Several Alabama legislators lose to primary challengers
At least six members of the Alabama Legislature lost to primary challengers on Tuesday, according to unofficial returns, and several races are yet to be decided. In one of the tightest races, Republican Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn is trailing challenger Jay Hovey by four votes, according to unofficial returns. Provisional ballots will be counted next week. Hovey is a member of the Auburn City Council. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Will Dismukes of Prattville lost to challenger Jerry Starnes. His defeat came after a series of political and legal troubles. Dismukes had faced calls for his resignation in 2020 after participating in a celebration marking the birthday of Nathan Bedford Forrest — the Confederate general who was also an early Ku Klux Klan leader. He also faced a theft charge related to a dispute with a former employer. Other incumbent defeats, according to unofficial returns, included: — Republican Rep. Joe Faust of Fairhope, a 20-year veteran of the House was defeated by Jennifer Fidler. — Republican Rep. Dickie Drake of Leeds was defeated by Susan DuBose. — Republican Rep. Tommy Hanes of Bryant was defeated by Mike Kirkland. — Republican Rep. Proncey Robertson of Mount Hope was defeated by Ernie Yarbrough. — Democratic Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro was defeated by Curtis Travis. Republican Rep. Gill Isbell of Gadsden is trailing challenger Mack Butler, who previously served in the Legislature. But the race is caught in a mix-up where some voters got ballots with the wrong House district. Secretary of State John Merrill said they did not know how many voters were affected. Democratic Rep. Rod Scott of Fairfield was forced into a runoff with a challenger. In another notable contest, House Rules Chair Mike Jones, one of the most influential members in the House of Representatives, appears to have lost to Coffee County Commissioner Josh Carnley in his bid to join the Alabama Senate. Unofficial returns showed Carnley avoiding a runoff with Jones by a margin of about 50 votes. The two are seeking the GOP nomination for the state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jimmy Holley. Former longtime state Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma will go to a runoff with Robert L. Stewart for the Democratic nomination for District 23. Sanders represented the district from 1982 to 2018. His daughter, Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier, won the seat in 2018 but is leaving the state Senate to run for governor. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Lawmakers put job search requirement on unemployment benefit
People receiving unemployment benefits in Alabama could soon face a new requirement to contact three potential employers each week in order to keep receiving benefits. Alabama lawmakers gave final approval to the bill that now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration. The House of Representatives voted 76-24 for the Senate-passed bill, and the Senate accepted a House change to the bill. State law already requires people on unemployment to make an effort to secure work. The legislation would specify that the person must contact three potential employers about finding a job. The contacts could be made in person or by telephone or email, said Republican Rep. Danny Garrett, who handled the bill in the House. Garrett said state rules now require one contact a week. “Your odds are finding work are going to be better, I believe, if you are looking three times versus one time,” Garrett said. Supporters said the measure would make sure that unemployment recipients were looking for work and increase their chance of finding a job. But opponents argued it is punitive toward poor people. Rep. Ralph Howard, a Democrat from Greensboro, said the requirement would be tough on low-income people in rural areas who may struggle finding transportation to get to job interviews and to a job. “What are we gaining as a state, other than putting a hindrance on somebody who is already hindered? We don’t know why that person lost that job. We don’t know whether the plant closed,” Howard said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama nears approval of ban on so-called vaccine passports
Alabama lawmakers on Monday inched forward to banning so-called vaccine passports that would prohibit proof of a coronavirus vaccination to enter a business, school, or event. The legislation would “prohibit the issuance of vaccine passports” by state agencies and prevent people from being denied entry to businesses, universities, schools, and state agencies if they have not been vaccinated for COVID-19. However, the legislation does not specify any penalty for violations. The Alabama House of Representatives voted 76-16 for the bill. The Alabama Senate must now decide whether to agree to minor House changes. “We need this bill. We don’t want to require people who are going to a business as a customer or going to a football game — or whatever it is — to be mandated to show a vaccine passport,” Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, said. Republicans across the country have backed bans on so-called vaccine passports even though they are not in widespread use anywhere, portraying them as a government intrusion into personal freedom and health choices. Some Alabama House Democrats criticized the bill after House Republicans stripped language that would have made exemptions for nursing homes and other health offices. “When does it become your right to pass on your illness on to someone else,” Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, said. Rep. Ralph Howard, D-Greensboro, said he is concerned about the people who will knowingly go into crowds without being vaccinated and are “willing to put other folks life in danger.” “Right now I know there are people out there that are not vaccinated that spread COVID,” Howard said. Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, who handled the bill in the House, said businesses could still require customers to wear masks. He also said health offices could ask someone if they had been vaccinated and adjust safety protocols as needed. The idea of so-called vaccine passports is to have a document that shows you were vaccinated against COVID-19. Federal officials say there are no plans to make them broadly mandatory, but some Republican governors have issued orders barring businesses or state agencies from asking people to show proof of vaccination. Hawaii has a limited vaccine passport program for inter-island travel that allows people who received their vaccine shots in the state of Hawaii to skip testing and quarantine rules for travel between the islands. New York officials have launched a digital app New Yorkers can download to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. The Senate approved the bill earlier this session by a 30-0 vote. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
House delays vote on medical marijuana bill
Legislation to authorize medical marijuana in Alabama stalled Tuesday in the state House of Representatives after Republican opponents used a filibuster to at least temporarily delay a vote. Representatives adjourned shortly before midnight without a vote after nearly 10 hours of debate on the Senate-passed bill. The bill is expected to return to the House floor on Thursday. The lengthy debate brought impassioned discussion that included lawmakers expressing fervent opposition or how they changed their minds on the issue after the illnesses of family members. The bill would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana after getting a recommendation from a doctor. More than a dozen conditions, including cancer, a terminal illness, depression, epilepsy, panic disorder, and chronic pain would allow a person to qualify. The bill would allow marijuana in forms such as pills, skin patches, and creams but not in smoking or vaping products. The bill was sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, an anesthesiologist, and handled in the House by Republican Rep. Mike Ball, a former state trooper and state investigator. “This can change the quality of life for the people that we love,” said Republican Rep. Allen Farley, a former police officer, describing how his 94-year-old mother at the end of her life entered a facility that treats people with dementia. Republican Rep. Brett Easterbrook of Fruitdale said he is “as conservative as they get” but saw the positive impact medical marijuana had on his son. “I watched it … There is not one of you sitting in those chairs, if your child has a brain injury or cancer and this will help, you won’t give a damn what the Legislature says,” Easterbrook said. The bill faced a filibuster from opposed Republicans who worried that it could be a gateway to recreational use or that medical marijuana could end up in the hands of teens. “Don’t ever doubt it, if the state of Alabama gets into the marijuana business, the cannabis business, it will change the very fabric of who we are as a state,” said Republican Rep. Jim Carnes of Vestavia Hills. Other lawmakers expressed concern that marijuana has not gone through the Food and Drug Administration approval process for drugs or that it could lead to traffic accidents. “What makes us think we know more than the FDA. My other thought is what if we’re wrong. What if we approve and pass this bill and it is a gateway like it has been for Colorado,” said Republican Rep. Rich Wingo of Tuscaloosa. The Alabama Senate approved the bill by a 21-8 vote in February after 15 minutes of debate. However, the House of Representatives has traditionally been more skeptical of medical marijuana proposals and required the bill to go through two committees before coming to the floor. A medical marijuana bill in 2013 won the “Shroud Award” for the “deadest” bill that year in the House of Representatives. Representatives on Tuesday voted 69-31 to bring the bill up for a debate, an indicator that the bill could have enough support for final passage if it reaches a vote. “I have no doubt it is going to pass if it is given a vote,” Melson said. Melson, an anesthesiologist who now works in medical research, said he believes medical marijuana can provide relief to patients where other drugs have failed. “It’s the last choice to be used by a doctor so if there is an illness where everything else has failed, why not let them try it,” Melson said. Democratic Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro criticized the Republican filibuster against the bill. He described how his father struggled with the pain of cancer that had spread to his brain. “Who am I to tell you how to treat a sick relative. A drug is a drug,” Howard said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
House nears vote on medical marijuana bill
The Alabama House of Representatives headed to a vote on a medical marijuana bill late Tuesday evening after impassioned debate that included lawmakers expressing fervent opposition or how they changed their minds on the issue after the illnesses of family members. The bill would allow people with a qualifying medical condition to purchase marijuana after getting a recommendation from a doctor. More than a dozen conditions, including cancer, a terminal illness, and chronic pain would allow a person to qualify. The bill would allow marijuana in forms such as pills, skin patches, and creams but not in smoking or vaping products. The bill was sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, a doctor, and Republican Rep. Mike Ball, a former state trooper and state investigator. “This can change the quality of life for the people that we love,” said Republican Rep. Allen Farley, a former police officer, describing how his 94-year-old mother at the end of her life entered a facility that treats people with dementia. Republican Rep. Brett Easterbrook of Fruitdale said he is “as conservative as they get” but saw the positive impact medical marijuana had on his son. “I watched it … There is not one of you sitting in those chairs, if your child has a brain injury or cancer and this will help, you won’t give a damn what the Legislature says,” Easterbrook said. The bill faced a filibuster from opposed Republicans who worried that it could be a gateway to recreational use or that medical marijuana could end up in the hands of teens. “Don’t ever doubt it, if the state of Alabama gets into the marijuana business, the cannabis business, it will change the very fabric of who we are as a state,” said Republican Rep. Jim Carnes of Vestavia Hills. The bill was added to the day’s debate agenda at the last minute. Republican Rep. Rich Wingo of Tuscaloosa said lawmakers deserve more time to look at the bill. The Alabama Senate approved the bill by a 21-8 vote in February after 15 minutes of debate. However, the House of Representatives has traditionally been more skeptical of medical marijuana proposals and required the bill to go through two committees before coming to the floor. A medical marijuana bill in 2013 won the “Shroud Award” for the “deadest” bill that year in the House of Representatives. Melson has expressed optimism that the bill would win approval. Representatives on Tuesday voted 69-31 to bring the bill up for a debate, an indicator that the bill could have enough support for final passage if it reaches a vote. Democratic Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro criticized the Republican filibuster against the bill. He described how his father struggled with the pain of cancer that had spread to his brain. “Who am I to tell you how to treat a sick relative. A drug is a drug,” Howard said.
Lawmakers approve option of lifetime concealed carry permit
Alabama lawmakers approved a bill Thursday that would let people purchase lifetime permits to carry a concealed firearm and also create a registry of people prohibited from carrying guns. The House of Representatives voted 69-18 to grant final approval to the bill sponsored by Sen. Randy Price, R-Opelika. The measure now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey who will decide whether to sign it into law The proposal could do away with the need for gun carriers to regularly renew their permits, and it will bring some organization to the permit system, said Rep. Proncey Robertson, R-Mount Hope, who carried the bill in the House. “It does create a lifetime carry option for those who would like to purchase one. And the third main thing it will do is create a prohibited firearms person registry,” Robertson said. The legislation comes after previous efforts to abolish the permit requirement failed under opposition from law enforcement officials. Under the bill, people would be able to purchase permits that last for a year, five years or a lifetime. The lifetime permits would cost $300 or $150 if the applicant is over age 60. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency would be required to create a database of people ineligible to possess a firearm by state and federal law. Courts would be required to forward any conviction or court order that would make a person ineligible to carry a firearm. “Any Alabamian who can legally purchase a handgun should be able to obtain a lifetime concealed carry permit, but bad actors and individuals deemed prohibited from obtaining this permit should be registered and flagged as such,” Price said in an earlier statement about the bill. Some Democrats asked if the state could do more to reduce gun violence. “When you go see a mother who has lost a son or a daughter to gun violence, senseless gun violence, it’s happening too much,” said Rep. Ralph Howard, D-Greensboro. Howard voted for the bill. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Push for greater equality: Adline Clarke proposes ‘gender pay gap’ bill
It’s a fact: women earn less than men. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women who worked full-time, year-round in 2014 earned on average, 79% of men’s median annual earnings. That’s not sitting well with one Alabama lawmaker who’s hoping her gender pay gap legislation makes it across the finish line as the 2018 legislative session nears its close. HB368, sponsored by Mobile-Democrat State Rep. Adline Clarke, would prohibit employers from paying their employees less than the wage they would pay a member of the opposite sex for a similar job or responsibilities when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, as specified. Alabama is one of only two states, along with Mississippi, without an equal pay law. “Nearly every state has a law prohibiting employers differently based solely on gender. I’m disappointed. I would have thought we would have passed a long long before now,” Clarke told AL.com “Timing is everything.” However, HB368, also known as the “Gender Pay Gap,” would not just make wage inequality illegal, but would also add several provisions to the law including: Requires an employer to affirmatively demonstrate that a wage differential is based upon one or more specified factors Prohibits an employer from discharging, or in any manner discriminating against. or retaliating against an employee for the enforcement of these provisions Provides for enforcement of the bill Provides that an employer may not prohibit an employee from disclosing the employee’s own wages, discussing the wages of others, inquiring about another employee’s wages, or aiding or encouraging any other employee to exercise his or her rights under these provisions And requires an employer to maintain a record of wages paid to his 15 or her employee for a certain amount of time. The proposal, filed on Feb. 1, is scheduled to appear before the Alabama House State Government Committee on March 21. Alexander City-Republican State Rep. Mark Tuggle, the committee’s chairman, hopes to have Clarke’s proposal on the committee agenda next week. The bill currently has 26 co-sponsors, both Republicans and Democrats: Autauga County-Democrat Kelvin Lawrence Mobile County-Democrat Barbara Drummond Barbour County-Democrat Barry Forte Perry County-Democrat Prince Chestnut Jefferson County-Democrat Rolanda Hollis Madison County-Democrat Anthony Daniels Jefferson County-Democrat Rod Scott Tallapoosa County-Democrat Pebblin Warren Choctaw County-Democrat Elaine Beech Madison County-Democrat Laura Hall Jefferson County-Democrat Merika Coleman Jefferson County-Democrat Mary Moore Mobile County-Democrat Napolean Bracy Blount County-Republican Connie Rowe Shelby County-Republican April Weaver Talladega County-Democrat Barbara Boyd Jefferson County-Democrat Juandalynn Givan Etowah County-Republican Becky Nordgren Morgan County-Republican Terri Collins Montgomery County-Democrat John F. Knight Montgomery County-Democrat Thad McClammy Tuscaloosa County-Democrat Artis McCampbell Mobile County-Democrat James Buskey Bibb County-Democrat Ralph Howard Lauderdale County-Democrat Marcel Black Houston County-Democrat Dexter Grimsley
Democrats filibuster plans to bring up General Fund budget next week
Word came through the pipeline early Thursday from an intern of Rep. Craig Ford (D-Gadsden) that House Democrats would be filibustering the introduction of the Special Order Calendar, approved by the Rules Committee, which aims to bring forth the General Fund budget for discussion next week. True to form, Dems did just that when Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Huntsville) moved for approval of the calendar. Rep. John Knight (D-Montgomery) spoke first and chastised members of the Rules Committee for putting forth legislation for discussion which hasn’t addressed paramount problems of the state. “If we’re not going to fund Medicaid, there’s no need for us to have any kind of order,” Knight said. “There will be no order in this House until we decide to fund Medicaid.” Knight said more than 500,000 Alabama children use Medicaid and choosing not to adequately fund the program would take away those children’s health care. Knight encouraged members to meet with Gov. Robert Bentley and others to find a solution, possibly cutting other programs to fund it. “If we can’t do that, there’s no need in us being here,” Knight said. “We were elected to do our jobs. We came together on the education budget, so we must do the same thing as it relates to the General Fund budget.” Rep. Mary Moore (D-Birmingham) also railed against the calendar, urging lawmakers to do whatever is required to provide relief to Alabama’s most needy citizens and make sure that Medicaid funding is a priority for the state. Rep. Ralph Howard (D-Greensboro) spoke out against the General Fund’s failure to adequately fund Medicaid, leaving an about $100 million shortfall in the program and obliterating Alabama’s plans to institute the Regional Care Organization (RCO) plan. “I represent a lot of poor people and healthcare is something that’s very important to them,” Howard said. “I just wanted to convey to this body that we really need to take a look at what we do for those poor people.” Howard noted that Perry County hasn’t had a hospital in many years and rural hospitals are being decimated by the state’s failure to fund Medicaid. “It needs to be the will of this body, and the Senate and the governor, to really try to make Alabama a better place,” Howard said. “And I don’t think there’s a better place to start than healthcare. Those are good people in rural Alabama and they deserve better.” As Howard completed his statements, Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens) made a motion to adjourn and the House agreed.
