Mo Brooks applauds passage of occupational licensing reform bills, encourages Kay Ivey to sign them
Rep. Mo Brooks has encouraged Gov. Kay Ivey to sign a series of bills passed by the Alabama legislature aimed at easing the transferability of occupational licenses for people who relocate to Alabama. Senate Bills 99, 141, and 167 all help military family members and service members transfer their occupational licenses when moving. “In January of last year, I had a phone conversation with then-Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett about her decision to stand up Space Command H.Q. at Redstone Arsenal. On the call, she explained the Air Force’s analysis of both qualitative and quantitative factors that led to Redstone’s selection. Secretary Barrett emphasized that locating U.S. Space Command at Redstone Arsenal was in the long-term best interest of national security,” Brooks stated in a press release. Brooks continued, “When I discussed with Secretary Barrett where Alabama could improve for future competitions, Secretary Barrett said Alabama needs to improve the transferability of occupational licenses. It’s important to the military that military spouses be able to easily resume their licensed occupations when relocating from one state to another. I encouraged the Alabama legislature to take action to ease occupational license transfers at the time. Alabama legislators listened.” Brooks thanked legislators for their leadership. “Alabama is better off thanks to your leadership on this important issue. These reforms will help Alabama continue to recruit top talent from across America and will support the transition of military families into Alabama from across the country. Thanks to these reforms, Alabama is ready to support standing up Space Command H.Q.,” Brooks concluded. Senate Bill 99 by Sen. Andrew Jones would create the Interstate Counseling Compact, which would establish requirements and authorize licensed professional counselors to practice in Alabama and will provide accommodations for active-duty military and their spouses. Senate Bill 141 by Sen. Tom Butler revises and extends the timeframe for State Licensure Boards to grant various temporary permits for military spouses licensed to practice in other states. Senate Bill 167 by Sen. Shay Shelnutt creates flexibility for practicing occupational therapists in other states to practice in the State of Alabama. The bill provides special accommodations for spouses of active-duty service members and their families. The bill also creates the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission.
US Space Command site to be located in Huntsville, Alabama
The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday that the new U.S. Space Command headquarters will be in Huntsville, Alabama, after the state was selected over five others competing for the project, including Colorado, where Space Command is provisionally located. The role of Space Command is to conduct operations such as enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches. That is different from the Space Force, which is a distinct military service like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. “I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that Alabama will be the new home to the United States Space Command,” Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. “Our state has long provided exceptional support for our military and their families as well as a rich and storied history when it comes to space exploration,” she said. Huntsville’s nickname, Rocket City, is thanks largely to Wernher von Braun and his team of fellow German-born rocketeers who settled there in the 1950s. The city has long been home to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced the decision days before leaving office. Colorado officials lambasted the move, saying military officials had recommended to Trump that Space Command remain at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, but they were “overruled for politically motivated reasons.” They did not say what those alleged political reasons were. Trump won Alabama in the November election and President-elect Joe Biden won Colorado. “This move threatens jobs, could cause serious economic damage, and upend the lives of hundreds of military and civilian families that were counting on U.S Space Command staying at home in Colorado Springs as well as harm military readiness,” Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a statement. In a letter, U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado urged Biden to reverse the decision upon taking office, saying moving Space Command from Colorado would “damage America’s national security” at a time when Russia and China are actively competing with the U.S.’s space capabilities. U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama said Barrett told him the decision was based “solely on merit and the interests of national security.” Brooks suggested politics will be at play if the site gets moved back to Colorado under the new administration. “Partisan politics should not play a role in national security. Time will tell what happens in a red state when the federal government is totally dominated by Democrats,” the Republican congressman said. The Secretary of the Air Force said Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville had been selected for the new headquarters. The city was chosen after site visits to six states that compared factors such as infrastructure capacity, community support, and costs to the Department of Defense. Redstone Arsenal offered a facility to support the headquarters, at no cost, while the permanent facility is being constructed. The Department of the Air Force said the decision to move to Huntsville will become final pending the results from the required environmental impact analysis. That is expected in the spring of 2023. The headquarters will remain in Colorado until then. Other finalists for the site were Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Port San Antonio in Texas, and Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Florida. Those sites will remain alternative locations until the final announcement. Trump in 2019 authorized the creation of the U.S. Space Command to preserve American dominance on what he called “the ultimate high ground.” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the city is honored to have been selected. Ivey in a tweet thanked U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, and local officials for advocating for the site to be in Alabama. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
