Austal awarded contract for another Navy towing, salvage, and rescue ship
Austal USA has been awarded a contract for an additional Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship (T-ATS 15) for the U.S. Navy. With the award, the company is now under contract for five T-ATS, having received awards for T-ATS 13 and 14 in July 2022 and T-ATS 11 and 12 in October 2021. Paddy Gregg is Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer. Gregg said that the contract award again highlights Austal USA’s growing steel shipbuilding capability following the start of construction on T-ATS 11 and 12 and, more recently, the Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium for the United States Navy. “Austal USA’s steel shipbuilding capabilities and capacity continues to impress, with three steel vessels now underway in Mobile, Alabama, in addition to the multiple aluminum vessels and component projects also under construction,” CEO Gregg said. “In addition to the LCS, EPF, and T-ATS programs, construction has just commenced on the steel Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium (AFDM), which will further demonstrate Austal USA’s capabilities and capacity to deliver large steel vessels for the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard.” “The Austal USA team are also delivering submarine modules for the Virginia-class submarines and aircraft elevators for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, so they are without doubt making a significant contribution to the United States’ defense industrial base,” Gregg added. T-ATS is an ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue ship designed to support the United States Navy’s fleet operations, with a multi-mission common hull platform capable of towing heavy ships. The ships can support a variety of missions, including oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and surveillance. Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “Members of Austal USA’s quality and skilled workforce are equipped to handle complex tasks. The company, which started in Mobile in 1999 with 100 employees on a 14-acre campus, has grown to over 3,000 employees and 165 acres. At their state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility in Mobile, Austal USA integrates lean manufacturing, modular construction, and moving assembly lines into its proven shipbuilding processes. The contract award translates into local jobs and reaffirms Austal’s longstanding commitment to the State of Alabama and their role in national security.” Construction is due to commence on T-ATS 13 and 14 in the second half of this year. T-ATS 15 is scheduled to commence construction in the first half of 2024, with delivery planned in late 2027. Austal USA utilizes its proven ship manufacturing processes and innovative methods that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and moving assembly lines, all housed under the company’s state-of-the-art enclosed steel production facility in Mobile, Alabama. In addition to T-ATS, Austal USA is currently constructing the United States Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships and Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport ships and has commenced construction of a 211-meter steel Auxiliary Floating Drydock (Medium). In May, Austal USA was awarded a contract for the detail, design, and construction of up to 7 steel T-AGOS Ocean Surveillance Ships worth up to US$3.2 billion, and in 2022, the company was awarded a contract for up to 11 steel Offshore Patrol Cutters for the United States Coast Guard, worth up to U.S. $3.3 billion. Austal is a major employer in Southwest Alabama. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Greg Reed & Clay Scofield: Protecting our conservative values
The 2023 legislative session proved to be another successful and productive one for the Alabama Senate Republicans. We effectively utilized all thirty legislative working days with 340 bills filed in the Senate. We welcomed four newly elected Republican senators at the start of the year and passed key legislation that will continue to make Alabama the best state in the country to live and do business. On behalf of the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus, we are proud to report the following legislative efforts that will continue to protect our conservative values and support the hardworking people of Alabama: REPAYING DEBT TO ALABAMA TRUST FUND: The Alabama Senate approved roughly $59.9 million in a final payment to the Alabama Trust Fund to satisfy money taken from the fund during the previous decade. This payment to the Alabama Trust Fund makes us ‘debt-free’ and fulfills our obligation to the citizens we represent as effective and honest stewards of state funds. SPARKING ECONOMIC GROWTH: The Alabama Legislature passed a four-bill package led by Governor Kay Ivey and coined “The Game Plan” to secure Alabama’s economic future. Governor Kay Ivey’s Game Plan is strategic, innovative, and clearly outlined to help Alabama continue building on our success and providing more, higher-paying jobs to the citizens of our state. The Game Plan extends and enhances economic incentives for recruiting businesses to Alabama, increases funding for site development, supports innovative industries in our state, and ensures transparency surrounding the incentive process. This is a win for jobs, businesses, and every Alabamian. FIGHTING ESG: The Alabama Senate passed SB261, a bill that would prohibit state contracts with businesses that boycott certain sectors of the economy based on environmental, social, and governance. This bill is among the strongest anti-ESG legislation in the nation to protect investors and funds in Alabama and fight against the woke liberal influence across America. PROTECTING SMALL BUSINESSES: Alabama Senate Republicans championed new initiatives to support and protect small businesses in our state. Key legislation included a dram shop bill to protect providers of alcohol if the recipient injures a third party, retail theft legislation to create harsher punishments for people convicted of stealing from retailers and a road builder liability bill to provide relief and protection to that industry. CRACKING DOWN ON DRUG DEALERS: Top of mind for the Alabama Senate Republicans, each session is protecting our families and children. This session, we buckled down on the fentanyl crisis to crack down on drug dealers and establish mandatory minimum prison sentences for convicted fentanyl dealers. Additionally, legislation was passed to prevent gang violence, combat illegal narcotics and activities, and keep violent felons behind bars where they belong. STANDING WITH OUR TROOPS: A key mission of the Alabama Senate Republicans is to provide ample support for our state’s extended defense, aerospace, and intelligence communities. The legislature passed and Governor Ivey signed a series of bills to ensure Alabama remains the nation’s most attractive and friendliest state for active-duty military, their families, and veterans. Specific bills include extending tuition benefits for the National Guard, expanding education benefits to spouses whose partners were killed on active duty, defining “dignified and humane” disposal of unclaimed veteran remains, and allowing out-of-state military personnel to purchase insurance in the state where they are stationed for their Alabama vehicles. CUTTING TAXES: The Senate passed several pieces of legislation to keep money in the pockets of hardworking taxpayers and small businesses. The Grocery Tax Cut reduces the state’s sales tax on grocery items from 4% to 3% on September 1, with the potential to decline to 2% in 2024 based on the state’s revenue growth. Other tax-reducing measures passed by the legislature include a one-time tax rebate, eliminating the payroll tax on overtime pay, and a provision that reduces the administrative burden and costs for small business owners by increasing the sales tax reporting threshold. EXPANDING SCHOOL CHOICE: Creating and expanding educational opportunities for our state’s children has been and will continue to be a top priority for the Alabama Senate Republicans. The expansion of the Alabama Accountability Act through SB263 opens the doors for more students to participate in this already successful tax credit program. Together, we’re supporting the future generations of Alabamians! SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE: Agriculture is one of Alabama’s top-producing industries, accounting for more than 20 percent of jobs in the state. The Alabama Senate Republicans continue to support farmers and agriculture across Alabama through legislative efforts. Two specific accomplishments include cutting “red tape” for farmers in reporting referendums on an asset and establishing the Logging Efficiency Grant Fund to support rural economic development. Greg Reed is the Alabama Senate President Pro Tem and represents District 5. Clay Scofield is the Alabama Senate Majority Leader and represents District 9.
Nathaniel Ledbetter announces appointments to the Reapportionment Committee
On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter announced that he had appointed a number of House members to serve on the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment. The House members appointed are: Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa) Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston) Jim Carns (R-Birmingham) Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) Corley Ellis (R-Columbiana) Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) Laura Hall (D-Huntsville) Sam Jones (D-Mobile) Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn) Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville). Since this is a joint committee, it is also made up of members of the Senate. The appointment of 11 members from the House would indicate an expansion of the committee. According to the committee website, the joint committee has just six members: Sens. Steve Livingston, Dan Roberts, and Bobby Singleton, and Reps. Kyle South, Laura Hall, and Chris Pringle. South is leaving the Legislature at the end of the month to accept a position as President and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Presumably, the Senate will now appoint another eight joint committee members. The Joint Committee on Reapportionment normally redistricts the congressional districts, the state board of education districts, and legislative districts every ten years following the decennial census. In 2022 a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Alabama’s 2021 congressional redistricting as being in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Alabama appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this month found that the lower court was correct in its interpretation and has restored the lower court’s ruling that the state is in violation of the Voting Rights Act. The three-judge panel has given the Legislature until the middle of next month to submit a new congressional redistricting of the state to the federal court. The three-judge panel has ordered the Legislature to submit a new map where there are two majority-minority districts or something as close to that as possible. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is expected to call a special session no later than July 17 to attempt to comply with the court order. If the Legislature cannot reach an agreement on a redistricting plan by July 21 or the Court does not like the State’s plan, then the three-judge panel may appoint a special master who will draw the districts for the state. Republicans currently control six of Alabama’s congressional seats, while Democrats control only the Seventh Congressional District. None of the seven congressional races were competitive in the general election last year. The redistricting could make two of those districts winnable for Alabama Democrats. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Andrew Sorrell good start as State Auditor
Young Andrew Sorrell was sworn into office as the 41st State Auditor of Alabama in January. In the early years of Alabama statehood, the State Auditor and State Treasurer were important positions in our 1819 political era. In those wilderness times of Jacksonian Democracy, it was not unusual for the treasurer and auditor to abscond with some of the fruits of the state coffers. There were no ethics laws at that time, and the old political maxim of “to the victor goes the spoils” prevailed. There was a need for an honest man to carefully guard the nest. The posts of State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State were your only full-time public servants, who were actually full-time officials who came to the Capitol. The legislature only met every other year for three months, and the governor was usually a Black Belt planter who was more interested in running his plantation and considered his governor’s job part-time. Less some of you are offended by the pronoun “he,” there were only male politicians. It would be 100 years later before women would even have the right to vote in America. Blacks were still slaves and would be given their freedom 45 years later in 1865 and the right to vote in Alabama 100 years after that in 1965. Therefore, in the early years, the Auditor was an important post. In recent decades, the legislature evolved and became the important entity that the new 1901 Constitution intended. The legislature created the position of Examiner of Public Accounts. The legislature rightfully created the office because they appropriated the state funds. They wanted to have their accountant oversee their proper appropriations and accounting of state dollars. Beginning three or four decades ago, there became a rallying to do away with the State Auditor’s position. Some would say it was unnecessary and a waste of money. That balloon would never really get off the ground. The State Auditor’s office costs less than one percent of the State General Fund budget, and it is difficult to do away with a state constitutional office. Besides, someone or some office has to be in charge of keeping up with the state’s cars, desks, chairs, and computers. Andrew Sorrell seems to be the perfect fit for this statewide office. While some have used the post in recent years to demagogue and take positions on state matters that the State Auditor is not involved with to try to build name identification, Sorrell is honest, upright and appears to want to make the State Auditors job an important post as opposed to a demagogic stunt show. Andrew Sorrell is only 37 years old. He has an attractive young family. Hannah, his wife, is a successful realtor in their home area of Muscle Shoals. Their daughter, Liberty, who is only two, became a TV star in Andrew’s campaign commercials last year. Andrew and Hannah currently bring her to political events around the state. She steals the show, as she did during the campaign. Liberty has been joined this month by a baby sister, Glory, born June 1. Andrew Sorrell was 36 years old when he was elected Auditor last year. He served one four-year term in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 through 2022. He ran an excellent campaign for Auditor in 2021-2022. He was able to raise $324,000 and loaned his campaign $393,000, which shows he has been successful in the private sector. This amount of money, over $700,000, is unparalleled in this state Auditor’s race. He was able to smother and dwarf the campaigns of former State Senator Rusty Glover of Mobile and Reverend Stan Cooke of Jefferson County in the Republican Primary. Both Cooke and Glover had previously run and started with more name identification than Sorrell. Sorrell ran a perfectly scripted modern campaign using both television and social media. He spent his money wisely and designed his own ads. He also worked the state tirelessly, campaigning one-on-one for two years. Andrew Sorrell is a very capable, bright star on the political scene in the Heart of Dixie. He is part of an interesting trend of a trio of superstars on the political horizon in Alabama – State Auditor Sorrell, Secretary of State Wes Allen, and Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, who all served one four-year term in the Alabama House of Representatives before being elected statewide. The State House of Representatives seems to be the new launching pad for state political office. 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.
Hunter Biden will plead guilty in a deal that likely averts time behind bars in a tax and gun case
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden will plead guilty to federal tax offenses but avoid full prosecution on a separate gun charge in a deal with the Justice Department that likely spares him time behind bars. Hunter Biden, 53, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement made public Tuesday. The agreement will also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as he adheres to conditions agreed to in court. The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into the taxes and foreign business dealings of President Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks of distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department. The president, when asked about the development at a meeting on another subject in California, said simply, “I’m very proud of my son.” The White House counsel’s office said in a statement that the president and first lady Jill Biden “love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.” While the agreement requires the younger Biden to admit guilt, the deal is narrowly focused on tax and weapons violations rather than anything broader or tied to the Democratic president. Nonetheless, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans continued to try to use the case to shine an unflattering spotlight on Joe Biden and to raise questions about the independence of the Biden Justice Department. Trump, challenging President Biden in the 2024 presidential race, likened the agreement to a “mere traffic ticket,” adding, “Our system is BROKEN!” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy compared the outcome to the Trump documents case now heading toward federal court and said, “If you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another presidential challenger, used the same term. Two people familiar with the investigation said the Justice Department would recommend 24 months of probation for the tax charges, meaning Hunter Biden will not face time in prison. But the decision to go along with any deal is up to the judge. The people were not authorized to speak publicly by name and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. He is to plead guilty to failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018, charges that carry a maximum possible penalty of a year in prison. The back taxes have since been paid, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The gun charge states that Hunter Biden possessed a handgun, a Colt Cobra .38 Special, for 11 days in October 2018 despite knowing he was a drug user. The rarely filed count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department said Hunter Biden had reached a pretrial agreement. This likely means as long as he adheres to the conditions, the case will be wiped from his record. Christopher Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, said in a statement that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved. “I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Clark said. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.” The agreement comes as the Justice Department pursues perhaps the most consequential case in its history against Trump, the first former president to face federal criminal charges. The resolution of Hunter Biden’s case comes just days after a 37-count indictment against Trump in relation to accusations of mishandling classified documents on his Florida estate. It was filed by a special counsel, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to avoid any potential conflict of interest in the Justice Department. That indictment has nevertheless brought an onslaught of Republican criticism of “politicization” of the Justice Department. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans continue to pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including foreign payments. Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the younger Biden is “getting away with a slap on the wrist,” despite investigations in Congress that GOP lawmakers say show — but have not yet provided evidence of — a pattern of corruption involving the family’s financial ties. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, on the other hand, said the case was thoroughly investigated over five years by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Delaware prosecutor appointed by Trump. Resolution of the case, Coons said, “brings to a close a five-year investigation, despite the elaborate conspiracy theories spun by many who believed there would be much more to this.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was scheduled to campaign with the president Tuesday evening, reaffirmed his support for Biden’s reelection. “Hunter changes nothing,” Newsom told the AP on Tuesday. Misdemeanor tax cases aren’t common, and most that are filed end with a sentence that doesn’t include time behind bars, said Caroline Ciraolo, an attorney who served as head of the Justice Department’s tax division from 2015 to 2017. An expected federal conviction “is not a slap on the wrist,” she said. Gun possession charges that aren’t associated with another firearm crime are also uncommon, said Keith Rosen, a past head of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware. For people without a significant criminal history, the total number of multiple types of illegal possession cases filed every year in Delaware amounts to a handful, he said. The Justice Department’s investigation into the president’s son burst into public view in December 2020, one month after the 2020 election, when Hunter Biden revealed that he had received a subpoena as part of the department’s scrutiny of his taxes. The subpoena sought information on the younger Biden’s business dealings with a number of entities, including
Tornadoes clobber Mississippi. Hours later, its governor attends Republican fundraiser in Alabama
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves traveled to Alabama for a Republican fundraising event as people in his state were still reeling from back-to-back tornadoes that killed one person, injured dozens, and destroyed homes and businesses, and in the midst of lingering power outages from severe thunderstorms. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Reeves headlined a Republican Governors Association fundraiser on Monday at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Birmingham, according to an invitation obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. Ticket prices ranged from $5,000 for one person to $50,000 for four people. Reeves is the policy chairperson for the RGA and is seeking a second term as governor this year. His campaign manager Elliott Husbands said in response to questions Tuesday that the event was planned long ago, and money raised there was not earmarked for any specific campaign. Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi have the only governor’s races this year. Reeves has stayed in contact with Mississippi Emergency Management Agency leaders since storms started pounding the state last week, including during his Alabama trip that lasted about three hours, Husbands said. “The Governor also has personally communicated with local leaders in the affected areas,” Husbands said. “In addition, he has already said publicly he is going to be on the ground in the impacted areas tomorrow.” Brandon Presley, Mississippi’s northern district public service commissioner, is the Democratic nominee for governor. His campaign communications director, Michael Beyer, on Tuesday, criticized Reeves for attending the Republican Governors Association event. “It is no surprise to see Tate Reeves leave the state for a fundraiser in the middle of storm recovery — when given a choice between rubbing elbows with the wealthy and well-connected or speaking face-to-face with Mississippians who have had their lives upended by this storm, he will always go after the money,” Beyer said. “If it would mean furthering himself, Tate Reeves would go to Antarctica for a campaign check.” Reeves did not fly on the state airplane to the fundraiser, Husbands said. Thousands of people have been sweating without air-conditioning since severe thunderstorms knocked out electrical service last week in central Mississippi. A tornado that struck Jasper County in eastern Mississippi overnight Sunday to Monday killed one person, injured nearly two dozen people, and damaged more than 70 homes. Later Monday, another tornado struck coastal Jackson County. It injured six people and damaged about 100 structures. The city of Moss Point was hardest hit. Reeves said Tuesday on social media: “We’ll be here for the long haul to support these communities and help them recover.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Mississippi GOP governor and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley spar over crime, courts, and trans care
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and the Democrat who is trying to unseat him this year, Brandon Presley, traded barbs about crime, courts and transgender health care Friday in separate appearances before newspaper editors and publishers. Reeves, seeking a second term, said at the Mississippi Press Association convention that Presley has failed to answer questions about two bills that Reeves signed into law. One bans gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. The other expands the role of state police in Mississippi’s capital city and creates positions for some judges who are appointed in a state where most judges are elected. Reeves said people tell him they worry that “the lines between boys and girls are disappearing,” and he shares those concerns. “We signed bills in Mississippi to prevent children from getting life-altering, experimental procedures,” Reeves said. Reeves’ language echoes that of groups that oppose LGBTQ+ rights, including the Family Research Council, which has backed model legislation asserting “gender transition is an experiment.” Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who edited the section about gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual, has said that valid science supports gender-affirming care for transgender youths. “So far in Mississippi, my opponent — he won’t say a word,” Reeves said. “Y’all spilled a lot of ink over the legislation when I signed it.” Presley appeared about an hour after Reeves and responded to a question about banning gender-affirming health care for minors. “I trust families,” Presley said. “I trust mamas, I trust daddies, to deal with the health care of their children.” Presley, in his fourth term as Mississippi’s northern district public service commissioner, said Reeves talks about transgender issues as “a smokescreen” to distract from problems, including a multimillion-dollar welfare fraud scheme that developed while Reeves was lieutenant governor. “Before this campaign is over with, if it will hide his record on corruption … if it will hide the fact that hospitals are shutting down, he will say that Martians have landed in Montgomery County, to divert your attention,” Presley said. Reeves said Democrats passionately opposed expanding the role of state police in Jackson and creating positions for appointed judges. The NAACP filed a federal lawsuit arguing that Mississippi is creating “separate and unequal policing” in majority-Black Jackson compared to the rest of the state. The lawsuit is still pending. Leaders of the majority-white and Republican-controlled Legislature said the law is intended to reduce crime in Jackson, which has had more than 100 homicides in each of the past three years. The city has about 150,000 residents. “I sure think it’s a good thing to have more people working towards public safety in our state capital,” Reeves said. He said Presley is hoping to avoid questions about the law. “And he’s on his knees praying you won’t challenge him when the answer he gives is a whole bunch of nothing,” Reeves said. “Just talking points from out-of-state, left-wing consultants who have told him to shut up about anything that the voters care about and anything that is not a personal attack on me.” Presley said when he was mayor of the small town of Nettleton, he would not have wanted the Legislature to tell him how to run the police department. He also said he supports electing judges, not appointing them. “Obviously, there’s got to be an address to the crime issue in and around Jackson. I’m not oblivious to that,” Presley said. “But I can tell you this … you’re not going to solve that issue effectively without collaboration with local officials.” Presley also talked about his uncle, Lee County Sheriff Harold Ray Presley, who was killed in 2001. “I stood over the coffin of a loved one killed in the line of duty as a police officer. I’ve done that,” Brandon Presley said. “So I’m not going to allow Tate Reeves to try to teach me anything when it comes to standing up for our police officers and law enforcement. He can save that hot air for somebody else.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
