House passes legislation to pay retired employees up to $52,000 to return to government service

The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday allowing retired state and local government workers to come out of retirement and return to work for the state or a local government agency, making as much as $52,000 per year while still drawing their state retirement. House Bill 41 (HB41) is sponsored by State Rep. Rex Reynolds. Reynolds explained that state and local retirees who are collecting their Retirement System of Alabama (RSA) benefits can already do this, but the law allowing them to do so capped their compensation at just $30,000. That has risen over time to $37,000. This legislation would raise the amount of money they can be offered to $52,000. “This does not mean that they have to make all of that,” Reynolds explained. “This would apply to law enforcement, corrections, educators, everybody,” Reynolds said. Reynolds acknowledged that there is opposition to this bill. “They want to hire new employees,” Reynolds said. “I am for that too, but the workforce won’t allow that.” Opponents object to a worker retiring, drawing his RSA retirement benefits, and then going back to the state to draw a second check from the state treasury. “They can already do that just by crossing a state line,” Reynolds said. “They are already trained.” Reynolds said that all state agencies are having difficulties recruiting workers in this labor force. HB41 passed the Alabama House of Representatives by a vote of 104 to 0. Reynolds is the retired Huntsville police chief. He chairs the powerful House Rules Committee. The legislation now goes to the Senate, where the bill failed to advance last year. Sen. Sam Givhan has introduced a Senate companion bill. That bill was halted in committee when both budget Chairs, Sen. Arthur Orr and Greg Albritton, blocked the bill from coming out of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee. They expressed concerns that this could encourage more employees to take retirement, which could cause stress to the state retirement fund and future budgetary complications. Tuesday was the fifth legislative day of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. The Alabama Constitution limits the length of a legislative session to no more than thirty legislative days. The unemployment rate is just 2.5%, but Alabama has very low labor force participation. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, emailbrandonmreporter@gmal.com.
Tommy Tuberville explains why he is blocking Defense nominees over abortions

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio on Monday to discuss his decision to hold all U.S. Department of Defense flag and civilian nominees to protest the department’s new expanded abortion policy that circumvents Congress. “This is about the rule of law,” Tuberville said. “This is about doing things the right way, and we tried to do it the right way. I tried to get them to talk to me—the Secretary of Defense and people putting this new policy together.” Tuberville has been widely criticized for his blocking of the defense promotions. “Not a good look for Republicans to be holding up promotions for key military leaders,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office told Politico. Tuberville blasted the Defense leadership for their controversial social stances claiming that that has hurt the military’s recruiting ability. “It’s unfortunate that we make political decisions instead of decisions for our country to keep it strong,” Tuberville said. “I told them last week when they challenged me on this,” Tuberville said. “You need to be worried about recruiting people that are actually going to fight for our country, not the people who’s going to give the orders. Like you said, we’re way behind. And it’s all these woke policies that they put through the military that these young men and women have to go through and listen to and be educated on instead of learning how to fight and be the people that’s going to protect our national security.” “We’re the joke of the world—not the people that’s in it right now, but the people that’s trying to control it and do everything they can to make a meeker and milder military,” said Tuberville. “This is all contrived to take down the best military that’s ever been.” Sen. Tuberville wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Monday explaining his decision. The Family Research Council has started a petition in support of Tuberville’s stance. The petition states, “I stand with Senator “Coach” Tommy Tuberville in the effort to prevent our military from becoming an abortion business! Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Department of Defense have stepped out of bounds in usurping Congress’ lawmaking authority by implementing a radical new policy that would result in abortion on demand for members of the military and their dependents at taxpayers’ expense. It is estimated this would result in 4,000 abortions a year! We can’t allow this to happen. The Biden administration should know that such policies will not be tolerated in the U.S. military. I stand with Senator Tuberville as he fights to protect unborn lives, to defend the rule of law, and to prevent our military from becoming an abortion business. I also pledge to pray for Senator Tuberville and for the success of his effort to defend the unborn.” 25,408 signatures have been received supporting Tuberville in his stance. Tommy Tuberville is in his first term representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate after his election in 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama House passes legislation outlawing smoking or vaping in a vehicle with children present

On Tuesday, the Alabama House of Representatives voted in favor of legislation to make it illegal to smoke or vape with a child present in the vehicle. House Bill 3 (HB3) was sponsored by State Rep. Rolanda Hollis. Hollis said, “This is about protecting kids.” According to the synopsis, “Existing law does not prohibit smoking or vaping in a motor vehicle when a child is present. This bill would prohibit smoking or vaping in a motor vehicle when a child under 14 years of age is present.” Hollis said that the law would apply whenever a child was in the car, whether the window was open or not, whether or not the vehicle was moving, and even if the door was open. Rep. Matt Simpson said, “Thank you for bringing this bill. How long have you been working on this?” Hollis said, “Seven years.” Simpson asked why marijuana was not included in the legislation. “It is illegal,” Hollis explained. “We will add it if it becomes legal.” Hollis explained that there are 67 toxins found in cigarette smoke and that vaping can be just as dangerous. Simpson said that with vaping, “We don’t know if there are illegal drugs in there or not. We don’t know if there is marijuana. We don’t know if there is fentanyl.” Rep. Barbara Drummond said, “I am going to be bringing several bills on vaping.” “A violation of this section is punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for each violation,” the legislation states. “A violation of this section may be investigated and charged only as a secondary violation following the lawful stop of a motor vehicle based on probable cause of a separate violation of law, and the issuance of a citation or warrant of arrest for that violation.” Rep. Juandalynn Givan said that she was concerned that this would give police more of an opportunity to pull over motorists just for holding a vape. The legislation passed the House on an 84 to 15 vote. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Children are particularly at risk for the effects of second-hand smoke because their bodies are still growing and they breathe at a faster rate than adults.” A study revealed that second-hand smoke/passive smoking among children leads to acute respiratory illness in children as pneumonia, bronchitis, middle ear problem, cough & wheeze. HB3 now goes to the Alabama Senate for their consideration. The Senate is where this legislation has gotten held up in previous sessions. Tuesday was the Fifth Legislative Day of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: The presidential race has begun

The presidential race has begun, and rightly so, because 2024 is just around the corner. The early primaries are less than ten months away. We in Alabama have an early Presidential Primary exactly 11 months from now, on March 5, 2023. Actually, the Republican challengers are slow getting out of the gate. The obvious elephant in the room is the looming presence of one Donald Trump. He seems intent on running. His ego will not allow him to read the tea leaves, as well as every scientific poll, which tells him that he is yesterday’s news and that over 75% of American voters detest him, and he cannot defeat anyone in a presidential race. In fact, polling reveals that any Democrat or foreign dictator would beat him by landslide proportions by a much larger margin than the overwhelming defeat he received from the listless, almost lifeless Joe Biden in 2020. The problem for Republicans is that Trump is sitting there with a hardcore 30% base of Republican voters. Therefore, if six or more substantial Republican presidential entrants get into the battle for the nomination and they average getting 12% of the GOP Primary votes, then Trump could prevail with his 30% base, thus giving him the nomination and ultimate electoral disaster for Republicans. They would lose the presidential contest so badly that it would take down a host of Republican congressional seats. Republicans would suffer dramatically from the negative Trump coattail effect. Republicans would most certainly lose their slim margin in the House of Representatives but would also lose precious seats in the U.S. Senate. The Republican Party strategists and insiders are keenly aware of the Trump debacle scenario and are rallying around Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Rank-and-file GOP Primary voters are flocking to him in droves. If the money is there to offset the Trump machine and gutter attacks that come with it, DeSantis will probably prevail. The reluctance of other major GOP candidates getting into the fray is a sign that the conservatives in the country are working behind the scenes to orchestrate and discourage “also ran” candidates from getting into the race, which would give DeSantis a clear undeterred victory to face Joe Biden in November. Minor candidates like Mike Pence and Nikki Haley will run, but polling shows them with a 3% threshold. Haley is probably angling to be DeSantis’ Vice Presidential choice. Ron DeSantis will probably be the Republican nominee and face Joe Biden in Fall 2024. Make no mistake about it. Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee. It is far too late in the nominating process for a Democratic challenger to get into the race against an incumbent President. Therefore, Biden will skate to the nomination of his party without taxing his diminished stamina. In fact, his handlers will probably keep him out of sight during the entire campaign, which is a tried and true effective campaign strategy to elect ole Joe Biden. President Joe Biden’s age is his biggest albatross toward reelection. Even Democratic voters, who tend to be younger, are concerned by it. His demeanor and gait accentuate his diminished capacity and advanced age. Indeed, 82 is a pretty advanced age to be in the Oval Office. However, if you watched his February State of the Union Address, his performance dispelled naysayers. His delivery, appearance, and lucidness were on par with any 60-year-old President. I have seen quite a few State of the Union speeches of sitting presidents, and his performance was one of the most brilliant and well-delivered I have seen. It was shocking and amazing. Forty million Americans were watching, not to hear what he had to say but how he said it. Most Americans were looking for a stumbling, tongue-wagging, incognizant old Uncle Joe. Instead, he was on script, lucid, and glib who came off script and handled heckling from right-wing, backbench Republicans with aplomb. He deviated from the teleprompter with candid, sincere comments. He made a brilliant opening campaign appearance which will resonate with voters throughout the campaign when he is described as a doddering old fool who should be in a nursing home. He has also been in politics long enough to know to trust his handlers and stay away from voters and just parrot the old line, liberal Democratic talking points that say Republicans are against Social Security, which by the way, is the most demagogic liberal lie ever espoused. Republicans are not for cutting Social Security. Most of their voters would starve to death. If indeed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the Republican nominee, it will be a close presential race in November 2024, which is not that far away. 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.
At a glance: The three hush money cases in Donald Trump indictment

The criminal charges that Donald Trump is now facing in New York stem from three separate instances in which the former president and his associates are accused of making hush money payments during his 2016 campaign: to two women to suppress information about extramarital sexual encounters they said they had with years earlier, and to a onetime Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged Trump had out of wedlock. Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He surrendered earlier Tuesday in Manhattan and pleaded not guilty to all charges. A look at the three cases cited by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who outlined the charges: TRUMP TOWER DOORMAN Bragg first listed the incident involving a former Trump Tower doorman who was paid $30,000 after he claimed he had information about a child who Trump had out of wedlock. That doorman, Dino Sajudin, received the payment from the parent company of the National Enquirer in exchange for signing over the rights, “in perpetuity,” to a rumor that the president had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower, a skyscraper he owns near the United Nations. The contract between Sajudin and the American Media Inc. would penalize Sajudin for $1 million if he disclosed either the rumor or the terms of his agreement with the tabloid’s parent company. In an interview with The Associated Press in August 2017, the woman at the center of the rumor denied that she had had an affair with Trump. The prosecutor also cited the case of Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who received $150,000 from American Media after claiming she had a 10-month affair with Trump in the mid-2000s. The money was to gain the rights to McDougal’s story but to never run it — a practice known as “catch and kill.” The National Enquirer’s parent company has acknowledged that the payments were done specifically to help Trump’s presidential campaign. Bragg said Trump “explicitly” directed lawyer Michael Cohen, then working for the Trump Organization, to reimburse American Media in cash, then Cohen indicated to Trump that the payment should be made instead by a shell company. The alleged relationship between McDougal and Trump remained concealed until a Wall Street Journal report days before Election Day in 2016. Trump has denied her allegation. STORMY DANIELS: The third case involves the porn actor Stormy Daniels, who was paid $130,000 in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter with Trump at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in 2006. Trump has denied the encounter. Bragg said that 12 days before the election on November 8, 2016, Cohen had wired $130,000 to Daniels’ lawyer by using a shell corporation funded through a Manhattan bank. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid after indicating she was willing to speak to either the National Enquirer or on television confirming the encounter. Trump insisted to reporters on Air Force One in April 2018 that he didn’t know about the payment made to Daniels through Cohen. But Bragg said Tuesday that Trump reimbursed Cohen after his 2016 victory with money from two sources: a trust that held the Trump Organization’s assets and from his personal bank account. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
New IRS leader Danny Werfel promises faster, easier tax filing process

New IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel delivered a tax-season pledge Tuesday that the agency will use an $80 billion infusion of cash to become faster, more tech-savvy, and provide “real-world improvements” to taxpayers. Werfel, as he was ceremonially sworn in on Tuesday, said he would release a Strategic Operating Plan later this week laying out how the agency will use the money approved in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act “This is our moment in history to transform the IRS,” said Werfel, who began working at the agency in mid-March. “We have a great deal of work ahead of us to ensure a more modern and high-performing IRS that provides world-class services to taxpayers,” he said. Some of the planned improvements include hiring more people to end long call wait times, additional locations for IRS staff to provide in-person service, and expanded online accounts, so taxpayers and professionals will be able to address tax issues through electronic means, instead of paper mail. President Joe Biden nominated Werfel to steer the IRS as it receives the new funding, which has come with much political consternation. Republicans have suggested without evidence that the agency would use the new money to hire an army of tax agents with weapons. They also say the IRS would increase audits on middle-class taxpayers. Werfel navigated some of that controversy during his February confirmation hearing. He pledged before senators not to expand tax audits on businesses and households making less than $400,000 per year, as he faced rounds of questions before the Senate Finance Committee on how he would spend the agency’s big new infusion of money. He drew praise for being willing to leave a private consulting job to take on the top job at the troubled agency. Werfel formerly led Boston Consulting Group’s global public sector practice and has previously served as an acting IRS commissioner. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who presided over Werfel’s swearing-in, said in a speech to IRS and Treasury employees that he will be tasked with “dramatically improving taxpayer service and ensuring that large corporations and the wealthy pay the taxes they owe.” “The IRS will invest in data and analytics to help the agency audit large corporations, high earners, and complex partnerships that have not paid their full bill,” Yellen said. “The technology will be complemented by hiring more top talent – including accountants and attorneys.” While the administration has showcased the boosting employee ranks with 5,000 new workers and investments in new technology, a March Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report on the 2022 tax season states that the “ongoing backlogs of tax returns and other account work continued to challenge the IRS during the 2022 Filing Season.” In a March 13 letter to employees, Werfel said, “I returned to government to work with you and focus on this tremendous opportunity we have with the resources available under the Inflation Reduction Act.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Florida Senate passes 6-week abortion ban backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis

The Florida Senate on Monday approved a bill to ban abortions after six weeks, a measure supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Republican prepares to launch his expected presidential candidacy. The vote prompted demonstrations at the state’s capital that resulted in the arrest of the leader of the Florida Democratic Party and a state senator by city police. The proposal must still be approved by the House before it reaches the governor’s desk. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. A six-week ban would more closely align Florida with the abortion restrictions of other Republican-controlled states and give DeSantis a political win on an issue important with GOP primary voters ahead of his potential White House run. Florida Democrats and groups advocating for abortion rights say this proposal disproportionally affects low-income women and people of color. The party said that Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, and Lauren Book, Florida’s senate minority leader, were arrested late Monday at a sit-in protest outside the Florida State Capitol. Images shared on social media showed the two women and other demonstrators as they are handcuffed by police officers. In a news release, the Tallahassee Police Department said that protesters against the abortion ban were told they would have to leave after sunset, but 11 people refused to go and were arrested for trespassing. They did not identify them by name. The bill would have larger implications for abortion access throughout the South, as the nearby states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi prohibit the procedure at all stages of pregnancy, and Georgia bans it after cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks. “Bodily autonomy should not give a person the permission to kill an innocent human being. We live in a time where the consequences of our actions are an afterthought and convenience has been substitution for responsibility, and this is unacceptable when it comes to the protection of the most vulnerable,” said Sen. Erin Grall, a Republican who sponsored the bill. The proposal allows exceptions to save the life of the woman and exceptions in the case of pregnancy caused by rape or incest until 15 weeks of pregnancy. In those cases, a woman would have to provide documentation such as a medical record, restraining order, or police report. DeSantis has called the rape and incest provisions sensible. It would require that the drugs used in medication-induced abortions — which make up the majority of those provided nationally — could be dispensed only in person by a physician. The new bill would only take effect if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court. Republicans control a supermajority in the Legislature and have largely focused on DeSantis priorities during the ongoing legislative session. DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential candidacy after the session ends in May, with his potential White House run in part buoyed by the conservative policies approved in the statehouse this year. Democrats have conceded that they cannot stop the proposal from moving forward. During debate earlier on Monday, Democratic Sen. Book urged women to contact her office directly, reading her phone number aloud on the Senate floor, if they are considering getting an abortion and need to connect with healthcare providers. “Please don’t take matters into your own hands. Do not put your safety at risk. No back-alley abortions. There are people and funds that will help you. No matter where you live, no matter how desperate of a situation you are in, no matter how helpless it may seem. I promise you are not alone. Call my office,” Book said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.