Most Republican appellate court incumbents win without an opponent as Democrats concede state appellate courts to the GOP
Major party qualifying ended on Friday. Four Republican Alabama Supreme Court Justices won election when no opponent – Republican or Democrat came forward. Justices Will Sellers, Tommy Bryan, and Jay Mitchell were all effectively re-elected as they face no Republican primary challenger. Write-in candidates are not allowed in party primaries. No attorney qualified for any of these races as a Democrat, so they are unlikely to face an opponent in the November general election. Chris McCool gave up his seat on the Court of Criminal Appeals to run for the open Place 1 associate supreme court justice seat. He also had no Republican or Democratic opponent qualify. On the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, Republican incumbent Judges Richard Minor and Bill Cole were both effectively re-elected when no Republican or Democratic opponent qualified for either race. Two Republicans: Rich Anderson and Thomas Govan, qualified for the open Place 2 seat that Chris McCool is leaving to run for Supreme Court. Both Govan and Anderson work in the Alabama Attorney General’s office. No Democrat qualified for that seat either, so Govan and Anderson’s race in the Republican primary on March 5 is likely to decide this race. On the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals incumbents Christy Edwards and Terry Moore were both effectively re-elected when qualifying ended without either facing any opposition. The only incumbent appellate judge in the state to face a challenger is Republican: Republican Chad Hanson at Place 2 on the Court of Civil Appeals is being challenged in the Republican primary by Stephen Davis-Parker. There are four candidates running for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Chief Justice Tom Parker, also a Republican, cannot run again due to the state’s arcane mandatory retirement age for judges provision. Associate Justice Sarah Stewart is giving up her place 1 seat on the court to run for Chief Justice. Former State Senator Bryan Taylor is also running for the office. Taylor is also a former legal counsel for Governors Kay Ivey and Bob Riley. On Friday, Montgomery attorney Jerry Michael Blevins also qualified to run for Chief Justice. Chief Justice is the only state appellate race that the Alabama Democratic Party is even contesting. Judge Greg Griffin will face the eventual Republican nominee for Chief Justice in the November general election. Griffin presently is a Circuit Court Judge in Montgomery’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court. Thirty years ago, Democrats dominated the Alabama appellate courts. That changed in 1994 when retired Judge Perry Hooper Sr. defeated incumbent Sonny Hornsby in a contested race for chief justice. In the years since, Republican fortunes have continued to improve. Only one Democratic candidate, Doug Jones in 2017, has won any statewide race since 2008, and no Democratic judicial candidate has won a statewide race since Sue Bell Cobb was elected Chief Justice in 2006. Democrats are hopeful that Judge Griffin can change their fortunes next year. There is still a slight possibility that an attorney could still qualify as an independent or third-party candidate for one of these offices. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Tommy Tuberville applauds NOAA decision rejecting Biden Administration’s 10 knots per hour Gulf of Mexico speed limit
On Monday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) released a statement applauding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) announcement that it has formally denied a petition from non-government organizations to establish a mandatory 10-knot speed limit and other vessel restrictions on ship traffic in the Gulf of Mexico to protect whales, Sen. Tuberville said that this particular regulation was part of a laundry list of concerns raised by Sen. Tuberville. Most of the others are still being pushed by the Biden Administration, including the controversial Critical Habitat designation of 28,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. Tuberville said these would be burdensome restrictions on the oil and gas industry. The announcement came after Senator Tuberville sent two letters and penned an op-ed column urging that Alabamians write NOAA and ask for denial of the petition. “I was glad to see the NOAA come to their senses and reject this part of the Biden Administration’s overreaching regulatory agenda in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go. Designating a Critical Habitat for the Rice’s whale throughout this expansive area would impose undue burdens and restrictions on all vessel traffic, especially in and out of the Port of Mobile in Mobile, AL. The Port of Mobile covers over 4,000 acres, generates nearly 313,000 jobs, provides approximately $2 billion in state and local tax impacts, and $85 billion in economic value to Alabama as a whole. I will continue to fight back against Joe Biden’s attempts to make us reliant on our enemies for energy when we can be producing it right here in the United States, and especially in Alabama.” Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) agreed. “I am happy to say that NOAA heard our request and today rejected the nonsensical Rice’s whale petition pushed by far-left activists,” Sen. Britt said. “This proposal would have significantly impeded operations at the Port of Mobile, damaged Alabama’s economy, and harmed commercial and recreational fishing operations off the Gulf Coast.” Scientists in 2021 determined that the Rice’s Whale is a genetically distinct species from the much more common Bryde’s whale. The two species are identical, but the songs sung by the Rice’s whale are distinctly different from the songs sung by the 100,000 Bryde’s whale. This is attributed to a different bone structure in their nasal passages. Scientists also note that there are differences in the two species genetically. According to NOAA, there are approximately 51 Rice’s whales left in existence, deeming them critically endangered and in need of certain protections covered by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Rice’s whales are located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico between 100- and 400- meters in depth. Tuberville’s office says the specific locations and habitat of the 51 whales are still unclear, citing the need for more scientific research and analyses on the whales’ existence. Most tend to be in the Gulf, more towards the Florida peninsula. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service website, only “a single Rice’s whale was observed in the western Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas.” In September, the Gulf Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 261 (GOM Lease Sale 261) Final Notice of Sale was posted, as required under the Inflation Reduction Act, but with over 6.3 million acres removed from the sale due to the potential presence of the Rice’s whale. Sen. Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020, defeating incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-Alabama). Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and HELP Committees. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
DNC gives Alabama Democrats February deadline to pass new bylaws
by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector The Democratic National Committee will give the Alabama Democratic Party a chance to resolve a divisive battle over the rules and governance of the state party on its own. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) Friday gave ADP Chair Randy Kelley a November 28 deadline to develop new bylaws and provide the DNC a list of members of the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC), the party’s governing body. The RBC ordered the party to hold a vote on the bylaws by Feb. 1, 2024. A resolution authorizing the action added that the RBC may take necessary action to enforce the resolution, “including but not limited to the appointment of DNC representatives.” Kim Keenan, a lawyer charged with overseeing a Sept. 8 hearing on the party dispute, said the battles stemmed from longstanding issues of representation within the state party. “I like to say that what happened here is a perfect storm of the faraway past and the near past, basically colliding with the present,” she said. Ben Harris, an attorney and ADP’s vice chair for county affairs and a lawyer, said Kelley and Vice Chair for Minority Affairs Joe Reed were prepared to pass amended bylaws that “satisfied the DNC’s requirements,” with the at-large members who were previously denied a vote. He stressed that he feels it’s important that the party come to a voluntary agreement by working together. “We need the opportunity to reach that by agreement, and not by one side winning and one side losing. We’ve had too much of that,” Harris said. A controversial May meeting The ADC in May adopted a new set of bylaws that abolished three diversity caucuses set up under bylaws adopted by the party in 2019 and reduced the power of other diversity caucuses. The 2019 bylaws emerged after a fight between Reed and then-U.S. Sen. Doug Jones over control of the party. The DNC that year ordered the party to create caucuses reflecting the diversity of the state Democratic electorate. Reed’s group opposed the bylaws, saying they unfairly reduced the power of Black voters, who provide most of the Democratic support in the state. Kelley, a Reed ally, was elected chair of the party in August 2022. The May meeting was tumultuous, and members of the affected caucuses, some of whom are Black, sharply criticized the moves, saying they stripped key groups of representation. Another complaint came over a $50 qualifying fee charged by party officials to enter the meeting, which several SDEC members said they had not been informed about previously and which some called a poll tax. ADP members opposed to the new rules soon filed complaints with the DNC. Keenan said during the RBC hearing Friday she found two issues at the heart of the conflict between the two factions of the party. The qualifying fee, she said, was a barrier to participation in the May meeting, but she doesn’t believe it was imposed for “nefarious” reasons. “People on both sides had paid the fee, but unfortunately the fee didn’t have any rule support or any objective support,” Keenan said. “So in effect, it was alleged to be a poll tax, and it does follow what happens when you have a poll tax — you cannot participate unless you pay the fee.” She said that was the “fatal flaw” in the vote on the new bylaws. While requiring the fee may not have been ill-intentioned, Keenan said, denying participation is not consistent with DNC rules. Keenan also said she could not find anything in the existing bylaws to support the fee. “Preventing that number of people from participating was probably the difference between those May bylaws passing,” Keenan said. ‘A lot of self-determination’ Keenan also said that turning diversity caucuses — youth, LGBTQ+, Native American, disabled, and Hispanic — into committees while maintaining the Minority Caucus, representing Black Democrats, was an issue. “Caucuses have a lot of self-determination ability. They are able to do things. They are able to choose their members. They’re able to move forward in a way where they have determination over who their members are and whose appointed and who’s added,” Keenan said. “But once you become a committee, that right is delegated off to the Executive Committee.” ADP’s position, she said, stems from a “unique history where Black Alabama Democrats really had to sue, protest and be activistic to get the equity that they deserved in the party.” Hawthorne v. Baker, a 1990 case which allowed Black Democrats to have self-determination, a federal court said that unless a group meets the standard that Black Democrats met, they can’t be a caucus. “And I think that’s I think that that’s mixing an apple with an orange,” Keenan said. Kelley, who attended the Friday hearing, said during the meeting he wanted to “heal and move the party forward.” In an interview after the meeting, he said the resolution was reasonable, and that the meeting “came out as well as I thought it would.” “We don’t have a problem whatsoever with changing the bylaws,” Kelley said. Kelley added that he was pleased that the hearing report found what he referred to as misinformation regarding the $50 qualifying fee, which has been characterized as a poll tax. “It was a good forum to clarify that,” Kelley said, adding that it’s been in existence for at least 30 years. ADP Vice Chair Tabitha Isner, one of the challengers, said in a text after the meeting that she appreciates the DNC trying to find a solution that is collaborative. “The challengers have been fighting for a seat at the table, and the RBC has said that we must be granted one,” she wrote. “I look forward to hearing how the DNC intends to provide the necessary oversight to this process.” Reed, who was also in attendance, took a more forceful approach and said “this issue comes down to one fundamental issue and is rooted in racism.” “There’s nothing in Alabama we’ve
Tommy Tuberville addresses potential government shutdown; “What a mess we are in”
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) spoke with the Alabama press about the growing possibility that Congress will not get a budget passed in time to prevent a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday. “What a mess we are in,” Sen. Tuberville said. “I don’t like shutdowns. No Republican wants to shut the government down. Senator [Susan] Collins and Senator Pattie Murray of the Appropriations Committee did their job. They want regular order, and so do I. Regular order means that you have 12 bills, and you do each one of them individually. We haven’t done that in a long time. It is time for the Senate to have an amendment process on each one of these bills. It gives everybody an opportunity to express their thoughts, but (Senate Majority Leader) Chuck Schumer, he doesn’t want to do that. He is doing everything he can to prevent the Senate from acting on any of these bills. That will eventually lead to a shutdown if we’re not careful. You have got to remember Chuck Schumer controls the floor, so this will be a Schumer shutdown. If a continuing resolution gives us time to consider all 12 of these bills, then I am for it, but we will have to see what the House does also.” Tuberville responded to a reporter’s question about criticism of the Senate by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-California). “It is hard to compare both the House and the Senate, to be honest with you,” Tuberville said. “They have got different personalities over there – as me. I didn’t vote for a supplemental for Ukraine. We are spending somewhere around $260 million a day, somewhere in that range in Ukraine. We are spending it for their farmers, helping them plant their crops. We are spending it for their borders when we have farmers here who need money. We have a border that needs to be shut down. There is a lot of things going on behind the scenes. I am real interested in how McCarthy handles this. He has got not just a division between Democrats and Republicans but also division in his own caucus, so we will see what happens. We have done our 12 bills over here. We have got them out of committee. If we would do them one at a time like Chuck Schumer should, I think we could really encourage the House to do the right thing, but right now, we are in the middle of the road with no way to get this thing going.” Sen. Tuberville and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) both have cosponsored legislation to end the repeated government shutdowns and force Congress to pass the budget. Tuberville was asked about why that legislation did not pass. “First of all, there is a lot of people up here that when they do a budget, they just want to jam this thing full of pork, and that has gotten us $33 trillion in debt,” Tuberville responded. “We need to spend what we need to spend. Take care of all of our bills. Get that done. Take care of the American taxpayers, but we need an opportunity to tell everybody: OK, here is the deal: we run out of money at the end of September every year. We have got all year long – eight, nine months to put these bills together and get it passed. I think we need a bill that says we run up to a time restraint, which, at the end of this week, we are basically done. We do not go home. We stay here seven days a week until we get a budget passed for the American citizens and the taxpayers of this country. There is no reason that we need to keep kicking this can down the road and give people up here an opportunity to jam-pack this thing full of pork with things that we shouldn’t spend money on, but take care of the people of this country. That is what we are here for.” Alabama Today asked why the Alabama Legislature can pass two budgets months ahead of the same deadline and roll a surplus over into the next fiscal year while Congress having a budget crisis is almost expected. “Yea, you know there has been a lot of shutdowns,” Tuberville admitted. “A lot of people say this is a terrible thing to do to shut the government down, but sooner or later, we need to wake up and say we are $33 trillion in debt. But we have got to be more competent on understanding what we can and we can’t spend money on. Every year, we just bump it up. If you look at what happened after 2019 in COVID, there is trillions of dollars that we spent then that we don’t need to spend now, but the Democrats want to leave it in the budget. It makes no sense. We should go back to the 2019 budget and look and see where we are at, but you have so many people up here from different states that say, hey, let’s push it all the way to the end where we have to do a budget so we can do whatever we need to do. That’s the reason we want to get to regular order. Really, the Senate Appropriations Committee did their job. Susan Collins really pushed the Republicans to get this done the right way. They are done. We are done with the Senate version. We just can’t get it to the floor where Chuck Schumer will vote on them one at a time. He wants to control this process because he wants to get pork in there for New York. He wants to spend more of the taxpayer money than we should, so it is unfortunate that we have got people who try to do things to benefit themselves rather than the country. That is what we are seeing now. We are $33 trillion headed to 34.” Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020 – defeating
Tommy Tuberville says U.S. has “way too many people who aren’t working”
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) spoke on the Senate floor about the Farm Bill and his concern that there are too many entitlements in the Democrat’s proposed version of the pending Farm Bill. On Wednesday, he spoke with reporters. Alabama Today asked Tuberville if the proposed Farm Bill with the increasingly generous welfare benefits was encouraging people not to work and hurting Alabama businesses. “There is no doubt,” Tuberville replied. “That is a good question. This Farm Bill, which is around $1.2 trillion in nutrition, snap cards, and all those things. We have got way too many people who aren’t working, and I am for helping those people who need help on a short-term basis, but we have got a lot of people since COVID and even before COVID that don’t want to work.” Tuberville has expressed concern after the U.S. national debt recently passed $33 trillion. “We are putting the people in this country in harm’s way,” Tuberville said. “We are going down deeper in the hole weekly or daily with the debt we have built over these many years. The American people don’t deserve this.” Tuberville said that farmers do need a safety net. “The Farm Bill is very important to farmers,” Tuberville continued. “It is very important to the farmers that we give them a safety net to make sure they make it through tough times, and it is tough times right now. 28% increase in everything that the farmers need to grow the crops and do things that we need to eat. It is a very unbalanced farm bill, and it is unfortunate.” There is a growing concern about the impact of runaway federal spending on the economy. “Sooner or later, we are going to have to bite the bullet and cut back on these entitlements, but right now, the Democrats are in charge, and it is hard to do that,” Tuberville said. The Farm Bill is passed every four years to set U.S. agriculture policy. Decades ago, farm-state members of Congress formed an alliance with members who represented urban areas with high concentrations of poverty; thus, farm programs and nutrition assistance programs were combined into a single bill to have enough support from diverse interests in Congress to pass. Alabama has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation and one of the lowest workforce participation rates, with just 57% of people 16 years and older working. An improving post-global pandemic economy and vigorous economic development efforts by state leaders have been insufficient in recruiting large numbers of Alabamians to rejoin the workforce. Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020, unseating incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D), and is serving in his first term in office. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville asks Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti to keep politics out of the military
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) challenged Admiral Lisa Franchetti to keep politics out of the military “as much as you can,” and to instead focus on winning wars. “As we discussed, I’m continuously talking to our Joint Chiefs and our leadership about politics,” Sen. Tuberville said. “We talk about politics. And I would hope that when you take over your new role, and I’m excited for you, that you keep politics out as much as you can. I know you’ll have to deal with it some, but [keep it] out of the military as much as we possibly can – leave it to us politicians.” Tuberville said the “military is a team, and we’ve got to win.” “I coached football for a long time,” Tuberville said. “I coached teams, put them together. And I had football players. I did have different races or wealth or religions, and I would never try to divide that group and put them in certain categories to where other groups say, “What are we doing? Why are we separating this?” Because our military is a team. We’ve got to win. There’s no second place in war. There’s a first place.” Tuberville expressed misgivings about a Vice Admiral who held a party just for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender sailors on a ship. “We got one [Vice] Admiral that recently had a party on a ship for the lesbian, gay, and transgender group,” said Tuberville. “Now, listen, I’ve got gay friends – I have no problem. But we are building a team here, a team of people that’s got to fight together, do things together. They had a party, cut a cake, all these things. And to me, again, we’re going to need everybody. Men, women, everybody of every association because we’re a volunteer force. We want people who love this country, that’ll fight together when things get tough. And I would just hope that you would spread that around in the Navy. Once you get in, go, “Hey, let’s build a team – don’t build individual groups.” What’s your thoughts on that?” “Senator, I enjoyed our meeting the other day, so thank you again for your time,” Admiral Franchetti answered. “Sir, I’ll say for the last thirty-eight years, I’ve been focused on building teams that can fight and win our nation’s wars. I’m focused on warfighting, warfighters, and winning. And that’s what our military needs to be focused on. And if confirmed, that is the focus I will bring to our Navy every day.” “Yep. What I’m saying is, you’re the head coach now,” Tuberville said. “There ain’t nobody to look to after you now. You’re the person who’s going to get the credit and blame. And I know you can do the job. I’m looking forward to it. But I would just… the experiences I’ve had over the years if we ever start trying to divide into groups within a team atmosphere, which our military is a team, we’re going to have huge problems down the way. And we have problems in our country right now. And I would hope that we don’t continue to divide.” Admiral Franchetti is currently the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She is awaiting confirmation to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. Adm. Franchetti is one of the nominees affected by Sen. Tuberville’s hold on promotions in response to President Joe Biden’s controversial taxpayer-funded abortion policy. Sen. Tuberville has repeatedly urged Sen. Chuck Schumer to either bring promotions, like Adm. Franchetti’s, to the floor or to get DoD to drop the policy. Tuberville’s critics claim that the military holds are creating chaos in the military and hurting readiness. A charge that Tuberville denies. Tommy Tuberville is a career teacher, football coach, and sports broadcaster who, in 2020, unseated incumbent U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Alabama) in a landslide election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Mike Bolin wins Jefferson County Commission seat
On Tuesday, voters in Jefferson County Commission District Five went to the polls and elected former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mike Bolin to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Commissioner Steve Ammons. Bolin, a Republican, replaces Ammons, a Republican. “I’m anxious to get in there and work hard and just get it going,” said Bolin following his election victory. “I’m thrilled and feel blessed that the public has given me one more opportunity to serve them. And I will do everything I can to not drop the ball.” The Jefferson County special election primary, a Jefferson County-specific quirk in Alabama election law, is non-partisan. The five-member Jeffco commission was divided two Republicans to two Democrats, so this election had significant partisan ramifications over who controlled the Commission. It remains up to the Commission which of them will be appointed as Chairman of the County Commission. According to preliminary election returns, Bolin had 59.27% of the vote (5,728 votes) to David Silverstein’s 40.6% (3,924 votes). Jeff Wise had just 13 votes. Wise was still on the ballot, but he had dropped out of the race on Thursday and had endorsed Bolin. Bolin will serve the remainder of Ammons’s term. Mike Bolin was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2004. Bolin was an attorney for 15 years before being elected Probate Judge of Jefferson County, where he served from 1988 to 2004. Justice Bolin received the National “Angels of Adoption” award in 2000 for his service to adoptive families. Justice Bolin has stayed active within the Alabama Probate Judges Association, his community, and his church. He is married to his wife, Rosemary. They have one daughter. Bolin had the official support and endorsement of the Jefferson County Republican Party. Silverstein was running as non-partisan, but he had the backing of key Jefferson County Democratic groups, and Republicans made issue of that as well as his past generous donations to Democratic candidates, including Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) and former U.S. Senator Doug Jones. There is litigation underway by civil rights groups challenging the county commission districting in Jefferson County. While Republicans, until Ammons’s resignation, had enjoyed a 3 to 2 majority on the Commission, Democrats hold every countywide position that has voted increasingly Democratic over recent decades. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Terri Sewell to commemorate 10th anniversary of landmark Shelby County versus Holder ruling
Congresswoman Terri Sewell will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the landmark Shelby County vs. Holder Supreme Court decision with two events on Tuesday and Wednesday. On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that the controversial preclearance section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was archaic and no longer legally enforceable, upsetting many in the civil rights community, including Rep. Sewell. “Exactly 10 years ago, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in its disastrous Shelby County vs. Holder decision, unleashing a wave of voting restrictions across the nation,” Rep. Sewell said Sunday on Facebook. Sewell is the author and lead sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. If passed, the bill would restore the requirement that southern states receive preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division before legislatures can pass changes to their voting rules or decennial redistricting. The federal courts have recently found Alabama in violation of the remaining intact provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with its congressional redistricting in the Allen vs. Milligan decision. Congresswoman Sewell will be joined by retired federal Judge U.W. Clemon, State Senator Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham), State Senator Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham), Miles College President Bobbie Knight, Fairfield Mayor Eddie Penny, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Birmingham Times Executive Editor Barnett Wright for a panel discussion on the Supreme Court’s Allen v. Milligan Decision on Tuesday at Miles College. Sewell will be joined on Wednesday by President & CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Maya Wiley, former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-Alabama), the President & General Counsel of MALDEF Thomas A. Saenz, the Associate Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Tona Boyd, Staff Attorney, Native American Rights Fund (NARF) Jacqueline De Leon, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute President & CEO DeJuana Thompson, the executive director of Alabama Forward Evan Milligan, the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Black Voters Matter Cliff Albright, the Vice President of Census & Voting Programs for Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) Terry A. Minnis, the Co-Director of the Voting Rights Project for Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Marcia Johnson, and the Alabama Policy Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center Jerome Dees. The group will hold a symposium, “Shelby County a Decade Later: The Path Forward in Our Ongoing Fight for the Right to Vote,” at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on Wednesday. Sewell is the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Administration Subcommittee on Elections. Sewell is in her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Jefferson County Commission special election weighs heavy on the minds of county commissioners
On Saturday, Jefferson County Commissioners Jimmy Stephens and Joe Knight, both Republicans, spoke to the Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) about the pending change in leadership for the county commission. Currently, the five-member Jefferson County Commission is composed of three Republicans and two Democrats. That could soon change, as the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) has selected County Commissioner Steve Ammons, the third Republican on the Commission, as its new CEO. “Steve is going to be the CEO of the BBA,” Commissioner Knight said. “We wish him well. He is looking forward to it.: A special election will be held this summer to fill the vacancy. Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman Chris Brown said, “There is an opening on the Jefferson Co Commission because he is leaving at the end of the month, and we are committed to winning this election. Doug Jones (a Democrat) did beat Roy Moore (the Republican nominee for Senate in 2017). We are taking nothing for granted.” Urologist Dr. Brian Christine announced that he is seeking to be the next commissioner. “It is critical that we keep Republican leadership on the Jefferson County Commission,” Christine said. “The district includes part of Homewood, Leeds, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Irondale, and part of Hoover.” Com. Stephens said, “I want to thank our entire Jefferson County Legislative Delegation. It’s a team that I am so proud of, that we are so proud of.” Stephens said that the commissioners talk with legislative delegation members weekly while the legislature is in session. “We have a team member who has decided to leave, so you must choose someone from District 5 that will seamlessly continue to do the job, that understands that relationship with your legislators, and has a trust in your existing country commission. We don’t need someone who is going to come in there and go off on a tangent. We need someone who will come in and be part of the team.” Commissioner Knight explained that Ammons’ last day on the job is May 31. “The people in charge of the election are the election commission,” Knight said. “In the event of a vacancy on the Jefferson County Commission, the elections commission will meet, and they will set the date for the special election.” “The special election is tentatively set as July 18,” Knight said. “There are no Republican or Democratic affiliations in this. All it takes is 100 signatures to get on the ballot.” In the other 66 counties, the governor would appoint someone to fill the vacancy, and in the event of a special election, the governor would call the elections and set primaries. Jefferson County is different. State Representative Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills) explained, “That was done in 2009. I was not in the legislature then I was on the Commission. They were trying to protect the governor (then Bob Riley) and who he had appointed – George Bowman. It is a terrible deal.” “Talking to some of our legislators, we might need to change that,” Knight said. “We could not do what we do without your legislative support,” Stephens said. “You. raise the money for Jefferson County to attempt to spend wisely,” Stephens said, addressing the audience. “Jefferson County is not an economic engine. It creates an environment for you to be successful. It has to make your life better and give you a reason to work and raise your family in Jefferson County.” Knight said that the July primary is going to pose some logistical problems. “Some of the polls may have to be moved because they are having their vacation Bible school,” Knight said. Stephens said that he and Knight have spoken with Dr. Christine and like him, but they are not telling anyone who to vote for. Stephens expressed concern that the City of Birmingham and Mayor Randall Woodfin may be recruiting a candidate for the position. The Mid-Alabama Republican Party meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Vestavia Hills Public Library at 9:00 a.m. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Senate to Vote on Tuberville resolution overturning the VA’s abortion policy
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a resolution to overturn a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rule that turned VA medical facilities into de facto abortion clinics. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville will lead a bipartisan group of Senators in voting for the resolution he co-authored. In February, Senator Tuberville and Congressman Michael Cloud introduced a bicameral resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reverse the rule. “Using our VA medical facilities to provide taxpayer-funded abortions is illegal and wrong,” said Sen. Tuberville. “The VA’s new policy is a blatant violation of federal law. It forces taxpayers to fund abortions at VA facilities. And it provides limited conscience protections for doctors and nurses with religious objections to performing abortions. This rule is wrong on every level, and a bipartisan majority in Congress will stand up to overturn it.” The resolution has 35 Senate cosponsors and 51 cosponsors in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution has been endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro Life-America, Heritage Action for America, National Right to Life, Catholic Vote, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, and March for Life Action. “I agree that the Department of Defense’s policy is atrocious, and it is a departure from a decades-long understanding of federal public policy,” said Sen. John Thune. SBA Pro-Life American wrote on Facebook, “Thank you, Senator Thom Tillis, for joining Senator Tommy Tuberville in standing against DOD’s illegal new policy funding abortion travel with taxpayer dollars.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote on their website: “Abortion is a marginal practice, neither performed nor accepted by most health care providers; it does not improve (and can even jeopardize) women’s life and health; and American law has recognized for decades that it is not “just another medical procedure.” Far from being integral to our health care system, abortion is something that supporters seek to impose on that system by force of law.” Before the vote, Senator Tuberville will lead a bipartisan group of senators to urge passage of the resolution at a press conference. On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced its intention to begin providing abortion services for veterans and their dependents through the taxpayer-funded VA healthcare system. This seemingly blatantly violates Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services. Tuberville joined a letter with 38 colleagues following that announcement denouncing the decision. Tuberville says the policy defies an existing statute limiting abortions at VA facilities. Tuberville is in his first term representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate following his 2020 election – defeating incumbent Democrat Senator Doug Jones. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville says Donald Trump has faced “witch hunt after witch hunt”
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville issued a statement in reaction to former President Donald Trump’s arraignment and indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Yesterday was a sad day for our country. President Trump has faced witch hunt after witch hunt since the moment he came down the escalator at Trump Tower,” Sen. Tuberville said. “Progressives in the media, the government, and the courtroom have tried relentlessly — and unsuccessfully — to stop him. The liberal activist district attorney in Manhattan should spend more time going after actual criminals in his own city than investigating former presidents in Florida. This is an unacceptable abuse of our justice system.” Trump turned himself into the New York City DA on Tuesday. The former President has been charged with 34 separate charges in a case involving allegedly improper payments of hush money to women he was involved with. The payments were part of what New York City Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy called “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president” in court. Conroy claimed that the payments were made to “protect his candidacy” in the 2016 election. “It’s not just about one payment,” Bragg told reporters. “It is 34 false statements and business records that were concealing criminal conduct,” Bragg told reporters. Tuberville has been an outspoken supporter of Trump for years. While still President, Trump endorsed Tuberville in his 2020 Republican primary race for U.S. Senate against former Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his successful general election run against incumbent Sen. Doug Jones. Tuberville was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump when he announced his candidacy for President in 2024. “He’s the leader America needs in 2024,” Tuberville said on Twitter immediately after the former President announced his 2024 run. “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States!” The indictments mean that Trump will face criminal charges while campaigning for the Republican nomination in 2024. It is unclear whether that will be a net positive for the campaign. The scandal may keep some voters away, and it could only strengthen the intensity of Trump’s supporters. Tuberville has represented Alabama in the United States Senate since his election in 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville expresses concerns about new federal red snapper limits
The new U.S. Department of Commerce regulation on red snapper harvest is expected to cut the amount of fish that Alabama’s red snapper fishermen are allowed to harvest during Alabama’s red snapper season. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville expressed his concerns about the new regulation on Monday. The Department of Commerce’s new rule requires the National Marine Fisheries Service to convert all fisheries into a single federal system. Tuberville said that this will have negative implications for Alabama’s red snapper industry. “Once again, the Biden administration is trying to force its one-size-fits-all approach and ignore the adverse effects of its decisions,” said Senator Tuberville. “Red snapper fishing is a huge part of Alabama’s Gulf Coast economy, which is why I’ll continue pushing back against the Department of Commerce’s disastrous proposal to decrease limits for red snapper anglers based on inaccurate data.” Last August, Tuberville joined his congressional colleagues in urging Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to reverse the department’s proposed rule to undo the National Marine Fisheries Service’s standard of setting quotas and annual catch data on a state-by-state basis. Instead, the department proceeded with its rule to implement a standardized catch limit in all states, even Alabama, with fishery programs certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service. This rule is expected to severely cut Alabama’s red snapper catch limits for 2023 by 51 percent, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). In 2021, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council decided to delay the calibration of red snapper allocation until January 2023 and approve a moderate increase in the 2021 annual catch limit rejecting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) attempts to cut Alabama’s red snapper season in half. Under a final rule published by NOAA Fisheries on December 1, Alabama’s private recreational anglers will see a 51% decrease in the 2023 red snapper quota. The rule went into effect on January 1, reducing Alabama’s private recreational quota from 1,122,662 pounds in 2022 to just 558,200 pounds in 2023. Critics of the new federal regulation claim that there are three times as many red snapper in the Gulf than previously estimated. Scott Bannon is the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources “Each Gulf state is accounting for their recreational harvests using different data programs from what the federal government is using,” Bannon stated. “Under the other final rule that created state management of red snapper in 2018, there was a requirement to align the landings into the same currency through a calibration method. Alabama and Mississippi have very accurate reporting systems, and we feel the harvest estimates from NOAA are inflated and unreasonable. “Since before state management of red snapper was initiated, we have pushed the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) that we should manage the amount of fish off each state. From Alabama’s perspective, this is in part due to the investments made by the state and private individuals in artificial reef building from which a significant number of red snapper and other reef species are produced in Alabama’s reef zones.” Bannon points to Alabama’s investments in creating artificial reefs to provide habitat for the snapper and other reef fish as one reason Alabama’s quota should be higher. Federal regulation of the red snapper season has been a point of contention with state officials for years. Federal authorities are essentially ignoring years of data that state wildlife managers have collected on red snapper numbers. The new rules mean that red snapper fishermen will be able to spend fewer days on the water pursuing the fish this year and that while doing so, they will be allowed to keep fewer fish. Fishermen who customarily fill their freezers with red snapper for their family’s protein needs will have to pursue a different fish species this year and be prepared for this dramatic change in their fishing habits and strategy. Alabama Today will continue to follow this story and have more details when the 2023 red snapper season rules are finalized. Tommy Tuberville has represented Alabama in the United States Senate since 2021. Tuberville unseated incumbent Sen. Doug Jones in the 2020 election. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
