Chairman John Wahl named to 2024 Republican National Convention Committee
On Thursday, the Alabama Republican Party announced that Chairman John Wahl had been named to the Republican National Convention’s Committee on Arrangements (COA). The COA is in charge of organizing the 2024 Republican National Convention, overseeing and planning all aspects of the Convention. In 2016 Republican nominee for President Donald Trump carried Wisconsin. In 2020 Trump lost Wisconsin and the Presidency. Realizing the importance of Wisconsin, the Republican Party is holding their 2024 Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More than 2,500 delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories will gather in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18, 2024, to officially select the Party’s nominees for U.S. President and Vice President. “I am thrilled to have been selected to serve as a member of the Committee on Arrangements, and I am very excited about the opportunity to represent the State of Alabama as the COA prepares for the 2024 Republican National Convention,” Chairman Wahl said. “We desperately need strong conservative leadership that is willing to stand and fight for the average, hardworking people across this nation. It’s time to bring common sense back to government by defending our God-given rights and freedoms, protecting our children from woke policies, and working to put people first again. These are the kind of principles that made America great, and these are the principles that the Republican Party stands for.” “The Convention is going to be a world-class event, and I look forward to serving with the other committee members as we put our time and talents together to make sure this historic convention is unforgettable,” Wahl added. “The bottom line is that it’s time to take America back, and I will do all I can to ensure that message is on full display at the 2024 Republican National Convention.” “In the next two years, we look forward to working with the mayor and everyone in the community to make this an event that highlights not just our nominee … but the great city that Milwaukee is,” said Republican Party Chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel when the RNC chose Milwaukee to host the Convention. In addition to this new committee assignment, Chairman Wahl was elected as an RNC Vice Chairman representing the Southern Region earlier this year. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Department of Public Health issues fish consumption advisories
On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) issued its annual updates to fish consumption advisories across the state. These warnings are based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). ADEM, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources collected samples of specific fish species for analysis from various waterbodies throughout the state during the fall of 2022. Authorities collected 492 samples from 40 collection stations in Alabama. ADPH then assessed the analytical results to determine whether any of the tested contaminants in the fish may give rise to potential human health effects. Fish consumption advisories are issued for specific waterbodies and specific species taken from those areas. In reservoirs, advisories apply to waters as far as a boat can be taken upstream in a tributary, that is, to full pool elevations. Most contaminants found in wild fish in Alabama are of little concern if consumed in one meal once a year. Consuming multiple meals of contaminated fish increases the risk as the contaminant can begin to build up in the body leading to possible health ramifications. For this reason, the newly issued advisories will be represented as the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a given period, such as meals per week or meals per month. In the worst cases of fish contamination, ADPH advises that people not eat any of that species in that body of water. For these advisories, a meal consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish. The advice in this release and complete listings of the posted fish consumption advisories are offered as guidance to individuals who wish to eat fish they catch from various waterbodies throughout the state. ADPH reminds Alabamians that there are no regulations banning the consumption of any fish caught within the state. There is also no risk of an acute toxic episode from consuming any fish containing the contaminants for which the state has conducted analyses. A fish consumption advisory can be issued for one or more specific fish species within a body of water. In the worst-case scenario, an advisory can be extended to include all fish species within that body of water. ADPH issued new and updated consumption advisories issued for the 34 bodies of water in Alabama. These can be found on the ADPH website. According to the Food and Drug Administration, moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures; decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese, and decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children§) per week based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised to consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury. Wild-caught fish typically have a better flavor, less fat, more nutrients, and fewer contaminants than farm-raised fish. By catching the fish yourself, you can make sure that you eat the fish at peak freshness. Harvesting fish out of Alabama’s lakes, streams, rivers, and bay also can be effective at reducing grocery bills. Fishermen can mitigate most possible health risks by consuming multiple species of fish, fishing from multiple bodies of water, and following the ADPH fish consumption advisories. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Paul DeMarco: Alabama citizens and crime victims deserve real accountability for failures in state criminal justice system
This past week Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced that the state of Alabama would pay the family of slain Bibb County Deputy Brad Johnson $1 million. The Governor made it clear the payment was due to fundamental flaws in the state’s correctional incentives “good time” law that allows felons an early release from prison. In this case, the suspect Austin Patrick Hall had a lengthy criminal history, including for violent acts, and was let out of prison early despite an escape attempt. He should have never been out of prison when Deputy Johnson was murdered. He actually had no less than 46 prior charges on his criminal record. This is not the first time the state has paid out such payments to crime victims. After three Marshall County residents were murdered in 2018, the state paid out the maximum amount from the Fund because of a wrongful parole of the man that murdered the victims. These crimes were all preventable, and the families have suffered because of bad decisions made by those in the Alabama Criminal Justice System. Both nationally and even in Alabama, progressive advocacy groups and media, along with their lobbyists, try to push a narrative that has no basis in reality nor is desired by the state’s citizens. Public safety is neither a partisan nor racial issue, nor is it more important to those that live in rural and suburban areas as opposed to urban communities. Thus, these calls for opening up the prison doors and lobbyist pressure on legislators to weaken the state code fall on deaf ears. Rather, it is just the opposite; people have high expectations that their state leaders will pay attention to the increasing number of crime victims and the high recidivism rates. The revolving doors of state jails and the prison system is a problem that has to be addressed. And where is the accountability to the crime victim’s families and the citizens of the state for the decisions that allowed the release of these violent felons? There needs to be real accountability for those that allowed these violent felons to be released and resulted in the commission of heinous violent acts. It will be a true failure to these crime victims if no one in state government is held responsible for these poor decisions. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter @Paul_DeMarco.
Rep. Mike Rogers speaks in support of the FY2024 NDAA
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, in his role as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke on the House Floor in support of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “I rise in strong support of H.R. 2670, the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act,” Chairman Rogers said. “H.R. 2670 represents a truly bipartisan bill. I want to thank Ranking Member [Adam] Smith for his tremendous help in moving this bill through committee.” “Congress has the Constitutional duty to provide for our common defense,” Rogers continued. “Every year, we fulfill that duty by passing the National Defense Authorization Act. The FY24 NDAA provides our warfighters the resources and authorities they need to provide for the defense of our nation and the security of our allies around the world. That’s critical because the threats we face today are more complex and serious than at any point in the last 30 years.” “Topping that list is an increasingly aggressive China,” Rogers added. “Ranking Member Smith and I recently led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. What was clear from our meetings was that the threat posed by Chinese Communist Party is real and represents the most pressing national security challenge we’ve faced in decades. The FY24 NDAA was built with the underlying goal of deterring the Chinese Communist Party. It provides new authorities and speeds the fielding of innovative new technologies like AI and hypersonics that will give us the advantage in a conflict with China. It strengthens our security partnerships with Taiwan and Pacific allies. It fully funds and expedites the modernization of our nuclear deterrent. It builds a stronger and more capable missile defense. It protects U.S. military bases, critical infrastructure, and academic research from Chinese encroachment and espionage. It builds the logistics network in the Pacific the military needs to carry out operations against China. And it includes new authorities to retool and revitalize the industrial base to ensure they can deliver the systems we need to prevail in any conflict.” “Reorienting our defense to deter the threat from China will be an expensive endeavor,” said Rogers. “But we acknowledge there are limits on what we can afford to spend. That’s why this NDAA is hyper-focused on rooting out waste at the DoD. If weapons systems are not responsive to the threats we face, we cut them. In fact, the NDAA includes nearly $40 billion in savings from cutting systems that can’t survive a conflict with China and by reigning in programs that have grown out of control. We also require the DoD IG to review major defense programs for waste, and we create a new Special Inspector General to oversee all aid to Ukraine.” “In the face of growing threats from China, it’s critical we restore the military’s focus on lethality,” said Rogers. “The FY24 NDAA does so by bringing to an end divisive policies implemented by this administration that have hurt recruiting, unit cohesion, and military readiness. While I believe this will go a long way toward resolving the recruiting crisis we face, we also need to improve the quality of life for our service members and their families. The NDAA does that by providing for the largest pay raise in 30 years and authorizes a bonus for the junior enlisted. It increases allowances for housing and basic needs to counteract growing costs for food and housing. It authorizes $200 million more than the President requested to build new barracks and family housing. The bill expands access and significantly reduces the cost of childcare for military families. It makes it easier for military spouses to find jobs when service members transfer stations. Finally, it improves the quality of military healthcare, especially mental health services for servicemembers and their families.” This bipartisan FY2024 NDAA passed out of the House Armed Services Committee 58 to 1. Roger is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville questions nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown
In a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville questioned President Joe Biden’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown. Sen. Tuberville asked, “General, I think most of us up here agree that other than foreign countries, 32 trillion dollars in debt is one of our biggest threats to national security. We are broke. In the past, you have criticized the Department of Defense complex bureaucracy and have expressed a desire to improve its inefficiencies. By laws, the Joint Staff is capped at around 2,300 personnel with some exceptions. Can you clarify at this time how big is our staff as we speak? Do you have a number on that?” General Brown answered, “I don’t have that number. I will have to get that for you. I know it is somewhere around 2,000.” “Thank you, I’d appreciate that,” Tuberville responded. “The House NDAA included a study to look at reducing the size of the office. Do you have any suggestions of where we could look to cut staff and budget to help but not cut back efficiency?” “Not at this moment. If confirmed, it will be one of the things that I do take a look at across the Joint Staff and across the aspects of our military department,” said Gen. Brown. “There are things we can do to increase of efficiency and capability and capacity – those are things I will focus on.” “You know the FY23 Budget for the Joint Staff was around 1.2 billion, and the proposed FY24 budget is 1.3 billion. I guess you are familiar with that?” Tuberville asked. “Not the level of details of the Joint Staff budget because I have been focused on the Air Force budget,” Brown answered. “Okay, thank you, it’s pretty high,” Tuberville continued. “But I’d like to, you know, give us kind of a run down the next time we see you in hearing in terms of where we are with that…is it too much? Not enough? You know we do not want to cut back our military, it is so important, but we also want to be efficient in what we use, so I appreciate anything that you could do for us in terms of giving us an update on what you are going to set your team up as because you are going to be the new leader. So, I would hope you keep an eye on that because it is a lot of money. I got an article yesterday that says, “Air Force delays some moves, bonuses as inflation cuts into personnel budget.” Could you explain that? That came from the Stars and Stripes.” “Sure, Senator. As we built our budget a couple of years ago based on the facts of if you add the economic factors as well as force mixed factors based on different career fields and different rank structure, we typically will come back and ask for reprogramming,” Brown responded. “We are working through the process of reprogramming, so we don’t go through an anti-deficiency act and not spend money we don’t have. And so, part of this is for us to be able to work with Congress to get the reprogramming in place so we can actually uphold the programs and impacts that are outlined in that article that we communicated to the Force here recently so we can reverse and minimize the impact to them and their families throughout the rest of this fiscal year.” “Yeah, and we all know how important it is, and I think most of us have talked about it with recruiting – you and I talked about it yesterday – our recruiting is in a tailspin in most areas, unfortunately,” Tuberville continued. “And with an all-volunteer military, we are going to have to do better. We’ve got to do better with salaries and incentives and all of those things to get our young men and women involved and interested in our military – it’s so important. We can have all the upper echelon we can get, but unless we have the people that actually do the job on the ground and the planes and the sea, we are going to have huge problems because we live in a dangerous world. Thank you for taking this on, it is going to be a hard job, but anyway, we can help you. We are here to help. Thank you, General.” The Chairman of the Joint Chief is the highest ranking officer in the United States armed forces and the primary advisor in military matters to the President, Department of Defense, Homeland Security Council, and the National Security Council. During the hearing, Brown denounced Tuberville’s hold on military promotions. “We have strong deputies, but at the same time, they don’t have the same level of experience going forward,” Brown told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “In addition to the senior officers, there’s a whole chain of events that goes down to our junior officers, and that has an impact.” “We will lose talent,” Brown concluded. “The spouse network is alive and well, and the spouses will compare notes.” Some groups have expressed concerns about the appointment of Brown. Specifically, Brown has been criticized for his support of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI) in the armed services. The widespread adoption of DEI principles in the military has coincided with the worst drop in recruiting numbers since the 1970s. Tuberville is the senior Senator from the State of Alabama and represents Alabama on the Senate Armed Services Committee. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Email Insights: NRA-ILA alert to Jefferson County
The Jefferson County Election Commission met last month and approved the special election date to fill the Jefferson County Commissioner District 5 vacancy. In May, Steve Ammons left the commission to become the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) CEO. Tuesday, July 18, is Special Election Day in Jefferson County for County Commission District 5. The NRA is endorsing conservative candidate Mike Bolin. He is a lifetime resident of Jefferson County and was an attorney in Birmingham from 1973 through 1988 when he was elected as Probate Judge of Jefferson County. He was re-elected to that position in 1994 and 2000. He was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in January 2005. NRA encourages all members in District 5 to head to the polls on July 18. If a runoff election is necessary, it will be on August 8, 2023.
2 firefighters are seriously injured after being shot at a fire station in Alabama
Two firefighters in Alabama were shot on Wednesday while on duty at a fire station, authorities said. Investigators believe the Birmingham firefighters were targeted, though they do not have an exact motive, Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond told news outlets. At least one of them was shot multiple times. They remain in serious condition at a hospital. “Our firefighters are there to protect and aid and rescue our citizens, and to see them critically injured is troubling, disheartening,” Thurmond said. The shooter entered the station through an open bay door, Thurmond said. At least one other firefighter was in the station during the attack and was not hurt. The shooting happened just after the two firefighters who were wounded started their shifts. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Trial over Alabama transgender care ban for minors delayed until 2024
The trial over an Alabama law prohibiting doctors from providing puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender minors has been delayed until 2024. U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke last month postponed the trial date from August to April 2, 2024, giving more time for the parties to produce requested records. The Alabama law remains on hold under a temporary injunction issued last year by Burke. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has not ruled on Alabama’s request to lift the injunction and let the law go into effect. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act into law in 2022, making it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for doctors to treat transgender people under 19 with puberty blockers or hormones to help affirm their gender identity. Ivey called the treatments “radical” and “unproven.” Families with transgender children ranging in age from 12 to 17 were among those that challenged the Alabama law as an unconstitutional violation of equal protection and free speech rights, as well as an intrusion into family medical decisions. The U.S. Department of Justice joined their lawsuit, seeking to overturn the law. At least 20 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Arkansas was the first, and its ban was the first to be permanently struck down as unconstitutional by a federal judge. Other laws have been temporarily blocked by federal judges in Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky. A federal appeals court has allowed Tennessee’s ban, which had been blocked by a federal judge, to take effect. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Senator Tommy Tuberville says white nationalists are racists after weeks of declining to say so
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Tuesday backed off his defense of white nationalists, telling reporters in the Capitol that white nationalists “are racists.” Tuberville’s brief comment in the hallway, after a regular weekly lunch with his GOP Senate colleagues, follows several media interviews in which he has repeatedly declined to describe white nationalists as racist. And it comes as the Alabama Republican is also receiving criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for his monthslong blockade on the confirmation of all senior military officers in protest of a Defense Department abortion policy. In a May interview, Tuberville suggested that the Biden administration’s efforts to expand diversity in the military were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
