U.S. Senator Katie Britt calls for Senate passage of SHIP Act
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) released a statement on Thursday urging the United States Senate to take up and pass the bipartisan Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act. This legislation would sanction illicit purchases of Iranian oil and hold the regime’s enablers accountable. Iranian oil sales to China continue to fund the Ayatollah’s ability to repress Iranian protestors and finance its terrorist proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen. Sen. Britt recently joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and 27 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Senate version of the SHIP Act. The U.S. House of Representatives already passed the companion version of the bill in an overwhelming bipartisan 342 to 69 vote earlier this month. “It is simply common sense to hold accountable the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism for financing barbaric atrocities that kill Americans and our allies. However, the Biden Administration continues its dangerous strategy of appeasement to the grave detriment of our national security both here at home and abroad,” said Sen. Britt. “Since President [Joe] Biden took office, Iran has profited nearly $80 billion from oil sales alone, enhancing the ability of the regime in Tehran to fund more terrorism against innocent children, women, and men. The only pathway to peace is through unwavering American strength. I’m glad to see the U.S. House pass this important legislation in a bipartisan manner, and I urge Senator [Chuck] Schumer to bring the Senate version to the floor for consideration with all due haste.” “Our nation’s foreign adversaries must know they will face consequences for empowering other regimes that are anti-democratic and anti-American,” said Sen. Rubio. “We must enact and then rigorously enforce this bill so that those who are enriching themselves through the sale of sanctioned oil, or linked with its illicit trade, are held accountable.” Intelligence officials widely believe Iran is funding the Hamas war against Israel and is encouraging its proxies in Syria to launch attacks on U.S. troops deployed there. Katie Britt was elected to the Senate in 20222. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Organizations make their pitches for Alabama opioid settlement money
Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector Lawmakers and public officials heard proposals from different organizations Thursday for spending grant money from the state’s share of a national opioid settlement agreement. Fourteen groups made their pitch for funding to members of the Oversight Commission on Opioid Settlement Funds during Thursday’s meeting, hoping to secure a grant from the estimated $249 million that Alabama is expected to receive. “If you will recall, the Legislature, House, and Senate, passed the first allocation of funds, which was $10 million, $1.5 million of that went to the prisons, the ADOC,” said Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, the chair of the committee. “The other $8.5 million, which is what you will hear about today.” The proposals included treatment services and prevention measures, fentanyl detection, and veteran support. The funding came from a settlement between the state and companies who have been largely blamed for precipitating the crisis in which thousands of people, spread across the nation, have become addicted to painkillers and other opioids, about $21 billion spread out over the next 18 years, based on the 2021 settlement. State Opioid Coordinator Debbi Metzger said there are three waves to the opioid epidemic. “The first is the overprescribing of very potent prescription opioids to individuals,” she said. “Alabama was number one in the nation for many years, and as a result of that, the overprescribing led to numbers in overdoses like we had never seen before.” The second wave of opioid deaths happened in 2010 when heroin use increased. That was followed by a third wave that began in 2013 with the rise of synthetic opioids. Alabama’s death rate from drug overdoses was 30.1 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of death from opioid overdoses was 21.2 per 100,000, according to KFF. Kimberly Boswell, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, said grants may be awarded based on prevention, treatment, and recovery support. Prevention grants have no limitations because “anyone may be affected by substances at many points in their lifetime,” Boswell said. Most of the money will be directed toward treatment, with almost $6 million of the allocation going toward firms that specialize in that area. Those who specialize in prevention will receive 20% of the money, followed by recovery services at 10%. Applicants came from different areas. His Way Ministries and New Life for Women are treatment centers, which helps clients with addictions were two of the companies who presented at the committee and will likely submit a request for proposal for grant funding. The amount was not disclosed at the meeting. The window to apply for funding that includes specific projects began Friday. “We have served over 1,000 men and their families, and have graduated 500 into a life of recovery through a nine-month extensive recovery program,” said Tom Reynolds, director of ministry for His Way Ministries, based in the Huntsville area. “We have consistently exceeded a 90% graduation rate in our 16 years.” Others, such as the Military Officers Association, said that the Alabama Department of Mental Health has spent $40 million per year for the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, but nothing has been allocated specifically for veterans and their families. “Suffice it to say, our state is not meeting the needs of our servicemen and women,” said Jerry Steele, who leads the Alabama chapter of the Military Officers Association. Sunray, a Huntsville company, sought money for the development of a machine that detected fentanyl placed within containers. “This device could be used in a prison walking through the screener,” said Steve Schmidt, who is listed as the agent for the company. “It can be used in a mailroom. It can be used in Montgomery to screen every piece of mail that comes in.” Companies may submit their requests for proposals at the Department of Mental Health’s website. Officials will begin reviewing and evaluating the proposals throughout December, and the committee will meet in January to recommend awards. “You look at the resources, and the multiple ways that opioid addiction is impacting our life,” said Cam Ward, Director of the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. “I talk about it from the criminal justice side, but you heard someone talk about how it is impacting services and other agencies.” 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. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Senate plots to break Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military nominees
Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee advanced a resolution on Tuesday that would allow the Senate to override U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Alabama) nine-month hold on military promotions. Tuberville spoke at length with Alabama reporters on Wednesday about this development. “What’s happening now, that I have been about nine or ten months of holds on admirals and generals – flag officers, the Democrats have said we are just going around Coach,” Sen. Tuberville said. “We are going to go to the Rules Committee (and) pass a new rule that we can go around him, and for the next year and a half, we won’t have holds from the minority part of the Senate. That will probably happen in maybe around the first of December. It did come out of committee. It did come out of the rules committee, so now they will have the vote in the next couple of weeks to go around me.” Senate rules require 60 votes to change the rules, meaning that with a 51 to 49 split, Democrats need Republican support to pass the rule change. “They have got to have nine Republicans,” Tuberville said. “I can’t imagine nine Republicans siding with the Democrats. Number one against pro-life. Number two against executive overreach and then siding with the Democrats on anything because they don’t side with us on anything.” The resolution was led by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The rule would temporarily change the process, allowing for the nominees to be approved en masse, letting the chamber more quickly vote on the promotions that Tuberville has slowed with his opposition. It would require the support of all Democrats and independents and at least nine Republicans. Several GOP Senators have expressed their frustrations with Tuberville over this publicly. It remains to be seen if there are nine of them willing to stand with Democrats and risk backlash from the pro-life movement over it to pass the rule change. Several Republican Senators have become frustrated with Tuberville’s intransigence on this and have spent hours on the Senate floor criticizing him on this topic – hours that could have been spent confirming military promotions simply by bringing a petition to override Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-New York) stranglehold on the Senate calendar. Tuberville said he has had no assurances from his Republican colleagues that they will not cross over and vote with Democrats on this rule change. “I have not been assured,” Tuberville said. “I think there is going to be some people on the Republican side that say that we need to get this over with and not hold up these promotions. We don’t need to do that because it is not affecting readiness at all. I do have a couple of things that I am working on maybe to avoid this to get this over with before a vote happens. Right now, the Republican Party is going to have to decide whether they are going to be pro-life or vote for this resolution to pass to go around me. It is disturbing sometimes. I am not establishment. I vote for the people of Alabama, and I hope the rest of our delegation would vote for their state, and if they did that, they would vote against the Democrats.” One reporter asked if Tuberville’s holds were pro-life versus the military. Sen. Tuberville objected to that verbiage. “These holds are not pro-life versus military,” Tuberville answered. “The Republicans – all Republicans – we’re pro-life, and we’re also for the military. The Democrats are not for either. They are definitely not for the life of the unborn, and they really don’t support the military like Republicans do, so let’s go down that avenue.” Tuberville remains staunchly opposed to the Pentagon’s abortion policy, which allows servicemembers and their families stationed in states where abortion is restricted to take time off and be reimbursed for travel expenses for the procedure. Critics say his tactic of holding up the promotions threatens military readiness and unfairly punishes service members. “I am doing what is right for the people of Alabama and the American people, and hopefully my Republican colleagues stick with me on that,” Tuberville concluded. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and every other Republican on the committee voted against the resolution, though they have told reporters that they are still trying to find a solution with Tuberville. The body could bring the nominations as part of regular order as the Founders intended, or the Defense Department could reverse the controversial policy change prompting Tuberville’s hold in the first place. Democrats are unwilling to compromise on either point and have rejected a plan in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives’ version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would override the Defense Department policy that created this conflict. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Carl, Tuberville, and Britt offer condolences for Rosalynn Carter
On Sunday, the Carter Center announced that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter had died. She was 96. Congressman Jerry Carl (R-AL01) said on the social media site X: “Tina and I are thinking of and praying for President Jimmy Carter, plus the many family and friends of First Lady Rosalynn Carter. May she rest in peace.” U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) said on X: “First Lady Rosalynn Carter dedicated her life to service – particularly as a mental health advocate. Much of her work shapes how we address today’s mental health crisis. My prayers go out to President Carter and the Carter family.” U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said on X: “Rosalynn Carter lived an incredible life that was wholeheartedly devoted to serving others. She leaves behind a legacy of grace, grit, and goodwill. Our thoughts and prayers are with President Carter and their loved ones.” She is survived by former President Jimmy Carter. President Carter served as President from 1977 to 1981. Carter, at age 99, is the longest-lived President in American history. The former President has been in hospice care for the past several months. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden released a statement on the Passing of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. “First Lady Rosalynn Carter walked her own path, inspiring a nation and the world along the way,” the Bidens wrote. “Throughout her incredible life as First Lady of Georgia and the First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn did so much to address many of society’s greatest needs. She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities.” “Above all, the deep love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership, and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism,” the Bidens continued. “She lived her life by her faith. Time and time again, during the more than four decades of our friendship – through rigors of campaigns, through the darkness of deep and profound loss – we always felt the hope, warmth, and optimism of Rosalynn Carter. She will always be in our hearts. On behalf of a grateful nation, we send our love to President Carter, the entire Carter family, and the countless people across our nation and the world whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter. May God bless our dear friend. May God bless a great American.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Rosalynn Carter acclaimed by admirers for her pioneering advocacy for mental health, caregiving
John McCosh, Alabama Reflector November 20, 2023 This story was originally published on Georgia Recorder. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has died, according to the Carter Center, leaving a rich legacy of championing mental health and women’s rights. She will be buried at the ranch house in Plains she and former President Jimmy Carter built in 1961. She died Sunday just days after the family announced she had entered hospice at the home. Carter was 96. She was married for 77 years to Jimmy Carter, who is now 99 years old and entered hospice early this year. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Jimmy Carter said in a statement on the center’s website. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum Sunday, a testament to her broad popularity that transcended partisan politics and her enduring contributions to causes and charities that stoked her passion. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Sunday were at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, participating in a Friendsgiving dinner with service members and military families from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Gerald R. Ford. “Time and time again, during the more than four decades of our friendship – through rigors of campaigns, through the darkness of deep and profound loss – we always felt the hope, warmth, and optimism of Rosalynn Carter,” the president said in a statement. “She will always be in our hearts. On behalf of a grateful nation, we send our love to President Carter, the entire Carter family, and the countless people across our nation and the world whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter.’’ Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff said Georgia and the country are better places because of Carter’s contributions. “A former First Lady of Georgia and the United States, Rosalynn’s lifetime of work and her dedication for public service changed the lives of many,’’ Ossoff said. “Among her many accomplishments, Rosalynn Carter will be remembered for her compassionate nature and her passion for women’s rights, human rights, and mental health reform.’’ Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp paid tribute to her, recalling her service as Georgia’s first lady during Jimmy Carter’s term as governor starting in 1971. “A proud native Georgian, she had an indelible impact on our state and nation as a First Lady to both,” Kemp said in a statement. “Working alongside her husband, she championed mental health services and promoted the state she loved across the globe. President Carter and his family are in our prayers as the world reflects on First Lady Carter’s storied life and the nation mourns her passing.’’ Former President Donald Trump said on X that he and his wife, Melania joined in mourning Carter. “She was a devoted First Lady, a great humanitarian, a champion for mental health, and a beloved wife to her husband for 77 years, President Carter,” said Trump. Georgia GOP Congressman Rick Allen posted on the X social media platform: “Rosalynn was a beloved Georgian and dedicated her life to serving others. Our nation will miss her dearly, but her legacy will never be forgotten.” Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Carter “a saintly and revered public servant” and a leader “deeply driven by her profound faith, compassion and kindness.” Pelosi, a California Democrat, recalled how Carter, while her husband was serving as Georgia governor, was moved by the stories of Georgia families touched by mental illness and took up their cause, despite the stigma of the time. “Later, First Lady Carter served as honorary chair of the President’s Commission on Mental Health: offering recommendations that became the foundation for decades of change, including in the landmark Mental Health Systems Act,” Pelosi said. “At the same time, First Lady Carter was a powerful champion of our nation’s tens of millions of family and professional caregivers.” The eldest of four children, Rosalynn was born at home in Plains on Aug. 18, 1927. One of her best childhood friends was Ruth Carter, Jimmy’s younger sister. Jimmy Carter’s mother, Lillian, was a nurse who treated Rosalynn’s father when he was ill with leukemia. Rosalynn enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College in 1945 after she graduated from Plains High School with honors. Jimmy Carter was home on leave from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis that fall when he asked her to go to a movie. By Christmas, he’d proposed to her, but she turned him down because things were moving too fast for her. He soon asked again, and the couple married at Plains Methodist Church on July 7, 1946, a month after Jimmy graduated from Annapolis. As Jimmy Carter climbed the Navy’s ranks, the couple started a family with sons John William arriving in 1947, James Earl III (“Chip”) in 1950, and Donnell Jeffrey in 1952. Daughter Amy was born in 1967. Carter was accepted into an elite nuclear submarine program, and the young family then moved to Schenectady, N.Y. But when his father fell ill, Jimmy left his commission and moved back to Plains to take care of the family’s peanut business. Rosalynn was an active campaigner during her husband’s political climb, beginning with his run for state senator in the early 1960s. By the time he was elected president in 1976, she vowed to step out of the traditional first lady role. Five weeks after Inauguration Day, the President’s Commission on Mental Health was established with Rosalynn serving as honorary chairperson. The Mental Health Systems Act, which called for more community centers and important changes in health insurance coverage, passed in 1980 at her urging. In 1982, the couple founded the Carter Center in Atlanta, with a mission to “wage peace, fight disease and build hope.” She later founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving at the school now known
Personnel Update: J.J. McGrady to serve as new field representative in Rep. Robert Aderholt’s Jasper Office
On Wednesday, Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) announced hiring J.J. McGrady as his new field representative for the Jasper District Office. “I’m excited to have J.J. onboard, and I know he’s ready to hit the ground running,” said Congressman Aderholt. “J.J. will be working the western portion of the district that was previously covered by Paul Housel. And while I know people really loved working with Paul, I know they will enjoy getting to know J.J. and working with him as well. He has already been out meeting with constituents and elected officials.” McGrady previously worked for the Alabama Trucking Association, where he served as Manager of Special Projects. McGrady is a 2021 graduate of The University of Alabama, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, double majoring in public relations and political science. While a student at Alabama, J.J. interned for the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), and the Alabama Senate, working for Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed (R-Jasper). J.J. is pursuing his Master of Public Administration from Troy University. “I am thrilled to be joining Congressman Aderholt’s staff,” said McGrady. “To be able to help and serve the state that I have always called home is extremely special to me.” McGrady will be responsible primarily for covering the western portion of the Fourth District. This includes a large portion of Tuscaloosa County, which McGrady is especially excited about as both he and his wife Amanda are huge University of Alabama fans. Robert Aderholt was first elected to represent Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District in 1996. He is serving in his fourteenth term and is running again in 2024. Aderholt is an attorney and previously served as Chief Counsel for Alabama Governor Fob James (R) To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth announces $179 million in capital improvement grants for K-12 public schools
On Friday, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth announced that almost $179 million has been officially awarded to 327 K-12 public schools across the state that submitted applications and demonstrated a need for capital improvements in their facilities. The Alabama K-12 Capital Grant Program, which was created by the Legislature during its 2023 regular session, allowed public schools to apply for one-time funding for needed capital projects, deferred maintenance, technology improvements, school security enhancements, or existing debt service. The lieutenant governor was statutorily responsible for administering and overseeing the application, review, and award process. “Before awarding grants, we consulted with lawmakers across the state to gather their insights because they know their districts and the biggest needs within them,” Ainsworth said. “We reviewed each application with strict adherence to the law, prioritized the schools and systems where funding would make the biggest impact, and worked hard to make sure each geographic region and area of the state received a fair allocation.” Award letters were mailed to school systems this week, and once requested financial information has been submitted, funding will be released. 80% of the grants were awarded to schools in which more than half of the students are considered “at-risk.” Grants were awarded in 137 school systems across Alabama and will positively impact more than 226,000 students The average grant amount awarded was $546,032.11, and the precise total of grants awarded was $178,552,500.
Homeland Security Chair blasts Joe Biden as Coast Guard catches more migrants
By Casey Harper | The Center Square President Joe Biden is under fire after a new report that the number of illegal immigrants caught by the Coast Guard trying to enter the U.S has doubled in recent years. That data came from Heather MacLeod, director of Homeland Security and Justice at the Government Accountability Office during a hearing this week. “The Coast Guard interdicted more than 12,000 migrants in both fiscal year 2022 and 2023 – more than double the fiscal year 2021 total, according to Coast Guard data,” MacLeod said in prepared testimony. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., responded to The Center Square’s reporting on the increased interdictions, saying President Biden’s immigration policies are endangering U.S. servicemembers. “Historic numbers of encounters at our Southwest border are certainly the main driver of this unprecedented crisis, but they aren’t the only one,” Green told The Center Square. “Illegal aliens also try to take advantage of America’s maritime borders. This route is incredibly dangerous for not only the aliens, but also the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air and Marine Operations officers tasked with interdicting the flow of illegal immigration and deadly narcotics along these routes.” Green blasted Biden for the illegal immigration crisis, which has soared since Biden took office with about ten million illegal immigrants entering the U.S. since January of 2021. “Every day, the Coast Guard plays a crucial role in securing our waterways, and it is unconscionable that Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden continue to make their job harder through their policies of mass catch-and-release that have encouraged more individuals to attempt this route, and emboldened the cartels to traffic more drugs,” Green said. MacLeod said the U.S. should expect that number to rise. While land crossings make up the vast majority of migrant crossings, water transport could allow groups to ship bigger quantities of illicit drugs. “Every year, thousands of people attempt to migrate via maritime routes, many utilizing services of organized smuggling operations and often in dangerously overloaded, unseaworthy, or otherwise unsafe vessels,” Rear Admiral Jo-Ann Burdian, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy (CG-5R) for the U.S. Coast Guard, testified at the same hearing. “Many of the migrant interdiction cases handled by the Coast Guard begin as search and rescue missions. “The Coast Guard employs cutters, boats, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters to identify and interdict migrant vessels as far from U.S. shores as possible,” Burdian added. In one 2021 case, the Department of Justice announced that six Colombian nationals had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use “narco-submarines” to ship nearly 20,000 kilos of cocaine to the Sinola Cartel in the U.S. MacLeod testified that the number of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. by sea will likely continue to rise. “From fiscal years 2011 through 2020, drug interdiction accounted for 13 percent of [the U.S. Coast Guard’s] estimated operating expenses, migrant interdiction 8 percent, and other law enforcement 2 percent, which includes preventing IUU fishing,” MacLeod said. “The operating expenses of these three missions annually averaged more than $1.5 billion over this time period.” The U.S. Coast Guard works with DHS and the Department of Defense to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S.. Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster, R-Fla., led the hearing this week and pointed out the dangers to the migrants attempting these water voyages as well as the Americans being poisoned by drugs like fentanyl, which has killed tens of thousands of Americans in recent years. “The Coast Guard is our nation’s premier maritime law enforcement agency and is actively engaged in countering illicit maritime activity,” Webster said in his opening remarks at the hearing. “This includes stopping the flow of illegal drugs to our shores, interdicting illegal maritime migration, and protecting the environment through efforts to curb illegal fishing.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
After Fifth Circuit ruling, Gulf lease sales scheduled for Dec. 20
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor After the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals’ order last week, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced that it scheduled Lease Sale 261 in the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico for Dec. 20. In September, a federal judge ruled the Biden administration must go through with offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico by Sept. 27 as originally planned and under original conditions. The Fifth Circuit concurred but amended the ruling, pushing back the lease sale date to Nov. 8. Last week, the appellate court ruled that the Biden administration must hold the lease sale within 37 days of its ruling on Wednesday. It also ordered BOEM to include 6 million acres in the Gulf that it had previously removed from the sale. Earlier this year, BOEM reached a settlement with environmental groups opposing the sale to purportedly protect an endangered whale species. BOEM announced, “Pursuant to direction from the Court,” it will “include lease blocks that were previously excluded due to concerns regarding potential impacts to the Rice’s whale population in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM will also remove portions of a related stipulation meant to address those potential impacts from the lease terms for any leases that may result from Lease Sale 261.” Environmental groups opposing offshore drilling allege the industry would cause an endangered whale species to go extinct because it only lives in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2019, NOAA Fisheries designated the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale as an endangered subspecies under the Endangered Species Act. In 2021, it expanded the designation to include Rice’s whale, which is also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The state of Louisiana, American Petroleum Institute and petroleum companies, Chevron and Shell, sued, arguing BOEM’s policies violated federal law. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the rulings were “a major win not only for the rule of law, but also for Louisiana jobs and affordable energy. At a time when working families are being squeezed by unaffordable Bidenomics, I am glad to deliver yet another victory defeating overreaching bureaucrats. … Congress is clear: lease sales must take place; so we are grateful the Judge cut through the noise and upheld the law.” BOEM issued A Final Notice of Sale for public inspection Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. It will be published in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, it said. The opening of bids will be live streamed at 9 am CDT on Dec. 20. All terms and conditions of the lease sale are listed online. The Fifth Circuit’s decision also came after the U.S. Department of Interior issued in September a five-year plan to impose even greater restrictions on federal offshore oil and gas leasing. LOGA President Mike Moncla said that while the Inflation Reduction Act “promised us anywhere from zero to eleven offshore lease sales,” the Department of the Interior was “only committing to three for the next five years. This will curtail discoveries for years to come.” “Every other administration prior to this one had Five-Year Plans that enabled uninterrupted leasing activities,” he said. “This action will negatively impact Louisiana jobs and diminish GOMESA funds that are rebuilding our coast. The Gulf of Mexico provides 15% of our nation’s oil. These attempts to slow, or halt offshore production hurts all Americans at the pump and makes us more dependent on foreign oil.” “As predictable as” the department’s plan is, Moncla said it was “still disappointing to see that the Biden administration’s war on the oil and gas industry rages on” at a time when “worldwide demand for oil and gas is at record levels and our products will continue to be necessary for decades to come.” The U.S. oil and natural gas industry, led by the Gulf states of Texas and Louisiana, set records in petroleum exports and were the top exporters of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the first half of 2023. This is after the U.S. became the world’s largest LNG exporter in the first half of 2022, led by the two Gulf states, the EIA previously reported. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Tax revenues down slightly in October compared to the year prior
In the first month of Alabama’s fiscal year, the state’s tax revenues are down slightly by 1.3% compared to October 2022. According to the state Department of Revenue, the state’s major sources of revenue – the personal income, the state’s 4% sales and the corporate income taxes – all took a dip compared to the year before. Revenue from the state’s personal income tax in October decreased 6.19%, shrinking from $310 million to $291 million this year. The state’s sales tax revenues shrunk by 7.65%, going from $268 million to $248 million. Corporate income tax was down by 8.41%, shrinking from $77.8 million to $71.3 million. One of the biggest drops was from the state’s 68-cent per cigarette pack tax, which had a fall of 21.96% compared to October 2022. Those revenues were down from $11.8 million to $9.2 million. One tax that broke the state’s negative revenue trend was the Simplified Sellers Use Tax Program, which allows collection of a flat 8% use tax on out-of-state sales and avoids heavier local levies such as Mobile and Birmingham (10% combined state and local sales tax rates). Those collections were up 15.27%, going from $53 million in October 2022 to $61.9 million. Another outlier was the state’s 4% use tax, which was up slightly (2.28%) compared with October 2022. The tax, which is levied on out-of-state purchases, had its revenues grow from $52.3 million to $53.5 million. Gasoline tax revenues were down only 0.58%, staying in the $58 million range. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
