Rep. Terri Sewell announces $23.8 million to address blocked crossings and improve railroad infrastructure
On Monday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) announced a $23.8 million grant to alleviate blocked railroad crossings and improve rail infrastructure and safety in Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. “Today marks a major step forward in our fight against blocked railroad crossings in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District,” said Rep. Sewell. “This funding from President [Joe] Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a critical part of our long-term strategy to alleviate blocked railroad crossings and will go a long way in improving the quality of life for those living in and around Birmingham. Securing this funding was truly a team effort, and I want to thank the City of Birmingham and our local leaders for their hard work in developing such a strong proposal and Norfolk Southern for their significant financial commitment to this project. I was so proud to advocate for this funding at the federal level and will continue working with our state and local partners to address blocked railroad crossings.” The funding comes from the Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The grants are divided into two. The City of Birmingham was awarded an $8 million grant to alleviate dangerous blocked railroad crossings, while the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) was awarded $15.8 million for track and bridge improvements in the Black Belt and Central Alabama. “I want to thank the Alabama Department of Transportation for their work putting together this proposal,” said Sewell. “We know that the Black Belt is in dire need of infrastructure investments, and this project will make a big difference!” Darrell O’Quinn is a member of the Birmingham City Council. “It’s hard not to get a little emotional thinking about what this will mean for the residents of this area,” said Councilman O’Quinn. “This is an opportunity to drastically improve the quality of life for so many of my neighbors. I’d like to take a moment and thank our partners at Norfolk Southern, who own the rail corridor in question. They have been a tremendous partner in moving this initiative forward and will be committing $1.5 million in funding to this initial planning and engineering grant. It’s the largest financial commitment they’ve made to a project of this type, ever. My office has remained in close contact with their representatives over the last several years, and we could not have gotten to this point without their dedication to improve the lives of those living near their tracks.” In Birmingham, the $8 million CRISI grant will improve two segments of Norfolk Southern’s railway line. The money will be used to develop plans for various track, bridge, signal, and road realignments to reduce blocked crossings and improve community access. This will include grade separations and the closure of multiple crossings. In the Black Belt, the $15.8 million CRISI grant will go to ALDOT for final design and construction activities to complete various track-related and bridge improvements on two short-line rail lines within the state, the Eastern Alabama Railway (EARY) and Meridian & Bigbee Railroad (MNBR). The project will improve system and service performance by increasing maximum allowable speeds on both rail corridors, enhancing storage capacity, and improving safety. These grants are part of the $1.4 billion announced by the Biden Administration. This money is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Rep. Sewell was the only member of Alabama’s Congressional Delegation to vote in favor of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Almost all of this money comes from deficit spending as the national debt has soared past $33 trillion. Sewell is in her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville says Secure the Border Act would “protect American lives”
Last week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) signed on as a cosponsor to Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) Secure the Border Act of 2023. Afterward, he explained his concerns about the southern border to the Alabama media. “The Biden Administration has continued to roll out the welcome mat at our southern border,” said Sen. Tuberville. “His policies have jeopardized our national security, and the numbers don’t lie. The Biden border crisis is the worst border crisis in American history. There have already been seven million illegal border crossings since Joe Biden took office. That is more than the population of Alabama. More than 1.6 million illegal immigrants got away that we know of.” Tuberville said there is concern that the southern border is being exploited by terrorists. “We have caught more than fifty people on the terrorist watch list just this year,” Tuberville said. “Imagine all the people that got away.” Tuberville is also concerned with illegal narcotics coming across the border, particularly fentanyl. “Drug overdose deaths are breaking records,” said Tuberville. “The Border Patrol has seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in this country. It is causing deadly consequences in Alabama. According to the Alabama Public Health Department, we lost 835 Alabamians to drug overdoses in 2022.” “We can’t sit by and allow this disaster to continue,” Tuberville said. “That is why I joined Ted Cruz and introduced the Secure the Border Act of 2023 to combat the Biden border crisis. This legislation would fix some fundamental things like finish the wall, increase the number of border patrol agents, and stop taxpayers dollars from being used to transport or house illegal immigrants. The House passed their version of this bill earlier. I hope our colleagues on the other side of the border will work with us to pass this bill secure the nation’s border and protect American lives.” The Secure the Border Act would: · Require the Department of Homeland Security to resume border wall construction. · Increase the number of Border Patrol Agents. · Tighten asylum standards by restricting asylum to only aliens who present at ports of entry and requiring aliens to prove they are “more likely than not” to qualify for their asylum claim. · Narrow DHS’s power to unilaterally grant parole to illegal aliens. · Criminalize visa overstays by making the first offense a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and the second offense a felony punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to two years imprisonment. · Stopping NGOs from using tax dollars to transport or lodge illegal aliens and provide illegal aliens with lawyers. · Restrict DHS from using its CBP One app to welcome illegal aliens into the country. · Require employers to use E-Verify. · Ensure CBP has access to the criminal history databases of all countries of origin and transit so that CBP is aware of the criminal history of illegal aliens encountered at the southern border. Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 after a forty-year career of teaching, coaching, and sports broadcasting. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Democratic Primary in House District 55 is Tuesday
Democratic voters in House District 55 go to the polls on Tuesday to elect their candidate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of State Representative Fred Plump (D-Fairfield). Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis E. Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Bernard Womack are all running in the special Democratic primary. This is likely a winner-take-all primary as no Republican qualified in this Birmingham area majority-minority district. Kenneth Coachman is the former Mayor of Fairfield. He was elected as Mayor in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. Fairfield was hit hard by the Great Recession, and even Wal-Mart moved out of the city. Coachman works at Miles College as the chief of staff to the President. Travis Hendrix has a degree from Miles College and a master’s degree from Oakland City University. He is a former school resource officer and served on a task force dedicated to the public housing community. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels have all endorsed Hendrix. Ves Marable is a musician. He has a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University and a doctorate from UAB. He has held a number of major positions with state government, including serving on the Pardons and Parole Board. He has served on the Fairfield City Council. Marable has been endorsed by the powerful Alabama Democratic Conference as well as the Progressive Democratic Council and the United Mine Workers of America. Sylvia Swayne is the first openly trans candidate in the state of Alabama. He identifies as a woman. Sylvia is endorsed by LPAC, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to electing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) women and nonbinary people to public office, and by former State Rep. Patricia Todd. Swayne has 30,000 followers on TikTok. Swayne has a degree from the University of Alabama. Cara McClure founded the nonprofit Faith & Works, whose goal is to bridge the gap between the faith community and social activists. She co-founded the Birmingham chapter of Black Lives Matter. She worked for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. She studied at Jacksonville State and Alabama State. Phyllis E. Oden-Jones is a retired Birmingham Police senior detective. She is a veteran politician who has served on the Fairfield City Council. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UAB. Antwon Bernard Womack is a perennial candidate. Womack has a Master’s in business administration from Dartmouth College’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and a bachelor’s in economics from Yale University. He has some experience as a union organizer. Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. is also the deadline for any independent or minor party candidates to turn in all of their filled-in paperwork, including the necessary ballot access petitions, to the Secretary of State office. Rep. Plump resigned after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges involving kickbacks to a longtime legislative aide for State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham). The polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7:00 p.m. HD55 voters who wish to participate in this special election must bring a valid photo ID to the polls. There is no same-day registration in Alabama, and voters must vote only at the polling place they are assigned. The special general election will be on January 9. If necessary, there will be a special Democratic primary on October 24. This is one of three open seats in the Alabama House of Representatives. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Special master deadline to finish redistricting maps is today
Monday is the court’s deadline for the special master to complete his work on redrawing Alabama’s Congressional districts. On Friday, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on Alabama’s emergency appeal to keep the partisan congressional district lines drawn by the Alabama Legislature in a July special session in place. The three-judge panel has ordered the state to draw a new congressional district map with a second majority-Black district, or something close to it. The legislature submitted a map that increased the percentage of Black voters in Alabama’s Second Congressional District from 30 percent Black voters to 39.9 percent. The three-judge panel ruled that that map still violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. State Representative Jim Hill (R-Odenville) told the St. Clair County Republican Party on Thursday the three-judge panel ordered the state to submit a plan with two majority-minority or very close to it. “The Legislature passed a map with a 40% Black district. The three-judge panel absolutely did not accept that,” Hill said. Hill said that this case, and its implications in other states has national repercussions on control of the U.S. House of Representatives. “The Republicans hold a (House) majority right at this moment, but it is very narrow,” Hill said. “It very easily could swing the majority of Congress back to the Democrats.” Attorney General Steve Marshall (R-Alabama) asked the three-judge panel to stay their redrawing of the congressional district maps while the state appeals to the Supreme Court. The three-judge panel refused, ruling that it was unlikely that the Supreme Court would find in the state’s favor. Marshall and the state’s attorneys are now asking the Supreme Court to put the redistricting on hold. Attorneys for the civil rights groups that challenged the state’s 2021 congressional redistricting are asking the court to reject the state’s request that they pause the court-ordered redrawing of the district maps. The plaintiffs in the case said that the state of Alabama “knowingly and intentionally” defied the three-judge panel’s orders and passed a map that continued to dilute the influence of Black voters in congressional elections. As it stands today, what maps the state will use for next year’s congressional elections are up in the air until the Supreme Court rules on Marshall’s request for a pause. “We are now in a waiting game,” explained Rep. Hill, who is a retired circuit judge. If the court does not order a pause in the process, then the three-judge panel is expected to consider the special master’s options in an October 3 hearing. If the Supreme Court orders a pause in the process, then the 2024 election could proceed with the map prepared by the Legislature in July, even if the court ultimately finds against the state. The major party primaries are on March 5, with candidate qualifying beginning on October 16. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Online scam targeting Alabama Power customers
By: Alabama News Center Staff Scammers are targeting Alabama Power customers as part of a complex, ongoing scam across the region affecting customers of multiple utilities. Scammers are creating fraudulent utility websites, posing as official company sites, with fake customer service numbers. After landing on these fraudulent sites, customers who wish to pay their bill over the phone are calling the associated 800 numbers and disclosing their personal information, falling victim to the scam. As always, Alabama Power works with each customer to determine the best service option for their account. The schemes that criminals are using are not part of the company’s business practices. If you wish to pay an Alabama Power bill, use only the company’s residential customer service number: 1-800-245-2244 or access your account online at the company’s official website, alabamapower.com. An informed customer can combat scammers. Remember these tips to protect yourself from scams: For more information, visit www.alabamapower.com/scam. Republished with the permission of The Alabama NewsCenter.
U.S. is top exporter of liquified natural gas in first half of 2023, led by Gulf states
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor The U.S. exported more natural gas in the first six months of 2023 than in any other previous six-month period, the U.S. Energy Information Agency reported. U.S. companies averaged 12.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in the first six months of this year, an 11% increase from their average over the same period last year. This is after in May of this year, the U.S.’s “net natural gas exports as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and by pipeline averaged a monthly record high of 13.6 Bcf/d.” It’s also after the U.S. in 2017 became a net exporter of natural gas for the first time since 1957, “primarily because of increased LNG exports,” the EIA says. The U.S. became a net exporter after Cheniere Energy was the first to export domestically sourced LNG from the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and from the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas. LNG is natural gas that’s been cooled to -260°F. By changing its state from gaseous to liquid form, LNG “is 600 times more compact, making it much easier to transport and distribute to places where pipelines are not available,” Texans for Natural Gas explains. Average natural gas deliveries to U.S. LNG export terminals increased by 7.1% (0.9 Bcf/d) week over week in the first half of 2023, the EIA reports, averaging 13.0 Bcf/d, “the highest weekly average since May.” Natural gas deliveries to terminals in South Louisiana increased by 8% and to terminals in South Texas by 6.4%. The majority of LNG-carrying capacity vessels also depart from Louisiana and Texas ports, it notes. Over a 10-year period, U.S. natural gas demand, which includes domestic consumption and gross exports, increased by 43%, the EIA also reported. This translates to 34.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from 2012 to 2022. As a result, demand in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Texas grew by 116%. This is due to several factors, including increased demand for feedgas for LNG exports and increased natural gas-fired electric power generation, which was partially due to states moving away from using coal as an energy source. The U.S. “leads the world in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, in large part thanks to the increased use of natural gas in the power sector,” Texans for Natural Gas states. “Natural gas has 55% lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal, which means when switching from coal to natural gas for power generation, the GHG savings are immense.” The U.S. became the world’s largest LNG exporter in the first half of 2022, led by Texas, when Texas energy production and export infrastructure and the Port of Corpus Christi helped provide a lifeline to European countries, TNG notes. Nearly 75% of all U.S. exports went to Europe in the first half of 2022 as E.U. countries and the U.K. decreased their reliance on Russian-piped natural gas by 40%, a Texans for Natural Gas analysis found. In the first six months of 2022, more than 90 million tons of LNG moved through the Port of Corpus Christi to Europe, according to the report. TNG also estimated that 96% of the additional planned U.S. LNG export capacity located in the Gulf of Mexico will largely be supplied by Texas. “Texas is providing energy security not just for the United States but for the world. Texas energy – from our wells in West Texas to our ports along the Gulf of Mexico – enabled America to meet European gas needs in a time of crisis,” TIPRO president and TNG spokesperson Ed Longanecker said. Natural gas production is also expected to expand in the Permian Basin after five pipeline projects in Texas are completed and fully operational. If Texas were its own country, it would be the world’s third-largest producer of natural gas and fourth-largest producer of oil. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Florida House examines implementation of ‘responsible fatherhood’ law
By Andrew Powell | The Center Square Contributor A Florida House subcommittee met this week to discuss implementing some of the elements of a bill that passed during the 2022 session designed to promote responsible fatherhood. House Bill 7065 was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April of 2022 and was designed to “aid in creating and sustaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children and families that allow children to grow up to their full potential,” and also focuses on responsible fatherhood. During the Florida House Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Community Services Jess Tharpe from the Florida Department of Children and Families gave a presentation on the steps toward implementation the agency has taken since the bill was passed in 2022. “This was an important bill for the department, and we thank the House for spearheading this initiative and the investment made in fathers across the state of Florida,” Tharpe said. Tharpe added that approximately 39% of children live in a household with a single parent, 24% of children live in a fatherless household, and the majority of children who are removed from their homes and put into state care are from single-parent households. Married couples account for around 9% of situations where a child has been removed. “Fatherless youth are at increased risk of homelessness, dropping out of school, and suicide. When fathers are involved, we see higher levels of social competence and better peer relationships, better performance in school and educational outcomes, more advanced language skills, better flexibility and emotional control skills, and higher levels of self-esteem,” Tharpe said. Tharpe noted that even when fathers are not looking after their children full-time, research suggests that presence in the child’s life can still result in positive outcomes. The bill allows for the DCF to contract for an initiative to promote responsible fatherhood, and to provide services and resources to fathers to encourage more involvement with their offspring. The bill also creates the opportunity for non-profit organizations to provide a mentor program for at-risk youth and to address the needs of fathers. The DCF expects to launch the ‘Fathers First’ website in October, along with the full implementation of the initiative’s overall campaign across the Sunshine State. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
UAW strike against Stellantis, General Motors expands to 38 locations
By Scott McClallen | The Center Square The United Auto Workers on Friday at noon expanded its strike against the Big Three automakers to 38 locations at General Motors and Stellantis. After failing to achieve significant progress at the bargaining table, UAW President Shawn Fain called on more workers to strike nationwide. “As expected, we’re planning to stand up strike in response to the lack of progress in bargaining with GM and Stellantis,” Fain said in a livestream video. “We will shut down parts distribution until those two companies come to their senses.” The 38 new parts and distribution facilities covering 20 states include Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, California, Kentucky, Texas, West Virginia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. It adds 5,600 workers to the original 12,700 that walked out earlier this week. Friday marks Day 7 of the UAW strike, which includes 1,400 members striking Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, seeking to eliminate pay tiers. The UAW initially sought wage increases of as much as 46% over four years, cost-of-living adjustments, pensions and retiree health care for all workers, and a 32-hour work week paid as 40 hours. The UAW spared Ford from more strikes, citing increased progress in bargaining, such as reinstating the cost of living adjustments suspended in 2009, the immediate conversion of all temporary employees with at least 90 days of employment upon ratification, and an enhanced profit-sharing formula. Fain said the UAW is focused on moving companies at the bargaining table. “That means maintaining our flexibility and our leverage to escalate as we need to,” Fain said. “We can and will go all out if our national leadership decides the companies aren’t willing to move,” Fain said. The UAW started the strike targeting facilities – one each in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri – totaling 12,700 workers across all original equipment manufacturers instead of stopping work for all 146,000 UAW workers under the Big Three, which would deplete its roughly $825 million strike fund. Fitch Ratings anticipates the UAW strike will have minimal near-term credit implications on U.S. states affected by the strike. Fitch said the affected states and automakers have enough cash to withstand a labor stoppage between two and three months. The U.S. states with the most striking workers and facilities are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. A University of Michigan Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics forecast estimated that Michigan could absorb roughly $180 million of tax revenue losses resulting from a 10-week strike involving all UAW members across OEM without credit deterioration. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
