Open letter from Clay Scofield
To the Citizens of Senate District 9, Thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on a 30-year-old farm boy from Arab, AL, when you first elected me. Serving you as your State Senator for the past thirteen years has truly been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope that I have made you proud. Every day, I have gotten up and worked hard to make our District and our State the best it can be. I have chosen to focus on areas that give you and your children a better tomorrow. Areas such as a better business climate, education, infrastructure, and things that improve your quality of life. We have made great strides in improving Alabama’s beautiful state parks, and we are well on our way to connecting all our citizens to high-speed internet. I have also focused on working with my colleagues to put our state in better fiscal shape than when we found it. When first elected in 2010, Alabama was in terrible financial shape. Our state was not only broke, it was broken. With my colleagues and I focusing on common sense reforms such as the Rolling Reserve Act and exercising fiscal restraint, Alabama’s budgets are in much better shape. We have a lot less debt, and we have more money in savings so that we can better weather the next storm. I am proud of the work that we have accomplished, and I have had the distinct honor of serving with some of the finest people in our state…on both sides of the aisle. You may have heard that I have resigned from the Senate to become the Executive Vice President of the Business Council of Alabama. This decision was one of the hardest that I have ever had to make, and with any decision of this magnitude, I involved a lot of prayer and talked it over with family and friends. If I didn’t love serving you, the decision would have been easy. It’s a dream job with an organization whose mission I strongly believe in. I have always supported policies that make Alabama more business-friendly because if we have healthy businesses, they can create more high-paying jobs. As President Ronald Reagan said: “I believe the best social program is a job.” This new job will allow me to continue my mission to make Alabama the most business/job-friendly state in the nation. It will allow me to continue to work for you and support you in different ways. It will also let me get more business-friendly candidates elected to office and to protect and support the elected officials who are working to make Alabama better. In closing, I will still be around, and I will still be working hard for you every day. I will work more in Montgomery, but District 9 will still be my home. I will stay involved in our community and support the many organizations that make our home special. As you all know, we are lucky to live in this special place. Not only is it one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but what truly makes it special is the people. You are a hard-working, God-fearing, family-loving, and generous people, and you are what has made me want to serve you all these years. Again, and I cannot say it enough: thank you for letting me be your servant leader, and next time you see me out in the district, please say hello. With Gratitude,Clay
Clay Scofield reported to be leaving Alabama Senate
Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) is expected to resign his position in the Alabama Senate this week – perhaps as early as Monday – sources say. Scofield is expected to leave the State Senate to accept a role with the Business Council of Alabama (BCA). Sources claim that the Alabama Ethics Commission has reportedly approved Scofield’s acceptance of the powerful position most typically associated with the BCA’s lobbying efforts, with the understanding that he will not personally lobby the State Senate until the two-year revolving door period has passed. Scofield, 43, is a poultry farmer with a degree in agricultural economics from Auburn University. The BCA, which represents both small and large businesses, is one of the most influential lobbying forces in Montgomery. Their most recent success, however, comes not from a lobbying win but from the election of their past president, Katie Britt, to the U.S. Senate. After years of supporting failed candidates for the U.S. Senate, Britt’s campaign found its footing running not as the BCA choice but by distancing her from the powerful organization she ran beginning in 2018 and emphasizing her ability to show independence from their moderate agenda. Britt bucked the BCA publically against the COVID Vaccination Mandates. BCA, while often at odds with the pulse and tone of voters, has remained one of the strongest campaign and lobbying powerhouses of the state. Other entities wielding comparable influence include the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA), the Alabama Education Association (AEA), and the Alabama Forestry Association. Should Scofield deflect from the legislature to the BCA, leaving an open position in the State Senate, a special election would have to be called by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Sources report to Alabama Today that both Rep. Brock Colvin (R-Guntersville) and Rep. Wes Kitchens (R-Boaz) are expected to seek the position. The part-time position in the Alabama Senate pays $53,913 per year. The regular legislative session is a maximum of thirty legislative days. Republicans presently control 28 of the 35 seats in the Alabama Senate. The 27 remaining Republican state Senators will have to select a new Majority Leader. The Majority Leader is second in power in the Senate to only the President Pro Tem. – currently Sen. Greg Reed (R-Jasper). Scofield was elected in the Republican wave election of 2010 – which saw the GOP gain control of both Houses of the Alabama Legislature for the first time in 135 years. Scofield was unopposed in 2018 and 2022. Scofield has denied reports by 1819 News that he intends to leave the Senate to become a lobbyist. However, it is still possible that this is true. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Bryan Newell is running for Congress in Alabama’s Third Congressional District
Bryan Newell qualified with the Alabama Republican Party last week to run in Alabama’s Third Congressional District, challenging incumbent Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03). Newell served five years in the U.S. Army Infantry. After five years, he was discharged and went to college. After 9/11, Newell reenlisted and deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. In his military career, he served as a drill Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, Aviation Maintenance Supervisor, Battalion Flight Operations NCOIC, Battalion S3 Future Operations NCOIC, Brigade SPO Forward Aviation Liaison, and Aviation Senior Instructor. After retiring, he returned to Alabama to care for his aging parents. Newell said he was shocked as he watched his country go to waste. He had complained enough about his elected officials sitting on their hands as the country crumbled beneath their feet. It was “time to put up or shut up.” He believes that serving in Congress is a dream that God has placed in his head. Newell has been married to his wife Lourdes for 20 years, and they have three children and two grandchildren. “It’s amazing how some elected officials get elected and a few terms later they are multimillionaires, and yet they can’t balance the budget or fix the deficit,” Newell said. “They say it’s from sound investments. In the real world, they call it insider trading. Ask Martha Stewart. That’s why I support the Pelosi Act or any bill preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments.” Newell said that he favored listing drug cartels as terrorist organizations. “Over 100,000 people have died from the drugs pouring across the border,” Newell said. “The trafficking of children in the sex trade. Cartel coyotes escorting immigrants across the border for over $6000 a person. Children walking carrying a bag of day-after pills because she knows she will be raped along the way. These cartels should be destroyed, but until then, we should seize their assets and find and shut down money laundering operations. We should lock them down so tight that the cartels would be applying for asylum and food stamps. It was reported in 2018 that the cash-rich cartels are believed by the Mexican government to generate well over $21 billion each year. What do you think it’s up to now?” Newell continued, “We have a house full of career establishment politicians with no teamwork experience, no leadership experience, and no passion for developing solutions for the problems that arise on their watch. They sit up there 20, 30, 40, 50 years, running on problems they help create year after year. I’m tired of our so-called representatives acting as if they are the royalty and we are the peasants. I want term limits. Six terms for Congress, two terms for Senate.” Newell said that he opposes gun control. “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people,” Newell said. “Over 46,000 people died in the United States last year due to vehicle accidents. You don’t see the government trying to ban vehicle manufacturing.” “When I’m elected, I will have a weekly open Zoom conference call from 6 pm to 8 pm one night of the week where anyone can walk into my local Alabama office and talk to me one-on-one and explain their problem and see what I can do for them,” Newell said. “That is what I call being your voice in Congress. Our country declared its independence and went to war over taxation without representation. What do you have right now? Your voice in Congress. It’s a horrible thing to waste.” Newell said that he opposes biological men being allowed to play in women’s sports. “What happened to Title 9? What happened to allow girls to participate in sports, get scholarships, attempt the Olympics, and attempt greatness? Allowing biological men in women’s sports is a slap in the face to all women,” Newell said. “20 years ago, we were disgusted to find out 31 countries practicing female genital mutilation on the news. We wanted these countries to stop. Most were religious reasons; some were traditions. Either reason, it was horrible. Today, we have the same thing here. Not because of religion or tradition but because of social issues. Why did transgender spike in GEN-Z in America and not so much in other countries? Why is it mostly men who are transgender?” The major party primaries are on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Napoleon Bracy announces campaign for U.S. Congress in newly redrawn District 2
Today, Napoleon Bracy announced his campaign for Congress to represent District 2. District 2 was recently redrawn after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Allen v. Milligan that said Alabama’s previously-drawn map violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered new maps that create an “opportunity district” for minority voters to cast ballots for the candidates of their choice. Bracy has been a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing District 98, since 2010. He was elected to serve as chairman of the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus in 2013 and is currently the co-chairman of the Mobile County Legislative Delegation. Bracy posted on Facebook, “I’ve been praying and now I’m about to step out on faith. Please pray for me and our community and please like and share to show your support.” Almost 30 percent of the state’s population is African American, but only one of the state’s seven congressional districts has a Black representative: Congresswoman Terri Sewell, who represents District 7. “We are taking this thing to Congress,” Bracy said. “This district is made up of so many cities, communities, and neighborhoods just like the one I grew up in—places hurting with high poverty and crime rates, unemployment that just don’t have a lot of opportunities, some of it is because they’ve been overlooked. This gives us an opportunity to finally have a seat at the table and get the things we deserve.” Bracy graduated from Blount High School in 1995 and is a 2000 graduate of Dillard University of New Orleans. He received his Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Pentecostal Bible College of Tuskegee, Alabama, in 2014. Bracy is the manager of diversity and inclusion for Austal USA, a defense contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense. He began his political career at age 26, in 2004, with the Prichard City Council, representing District 3.
BCA endorses Madison City Councilman Teddy Powell in upcoming special election
Last week, the powerful Business Council of Alabama (BCA) announced that the board of directors of ProgressPAC, BCA’s political arm, has endorsed Madison City Councilman Teddy Powell in the special election for Alabama House of Representatives District 10. Powell has served as a city councilman in Madison’s District 3 since 2016 and recently retired from the Department of Defense, where he worked as a budget analyst. BCA said that in his council service, Powell has prioritized education, strategic economic and infrastructure development, preservation and revitalization, and business expansion within the city. Powell serves on the council’s Finance Committee, the Industrial Development Board, and the Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals, and is the council representative to the Historic Society. Mark Drew is the Chairman of ProgressPAC. “ProgressPAC firmly believes in endorsing candidates who share our commitment to creating a stronger business landscape throughout Alabama,” said Drew. “Our endorsements reflect a vision of sustainable economic growth across the state. We are proud to stand behind candidates who champion the interests of Alabama’s businesses and hard-working Alabamians.” Powell has a business administration and finance degree from Birmingham Southern College and a master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. House District 10 includes parts of the Cities of Huntsville and Madison and is in Madison County. Powell was the only Republican candidate to qualify for the open seat thus, there was no need for a December special Republican primary election. The seat in House District 10 became vacant following the resignation of former State Rep. David Cole, who pleaded guilty to voting at the wrong polling place. Cole ran for and won the open District 10 seat in 2022, even though he did not live there. Powell faces Democrat Marilyn Lands in the March 26, 2024, special general election. Cole defeated Lands in 2022 To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Mike Rogers says attacks on Americans will not be tolerated
On Friday, the U.S. launched airstrikes on two targets in Syria. Following the air strikes, Congressmen Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) and Adam Smith (D-Washington), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released a joint statement affirming their support for sending a message to Iran and avenging the U.S. service members attacked by Iranian backed terrorists in Syria. “Last night, we were informed that the U.S. military conducted strikes against facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and their proxies in Syria,” Rogers and Smith said. “These strikes come after recent attacks that injured 21 U.S. servicemembers and resulted in the death of one U.S. contractor. We stand united in sending a message to Iran and their terrorist proxies that attacks on Americans will not be tolerated as we continue to work with our partners in the region to avoid escalation of the current conflict.” The two facilities were in eastern Syria and are reportedly used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and its proxy militias. The Pentagon says that the strikes were in response to attacks against U.S. troops in the region, the Pentagon announced late Thursday. President Joe Biden ordered U.S. military forces to carry out “self-defense airstrikes” on a weapons storage facility and an ammunition storage area reportedly used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups in eastern Syria. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement, “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17. As a result of these attacks, one U.S. citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty. The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.” “The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces,” Sec. Austin continued. “We will not let them. If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people. These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict.” The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has not lessened tensions with Iran. Over the weekend, Iran ominously threatened massive attacks if “red lines” are crossed. Mike Rogers is in his 11th term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama medical cannabis licensing process reset: All 90 applicants back in the running
Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector All 90 applicants for commercial medical cannabis licenses are back in the running after the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) Thursday reset the license process. The AMCC rescinded all awarded licenses and denials from an Aug. 10 meeting, setting the stage for a third round of license grants under rules adopted at a commission meeting on Oct. 12. “We decided to start all over as far as the award,” said Rex Vaughn, the chair of the AMCC, after the meeting. “It doesn’t matter if [uncontested in court] or not, they’ll all be taken into consideration after the presentations. The new procedures will allow commissioners to use the previous scores to decide on awards, but Vaughn, speaking from a prepared statement during the meeting Thursday, repeatedly stated the commissioners had full discretion “when evaluating the suitability of all 90 applicants.” The new rules also give applicants an opportunity to contest deficiencies identified in their application and their score results. Presentations will be open to the public. Applicants can also respond to preliminary pass/fail and submit application material that were not previously filed due to the file size limitation. Presentation Schedule: Nov. 27 – Cultivator and State Testing Laboratory Applicants Nov. 28 – Secure Transporter and Processor Applicants Nov. 29 – Dispensary Applicants Dec. 4 – 8 – Integrated Facility Applicants Will Somerville, an attorney representing Alabama Always, a company that has sued the commission after being denied licenses in previous rounds, sent a letter to the commission Wednesday urging it to throw out the scores provided by the University of South Alabama earlier this year. “If the scores remain, or if they are considered in any way, the scores will be used by applicants who are not awarded a license to attack the award winners,” Somerville wrote. “The reality is that this process will, regrettably, be subject to unending litigation if the Commission continues to use the scores.” After the Thursday meeting, Vaughn said that he felt confident that the licensing process is in better shape now that issues have been addressed. Litigation, he said, will be part of the commission’s work. “Litigation will be ongoing. We know that. That’s just going to be part of our lives on the commission for the foreseeable future,” Vaughn said. Vaughn also addressed how the commission will conduct site inspections, a point of contention with companies that have argued in court that the AMCC did not inspect sites before awarding licenses. Under state law, inspections must be completed before licenses are issued, but the commission is not required to inspect them before. Vaughn said that inspections will occur between the time licenses are awarded and when they are issued, about a month’s time. “We have inspectors lined up, investigators ready to do their work, but we have to get to the point of issuing the license,” he said. The commission will begin accepting public comments for or against particular applicants on Friday. Comments must be made electronically through the AMCC website by Nov. 26. Antoine Mordican, CEO of Native Black Cultivation, a hemp company that wants to move into medical cannabis cultivation, said that he’s happy to learn the direction the commission is going in. The commission should have the final say on how they award the licenses, not a third-party evaluator. “For them to be able to pull everything back and to be able to look at everything again — even with the potential of them not considering the license —because ultimately the commission has the last final say, in which that should always have been the case,” Mordican said. Aretha Dix, a former Alabama Medical Cannabis Study Commission member who was denied a dispensary license, said she was excited to show the commission “what she stands for.” “I feel like it’s now fair. It’s officially fair,” she said. “I think it’s how it should have been initially, but I’m excited that we get a chance to say ‘Hey, this is who we are.’” She said that she’s been patient through the process, and she understands that before patients can have something in place, the process had to be ironed out first. But she didn’t expect her application to be scored as it was. “I knew my intentions. I came in with honesty and transparency. Most importantly, with the desire to really make a difference and make a change for the citizens of the state,” she said. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Illegal border crossers total over 10 million since Biden inauguration
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor More than 10 million people have been reported illegally entering the United States since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the greatest number in history and of any administration. They total more than the individual populations of 41 states. The number of people illegally entering the country surged after Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas halted many preexisting border security policies, advanced sweeping parole and other policies to release the greatest number of illegal foreign nationals into the country, encouraged people from all over the world to use a phone app to enter the U.S., and facilitated U.S. entry application processes in foreign countries, among others. Official U.S. Customs and Border Protection data includes 3,201,144 apprehensions in fiscal 2023; 2,766,582 in fiscal 2022; 1,956,519 in fiscal 2021; and 471,954 in the nine months Biden was in office in fiscal 2020. CBP’s fiscal year is from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Combined, official apprehensions total 8,396,199. They exclude gotaway data, which CBP does not report publicly. The Center Square has been reporting preliminary gotaway data solely reported by Border Patrol agents at the southwest border. The information is obtained from a Border Patrol agent who provides it and other information on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Since January 2021, a minimum estimate of nearly 1.7 million gotaways have illegally entered the U.S. Based on earlier projections and including Office of Field Operations data, former CBP chief Mark Morgan told The Center Square the gotaway data is likely to reach or exceed one million for fiscal 2023 alone. In fiscal 2021, there were at least 308,655 known, reported gotaways; in fiscal 2022, 606,150 were reported. According to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square, Border Patrol agents reported at least 769,174 gotaways at the southwest border alone. This number excludes OFO data, gotaway data at the northern border and other CBP ports of entry nationwide. The Center Square has not yet received total internal gotaway numbers. However, even those are considered a best estimate because they exclude unknown and unreported gotaways, those who illegally enter undetected – meaning, the number is likely much higher. Law enforcement officials have said they have no idea how many gotaways there are in the U.S., or who or where they are. Combined, the minimum estimated known, reported gotaways from Jan. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2023 is at least 1,678,979. Since January 2021, total illegal border crossers apprehended nationwide were 8,396,198. Combined with at least 1,678,979 gotaways, the number increases to over 10 million (at least 10,075,177). This is greater than the individual populations of 41 states. The only states with an estimated population greater than the number of illegal border crossers are California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina. They edged ahead of Michigan’s estimated population of 10,030,722. The total number of illegal border crossers during the period equates to 25% of California’s population, 33% of Texas’ population, 44% of Florida’s population and nearly 52% of New York’s population. They’re equivalent to over 17 Wyomings; over 15 Vermonts; nearly 14 Alaskas; and nearly 13 North Dakotas. They total nearly ten Delawares, the home state of the president. Among them are 1,586 known, suspected terrorists (KSTs) who were apprehended in fiscal years 2020-2023. In fiscal 2023, CBP agents apprehended the greatest number of KSTs – 736 – in a single year in U.S. history. They also apprehended the greatest number of criminal noncitizens in U.S. history, totaling nearly 50,000. This number excludes the tens of thousands of criminal noncitizens arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and an unknown number arrested by local and state law enforcement officers. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Alabama Department of Human Resources funding to fall 15% as federal COVID funding stops
Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector The end of the COVID emergency will mean a 15% cut in the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) funding in the current fiscal year, due to declines in federal funding. DHR estimates that its operating budget will fall by about $123 million over the 2023-24 fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30 of next year. The operating budget for the first quarter of the fiscal year will be about $812 million. By the last quarter, the department’s budget will fall to about $689 million. Nancy Schlich, DHR’s chief financial officer, said that additional funding, which came from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, provided grants to improve childcare staffing shortages and childcare costs. “We won’t have that funding this time of year,” said Schlich. Divisions within DHR will be affected differently. Child support will see the second-largest funding reduction in the new fiscal year. Funding will decrease about 40%, from about $26 million in the first quarter to about $15.5 million in the last quarter. State department administration will see the largest reduction, from about $27 million in the first quarter to about $14 million in the last quarter, a 49% decrease. For the 2023-24 fiscal year, DHR requested $192 million from the state’s General Fund and $100 million from the Education Trust Fund. The department received $121.8 million from the General Fund and $80.9 million from the Education Trust Fund. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Suspect in Maine shooting found dead
By Alan Wooten | The Center Square Robert Card, the subject of a manhunt in Maine since late Wednesday night, was found dead Friday. Lawmen say he was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot. Lewiston and the surrounding area had been on alert while authorities searched for Card, who police say was the gunman that killed 18 people and injured 13 others at a bowling alley and then a bar. His body was recovered in Lisbon Falls near the Androscoggin River about 7:45 p.m., Gov. Janet Mills said at a late night press conference. “Like many people, I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” Mills said. The 40-year-old Card was a U.S. Army reservist. Reports say his mental health was a concern earlier this summer. A suicide note was found Thursday, police said. The bowling alley and bar are not far apart. Names and pictures of the slain were released earlier Friday. They included a 14-year-old boy, two women and 15 men. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
