Court of Criminal Appeals upholds murder conviction of Covington County woman
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Zhanna Shaye Bolling, age 34, for murder. On November 3, 2021, Bolling was convicted in Covington County Circuit Court for the murder of Ed Foster. Her conviction was upheld by the Court on October 7, 2022. “Ms. Bolling intentionally fired the shot that eventually took the life of Ed Foster, and for her crime, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison,” said AG Marshall. “Despite Bolling’s efforts to appeal her guilty verdict, she cannot escape justice.” On April 5, 2019, a River Falls Police Department officer responded to a 911 call and found the victim, Ed Foster, still alive, lying in the middle of the street, and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head, Andalusia Star News reported. The officer testified that Foster told the officer that Bolling had shot him. Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman also arrived at the scene and spoke with Foster after he was transported to the hospital. The investigation later determined that Foster had been shot inside his house during an altercation with Bolling. The victim died approximately three weeks after he was shot. Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. The lower court sentenced Bolling to thirty years imprisonment for her murder conviction. Bolling appealed her conviction to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing that Bolling’s conviction was just. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Bolling’s conviction o in a decision issued Friday, October 7, 2022. Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General Laura Irby Cuthbert for her successful work on the appeal. He thanked Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell and his staff for their assistance in defending the murder conviction. AG Marshall was appointed AG by then-Governor Robert Bentley in 2017. He was elected to his own term in the 2018 election. He is seeking a second term in the November 8 general election, where he faces Tarrant Police Chief Wendell Major. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey awards $19.3 million in grants for community improvements
On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced grant awards of nearly $19.3 million in grants to provide improvements in 49 Alabama towns, cities, and counties. The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD grants will be used by local governments to pave or resurface roads, eliminate blight and drainage problems, improve water or sewer service and build or improve local community centers and playgrounds. “Community Development Block Grants help communities address major needs whether it be supplying clean drinking water or eliminating dilapidated and unsafe structures,” said Gov. Ivey. “I congratulate the cities and counties who received grants in this keenly competitive process, and I wish them the best in improving their communities.” The CDBG money in Alabama is awarded annually in a competitive bid process that is based on several categories: small city (population 2,999 or less), large city (population 3,000 or more), county, and community enhancement. Planning grants are also awarded to help local governments examine needs and provide a vision for the future. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) administers the grants. “ADECA is pleased to be a part of a program that is so beneficial to cities and counties across our state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell.” I commend community leaders and planners for their efforts to improve the lives of their residents and make their communities better places to live.” The grants awarded and projects (grouped by geographical region) are: North Alabama · Belk – $400,000 to replace a major water line. · Berry – $400,000 for sewer line replacement and related improvements. · Cherokee – $362,422 for drainage and ditch improvements. · Colony – $399,827 for street improvements. · Courtland – $400,000 for water line upgrades and improvements. · Garden City – $389,800 to upgrade the town’s sewer system. · Guinn – $304,000 for street resurfacing and drainage improvements. · Hodges – $329,000 for downtown revitalization, including razing dilapidated buildings. · Jacksonville – $500,000 to replace sewer lines. · Lexington – $397,907 for water and fire suppression improvements. · Oxford – $500,000 for drainage improvements and demolition of dilapidated structures. · Pell City – $500,000 for water system improvements. · Rainsville – $500,000 to repair and replace sewer lines. · Ranburne – $400,000 to renovate the town’s senior citizen center. · Scottsboro – $400,000 to demolish and clear 26 dilapidated structures. · Steele – $400,000 to replace a main water line. · Valley Head – $400,000 for street and drainage improvements. · Winfield – $342,000 to demolish 18 dilapidated and abandoned/vacant structures. Central Alabama · Brent – $500,00 for sewer line rehabilitation. · Coosa County – $135,801 to resurface American Legion Road near Goodwater and Coosa County Road 38 in the Mt. Olive Community. · Coosada – $350,000 to demolish 30 dilapidated vacant or abandoned structures throughout the town. · Crenshaw County – $500,000 to resurface and relocate water lines on Starhope Church Road. · Forkland – $400,000 to upgrade the town’s park including constructing a pavilion and concession stand/bathroom facility. · Hale County – $500,000 for water system rehabilitation along Hale County Road 64 · Luverne – $400,000 for sewer line improvements and street paving. · Mosses – $400,000 for the resurfacing of Main Street. · Notasulga- $32,000 to develop a comprehensive city plan. · Randolph County – $500,000 to resurface and improve drainage along Randolph County roads 30 and 17 in the Rock Mills Community. · Roanoke – $500,000 to rehabilitate and resurface five streets. South Alabama · Ashford – $234,000 to make improvements on four streets. · Barbour County – $400,000 to construct a new senior citizen center in Clio. · Butler – $222,750 for a sewer line replacement. · Castleberry – $400,000 to rehabilitate the town’s water system and several streets, including adding fire hydrants. · Clayhatchee – $202,366 to provide lighting for a baseball field and to build a pole barn at the recreation park. · Coffeeville- $400,000 for roof replacement at the town’s community center. · Elba – $500,000 for street resurfacing and drainage improvements. · Florala- $375,655 to renovate the former Florala Middle School gymnasium. · Florala – $32,000 to develop a comprehensive city plan. · Geneva- $500,000 for housing rehabilitation as part of its neighborhood revitalization program. · Geneva County – $474,667 to resurface several streets in the Bellwood community. · Gordon – $400,000 for sewer line rehabilitation. · Jackson – $500,000 for drainage improvements. · Louisville – $400,000 for housing rehabilitation and demolition and clearance. · Madrid – $229,200 to resurface and make improvements on two city streets. · Monroe County – $500,000 to rehabilitate a portion of the Excel Water System serving the unincorporated Hillside Community. · New Brockton – $392,900 for housing rehabilitation. · Opp – $400,000 to resurface several streets. · Pinkard – $342,177 to resurface and make improvements on several city streets. · Vredenburgh – $337,125 to make improvements at the town’s community park including construction of a pavilion. · Washington County – $500,000 to resurface Mitchell Road east of Millry. ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management, and recreation development. Kay Ivey is running for re-election on November 8. She faces Democrat Yolanda Rochelle Flowers and Libertarian Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake. Ivey was elevated to the office in 2017 when Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. She was elected to her own term in 2018. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Greenetrack will reopen tonight
Greenetrack will hold a grand re-opening tonight of its Gaming Center. The casino closed in the aftermath of the Alabama Supreme Court decision finding for the state, stripping the “charity bingo” of its non-profit status and ordering Greenetrack to pay $76 million in disputed back taxes. Greenetrack is reopening on very shaky legal ground. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that three other casinos in Lowndes and Macon County were illegal gambling halls, not bingo halls as their owners maintain. The state’s highest court remanded the case back to the lower court and ordered those judges to issue orders that those three casinos close within thirty days. The Court on Friday expounded on earlier court decisions going back to 2009 that bingo is a game played on paper cards. The court has ruled that gambling machines at the facility, very similar to the ones at Greenetrack, are (under Alabama law) illegal gambling machines and not electronic bingo machines as their operators claimed to the court. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement that he was pursuing a separate court action to permanently close Greenetrack. Greenetrack CEO Luther Winn told the Tuscaloosa Thread that the casino will reopen Friday at 5 p.m. and will offer “Las Vegas-style games, mechanical reels, new titles,” and more. “We’re reopening with a product proven to be the top-growing market in the United States with historical horseracing,” Winn said, “We’ll have really nice games that are very competitive and fun to play.” Winn said Greenetrack, which employs an estimated 80 people in Eutaw, is essential to the Greene County economy. “Re-opening means that Greene County, I’m hoping, can take a deep breath, and people can depend on Greenetrack again for employment for years to come,” Winn said. The Alabama Constitution of 1901 outlaws games of chance. That 121-year-old document has not been reversed. Confusion entered into the law when certain counties, including Greene, Macon, Jefferson, and Mobile, passed local county-wide constitutional amendments allowing dog and/or horse racing in Alabama. Greenetrack opened as a dog track where people could bet on live dog races. That was followed by amendments allowing charity bingo. Over time, the tracks went to bingo and then put in electronic bingo machines, which state officials allowed. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI), Alabama’s only federally recognized Indian tribe, asked for and got a license from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to build their own “electronic bingo” halls in Atmore and Wetumpka under the 1986 Indian Gaming Act. Then-Attorney General Troy King issued an attorney general’s opinion that affirmed that electronic bingo was legal under the charity bingo amendments to the Alabama Constitution. Then Gov. Bob Riley appointed Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson, a political rival of King’s, to head a gambling task force that began seizing the electronic gambling machines. The Alabama Supreme Court found that Riley and Tyson were correct and that bingo cannot be played on a machine. Robert Bentley followed Riley as Governor, closed down the Governor’s gambling task force, and issued an executive order that prohibited state troopers from enforcing the law against gaming. Gov. Kay Ivey has continued the Bentley policy on gambling. In 2020 the Governor’s task force on gambling issued a lengthy report urging the Legislature to pass legislation allowing the current casinos to operate legally and impose a state lottery. State Sens. Greg Albritton and Del Marsh both separately brought the governor’s legislation, and it passed the State Senate in 2021 and 2022. The Alabama House of Representatives did not. Gov. Ivey has said that her greatest regret from her first term is that the Legislature has not passed gambling legislation. Marshall, meanwhile, has pursued legal actions to shut down the casinos. The Greenetrack Gaming Center has been in the process of remodeling and refurbishing its gambling machines since August. It reopens tonight, but its legality and its future remain in doubt. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey outpaces other gubernatorial candidates in September fundraising
The September campaign finance reports are in, and incumbent Governor Kay Ivey, the Republican nominee, is lapping her opponents in fundraising. According to the campaign finance reports filed by the Secretary of State’s office, the governor entered the month of September with $75,583.16 in her re-election account. During September, the governor raised another $316,011 in contributions. Ivey outspent everyone else in the race: combined with expenditures of $189,915.81 in September alone. Ivey enters the month with $201,678.35 in cash on hand. Ivey is only the second woman to be elected as Governor of Alabama. She is the longest serving woman governor in state history as Gov. Lurleen Wallace died of breast cancer in office during her one and only term. Ivey was twice elected as State Treasurer and twice elected as Lieutenant Governor; before being elevated to governor in 2017 when then Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. Ivey was elected to her own term of office in 2018. Dr. James “Jimmy” Blake is the Libertarian candidate for governor. Blake, as a challenger, enters the race with less name recognition than the incumbent governor. The way a campaign builds name recognition is through commercials: radio, TV, internet, print, direct mail, signs, and billboards, and all of that costs money in a state with over five million people and multiple media markets. The Libertarians did not even get ballot access until late May, so building a fundraising apparatus to challenge an incumbent Governor has been challenging. The Blake campaign began in September with just $834. Over the course of the month, Blake raised $9,325, spent $5,389.90, and entered October with $4,769.10 in cash on hand. The situation is even bleaker for the Democratic nominee for Governor. Yolanda Rochelle Flowers reported contributions for the month of just $2,150. The Democratic nominee only had $673.32 in funds coming into September. After spending just $2777.09, the Flowers campaign was left with only $46.23 entering October. The last three Democratic nominees for governor Walt Maddox, Parker Griffith, and Ron Sparks, were running campaigns that were at distinct disadvantages to their Republican counterparts. Still, ideological liberals, Democratic Party loyalists, and allied special interests did at least fund their campaigns. Flowers can’t raise money, and Democrats appear to have thrown in the towel on this and every other statewide race. Democrats aren’t giving to Flowers, who already has a mountain to climb to establish name recognition, much less win votes on election day. Flowers is the first Black woman to be nominated for Governor of Alabama by one of the two major political parties. Ivey, Blake, and Flowers are the only three candidates that will appear on the ballot on November 8, but there are also at least two write-in candidates who do not have the advantages of a statewide political party working for their cause. Write-in candidate Jared Budlong began the month of September with just $105.23 in his campaign account. Over the course of the month, he raised $918.40 in contributions for his campaign and borrowed another $370.07. Budlong spent $659.72 on the campaign and entered October with $733.98 in cash on hand. Lee county pastor and former Republican primary candidate Dean Odle is running as a write-in candidate. Odle entered the month of September with $12,081.61 in cash on hand. Odle reported cash contributions of $5,735.02, in-kind contributions of $666.40, expenditures of $11,550.16, and an ending cash balance of $6,266.47. To vote for Budlong or Odle, voters must check the write-in candidate as their choice for governor and then write in their name on the paper ballot. Republican candidates have dominated fundraising in this election cycle. Republican candidates have raised $46,753,741.68. Political Action Committees have raised $19,798,304.29 in contributions. The Democratic candidates have contributions of $7,282,846.27 combined. All other candidates, including the 65 Libertarian candidates on the ballot, have only raised $178,572.12 combined in this cycle. By comparison, Ivey by herself raised $316,011 just in the month of September. Ivey has raised $9,898,554.35 in this election – more than every Democrat, Libertarian, and independent candidate combined. The election will be on November 8. If, for some reason you are unable to vote on November 8, you can apply for and obtain an absentee ballot. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Mack Butler in favor of the lottery
Former State Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) is making a return to the Alabama House of Representatives after a four-year absence. Butler posted recently that he would support a simple lottery. “I believe that grown people can do what they want with their own money,” Butler told Alabama Today in a phone interview on Friday following a Butler post on the subject. “On the issue of the lottery I did a little digging and thought I would share with you some of my findings,” Butler stated on Facebook. “The first American lottery was in 1612 and it was to fund the original settlement. Lotteries built early America by funding roads, libraries, churches, colleges etc. Princeton and Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania began by being financed by lotteries. Lotteries supported the war efforts during the French and Indian Wars also the American Revolution. Rare lottery tickets with George Washington’s signature can still be found today. John Hancock, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson all used lotteries for raising monies. As Paul Harvey used to say “Now you know the rest of the story.”” “We actually passed a lottery when I was in the House,” Butler told Alabama Today. “It went to the Senate where they killed it because they wanted full-blown casinos.” “A lottery is a voluntary tax,” Butler said. “A lot of people would like to be able to go to a gas station and purchase a lottery ticket for the $billion prize they had last week or play some scratch-offs.” Butler was known as one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives during his previous service. “We were a lot more conservative when I served than the House has been in the last four years,” Butler commented. “If you look up the history of lotteries, they were used to build Churches, schools, roads, and finance the Revolutionary War back then.” The gambling bill that failed to make it to the floor of either House last year rewarded existing gambling establishments with territorial monopolies. “I am not for picking winners and losers or for rewarding people who have been breaking the law for years,” Butler said. “If we do casinos, it shouldn’t be fixed. Everybody should have a fair shot.” “I am not a big gambling guy,” Butler said. “I would be more interested in rebating some of that surplus money to the taxpayers or removing the four percent tax on groceries.” The legislature is projected to have a $2.5 billion surplus that will roll over into Fiscal Year 2022 in FY2023 on October 1. “What I don’t want to do is use that money to grow government,” Butler said. “The special interests are going to want to spend every penny of that money.” Butler was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in a 2012 special election to represent House District 30, which included parts of Etowah and St. Clair Counties, after Blaine Galliher resigned to take a position working for then Gov. Robert Bentley (R). Butler was reelected in 2014. In 2018 he left the House to run for the State Senate District 10; but lost the Republican primary for the open seat to Andrew Jones. Most of Butler’s hometown of Rainbow City was redistricted in 2021 to House District 28. In May, Butler narrowly defeated incumbent State Rep. Gil Isbell (R-Gadsden) in the Republican Primary. “I do not have a Democrat or a Libertarian,” opponent Butler said. “Governor (Kay) Ivey has already called me to congratulate me.” Rumors about the Governor’s health have followed Ivey’s reelection campaign. “She sounded like Kay to me,” Butler said. “She seemed strong.” Gambling is likely to be a topic that will be introduced in the 2023 regular legislative session in March as well as calls to reduce or eliminate the grocery tax. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Election skeptics seek Alabama secretary of state’s office
The Republican runoff for Alabama secretary of state features two candidates who have voiced concerns about election and voter roll integrity while opposing the expansion of early or absentee voting. One candidate, state Auditor Jim Zeigler, is endorsed by a key supporter of former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and the other, state Rep. Wes Allen, is vowing to withdraw from a national system of shared voter registration data. The two face off Tuesday for the GOP nomination for secretary of state, the state’s top elections official. The winner will take on Democratic nominee Pamela J. Laffitte, a law enforcement officer from Mobile, in November. Interest in secretary of state contests across the nation has surged in the wake of the 2020 election as Republicans campaign on suspicions of voter fraud and, in some cases, deny the result of the last presidential election. Zeigler joined the “America First Secretary of State Coalition,” a slate of candidates who continue to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and is endorsed by Trump ally Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder. Several America First candidates have secured GOP nominations, including Jim Marchant in Nevada, a key political battleground. Another candidate, Jody Hice, lost in Georgia as Trump tried unsuccessfully to unseat Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “I’m not an election denier. I’m an election questioner. There are many questions about the 2020 election,” Zeigler said in an interview. Allen is a former probate judge who oversaw elections on the county level and is a current member of the Alabama Legislature. In the House of Representatives, Allen sponsored bills to ban curbside voting as well as outside donations to election offices — legislation fueled by conservatives’ suspicions about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s donations to help election offices deal with the coronavirus pandemic. “A core function of our government is to administer safe, secure, transparent elections, and we can do that. I just don’t think that we need that private money infiltrating local jurisdictions that oversee our elections,” Allen said. The League of Women Voters of Alabama, Black Voters Matter, and other groups opposed the donation ban, calling it a possible voter suppression measure that would hurt the state’s poorest counties by prohibiting them from accepting grants and other help. Allen also has championed a proposal to remove Alabama from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC. The system allows the 31 participating states to securely share voter registration data, so they know if someone has moved to another state or died and remove them from their roll. “They are outsourcing who is taking care of our voter registration information. So, on Day 1, I’ll start the process of getting us out of ERIC,” Allen said. Zeigler has said he would review ERIC participation but has not campaigned on withdrawing. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, also a Republican, said the push to withdraw from ERIC would actually undermine election security because of its importance in maintaining clean voter rolls. He said the system has had “zero instances” of known problems. Merrill, who cannot run again because of term limits, said he is disheartened by the campaign trend to cast doubt on the integrity of elections and registration maintenance systems. “I am concerned about it because it breeds potential problems in people’s minds. When that happens, it can actually put people in a defensive posture and think, if their candidate loses, ‘Well, then the reason my candidate lost is my candidate got cheated.’ It could just be that you have a poor candidate, or your candidate is not very well funded, or your candidate did not have a good plan for a political campaign.” Merrill said. Allen was one of a handful of Alabama probate judges who stopped issuing marriage licenses to anyone to avoid giving them to same-sex couples after federal court ruled that gay couples had a right to marry. Couples had to go to a neighboring county until lawmakers changed the process. As a member of the Alabama Legislature, he also sponsored legislation, currently blocked by a federal judge from taking effect, that made it a felony to treat transgender minors with puberty blockers or hormones. Zeigler was elected state auditor in 2014 and cannot seek reelection because of term limits. Although the role of state auditor is to keep track of state property and has limited official duties, Zeigler turned the office into a public platform to play gadfly to Republican administrations. In 2016, Zeigler filed an ethics complaint against then-Gov. Robert Bentley, accusing him of misusing state resources after audio leaked of the governor having a romantically charged conversation with a top aide. “As the state auditor, I served as a watchman for the public against government waste, mismanagement, and corruption. As secretary of state, I will serve as a watchman for election integrity and participation,” he said. Both Allen and Zeigler oppose expanding voting beyond Election Day, such as early voting or allowing people to vote by absentee ballot without certifying an illness or travel-related reason. The Democratic candidate in the race, Laffitte, said Alabama should join the majority of states that allow early voting or no-excuse absentee ballot voting. People in both parties are busy with work, child care, and other obligations, she contended and would benefit by having more convenient methods to vote. She said voter turnout is low in Alabama because “we continue to run things as if we are running in the dinosaur days.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Gov. Kay Ivey avoids runoff in Republican primary
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has turned back eight primary challengers to win the GOP gubernatorial nomination without a runoff in a race that pushed her far to the right. Over the course of the campaign, Ivey repeated former President Donald Trump’s false claims about election theft. Then, the white-haired, 77-year-old Ivey sat at her office desk and pulled three things out of her purse for a campaign commercial: a lipstick, a cellphone, and a revolver. One challenger, former Trump ambassador Lindy Blanchard, slammed Ivey for doing too much to control COVID-19 in a state with one of the nation’s worst pandemic death rates. Another, toll bridge developer Tim James, the son of former Gov. Fob James, did the same and attacked a charter school that opened under Ivey’s watch to cater to LGBTQ youth. Other challengers include Lew Burdette, a former business executive who runs Christian-based group homes; Stacy George, a prison officer and former county commissioner; pastor Dean Odle; GOP activist and businessman Dean Young; Springville Mayor Dave Thomas; and a yoga advocate, Donald Trent Jones. The eventual GOP nominee will face whoever emerges from a Democratic primary runoff between state Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier of Selma and Yolanda Rochelle Flowers, a career educator from Birmingham. Lieutenant governor at the time, Ivey was catapulted to the state’s top office when Robert Bentley resigned amid scandal in 2017. She easily dispatched four Republican primary challengers and won a full term against a well-financed Democrat, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, in 2018. Ivey has pushed a plan to construct new lockups to upgrade Alabama’s crowded, dilapidated prisons, which are the subject of a Justice Department lawsuit, and she passed a gasoline tax hike with automatic increases to fund road work. Challengers have criticized all that as too much big government and also zeroed in on her handling of the pandemic. While some bash Ivey over a COVID-19 response that left the state with nearly 20,000 dead and the nation’s fourth-highest death rate, Republican opponents have hammered her for shutting down businesses and churches to prevent the spread of disease. In a state where roughly 51% are fully vaccinated, Ivey’s claim that it was “time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for illness could come back to haunt her. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
4 Republicans vying for secretary of state nomination
Four Republicans are vying for the nomination for Alabama secretary of state, the official responsible for overseeing state elections. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, faces State Auditor Jim Zeigler, state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. The primary election will go to a June 21 runoff unless one candidate captures over 50% of the vote on Tuesday. The GOP nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. Packard has worked in the elections division of the Secretary of State’s Office for nearly 25 years, helping to administer over 400 elections and training county and city election officials. He said he also worked to defend the state’s photo ID requirements. Maintaining election integrity is a primary function of the office, he said. Packard said he wants to see stiffer penalties for violating state election laws, noting some of the offenses are only misdemeanors. “There is a $500 fine for littering, a $500 fine for buying a vote. That needs to be changed,” Packard said at a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Alabama. Packard said he would also like to give voters the ability to opt-out of the state selling their information to private groups. Separately, Packard in 2006 reported then-Secretary of State Nancy Worley to the attorney general for soliciting campaign contributions and support from her state employees. Worley later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. Allen, a state legislator and a former probate judge of Pike County, is also stressing his experience. “I’m the only candidate in the race that’s been a chief election official,” Allen said. He also pointed to his legislative work on election issues. Allen was appointed to serve as a probate judge of Pike County in 2009 by then-Gov. Bob Riley and won election in 2012. After being elected to the Alabama House of Representatives, he sponsored legislation to ban curbside voting as well as a bill to make it illegal for election offices to accept private donations for voter education, outreach, and registration programs. Alabama was one of several GOP-controlled states that banned such donations — a movement fueled by conservatives’ suspicion about donations by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2020 to help offices deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans argued it is needed to protect election integrity; opponents said it would hinder election administration in poor counties and have a chilling effect on efforts to help people register and vote. Zeigler was elected as state auditor in 2014 and cannot seek re-election because of term limits. The role of state auditor is to keep track of state property. However, Zeigler turned the office into a public platform to weigh in on other state issues, often serving as a gadfly to Republican administrations in the state. Zeigler in 2016 filed an ethics complaint against then-Gov. Robert Bentley, accusing him of misusing state resources after audio leaked of the governor having a romantically charged conversation with a top aide. “I will move the watchman role I played as state auditor to the secretary of state’s office as a watchman for election integrity,” Zeigler wrote in an email. He said he also wants to focus on the business organizations section and the role the office plays in paperwork for international adoptions. Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County, has stressed his outsider status and support for election security measures, such as voter identification requirements. Horn said he wants hand-count audits of every election as a means to fight election fraud. Horn, who is African American, noted his parents and ancestors had to fight for the right to vote, including his World War II veteran grandfather, but he also criticized what he called modern-day “woke politics” as destructive. “I will lead all people, as a son and grandson of parents who could not vote, and a brain aneurysm survivor who was paralyzed and cared for by women and men of all races, I want to use my platform to be a bridge to bring people together,” Horn said. Horn is chairman of the Tennessee Valley Republican Club and played football for the University of Michigan. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Fob James story, 1978 governor’s race
The crowded field for governor striving to oust incumbent Governor Kay Ivey includes Tim James. He has run before. In fact, this is his third try for the brass ring. His last race was in 2010, when he barely missed the runoff by a few votes. He was edged out by Robert Bentley, who went on to win. Tim James’ primary calling card has always been that he is the son of former Governor Fob James. The elder James was an ultra-successful businessman who was first elected governor in 1978 as a Democrat and then elected to a second term as governor as a Republican in 1994. Governor Fob James’s first election as Governor in 1978 is one for the record books. The 1978 Governor’s Race is one of the classics in Alabama political lore. That governor’s race, which began with three heavyweights – former Governor Albert Brewer, Attorney General Bill Baxley, and Lt. Governor Jere Beasley – was expected to be titanic. The Republicans were relegated to insignificance on the gubernatorial stage. Therefore, the winner of the Democratic Primary would be governor. Meanwhile, over in east Alabama, a little-known former Auburn halfback named Fob James strolled into the governor’s race. Fob’s entry evoked very little interest, only curiosity as to why he would want to enter the fray against three well-known major players. Fob was exposed as a card-carrying Republican, but even a political novice like Fob knew he could not win as a Republican, so he qualified to run as a Democrat along with the three B’s. Fob had become very wealthy by starting a successful manufacturing company in Opelika. When he signed up to run for governor, the press wrote him off as a rich gadfly who simply chose politics rather than golf as his pastime. Little did they know that the fact he was rich and had a lot of time on his hands could spell trouble for the average political opponent, who had to worry about fundraising and feeding their family while running a full-time campaign. Fob realized he was no political professional like the three B’s who had spent their entire political adulthood in public office, so Fob sought out professional advice. He had the money to think big and wanted to know who the best political consultant in the South was. It was an easy answer: Deloss Walker was a political public relations genius who lived in Memphis. His track record for electing governors of southern states was 5-0. Walker was the most renowned and expensive political guru in the country in 1977. Fob quietly sought out Walker, who at first refused to take Fob’s race. Walker’s first impression was that even he could not mold Fob into a winner against three well-financed, experienced thoroughbreds. Nobody was aware Fob had garnered the genius Walker and had already been to political school when he signed up to run for governor in the spring of 1978. Brewer, Baxley, and Beasley ignored Fob. Baxley even praised him, saying, “Fob would be a good governor. Too bad he’s not a serious candidate.” Those words would come back to haunt Baxley. Fob traveled the state in a yellow school bus and let the three B’s tear each other up. Baxley, Beasley, and Brewer spent all their time and money attacking each other with negative ads, all the while Fob ran positive ads. Folks were of the opinion that the three B’s had all probably shot their mothers in a bar fight, but they liked old Fob James, even if they thought his name was “Bob” James. It was too late for the three B’s when they saw a poll about a week before the election showing Fob ahead of all three of them. Baxley refused to believe it and kept hammering at Beasley and Brewer, ignoring Fob. When the votes were counted, Fob was in first place, Baxley second, Brewer was third, and Beasley finished fifth behind State Senator Sid McDonald. Fob easily beat Baxley in the runoff. After all, what could Baxley say? He had run all over the state for three months saying Fob would make a good governor. Fob James had pulled off one of the most amazing upset victories in the history of Alabama politics. The Fob James story of the 1978 Governor’s Race is truly one for the record books. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Tim James calls to repeal 2019 gas tax increase, sales tax on food
Republican gubernatorial challenger Tim James on Wednesday called for a repeal of Alabama’s 2019 gas tax increase — as well as an end to the state’s sales tax on groceries — saying families need relief from soaring prices. James, the son of former Gov. Fob James, is one of several GOP candidates challenging Gov. Kay Ivey in the upcoming Republican primary. He is seeking to use the gas tax increase that Ivey supported as a wedge issue with primary voters. James said he supports a repeal of the 10-cent-per-gallon gas increase approved in 2019, as well as a repeal of the state’s sales tax on food and business privilege tax. “The people of Alabama are fed up,” James said during a news conference in Montgomery. “It’s affecting whether they can fill up their car with gas or make a house payment or sign up their kids for baseball. That’s how serious this is,” James said. Alabama lawmakers in 2019 approved the increase on gasoline and diesel fuel taxes to fund road and bridge construction. The increase amounts to $6 per month for a person who uses 15 gallons of gasoline per week. James said he understands some people argue that “isn’t that big of a deal,” but repealing it would reduce what families and businesses pay in fuel costs. James is one of a number of Republicans challenging Ivey in the May 24 primary. The field also includes Lindy Blanchard, who served as ambassador to Slovenia under former President Donald Trump. A spokesman for Ivey’s campaign cited her record on job creation, unemployment as well as social issues, including an attempt to outlaw abortions in the state and a ban on transgender girls playing on female sports teams. “While others talk, Governor Ivey delivers …. Governor Ivey is a fighter, and she will remain focused on getting results for Alabamians and defending conservative Alabama values,” her campaign said. Some legislative leaders have said a repeal of the 10-cent increase would not have a major impact on prices at the pump but would interrupt the road and bridge construction being funded by the 2019 Rebuild Alabama Act. Ivey, after a morning appearance at the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, said she did not support a temporary freeze on state gas taxes “at this time.” She put the blame for rising prices on “Biden policies.” “Under President Trump, you could go buy gas and not have to hold your breath,” Ivey said. Gas prices have soared in recent months partly because of global supply concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The situation has prompted several states to pause gas taxes. James said he would also repeal the state’s 4% sales tax on food. Repealing the sales tax on groceries has often been proposed in Montgomery but has never been approved over concerns about the loss of the approximately half-billion dollars it provides for the state’s education fund. Alabama is one of only three states with no tax break on groceries, according to Alabama Arise. James also proposed a repeal of the state’s business privilege tax, a tax on entities doing business in the state, that generated $186 million last year. James said he would not replace the revenue, arguing that lawmakers could use a current budget surplus and then economic growth to maintain state services without cuts. The Legislative Services Agency has cautioned that the state is seeing an unusual growth in tax collections and that another economic downturn is likely. James previously staked out far-right positions, including criticizing legislation that allowed students to do yoga in public schools. James ran for governor in 2002 and 2010, when he narrowly missed making the GOP runoff, finishing about 200 votes behind the eventual winner, Robert Bentley, who was elected governor that year and later resigned. Serving as lieutenant governor at the time, Ivey took over as governor in 2017 upon Bentley’s resignation and was elected to a full term the following year. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Tim James opens gubernatorial campaign with evangelical appeal
Business owner Tim James appealed to evangelical Christian voters as he opened his Republican campaign for Alabama governor Wednesday, railing against the threat of “godless Marxism,” quoting scripture and claiming God has called the conservative state to lead the nation. Standing before the white-domed Capitol with Christian music playing and beside a flag decorated with a cross, the son of former Gov. Fob James, after a prayer, attacked GOP leaders including Gov. Kay Ivey, who is seeking another term, over the approval of medical marijuana and an educational system that trails much of the nation. James, a toll road developer who has said he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19, said Republican leaders hadn’t done enough to fight vaccine mandates, allowing one to take effect at the University of Alabama at Birmingham before the state attorney general’s office intervened. James said he would fight “casino barons” to prevent Alabama from becoming “the Las Vegas of the South.” While Alabama “has always been mocked for our values,” James said, it supported the formation of Israel years before it became a nation in 1948 and has a special place in the nation’s future. Support of Israel is a foundational issue for many evangelicals. “We stand at the gate of our state Capitol and seek God’s forgiveness for the sins of America, and we decree in the name of Jesus that Alabama will lead America in the years ahead, back to its proper position of authority amongst the nations, of which authority was granted by God at our inception,” said James, who quoted scripture. Angela James said her husband is a warrior who is prepared to lead a “crusade” and has the same evangelical zeal and spiritual discernment as his mother and father, who was elected to a four-year term in 1979 and reelected to a second term in 1995. “The apple does not fall far from the tree,” she said. James previously staked out far-right positions, including criticizing legislation that allowed students to do yoga in public schools. James ran for governor in 2002 and 2010, when he narrowly missed making the GOP runoff, finishing about 200 votes behind the eventual winner, Robert Bentley, who was elected governor that year and later resigned. Former Books-A-Million executive Lew Burdette; Lindy Blanchard, who served as ambassador to Slovenia under former President Donald Trump; correctional officer and former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy George; and Opelika pastor Dean Odle have also announced their candidacies against Ivey. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Prison commissioner stepping down from troubled department
Alabama Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn is stepping down after six years leading the troubled system that faces a Justice Department lawsuit over prison conditions, the governor’s office announced Tuesday. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she is appointing John Hamm, the current deputy secretary of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, as the state’s next corrections commissioner. Hamm will take over on Jan. 1. “I have said before that Commissioner Dunn has a thankless job, but I am proud that he has led with the utmost integrity. He has helped lay the groundwork that I now look forward to building upon with John Hamm at the helm,” Ivey said in a statement. Dunn was appointed by then-Gov. Robert Bentley in 2015 to lead the troubled prison system. A retired Air Force colonel, Dunn had no experience in corrections, but Bentley said he would bring a fresh perspective to the department. He remained in the position under Ivey. During his tenure, Dunn sought additional funding to hire and retain corrections officers and helped lead the push under two administrations for prison construction. Lawmakers this year approved a plan to tap pandemic relief funds to help pay the costs of building two new super-size prisons and renovating other facilities. But his tenure also saw an ongoing prison violence crisis — at least partly fueled by the ongoing staffing shortage— and mounting troubles for the department. The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Alabama last year, saying state lockups were among the deadliest in the nation and that inmates face unconstitutional levels of “prisoner-on-prisoner and guard-on-prisoner violence.” The Justice Department state officials have been deliberately indifferent to the problem. “In the two and a half years following the United States’ original notification to the State of Alabama of unconstitutional conditions of confinement, prisoners at Alabama’s Prisons for Men have continued daily to endure a high risk of death, physical violence, and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners,” the DOJ wrote in an updated complaint filed last month. It was signed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson in 2017 ruled that Alabama’s psychiatric care of state inmates is so “horrendously inadequate” that it violates the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. State Rep. Chris England, who has long called for Dunn’s removal, said this was an opportunity to take the department in a new direction. He said leadership change is also needed at the parole board. Ivey’s office said Hamm has more than 35 years of experience in law enforcement and includes time working in corrections at both the state and local levels. “I will work diligently with the men and women of DOC to fulfill Governor Ivey’s charge of solving the issues of Alabama’s prison system,” Hamm said in a statement released by the governor’s office. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
