Donnie Chesteen uses stalling tactics to effectively kill education choice bill

On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee failed to vote on a school choice bill that was debated before the Committee. Instead, the bill has been referred to another committee for their consideration. Senate Bill 202 (SB202) is sponsored by Sen. Larry Stutts. Over 200 people crowded into an overflowing public hearing in the Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee. Opponents and proponents of school choice both presented their arguments for and against in a time restricted format. Based on the applause and cheers it appeared that proponents far outnumbered the people there in opposition to the bill. Following the debate, the Republican Chairman of the Committee, Donnie Chesteen, said that his committee would not vote today on the bill. “We will not take a vote today,” Chesteen said. “My recommendation is that we refer this to the education budget committee.” “We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars out of the education budget,” Chesteen said. “We need to know what we are cutting.” “I asked that it be referred to the budget committee when I introduced it,” Stutts said. “I understand the stalling tactics that are playing out,” Stutts said. Thursday will be the 15th legislative day. The Alabama Constitution limits the regular session to a maximum of thirty legislative days. Under the rules of the Alabama legislature, it takes a minimum of five legislative days for a bill to pass. If the bill bounces from committee to committee for the next three or four weeks, there won’t be time for the bill to get to the floor of the second house for an up or down vote before the session ends. “I have never seen that,” Sen. Stutts told Alabama Today referring to the Chairman re-referring the bill to a second committee and expecting it to come back to the first committee for consideration. The House of Representatives has passed rules abolishing the practice of re-referring a bill from one committee to another before it can be considered by the full body. The Senate has not adopted that rule. “I am going to have a talk with the Chairman,” Stutts told Alabama Today. Dr. Arthur Watts is the Finance Director of the Montgomery City School System. “This bill could cost $600 million,” Watts told the Committee. The typical teacher costs about $70,000. That includes $10,000 in benefits. Just one fourth of that, $150 million divided by $70,000 would be a loss of over 2080 teachers. Half that would be $300 million. That would be a loss of 4160 teachers. If it cost all of that, $600 million, that would be a loss of 8320 teachers. Eagle Forum Director Becky Gerritson said, “Education dollars should go to educate the children.” “We already do this in higher education,” Gerritson said. “We take money in the form of Pell Grants and allow them to use the money the way they want. They can go to state schools, private schools, or technical schools. We do this all the time with higher ed.” Gerritson said there would not be a mass exodus from public to private schools if SB202 passed. “They will still get 98% of the students, but that little bit of competition makes the difference,” Gerritson said. “When private schools fail they close, when public schools fail we give them more money.” Gerritson explained that the bill sets up an educational savings account for every child that elects to opt out of the existing public school system. “The money goes directly from the account to a vender,” Gerritson said. “We can track every dollar.” Gerritson said that Eagle Forum backs this approach to school choice rather than existing programs like the Accountability Act and charter schools, because, “This one provides the biggest impact and the fastest.” Allison King with the Alabama Education Association (AEA) spoke against the bill. “Before I came to work for AEA, I worked ten years as a classroom teacher and an administrator,” King said. “We do currently have school choice in our state, and it is not being fully utilized.” King said that this bill has a “lack of accountability and oversight.” King said that the bill creates the opportunity for fraud by both the parents and the education vender the parents select. “The fraud would have to be substantial for it be actionable,” King said. King said that the legislation would allow parents to use the money on purchasing an ipad, sending their kid to Space Camp, or to play travel ball. “All of these things are allowable,” King said. “They can even get accountability act funding and still receive funding through the PRICE Act” The program would be phased in over three years with kindergartern through third grade in phase one. Proponents estimate that most of the children who would get the education savings accounts are already in private schools and of the 80,000 Alabama children who go to private school now about 75% would opt in to the program. “The saddest thing I have had to deal with as a realtor is families having to move because they are chasing schools,” said Sen. Shay Shelnutt. “Thank you Dr. Stutts for bringing this bill forward and I full support this bill.” “I appreciate all that accountability bills we have passed, but by all those measures we are still in last place or very near last place in education,” Stutts said. “That hurts our state on a whole lot of levels and not just on the real estate movement.” Stutts listed the Literacy Act, the Numeracy Act, the Accountability Act, and other efforts by legislators to improve education in the state. “This has the opportunity to change education faster than all of those other things combined,” Stutts said. “Where we rank in education is important.” Stutts explained that the money left over in the education savings account is available for the students. “You are able to use that money until you are 21,” Stutts said. The money left over from K-12 in a child’s account could be used for college or

Conservatives hold rally and prayer service in front of the Alabama State Capital

On Thursday, a variety of conservative groups held a prayer service and rally for their issues in front of the Alabama Statehouse. The Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) and Alabama Eagle Forum held a prayer service and followed that with a rally by the Campaign for Common Sense. The welcome-back rally urged legislators to advance a socially conservative agenda in the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session that began on Tuesday. ALCAP President and CEO and talk radio host Greg Davis said on Facebook, “We had a blessed time of prayer in Montgomery at the Statehouse steps yesterday with ALCAP – Alabama Citizens Action Program. I encourage all Christians to include those who serve us thru Government on your prayer lists and then truly lift them up to God!” Several speakers urged the Legislators to jettison the unpopular Common Core educational standards – renamed the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards by the state school board. The Rev. John Killian said that the state will not succeed educationally while Common Core remains in place. The Campaign for Common Sense Director Lou Campenosi said, “We have been coming here for 13 years, and still nothing has been done.” Campenosi said that the state of Alabama had gone from 20th in educational performance to 52nd in state educational rankings since switching to the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards. The Director of Alabama Eagle Forum, Becky Gerritson, told Alabama Today that State Sen. Larry Stutts and State Rep. Susan Dubose will introduce legislation in each House to prevent pregnant women from being able to obtain medical marijuana – which will become legal in Alabama by the end of the year. Gerritson said that the group would also support a bill to expand school choice for families across Alabama – the Universal School Choice Act. State Auditor Andrew Sorrell advocated for legislation to give his office powers similar to that of other state auditors. Sorrell said that he had been criticized as being “too conservative,” but in the recent November general election, it was he who won by the largest margin showing that true conservatives can win. Sorrell said that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis governed as a conservative and was rewarded with an easy re-election. State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough vowed to support the school choice bill. Former ALCAP Director Joe Godfrey said on Facebook, “Glad to have been a part of the ALCAP Prayer Rally led by Greg Davis.” Stephanie Durnin with the Healthcare Freedom group advocated for passage of the Healthcare Freedom Act. The controversial legislation would prevent employers from being able to require employees to be vaccinated. Durnin said that some workers who refused to get the vaccine are required to submit frequent COVID-19 tests. Durnin said that this was unfair and unjust. Healthcare Freedom wrote on Facebook, “We expect our legislators to pass the #neveragain legislation called the Alabama Health Freedom Act (AHFA) this session. We need your help to make this happen. Here’s your first CALL TO ACTION to kick off this legislative session right…” Other speakers included: former State Auditor Jim Zeigler, 1819 news podcaster Bryan Dawson, Jarman Leatherwood, Angela Shepard, Jackie Connell, Dr. Rick Lance, and others. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.

32 Powerful and Influential Alabamians to know

It’s true, the words “powerful and influential” can be vague and subjective. However, it’s fair to say among the universally accepted definitions within politics and policy is an individual’s ability to create change, start a conversation, influence the public or public officials, move an agenda forward or stop one in its tracks. There’s no doubt that a good number of people are moving Alabama forward in politics and business. Recently, Yellowhammer published its 2021 annual list of who they consider the most influential and powerful. They noted it was a “Peek behind the curtain.” That it always is – a peek into the mind of the editorial team, writers, and friends of the site. With the same people on it year after year, often in the same companies and offices and the standard members of the legislature and statewide offices. Dozens of whom certainly would belong on any list of power or influence: Jo Bonner, Katie Britt, Bob Geddie, Dax Swatek. No one can deny the influence any of them have. Others on the list begged the question “Why?” while others were glaringly missing. This list purposely does not duplicate any name already appearing on that list.  Not all influencers within the public arena are lobbyists or lawmakers. Some within the media or in advocacy organizations can shape or change public opinion. In addition, some influencers have the ability to position themselves, loved ones, or friends to the front of the line for coveted appointments or jobs.  There’s so much to power and influence; while it may hard to describe, you know when you see it, and you know who lacks it. It could be argued that 1-5 are no brainers and would be list repeats, but heck, I say repeat them until it changes.  So with that, let Alabama Today offer 32 additional notable people who were nominated by a ragtag group of incredibly biased judges. Did I mention how incredibly biased we are? This, combined with the YH list, might give one a better view of the movers and shakers with power and influence in the state’s political world. Worth noting, some of them are the bosses, mentors, elders statesman, and wise counsel of many on the YH list, while a couple of others are up and comers.   Jimmy “Yellow Fella” Rane, President/CEO at Great Southern Wood Preserving Not only is the Yellow Fella the wealthiest man in Alabama and Board of Trustee at Auburn, but there’s also no doubt he’s used his financial success to the betterment of the state, giving him great power and influence. His contributions are well documented, politically, economically, and through philanthropy. From 2013 to May 2021, his company has given 178 contributions totaling $2,079,316.40. He also has the Jimmy Rane Foundation, which has more than doubled his political donations with $4.7 million in scholarships. His influence is undeniable and unmatched, which is why he is number one on our list. Mark Crosswhite, CEO Alabama Power Crosswhite’s voice carries a lot of weight, so much so that multiple people on the YH list answer to him in one way or another. Which begs the question, how can anyone deny his place on any list of power and influence?  He chaired the BCA board during a critical time when the organization’s future was in peril, saving a key organization critical to the state’s business development, growth and success, and ensuring a better economic future for the state. As the organization continues to grow and evolve, there’s no doubt he’s still helping steer the ship.   3. Fess St. John IV, Chancellor of The University of Alabama System Finis “Fess” St. John IV comes from a storied line of Alabama influencers, including his father and grandfather. He’s currently the Chancellor of The University of Alabama (UA) System. Which makes him the chief executive officer of Alabama’s largest employer with multiple school campuses and a massive healthcare system.  According to the school’s website, “Total enrollment in the UA System achieved a new record this fall, with more than 70,400 students enrolled at UA, UAB, and UAH. The System’s annual economic impact surpasses $10 billion annually, and upwards of 1.7 million patients are served every year in the System’s hospitals and clinics.”   4. Chris England, House of Representatives, District 70 While many have tried over the last couple of decades, England was able to stop the further deterioration of the Democrat party (with a reputation that was nationally marred by chaos, a lack of structure, oh, and that one toilet story) and begin its rebuilding. One long-time democrat described the infrastructure as stronger now than it has been since the days of Bill Baxley.  England is a graduate of Howard University and the University of Alabama School of Law. His father grew up in Circuit Court Judge John H. England Jr., who served as a justice on the Alabama Supreme Court in 1999-2000. To leave him off the Top 5 of any influential list is to deny reality.  5. Stephanie Bryan,  Tribal Chair and CEO for the Poarch Creek Indians No one should question the top female on this list. It’s no coincidence that she heads one of the biggest political powerhouses in the state of Alabama.  PCI has capitalized on the shift in public attitudes towards a more tolerant attitude towards gaming and lottery to push for changes in the law that would allow their tribe’s operations to grow. This session’s gaming proposal wasn’t successful, but it got further than expected and may come up again in a special session.  She is a political player that many say could be the most powerful over the next couple of campaign cycles.   6. Tom Coker, The Southern Group  Rare can someone survive with the longevity and respectability of Tom Coker. His strength is the state senate, but he can get things done.  His firm’s website names him as President of Tom Coker & Associates since 1982. Tom Coker offers a full range of governmental

What I should have said at yesterday’s hearing for the GIRL Act.

Yesterday, I went down to Montgomery, with my seven-year-old daughter to speak in support of the Gender Is Real Legislative Act, or GIRL Act, by Rep. Chris Pringle.  If you’re not familiar with this piece of legislation it simply says athletes must compete against those of the same gender. Those with gender dysphoria can not decide to participate in sporting events based on their chosen gender over their biological one. Let’s be clear about the type of events that this applies to competitive high school level games that help athletes gain the attention of college scouts and scholarships. During the committee, my daughter was recognized and stated her name, age and innocently noted that she liked sports and wanted them to be fair. While I had the following remarks written and ready to deliver, I did not do so during the meeting, so I am posting them here this evening: My young daughter and girls like her, are the reason we need this bill. Opponents of the bill have said that opposition is about hate fear and bigotry, but they are wrong. This bill is about courage respect and fairness. Three courageous young women’ in Connecticut filed a lawsuit last week to be able to compete in sports without the boys from their school with gender dysphoria constantly beating them due to the advantages of their biological differences. One of those girls said it better than I ever could. “Mentally and physically we know the outcome before the race even starts. That biological unfairness doesn’t go away because of what someone believes about gender identity. All girls deserve the chance to compete on a level playing field.” She went on to say, “Our dream is not to come in second or third place but to win fair and square, all we’re asking for is a fair chance.” If you were in the committee today my daughter said the same thing. My sweet brave daughter. I am trying to teach her that effort and hard work pays off that diligence and commitment to something matters and makes a difference. Imagine training for years for a sport only to find that the outcome is rigged by competitors who aren’t playing by the same rules or with the same tools as you? There are biological differences between young men and young women. gender dysphoria doesn’t change the DNA or physical makeup of a person. A young man who identifies as a young woman will still have the muscle mass, body composition, and hormones of a man. He will still have the physical ability to do things that his that his female counterparts cannot do. The young girls in Connecticut were courageous. But the fact is they shouldn’t have had to be. The adults in their lives should have protected them from the unfair situation that they’ve been placed in.  For years the LGBTQ+ community has said that they just wanted equality and fairness. Well, forcing girls to compete against boys is patently unfair. Allowing MALE competitors with a biological advantage to malign the hopes and dreams of young women is unfair. This isn’t about an agenda, which is what so many in the LGBTQ plus community has made it about. This is about right and wrong. And it is wrong to make these young girls’ shoulder what in some cases can be lifelong consequences of a movement that is not based in science or reality.  Those were the remarks I meant to give, and you may wonder why I didn’t. There were those in the statehouse today, who were genuinely concerned for what my daughter might have experienced during or after the meeting if I had given that speech. Ordinarily, I would have dismissed this concern, but I went ahead and made a last-minute decision at the mic to play it safe.  The speaker after me in support of the bill was Becky Gerritson of the Eagle Forum. She simply discussed the mountain of evidence that the biological differences between young athletes.  After Becky’s remarks Carmarion Anderson, of the Human Rights Campaign, a transgendered female got up in opposition to the bill. It didn’t take more than a moment for me to realize that she was going to have no regard for the child in the front row just a foot from her so I took my daughter out into the hallway. I listened through the door at her remarks. She started with a direct response to my daughter and I, speaking of fairness by saying that “fairness is about allowing a child to live out their truth.” Here’s the issue with that though truth is not subjective. Either you are a female or you are a male. Genetics has already determined a baby’s sex and reproductive organs very early on in the womb. Decades upon decades of medical and scientific literature and studies have been done on the human body. Doctors can now add or subtract breasts. Doctors can chemically change hormone levels. Doctors can even reshape one’s genitals. An individual can grow or cut hair. The list goes on but none of those cosmetic alterations actually change the biological gender of an individual. That said, if a grown woman or man decides to pursue any or all of the above and “live their truth” that’s their choice. None of the above hurt or harm other people and a well informed adult past the age of reason can and should be able to do whatever they’d like with their body and “their truth”. To be clear though, in the context of this bill when it is said, “let a transgendered child live their truth” what is meant is let a transgendered boy unfairly compete against and defeat girls because fairness in the LGBTQ+ community only goes one way. We’re not talking about a level playing field for the community anymore. Now we’re acknowledging and simply overlooking the inequality among competitors that puts female athletes at a disadvantage in female sports and saying our needs and our wants are more important

Personnel note: Eagle Forum of Alabama names Becky Gerritson Executive Director

Becky Gerritson

The Eagle Forum of Alabama has named a new executive director. On Thursday, Eagle Forum of Alabama President Eunie Smith and Foundation President Jim Cooper announced Becky Gerritson announced Becky Gerriston will fill the vacancy left by Deborah Love, who was the past Executive Director through Sept. 2018. Gerritson,the fiery Wetumpka Tea Party co-founder and President, exploded on to the political scene in 2013 garnering national attention when she testified before Congress having been politically targeted by the IRS.  In 2016, she received Heritage Action Sentinel’s Firewall for Freedom Award, was named in Yellowhammer’s 2017 Power and Influence List, and was on AL.com Twenty Most Influential List in 2015. She was also a Republican candidate for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd U.S. District in 2016.  “It is an honor to welcome Becky Gerritson as our Executive Director,” Smith said. “Becky is an effective conservative leader with a long history of championing the values that Eagle Forum exists to preserve. I have every confidence in Becky’s leadership abilities, and I believe that as Eagle Forum of Alabama  Executive Director she will continue to be a bold and respected voice of conviction, principle, and informed policy in Alabama.” Gerritson said she is thrilled to join the group. “Eagle Forum has been an influential powerhouse of principled conservative thought and grassroots activism for decades,” Gerritson said Thursday. “I am thrilled to be on the leadership team of this incredible organization.  As Alabama moves into 2019 and beyond, it is crucial that our principled conservative voice be stronger and more compelling than ever.  I look forward to continuing the fight for our future and our republic with Eagle Forum of Alabama.”  Conservative icon Phyllis Schafly, who founded the  Eagle Forum PAC, a conservative public policy organization that supports candidates who are committed to a conservative philosophy of limited government, national sovereignty and traditional values and served as chairman of its board until her death, in 2016 wrote a glowing endorsement of Gerritson during her Congressional run. “Becky Gerritson is a proven leader. She understands that sound governance doesn’t mean just passing bills that the president will sign, as the current Congress continues to do,” said Schafly. “She knows that sound governance means upholding and defending the Constitution, protecting the security of the American people, and defending the values that have made our country great. Her dedication and passion for the conservative cause has been seen not only by Alabamians but by the nation as she has fearlessly and tirelessly fought against the progressive agenda and big government.” 

Wetumpka TEA Party hosts GOP candidate meet and greet

Voters in a voting booth_Election Day

The Wetumpka TEA Party will host the River Region Candidate Fair on Monday evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for candidates running in the 2018 Republican primary election. Over 40 candidates have confirmed their attendance for the event, which will be held at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Advertised as a “meet & greet,” the event will allow Alabamians to meet each candidate individually and ask them questions about the position they are seeking, rather than listen to speeches and debates. The Wetumpka TEA party will also be conducting a straw poll at the end of the night, with results posted Tuesday morning. “Our mission at the Wetumpka TEA Party is to educate citizens on national, state and local issues and help them get involved in our representative government,” said Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. “It is important that people vote for their elected officials because they know what the candidates stand for and do not just rely on 30 second commercials and attractive yard signs. This is a terrific opportunity to meet the candidates who are running for an elected position, to ask them questions and understand what each candidate stands for.” The following candidates have confirmed their attendance on Monday night: CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES Governor: Bill Hightower, Kay Ivey, Scott Dawson, Tommy Battle (will send a representative) Lieutenant Governor: Will Ainsworth, Twinkle Cavanaugh, Rusty Glover Attorney General: Chess Bedsole, Troy King, Alice Martin Auditor: Stan Cooke, Elliott Lipinsky, Jim Zeigler Secretary of State: Michael Johnson, John Merrill Treasurer: Stephen Evans, John McMillan Commissioner for Agriculture and Industries: Gerald Dial, Rick Pate (will send a representative) STATE LEGISLATURE Alabama House of Representatives 31: Dustin DeVaughn, Mike Holmes Alabama House of Representatives 88: Al Booth Alabama Senate 25: Will Barfoot, Ronda Walker Alabama Senate 30: Clyde Chambliss (Unopposed) ALABAMA COURT SYSTEM Supreme Court Chief Justice: Tom Parker AL Supreme Court Place 1: Sarah Stewart AL Court of Civil Appeals Place 1: Michelle Thomason, Pat Thetford Circuit Court 19 Judge: Bill Lewis (Unopposed) PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Public Service Commission Place 1: Jeremy Oden, Jim Bonner Public Service Commission Place 2: Chip Beeker, Robin Litaker LOCAL AND CIRCUIT RACES: Elmore County Sheriff: Bill Franklin (Unopposed) Probate Judge (Elmore): Vicki Bonner-Ward, John Thornton Elmore County Commission Dist 4: Bart Mercer (Unopposed) Coroner (Elmore): Brad Linville, Jody Jeffcoat Circuit Clerk (Elmore): Michael Dozier, Angie Cruise-Gardner FEDERAL RACE U.S. Congress Dist 2: Rich Hobson, Bobby Bright, Barry Moore A flier for the event may be viewed here: River region candidate fair.

30+ women defend Roy Moore’s character during rally outside Alabama capitol

​On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, more than 30 women stood united in their support of Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore Friday morning. The ladies at a “Women for Moore” rally ranged from former colleagues and fellow church members, to well known figures such as Roy’s wife Kayla, Ann Eubank, the statewide co-chair of Rainy Day Patriots, and the legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, and Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson. There, the women took turns speaking to Moore’s character and defending the former Alabama Chief Justice they claim “has faithfully served in public office for forty years.” “This is a he said-she said situation, some of which are 40 years old, that can never be proven or disproven in the amount of time we have before December 12,” Eubank said at the event. “He has been tried and convicted by the mainstream media in the court of public opinion on just allegations. There is no concrete evidence or proof. The court of law is the proper place for these allegations to have gone, not to the media.” Eubank went on to say if the ” state Republican Party decide to remove Moore from the ballot, or if they worked to disallow or decertify an election won by Moore, there would be a revolt, which she said would be ‘bad’ for Republicans in next year’s statewide election.” Kayla Moore took the mic to reiterate her husband would not quit the race.  “After all the attacks against me, against my family against the Foundation and against my husband, he will not step down. He will not stop fighting for the people of Alabama,” Kayla Moore said. Moore has been under fire since The Washington Post published an explosive report on Thursday Nov. 9 with the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. Since that time, five more woman have come forward with similar accusations against Moore. Moore faces the Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the special election on Dec. 12. Watch video from the event below:

‘Women for Moore’ to hold press conference at Alabama State Capitol on Friday

Alabama State Capitol 2

While women continue to come out of the woodwork alleging Roy Moore‘s sexual misconduct with them as teenagers when he was in the 30s, one group of women are taking a stand in support of him. “Women for Moore” will hold a press conference Friday morning on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, where they will defend the former Alabama Chief Justice who they claim “has faithfully served in public office for forty years.” Wetumpka Tea Party founder Becky Gerritson made the announcement Thursday morning. “He ran for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court twice and won and he ran Governor in 2010.  Yet, not once, during all that time were there any allegations of sexual misconduct,” Gerritson wrote in a news release announcing the event. “During the fight over the removal of the Ten Commandments monument in 2003 and again last year he was put through the fire with the Judicial Inquiry Commission there were no allegations of sexual impropriety.  But now, one month before the election, a volunteer of his opponent, Doug Jones, who also worked as an interpreter for Democrat Joe Biden comes forward.  The second accuser is also looking very suspicious.  It appears that the evidence that she has against Moore has been fabricated.” “We know Judge Moore and we aren’t buying it,” Gerritson concluded. Gerritson will be among the speakers at the event that will attest to Moore’s character. She will be joined by Ann Eubank, the statewide co-chair of Rainy Day Patriots, and the legislative chair of the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs, and Moore’s wife Kayla. Moore has been under fire since The Washington Post published an explosive report Thursday afternoon with the accounts of four women who claim he sexually pursued them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. As of Thursday evening, a total of nine women have levied accusations against Moore. The news has caused rapid fallout from dozens within the Republican Party who have called on him to withdraw his name from next month’s special election if the allegations are true.

USS Cole terrorist bombing survivor to visit Alabama

USS Cole bombed

Nearly one year before the terror attacks of 9/11, the U.S. Navy ship Cole, while refueling at a port in Aden, Yemen was attacked by a two suicide bombers navigating a small motorboat full of explosives. 17 American sailors lost their lives that October day and 59 were injured. The attack was later attributed to a cell within the al-Qaeda network, which had been supervised by Osama bin Laden. Now, over 16 years later, one of the survivors is visiting Alabama to tell his story about the terror attack and to talk about the justice process playing out with the Military Commission in GITMO. Command Master Chief Petty Officer (USN Ret.), James Parlier, the highest ranking enlisted man on the destroyer during the attack will visit Wetumpka on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.. Arranged by Wetumpka TEA Party’s President, Becky Gerritson — who met Parlier during the pre-trial hearings for the alleged mastermind of the USS Cole bombing in her role as a Non-Governmental Observer for Judicial Watch — the free event is open to the public and will be held at Bethel Worship Center, 11117 Highway 231, Wetumpka, AL. More information is available on the Wetumpka Tea Party website.

Martha Roby faced tough re-election after criticizing Donald Trump, but has no regrets

Martha Roby

U.S. Rep. Martha Roby was elected to a fourth term Tuesday night but may have paid a political price for being one of the few Republicans in the Deep South state to speak out against Donald Trump. Roby was forced into a closer than expected race after 29,000 write-in votes drained support from the GOP incumbent in the wake of her criticisms about Trump. Roby was victorious over her challenger by about 23,000 votes, a comfortable win. However, it was far short of the 2-1 victory margins enjoyed by most other GOP incumbents on election night in Alabama. Unofficial returns compiled by the Alabama secretary of state show that at least 29,000 write-in votes were cast in the conservative 2nd Congressional District that stretches from Montgomery through rural southeast Alabama. Roby said last month that she could not vote for Trump after recordings surfaced of Trump in 2005 making lewd comments about being about able to grab women because he is famous. “Donald Trump’s behavior makes him unacceptable as a candidate for president, and I won’t vote for him,” Roby said in October. She said Trump should step aside and let a responsible Republican lead the ticket. “That was the final straw,” William Silaghi, a former air traffic controller and Air Force veteran, said of Roby. Silaghi said he thought Trump’s 11-year-old comments were a lesser concern that Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state. He urged people to write in Becky Gerritson, a tea party candidate who lost to Roby in the primary. “I hope it sends a message to Mrs. Roby that she better start listening to her constituents,” he said Wednesday. Roby, in an interview Wednesday, said she did not regret her decision but respected those who differed in opinion. “I understand that there were people who disagreed with that, and they had the opportunity yesterday to voice that disagreement at the polls,” Roby said. “Whether you voted for me or not, I’m still going to fight for you. I’m still going to listen to you and advocate on your behalf and be there to help when you have a problem,” she said. “I congratulate Mr. Trump, and I’m not only forward to working with him — I’m eager to get to work,” she said. Roby’s comments about Trump came without hope of political gain in a state that Trump was expected to easily carry. Gerritson said she did not start or push the write-in effort on her behalf. Doing so would put her in jeopardy of violating GOP loyalty rules and could make it difficult to run again under the Republican label. Gerritson — who has now twice lost to Roby — said she is uncertain if she will run again. “I’ve not the closed the door on it,” Gerritson said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.

Lines at voting precincts as polls open in Alabama

lines-at-polls

Lines stretched across fields and parking lots as polls opened in Alabama on Election Day. Officials are expecting big crowds after a rough-and-tumble presidential race, and those early predictions looked accurate. Rain won’t be a deterrent to potential voters, as forecasters predicted another dry day Tuesday amid a drought that has parched the state. Republican Donald Trump is a heavy favorite to carry the state over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House, but other races and issues also will be decided. The ballot includes four U.S. House seats plus a U.S. Senate race, and voters will decide 14 statewide amendments. Here is a glance at some of the issues and questions on Election Day 2016 in Alabama: — HISTORY ON TRUMP’S SIDE Trump will carry Alabama over Clinton without a struggle if history and past voting patterns are an indication. Georgia peanut farmer-turned governor Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat to carry Alabama in a presidential election, and that happened in 1976. No Democrat has come very close since then to winning the state’s nine electoral votes, and the trend is getting worse for the party. Democratic presidential candidates have been stuck below 40 percent of the total vote in Alabama since 2000, when Tennessean Al Gore took nearly 42 percent of the vote compared to Republican George W. Bush. It will be interesting to see how Clinton fares compared to Democratic President Barack Obama, who carried 38 percent of the vote and lost Alabama by 22 percentage points to Republican Mitt Romney in 2012. — WHERE DO I VOTE? State election officials are predicting a possible record turnout by Alabama’s 3.3 million registered voters, but what if people are unsure where to vote? A phone call or a few mouse clicks can clear up that confusion. Voters who aren’t sure where to go on Election Day can call their county registrar’s office — the numbers are in the phone book, and most if not all are available online for Alabama’s 67 counties. For people with internet access, the website alabamavotes.gov may be a better solution. The site is operated by the secretary of state’s office. Residents can verify their registration to vote with a simple search at alabamavotes.gov, and another search pulls up information about voting precincts including addresses and polling times. At the same site, search panes also are available to view sample ballots for each county and to check the status of provisional and absentee ballots. — EYE ON VOTER INTIMIDATION Alabama’s top election agency said it won’t tolerate any attempts to intimidate voters on Election Day. A statement from the secretary of state’s office says anyone caught trying to dissuade others from voting on Tuesday will be prosecuted. Both Republican and Democratic campaigns often have volunteers serving as poll watchers. The statement from the secretary of state says poll watchers can’t disturb voters, try to influence them, campaign, or display any campaign material inside the polling place. Polls were open statewide from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. — PHOTO ID REQUIRED This year marks the first time Alabama’s Republican-backed law requiring photo identification at the polls comes into play during a presidential election. Alabama requires voters to show photo ID such as a driver’s license, a passport, an Alabama non-driver ID, a university student ID or identification issued by the federal government. Voters without ID can still vote by regular ballot if they are positively identified by at least two election workers as being eligible to vote in a precinct. And voters who don’t have a valid ID will still be able to cast a provisional ballot. — CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS There’s a lot of fine print on Alabama ballots, and most of it spells out 14 statewide proposals to amend the state’s 1901 Constitution. The outcome will affect everything from state parks to the age of public officeholders to beer. Four of the amendments apply only to single counties. Here is a look at some of the other measures that have gotten the most attention: Amendment 2 aims to protect money for state parks and open the door to private companies getting more involved in park operations. The proposal specifies that park money can’t be diverted to other government functions unless revenues exceed $50 million. It would also allow private entities to run facilities at state parks. Amendment 8 guarantees that everyone has a right to work in the state regardless of whether they’re in a labor union. It mimics a state law already on the books. Amendment 13 would eliminate maximum-age limits for elected or appointed office with the exception of judicial offices. Trustees at public universities would be most likely to be affected. Amendment 14 would prevent hundreds of local laws — from sales taxes to draft beer rules — from being tossed out because of a dispute over legislative procedures in Montgomery. — CONGRESSIONAL RACES None of Alabama’s four U.S. House races nor the lone Senate race on the ballot is expected to be very close given the name recognition and vast amounts of campaign money available to the Republican incumbents, but there could be an exception. In the 2nd District of southeast Alabama, Rep. Martha Roby has faced a backlash by Trump supporters since publicly stating she wouldn’t support the GOP nominee because of his recorded comments about grabbing women. Democrat Nathan Mathis is hoping to capitalize on that dynamic, and Tea Party organizer Becky Gerritson is being promoted as a write-in candidate. On the Senate side, Republican incumbent Richard Shelby isn’t likely to have much problem against Democratic challenger Ron Crumpton, who is best known as an advocate for legalizing medicinal marijuana in the conservative state. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.