Alabama local/state Coronavirus updates (March 12)
This is our third in a series of collective Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates from around the state. You can find the first here and the second here. This update includes statements from Secretary of State John Merrill, the state senate, and from Auburn University and Samford We will update this post throughout the day as more notices become available. For up to the minute and detailed information from the Alabama Department of Public Health please visit their resource center here. For information from the Center for Disease Control that includes mitigation strategies visit their website here. Download full CDC Mitigation Strategy pdf here. Download CDC at home care guidance for those who have coronavirus but do not require hospitalization here. As of 2:40pm central there are still no confirmed cased of coronavirus in Alabama. However, the big caveat to this is also that there has been limited testing. State Senate: On Thursday the Alabama Senate approved a $5 million supplemental appropriation to the budget to combat the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as Coronavirus, in Alabama. These funds will help supplement the Federal funding which totals $8.1 million to this date. The money is for health care professionals to use as they see fit to stop the spread of the disease in Alabama including helping set up local centers for testing, covering expenses related to telehealth and covering the costs for the uninsured for testing and treatment. Currently there have been no positive tests for Coronavirus in Alabama, however after meeting with professionals in the healthcare industry and public health officials, legislative leadership determined it was important to be proactive and work to get the situation under control should any tests in Alabama come back positive for the disease. Both Senate President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R-Anniston) and Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed (R-Jasper) emphasized that if someone is not feeling well, they should contact their physician to administer next steps and determine if further testing is necessary. “I want to thank Governor Ivey and her team for taking this issue head on. One of the biggest problems we have seen from this disease is simply a lack of preparation,” Marsh said. “It is important for everybody to know that Alabama has a solid plan to combat Coronavirus. I cannot stress enough that if someone feels as though they need to be tested for Coronavirus they should contact their doctor to work through the next steps.” “Over the past several days legislative leadership has held a series of meetings with the Governor and her Coronavirus Task Force, as well as with health care professionals who are on the front lines of combating this pandemic,” Reed said. “It is important to know that we have test kits and tests are being administered and we have excellent health care professionals who are prepared to act. One important thing to note is that we are setting up the ability to contact doctors with telehealth so that next steps can be decided over the phone or video chat to limit the potential of exposure to this illness,” Reed said. “In response to the pandemic that has been going around the nation and the world, this supplementary spending bill is a way for the State of Alabama to be proactive and show our citizens that we are serious about fighting the spread of the coronavirus,” said Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro). “Although we have not had a positive test in the state, we understand that this highly contagious virus could be potentially deadly for those with compromised immune systems. Therefore, we are moving forward in setting up crisis centers to protect our citizens.” Auburn University statement: Auburn University will transition from on-campus instruction to remote delivery beginning Monday, March 16 and continue through April 10 in response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). University officials ask that students refrain from returning to campus after spring break. University officials will subsequently determine if students will return to campus for the remaining weeks of the spring semester. Auburn faculty will contact students on steps they should take to continue their academic coursework. The university will continue normal operations, although departments and units should utilize remote work and “social distancing” as appropriate. “The Auburn Family faces many unknowns about this virus,” said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. “We are taking these unprecedented steps based on our utmost concern for the health and well-being of Auburn students, faculty and staff. In the meantime, we continue working with public health and emergency preparedness officials to make decisions in the best interest of the campus community and to help stop the spread of COVID-19.” Other university actions: All university events, including sporting events, are canceled through April 10, ensuring appropriate “social distancing” and helping prevent the potential spread of the virus. All university domestic and international travel is suspended through April 10. Dining facilities, libraries and residence halls will be closed through April 10. University officials will make arrangements for international students and others who are unable to return home. Students who have specific questions should contact the Division of Student Affairs. Decisions have not yet been made on spring commencement, summer study abroad programs or other events and activities beyond April 10. The university medical clinic remains open. Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should immediately call the Auburn Medical Clinic at 334-844-9825 before visiting the clinic. University officials will make arrangements for students who do not have access to the technology needed for remote instruction. Students who live on campus and believe it necessary to return to campus to collect personal items should first contact the Office of University Housing at housing@auburn.edu. John Merrill, Secretary of State: Our plan for changes in the elections process, if necessary, will be revealed at the appropriate time. Our intentions are to ensure a safe and secure election and provide accountable results in a manner that is transparent to the people of our state. We will continue to do so as we
There’s one last way you can still register to vote for the March 3 primary
With the March 3 primary election just around the corner, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is reminding Alabamians of one final way they can still register to vote in the primary. Alabamians are elligible to register to vote electronically through midnight February 17. This would allow them the opportunity to vote in several extremely important elections that will determine their representation at the local, state, and federal level this yaer. “Voting is fundamental to our representative democracy, which is why the civic participation of all eligible Alabamians is critical to our success as a state. In order for this to happen, however, we need all eligible U.S. citizens that are residents of the State of Alabama to be registered to vote and to have a government-issued photo ID,” encouraged Merrill. Alabama residents may register to vote by visiting their local board of registrars, on our website “AlabamaVotes.gov,” or on the mobile app “Vote for Alabama.” Eligible Alabamians can obtain a free voter photo identification card by visiting their local board of registrars, the Office of the Secretary of State, or attending one of the mobile photo ID units in their area. The list of counties that will soon be visited can be found on the state’s website. “I encourage all eligible residents of Alabama to take the time to register to vote and obtain a photo ID so those who are interested will be able to participate in the electoral process!” added Merrill. Voter requirements To submit an application to register to vote, you must meet the following requirements: You must be a citizen of the United States. You must live in the State of Alabama. You must be at least 18 years of age on or before election day. You must not be barred from voting by reason of a disqualifying felony conviction. You must not have been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law.
Inside the Statehouse: Methodists have Dominated High Offices in Alabama History
Alabama’s leading columnists discusses the respective faiths of our state’s leaders.
Secretary of State John Merrill exits Senate race
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill suspended his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Sunday, citing former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ entrance into the crowded Republican race. Merrill announced his decision in a statement posted on his Facebook page. Merrill said he “saw a path to victory” when he entered the race in June, but that Sessions’ decision to join the field last month “dramatically” changed the race to challenge Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in 2020. “With Senator Sessions’ late entry into this race, we have come to realize that a crowded Republican primary only benefits Doug Jones and the out of touch liberal Democrats,” Merrill said in the statement. Others contending for the GOP nomination include former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, state Rep. Arnold Mooney and Roy Moore, the right-wing lightning rod who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and lost to Jones in the 2017 special election. Jones is the only Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama. The large field has increased the chances that the March 3 GOP primary will head to a runoff if no candidate tops 50 percent of the primary vote. Merrill, who has previously said he considers Sessions one of his heroes, did not make an endorsement in the statement. He said he would continue to serve as Alabama’s secretary of state. Republished with the Permission of the Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions to announce Alabama Senate bid
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions will announce that he is entering the race for his old U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, two Republicans with direct knowledge of his plans said Wednesday. Sessions, 72, will be making a return to the political stage a year after stepping down as President Donald Trump’s first attorney general when their relationship soured over his recusal from the Russia investigation. The two Republicans confirmed to The Associated Press that Sessions is expected to announce his candidacy Thursday. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. They said Sessions has not spoken to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about it, nor has he informed Trump of his decision. The longtime senator’s candidacy upends the 2020 Republican primary, which has a crowded field competing to challenge Democratic Sen. Doug Jones for the once reliably red seat. Some GOP primary rivals wasted no time going on the offensive. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville said Sessions has been “out of the swamp for less than two years, and now he’s itching to go back.” “He’s another career politician that the voters of Alabama will reject. As Attorney General, he failed the President at his point of greatest need,” Tuberville said in a statement. U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, the first Republican to announce a run for the Senate seat, played up his loyalty to Trump when asked about Sessions’ plans to enter the race. “Alabama deserves a Senator who will stand with the President and won’t run away and hide from the fight,” Byrne said in a Wednesday statement. Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump’s 2016 campaign, and the two supported similar policies on immigration and law enforcement. But Sessions’ recusal from the Russia inquiry prompted blistering public criticism from Trump, who eventually asked him to resign. Despite enduring repeated public mocking, Sessions has remained a Trump loyalist who continues to back the president’s policies. In a speech last month at a Republican Party fundraiser in Huntsville, Sessions reiterated his support for the president even as he joked about life after being “fired” from a job. Sessions praised Trump’s effort on trade, immigration and foreign policy. “That’s why I supported him and why I still do support him,” Sessions told the crowd of about 500. “He is relentlessly and actually honoring the promises he made to the American people.” Sessions, for years a popular figure among state Republicans, represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2017. He will enter the race as a presumed front-runner, but the effect of Trump’s online and verbal lashings has yet to be seen in Alabama, where the president remains popular. In June, Trump called his selection of Sessions as attorney general his “biggest mistake.” “I would say if I had one do-over, it would be, I would not have appointed Jeff Sessions to be attorney general,” Trump said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” One of the Republicans who spoke anonymously to the AP sees no indication that Trump has changed his feelings about Sessions and thinks he’ll eventually fall back because of the president’s attacks. But David Hughes, a political scientist at Auburn University at Montgomery, said there is no reason to think Sessions wouldn’t immediately be a front-runner. “He has a baked-in constituency. He has a huge donor network. … He’s got name recognition and the people of Alabama still largely like him,” Hughes said. In Alabama, midterm voters gave mixed assessments of their former senator. About as many said they had a favorable opinion of Sessions as unfavorable, 45 percent to 42 percent, according to AP VoteCast, a midterm survey of more than 750 voters in Alabama. Democratic voters were overwhelming negative, with 75 percent saying they view Sessions unfavorably. Even among Republican voters, about a quarter said they had a negative impressions; about two-thirds rated Sessions favorably. The Republican primary also includes Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill; former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who lost to Jones in a special election two years ago; state Rep. Arnold Mooney; and businessman Stanley Adair. By Brian Slodsko and Kim Chandler. Chandler reported from Montgomery, Ala. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Doug Jones leads fundraising in senate race
U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama continues to lead in fundraising as he heads to a tough reelection fight. The Deep South Democrat raised $2 million last quarter, more than all the GOP primary candidates combined, according to the latest campaign fundraising reports. He has a campaign balance of $5 million. Jones won the 2017 special election to fill the Senate seat that belonged to Jeff Sessions. Now sometimes referred to as the Senate’s most endangered Democrat, he is facing a tough reelection battle in 2020, but fundraising numbers suggest he will be well-armed financially for the fight. A crowded GOP primary field is competing for the right to challenge Jones. Republican U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne leads in overall fundraising with $2.5 million cash on hand. Byrne raised $408,000 in two separate accounts last quarter. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville has $1.4 million on hand after raising $373,000 last quarter. Secretary of State John Merrill has $738,429 on hand after raising $378,020 last quarter and taking out a $250,000 loan. Legislator Arnold Mooney raised $242,738 last quarter. Businessman Stanley Adair raised $148.882 and loaned his campaign another $4,500 in the same time period. Former Chief Justice Roy Moore, who lost to Jones two years ago, is lagging most of the GOP field in cash. He has raised less than $100,000 total for his latest Senate bid. Moore ran for the Senate seat in 2017 but lost the special election after several women accused him of sexual misconduct. He denied the accusations. Other candidates in the race reported raising less than $10,000. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Governor Kay Ivey appoints elections official with fraud history
A woman previously charged with voter fraud has been appointed to a county elections board by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. News outlets report Ivey appointed 79-year-old Rosie Lyles to the Hale County Board of Registrars on Friday. Lyles was charged with four counts of voter fraud in 2007 and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of possession of a forged instrument. Ivey Press Secretary Gina Maiola says the governor didn’t know about the conviction and hadn’t done a background check before the appointment. She says background checks aren’t typical for such appointments. Secretary of State John Merrill is the state’s top election official and says his office is investigating the appointment. He says it appears Lyles can serve as registrar, however, as her conviction wasn’t a felony. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
State monitors in Alabama to observe runoff in Montgomery
Twelve complaints regarding a recent election in Alabama have prompted state officials to provide monitors for the next vote. News outlets report Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said Thursday that five teams of two observers each will watch over the Montgomery municipal runoff on Oct. 8. Merrill says reports of voter fraud following the city’s municipal election Aug. 27 sparked the plan. He says most complaints were about delays in reporting information and improper use of election equipment. Voting machines weren’t tested ahead of the election, which Merrill says is standard operating procedure. He says some of the election workers lacked proper training. Merrill says the state has sent observers to other elections in the past. State monitors have been used in seven municipal elections in Alabama since 2016. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
John Merrill joins GOP race to unseat Doug Jones in Senate
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is joining a growing field of Republican primary candidates competing for a chance to unseat Democratic Sen. Doug Jones next year. Merrill announced his candidacy Tuesday in a press conference at the Alabama Capitol. He said Alabama needs a “proven conservative” in the Senate seat who will support President Donald Trump on immigration, judicial appointments and other issues. With 100 supporters standing behind him, Merrill said Jones would be better suited to representing New York or California. The 55-year-old Republican is a former member of the Alabama Legislature.Also running in the GOP primary are former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, legislator Arnold Mooney and businessman Stanley Adair. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Roy Moore to announce US Senate plans Thursday
Conservative lightning rod Roy Moore of Alabama will announce this week if he is running for U.S. Senate in 2020. Moore’s wife, Kayla Moore, confirmed that he will make an announcement on the Senate race Thursday. Moore, who lost in 2017 to Democrat Doug Jones, told The Associated Press last month that he was seriously considering another run. Moore was defeated amid allegations of long ago sexual misconduct with teenagers. Moore denied the allegations. President Donald Trump last month appeared to discourage Moore from entering the race. Trump tweeted that Moore “cannot win” and said Republicans need to retake the seat in the once reliably red state. Trump added that if Democrats retain the seat in 2020, “many of the incredible gains that we have made during my Presidency may be lost.” Moore brushed aside that assertion that he can’t win. He told The Associated Press last month that he believed that establishment Republicans are trying to keep him out of the race and put pressure on Trump. “Everybody knows I can win and that’s what’s worrying in Washington.” Moore said last month. Jones narrowly defeated Moore in 2017 by 22,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast in a special election to fill the seat previously held by Jeff Sessions, who became Trump’s attorney general. Republicans control the Senate 53-47 and view defeating Jones as a top priority. Jones, 65, is considered the most endangered Democratic incumbent facing re-election in 2020, a year when several GOP senators are vulnerable and control of the chamber will be at stake. During the 2017 race, six women accused Moore of pursuing romantic or sexual relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was an assistant district attorney in his 30s. Two, including a woman who was 14 at the time, accused him of assault or molestation, accusations that he has vehemently denied. As he weighs another Senate bid, Moore contends the 2017 election was a “fraud.” Moore has a strong following among Alabama’s evangelical voters, support that propelled him to twice being elected as the state’s chief justice. Before the 2017 race, the West Point graduate was best known for hardline stances as Alabama chief justice against allowing gay couples to marry and in favor of public display of the Ten Commandments. A judicial ethics panel twice removed him from the bench, ruling he had defied, or urged defiance, of federal court orders. Moore would be part of a crowded GOP primary field if he enters the race.Republican candidates already include Congressman Bradley Byrne, former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville and state Rep. Arnold Mooney. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said he will announce a decision next week. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
John Merrill announces expansion of online filing tools: trademarks can now be filed online
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill on Monday announced another expansion of the online services offered to the people of Alabama. The newest service now available is the process for citizens to register trademarks with the state. “I am excited to eliminate another form of bureaucratic red tape for the people of Alabama, as I indicated that I would do when I first campaigned for this office,” said Merrill. Trademarks are a way for a business or citizen to register any recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from others. Expanding the online compatibility of these systems will allow Alabamians to complete many of the functions necessary to run a business from the comfort of their home or office. To access the portal for registration or renewal visit the Secretary of State’s Website.
John Merrill appoints 10 members to Probate Judges’ Advisory Council
On Thursday, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill announced 10 newly appointed members of the Probate Judges’ Advisory Council. First formed in 2015, the council works with Merrill to ensure elections and corporate filings continue their path of modernization while still preserving the security and integrity of those systems by administering them appropriately, accurately, and efficiently and as effectively as possible at the county and state levels. The advisory council is a bi-partisan collection of Probate Judges from counties over the state that advise Merrill and keep him informed about issues that need improvement in the counties and at the state level. Members of the Committee are as follows: Judge James Tatum: Bullock County Judge Daniel Rosser: Colbert County Judge Jimmy Nunn: Dallas County Judge David Money: Henry County Judge Frank Barger: Madison County Judge Laurie Hall: Marengo County Judge Al Harden: Russell County Judge Rob Robertson: Tuscaloosa County Judge Nick Williams: Washington County Judge Brittney Jones-Alexander: Wilcox County
