serious about addressing this issue, they would have brought forward a bill that banned all oil exports to China,” Pallone said, adding that sales from the strategic reserve amounted to about 2% of U.S. oil sold to China last year. “If we truly want to address China using American oil to build its reserves, let’s actually take a serious look at that, rather than skirt around the issue because Republicans are scared of Big Oil’s wrath,” Pallone said. The current process allows for crude oil sales from the strategic reserve to companies that make the highest offer, which includes U.S. subsidiaries of foreign oil companies, and they could then export that crude oil overseas. Last year, millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. reserves wound up being exported to China, including to a subsidiary of China’s state-run oil company, Sinopec. The Energy Department said in a statement Thursday that Biden “rightly authorized emergency use” of the strategic reserve, also known as the SPR, to address supply disruptions and “provide relief to American families and refineries when needed the most.″ The Treasury Department estimates that release of oil from the emergency stockpile lowered prices at the pump by up to 40 cents per gallon. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, averaged about $3.27 per gallon on Thursday, down from just over $5 per gallon at their peak in June, according to the AAA auto club. “By law, we are required to select the highest value bid to ensure the best return for taxpayers, and since 2017 the vast majority of oil sold from the reserve is sold to American entities,” the Energy Department said. Over the last five years, less than 3% of oil from the strategic reserve has gone to China, officials said. The House bill now goes to the Democratic-controlled Senate. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has introduced a similar measure. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Merrick Garland appoints special counsel to investigate Joe Biden docs
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel to investigate the presence of classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an unsecured office in Washington dating from his time as vice president. Robert Hur, a one-time U.S. attorney appointed by former President Donald Trump, will lead the investigation and plans to begin his work soon. His appointment marks the second time in a few months that Garland has appointed a special counsel, an extraordinary fact that reflects the Justice Department’s efforts to independently conduct high-profile probes in an exceedingly heated political environment. Two of those investigations, including one involving Trump, relate to the handling of classified information, though there are notable differences between those cases. Garland’s decision caps a tumultuous week at the White House, where Biden and his team opened the year hoping to celebrate stronger economic news ahead of launching an expected reelection campaign. But the administration faced new challenges Monday when it acknowledged that sensitive documents were found at the office of Biden’s former institute in Washington. The situation intensified by Thursday morning when Biden’s attorney acknowledged that an additional classified document was found at a room in his Wilmington home — later revealed by Biden to be his personal library — along with other documents found in his garage. The attorney general revealed that Biden’s lawyers informed the Justice Department of the latest discovery at the president’s home on Thursday morning after FBI agents first retrieved documents from the garage in December. Biden told reporters at the White House that he was “cooperating fully and completely” with the Justice Department’s investigation into how classified information and government records were stored. “We have cooperated closely with the Justice Department throughout its review, and we will continue that cooperation with the special counsel,” said Richard Sauber, himself a special counsel to the president. “We are confident that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced, and the president and his lawyers acted promptly upon discovery of this mistake.” Garland said the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter required Hur’s appointment, adding that the special counsel is authorized to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law. Federal law requires strict handling procedures for classified information, and official records from Biden’s time as vice president are considered government property under the Presidential Records Act. “This appointment underscores for the public the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law,” Garland said. Hur, in a statement, said: “I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service.” While Garland said the Justice Department received timely notifications from Biden’s personal attorneys after each set of classified documents identified, the White House provided delayed and incomplete notification to the American public about the discoveries. Biden’s personal attorneys found the first set of classified and official documents on November 2 in a locked closet as they cleared out his office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, where he worked after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until he launched his presidential campaign in 2019. The attorneys notified the National Archives, which retrieved the documents the next day and referred the matter to the Justice Department. Sauber said Biden’s attorneys then underwent a search of other locations where documents could have been transferred after Biden left the vice presidency, including his homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Garland said that on December 20, the Justice Department was informed that classified documents and official records were located in Biden’s Wilmington garage, near his Corvette, and that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents took custody of them shortly thereafter. A search on Wednesday evening turned up the final classified document in Biden’s personal library at his home, and the Justice Department was notified Thursday, Garland revealed. The White House only confirmed the discovery of the Penn Biden Center documents in response to news inquiries Monday and remained silent on the subsequent search of Biden’s homes and the discovery of the garage tranche until Thursday morning, shortly before Garland announced Hur’s appointment. Biden, when he first addressed the matter Tuesday while in Mexico City, also didn’t let on about the subsequent document discoveries. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that despite the public omissions, Biden’s administration was handling the matter correctly. “There was transparency in doing what you’re supposed to do,” she said, declining to answer repeated questions about when Biden was briefed on the discovery of the documents and whether he would submit to an interview with investigators. Pressed on whether Biden could guarantee that additional mishandled classified documents would not turn up, Jean-Pierre said, “You should assume that it’s been completed, yes.” The appointment of yet another special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents is a remarkable turn of events, legally and politically, for a Justice Department that has spent months looking into the retention by Donald Trump of more than 300 documents with classification markings found at the former president’s Florida estate. Though the situations are factually and legally different, the discovery of classified documents at two separate locations tied to Biden — as well as the appointment of a new special counsel — would almost certainly complicate any prosecution that the department might bring against Trump. New House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said of the latest news, “I think Congress has to investigate this.” “Here’s an individual that sat on ‘60 Minutes’ that was so concerned about President Trump’s documents … and now we find that this is a vice president keeping it for years out in the open in different locations.” Contradicting several fellow Republicans, he said, “We don’t think there needs to be a special prosecutor.” The top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee has requested that intelligence
Harmeet Dhillon defends faith in RNC Chair fight with Ronna Romney McDaniel
On Saturday, the 21-member Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee voted “no confidence” in incumbent Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna Romney McDaniel. Harmeet Dhillon is McDaniel’s opponent. There are media reports that some of McDaniel’s supporters in Alabama have criticized the Steering Committee with embracing a non-Christian candidate for RNC Chair in a whisper campaign. California RNC delegate and attorney Harmeet Dhillon is a Sikh. Sikhs are a minority religion in India, where Dhillon was born – the daughter of a doctor and granddaughter of an Indian general. Dhillon is the McDaniel challenger. Dhillon has released a statement responding to the criticism from some of her Alabama detractors. “I would like to take a minute to address concerns that have been raised by a small handful of Alabama Republican Party activists regarding my faith and how that would impact my ability to champion our nation’s Judeo-Christian values that are encapsulated in our Party Platform,” Dhillon said. “In our founding documents, the Founding Fathers gave us a divinely inspired charter for America and for the first time in history declared that our Creator, not government, grants us our rights,” Dhillon continued. “Our Founders recognized how important faith, and our ability to freely exercise it, would be to the long-term success of our great nation. In fact, they considered religious liberty to be so foundational that it is the very first item referenced in the very first amendment of our Bill of Rights.” “As a civil rights and constitutional attorney for thirty years, I have been fighting the woke mob to preserve religious liberty and our constitutionally protected rights for decades,” Dhillon said. “Since 2020 alone, my law firm and nonprofit led three separate COVID-related religious liberty cases to victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, taking on Gavin Newsom and the lower courts for having violated Americans’ right to freely worship and pray together as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Let me be clear, the fact that my clients’ religion differed from my own was immaterial to me and my team’s willingness to defend their God-given right to exercise their faith free from the tyranny of government intrusion. In fact, my firm has represented over a dozen Christian and Jewish congregations and faith leaders in federal and state courts in just the last three years, and many people of faith seeking to enforce their First Amendment rights in the years before that.” Dhillon emphasized her opposition to McDaniel. “After overseeing three consecutive losing election cycles, the current RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has decided to run for an unprecedented fourth term,” McDaniel said. “I’m here to offer this party an alternative. I’m here to redefine what this party sees as victory. Victory can no longer be about raising the most money, winning the most press conferences, or owning the most libs. It must be about winning the most elections, battling back the cultural Marxists, and taking back all of the hills we so shamefully sacrificed. Our party can either adapt or die. I choose adaptation. I believe I can bring the change our party needs to begin the process of taking this country back.” The word Sikh means ‘disciple’ or ‘learner.’ The Sikh religion was founded in Northern India in the fifteenth century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is a monotheistic religion that draws from both Islam and Hinduism. Sikhism stresses the equality of all men and women. Sikhs reject caste and class systems and believe in prayer and charity. Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world. There are 700,000 Sikhs in the United States. Sikh men are often seen wearing turbans. The Alabama Republican Party has expressed shock that anyone in Alabama has criticized Dhillon for her faith. “Harmeet Dhillon’s letter came as a surprise to the committee,” an ALGOP spokesperson told the Alabama Media Group. “We had not heard anything about her faith or an issue with it before or after Saturday’s meeting.” McDaniel, a Mormon, denied being behind the attacks on Dhillon’s faith. “I wholeheartedly condemn religious bigotry in any form,” McDaniel said in a statement Wednesday. “We are the party of faith, family, and freedom, and these attacks have no place in our party or our politics. As a member of a minority faith myself, I would never condone such attacks. I have vowed to run a positive campaign and will continue to do so.” The RNC, under McDaniel, has spent $900,000 with Dhillon’s law firm. Alabama has three voting delegates on the RNC Committee that will elect the next chair later this month. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Personnel update: Jake Jacobs to be Southeast regional director for Philip Morris International (PMI)
Philip Morris International (PMI) is expanding its domestic footprint with a particular focus on Alabama. With this in mind, they have recently hired nationwide regional directors. Alabama native Jake Jacobs to serve as the regional director for the Southeast. “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Director External Affairs, Southeast Region at Philip Morris International!” Jacobs announced on Linkedin. Jacobs was previously the Director of Government Relations for Aventiv Technologies. Prior to that, he served as the Director Of Governmental Affairs for Voices for Alabama’s Children. Jacobs served three years as Aide-de-camp & Public Affairs Specialist for Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. Jacobs is also a First Lieutenant in the Maryland National Guard. He graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government. PMI is the global leader in smoke-free alternatives to combustible cigarettes. The company is preparing to enter the U.S. commercial market for cigarette alternatives. Amanda Wheeler, previously the co-founder and president of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association, will serve as regional director of external affairs for the Southwest region. Paul Blair, previously the vice president of government affairs for Turning Point Brands, has been hired as regional director of external affairs for the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Abby Jewett, previously regional vice president of external and legislative affairs for AT&T in New England, joins as regional director of external affairs for the Northeast region. Chris Newbry, previously vice president of government affairs for the Cigar Association of America, Inc., joins as regional director of external affairs for the Western region. All five will report to Washington, D.C.-based Kristin Reif, head of PMI’s state government affairs office. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
