Robert Bentley announces date for lottery special session
Gov. Robert Bentley has announced the date for a special legislative session for Alabama lawmakers to discuss the possibility of a statewide lottery. The special session will begin Aug. 15. Wednesday, the governor announced the special session, saying it would generate $225 million a year to help pay for basic state services, but he didn’t announce the date at that time. “I will not, as your governor and as a physician, watch as our most helpless and vulnerable people go without a doctor’s care,” Bentley said in the video Friday. “I can’t bear to think of the half-million children who, through no fault of their own, are born into poverty and have no way to get basic medical treatment they need to grow healthy and strong.” Bentley hopes to have the lottery legislation on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. In order for that to happen, the Legislature would need to approve it no later than Aug. 24. Alabama is one of only six states across the country without a state lottery. Voters rejected a lottery proposal under Gov. Don Siegelman in 1999 amid heavy opposition from church groups opposed to gambling. The governor called a lottery the best option for solving the state’s ongoing budget problem, telling Alabamians “this is not just about a lottery, this is about our people.” Watch Bentley’s announcement below:
Robert Bentley announces plan to transform Alabama prison system
In keeping with promises made during his recent “State of the State” address, Gov. Robert Bentley announced plans Tuesday to reform Alabama’s overwhelmed prison system. The Alabama Prison Transformation Initiative Act (APTIA), which will outline the closing of Alabama’s current prisons and the construction of “four modern efficient prison facilities,” will be announced Tuesday and carried by Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) and Sen. Trip Pittman (R-Montrose) in the House and Senate, respectively. “We have made significant progress over the last year to improve our criminal justice system, and with the construction of four new and modern prisons, Alabama is poised to be a national leader in safe and effective incarceration of inmates,” Bentley said in a press release. “We cannot move our state forward without addressing the issues that have plagued the prison system for decades. We have a good plan to address the issues and with the partnership of the Alabama Legislature, we can solve the issues and make the Department of Corrections more efficient.” Many of Alabama’s prisons are aged and inefficient, which increases the costs associated with maintenance and repair. Because the outdated facilities don’t provide in-house medical care, additional costs for prisoner transported are also associated with the outdated prisons. The new plan would “reduce overcrowding and improve safety conditions for inmates and corrections officers, allow for additional inmate re-entry programs and to improve operational practices and procedures for the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC).” The plan will also provide for $800 million in bonds over 30 years, which is said to be reimbursable from the savings the ADOC will see because of the new prison system. The four facilities will include three men’s facilities able to house “at least” 3,500 prisoner each. Construction is slated to begin next year and will be completed within three years.
Robert Bentley says Obama administration unresponsive, out of line on refugee plans
In another missive by Gov. Robert Bentley aimed at federal officials in Washington, the governor accused the Obama administration of efforts to “circumvent” states on ongoing plans to relocate thousands of refugees from war-torn Syria on Wednesday. “I continue to have great concerns with the refugee vetting process, particularly the lack of state involvement, oversight or knowledge,” Bentley said in a statement. “I cannot help but believe the intent appears to be an effort to circumvent states and our ability to adequately protect our people and ensure the safety of our citizens.” Bentley joined several other primarily Republican governors in declaring their intent to refuse any incoming refugees should the federal government plan to relocate them within their borders. Bentley said last month he “would not stand complicit” with any scheme to move migrants into Alabama, which he said “places the citizens of Alabama in harm’s way.” In a letter addressed to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Bentley excoriated the office for refusing to reply to earlier notes and for creating a “filter” through which governors had to go in order to speak with the administration. “As governor, I take very seriously my responsibility to ensure the safety and security of Alabamians,” wrote Bentley. “The Refugee vetting process, in my opinion, in structured in such a way that excludes states from any oversight and severely limits the amount of information the states may have regarding refugees.” The Obama administration has called their vetting process “the most robust screening process for any category of individuals seeking admission into the United States,” wherein candidates are subjected to the very highest levels of scrutiny. “I must point out the missing element of state government involvement in that process,” Bentley intoned. The federal government has said previously that governors are entitled to quarterly reports, but has indicated they will not process answers to individual inquiries from governors in most cases. McDonough has offered to allow the National Governors’ Association as a go-between with the White House, but Bentley rejected that as a non-starter. “I cannot accept that proposal as a workable solution,” Bentley wrote. “There should be no filter between the federal government and state governments, and especially between the President and Governors regarding an issue of such high importance as national security. “As I expressed in my letter last week, Alabama has not received any refugee reports regarding any refugee of any national origin. I do not believe placing a filter such as NGA between the Administration and the Governor’s Office addresses this current problem, nor does it solve future concerns regarding the vetting process,” said Bentley.
