Presumed dead state lottery comes back to life, passes Alabama House
In the dead of night, the state lottery bill came back to life. After a constitutional amendment to establish a state lottery fell two votes shy of the number required for approval, the bill was presumed dead Thursday evening. With no clear path to passage, and a looming Friday deadline for the amendment to appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot, lawmakers in favor of the bill began a series of long-shot resuscitation efforts to bring the bill back to life. Remarkably, their efforts worked. In an unbelievable of series of votes, supporters of the lottery managed to revive the amendment around midnight and pass it, 64-35, with just one vote more than was needed. Three Democrat representatives — Selma’s Darrio Melton, Hayneville’s Kelvin Lawrence and Grand Bay’s David Sessions — crossed the aisle to make passage possible. “I would like to thank the Democrats and Republicans for coming together and showing bipartisan leadership,” Gov. Robert Bentley said Friday morning. “I would just like to say that I appreciate what they did and what they did for the people of this state.” The amendment’s future is still not finalized, as it must now head back to the Alabama Senate for final approval, where senators must decide whether or not to go along with mostly minor House changes to the legislation they passed last week. But for the time being, the lottery bill is still alive.
Alabama House approves BP oil spill settlement split
The Alabama House of Representatives cleared a major hurdle Thursday, approving a bill to use the state’s settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to pay debts and build roads in south Alabama. Lawmakers approved the bill 88-10. The plan, devised primarily by Ozark Republican and Committee Chairman Steve Clouse, calls for the state to create a $639 million bond issue and apply the BP payments to pay off the bonds. Under the plan, $450 million of the settlement would be used for debt repayment and nearly $200 million would go toward road projects in coastal counties. The bill now moves to the Alabama Senate.
Meet the four Republicans running for Mike Hubbard’s legislative seat
Four Republicans are vying for former House Speaker Mike Hubbard‘s legislative seat in the Alabama House of Representatives. Hubbard was immediately removed from office in June when he was found guilty on 12 counts of public corruption. Following the jury’s decision, Gov. Robert Bentley set the timeline for special election, indicating major party candidates had to qualify with their respective parties by Thursday, July 14. Friday, the Alabama Republican Party announced Jay Conner, Joe Lovvorn, Brett Smith and Sandy Toomer all qualified to run for the Lee County District 79 seat. No Democrats choose to run in the special election. Here’s an look at the four candidates who have qualified to run for Hubbard’s vacant seat: Jay Conner Conner has been a leader in the Auburn community for over 30 years, serving in leadership positions such as chairman of the Lee County Board of Equalization, member of the Lee/Russell Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Auburn Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Conner has also served on task force committees with the city of Auburn in the areas of green space, watershed and downtown development. He is a licensed real estate broker and development manager. “I’m running for the Alabama House of Representatives in District 79 because we need true, honest, and genuine representation,” Conner said in a news release. “The people of District 79 should speak for themselves through a representative who will craft legislation and vote in accordance with our residents’ will, not for the benefit of those gaming the system.” Joe Lovvorn A veteran firefighter and businessman, Lovvorn earned both his undergraduate degree and his MBA from Auburn University, and is currently a Realtor and the owner/franchisee of Two Men and a Truck. “I have spent my life working to make our community a better place to live and raise a family,’’ Lovvorn said. “That goal will not change, and I have the experience to make it happen. I’m asking the voters for this opportunity, and I won’t disappoint.’’ Brett Smith A founding partner of Auburn-based Huff Smith Law Firm, Smith is a member of both the Alabama and Florida State Bars. His practice areas include small business, nonprofit and charitable organizations law. “I enter this race today with the specific intent to be an alternative to the tired and bland politician we have all grown so accustomed to in politics,” Smith said in the release. “As the Bible says, we are useless if we are lukewarm, better off discarded if we lose our saltiness.” Sandy Toomer Former Ecuadorian missionary, Toomer is currently the owner of Toomer’s Coffee Roasters in Auburn. Toomer previously challenged Hubbard for the District 79 seat in 2014. “We’ve been given a gift, and a second opportunity earlier than expected to start some change, and I think it needs to start right here in Lee County in District 79,” Toomer said of Hubbard’s removal from office. The primary election will be held Sept. 13. If a primary runoff is needed, it will take place Nov. 29 and the special general election will be Feb. 7, 2017.
House OKs General Fund despite opposition, threat of veto
The Alabama House of Representatives passed a General Fund budget Tuesday, which leaves in place a roughly $85 million budget shortfall for the state’s Medicaid program. Gov. Robert Bentley has already signaled that a failure to fully fund Medicaid would cause him to veto the bill and likely call for a special session. House Democrats fought vehemently against bringing the budget to the floor, noting that a failure to fully fund Medicaid would obliterate the state’s recently announced Regional Care Organization (RCO) program and leave millions of needy Alabamians with no healthcare. Despite that, the bill made it to the floor and was debated for several hours. In the chamber, Democrats again railed against the legislation in the five-hour skirmish and members of both parties chastised Bentley for providing some Cabinet members with a significant raise while the state’s General Fund crumbles. Republicans struck back, claiming that the additional money for Medicaid just is not there and there is little to no appetite for raising taxes in an effort to collect more revenue. After passage of the bill, the Arise Citizens’ Policy Project (ACPP) released a statement condemning the General Fund budget’s failure to fully fund Medicaid. “These Medicaid cuts would be devastating for Alabamians, our economy and our entire health care system,” said ACPP Executive Director Kimble Forrister. “They could force many rural hospitals to close and prompt many pediatricians to leave the state. They would end coverage of essential services like outpatient dialysis and adult eyeglasses. And they would end promising new Medicaid reforms that would save money and keep people healthier.” “We simply can’t afford these Medicaid cuts,” Forrister continued. “It’s wrong to put health care at risk for children, seniors, and people with disabilities in Alabama. It’s time to get serious about raising the revenue needed to invest in a healthier Alabama for all.” With its passage in the House, the bill will go before the Senate. If the Senate passes the measure, Bentley has said he will veto the legislation and require lawmakers to take it up again.
Alabama Supreme Court denies challenge to constitutionality of grandparent visitation law
On Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court declined a request by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to revisit a ruling by a lower appeals court declaring the Alabama Grandparent Visitation Act unconstitutional. The act, which became law in 2010, provided grandparents with the ability to seek “limited visitation rights” in cases where parents refused to allow grandparents access to grandchildren. The law was first declared unconstitutional just one year after its inception because it infringes on the rights of parents to decide what’s best for their children, including who those children are allowed to see. Though the Alabama Legislature attempted to alter the law to address those concerns, the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals ruled in October that even the amended law was unconstitutional. The appeals court used an Autauga County case, where the plaintiff was only identified by the initials E.R.G., to strike down the amended bill when a grandmother sought access to two of her grandchildren despite the parents’ objections. The original act passed the Alabama House of Representatives by a 99 to 0 vote and was eventually cleared by the state senate as well. Though justices did not issue an opinion today, with the Alabama Supreme Court website only noting that Strange’s request was denied, Justice Greg Shaw wrote: “The attorney general, in his certiorari petition, contends that various writings by the Justices in E.R.G., including my writing, indicated that a presumption in favor of the parent’s decision was required for the GVA to be constitutional. Because the 2011 amendments to the GVA provide such a presumption in favor of the parent’s decision, the attorney general contends that the GVA as amended in 2011 is now constitutionally sufficient.” “I regret that the Supreme Court denied (my) certiorari,” Strange said in an email. “The Legislature could have benefited from the Court’s guidance on how to craft a statute that passes constitutional muster.”
Alabama House delays bill to block cities from raising minimum wage
The Alabama House of Representatives has delayed a vote on a bill that would prohibit cities from raising the minimum wage. The proposal sparked heated debate Monday night on the House floor. Mountain Brook Republican Rep. David Faulkner says the state shouldn’t have a patchwork of minimum wages. He says he believes raising the minimum wage would cause businesses to move, close or not hire. The proposal sparked harsh criticism from Democrats. Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa says local governments can make the determination if a wage increase is needed in their areas. England argued that no one can live, or raise a family, on the current minimum wage of $7.25-an-hour. The bill was introduced after the Birmingham City Council voted to raise that city’s minimum wage to $10.10-per-hour. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Email Insight: Special election for District 5 set
Governor Robert Bentley has called set the dates for the special election to for house District 5 to replace Representative Dan Williams. According to WHNT Rep. Williams announced in February that he had leukemia and had recently been under the care of hospice. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones at this time. See below for his statement and the details. Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday announced the timeline for a special election to fill the vacant District 5 seat in the Alabama House of Representatives. The District 5 seat was previously held by Representative Dan Williams who died on July 1. “Rep. Dan Williams worked hard for the people in the 5th district and the city of Athens,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “My prayers are with Dan’s family during this difficult time. I know Dan will be truly missed, but his legacy will forever live on.” District 5 covers Limestone County. According to the election timeline released Thursday: A Special Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2015. If necessary because of one candidate not receiving a majority of the votes in the Special Primary Election, a Special Primary Runoff Election will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. If a Special Primary Runoff Election is not necessary because one candidate receives a majority of the votes in the Special Primary Election, the Special General Election will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2015. If a Special Primary Runoff Election is required, the Special General Election will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. “This election timeline is designed to have a representative in place for the citizens of District 5 as soon as possible,” Governor Bentley said. “The timeline gives candidates time to qualify, it allows voters time to learn about candidates, and it allows time for those who are unable to vote in-person to arrange to vote by absentee ballot.” Candidates qualifying with major political parties must do so by Monday, July 27, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. The two major political parties are to certify their qualified candidates to the Secretary of State as soon as possible after the qualification deadline but by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. All third-party candidates, independent candidates, and/or minor party candidates seeking ballot access are advised that their deadline for filing the appropriate notification, petitions, or supporting paperwork with the Secretary of State is Tuesday, September 29, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. The formal election proclamation can be viewed here.
