Rep. Jerry Carl earns endorsement of 14 County Commissioners and Sheriffs across AL-01
Republican Jerry Carl announced that he has earned the endorsements of 14 county commissioners and sheriffs in his reelection bid to represent Alabama’s First Congressional District. “Our county elected officials are on the front lines of keeping our communities safe, secure, and strong. At a time when the far Left wants to defund the police and allow lawlessness to take over, our sheriffs and county commissioners in Alabama are not backing down from the fight. Our county commissioners and county sheriffs are working hand-in-hand to manage the unprecedented growth in south Alabama, all while ensuring our communities continue being the best places to live, work, and raise a family. I love working with these folks on a daily basis, and I’ll always be a strong partner of theirs in Washington,” Carl said in a press release. “Congressman Carl has been a strong supporter of law enforcement, and he has been a constant advocate for the needs of Baldwin County. I’m proud to call him a friend, and he has my full support to continue serving Alabama’s First Congressional District in Congress,” said Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack. “Congressman Carl has been a friend of mine since before he took office, but most importantly, he has been a friend of Escambia County since day one. He made a promise that he will remember us and fight for us, and that’s exactly what he’s done during his time in Congress. He has my complete and total endorsement as he seeks reelection in Alabama’s First Congressional District,” said Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson. “I am thankful for everything Jerry Carl does for his constituents. I am especially thankful for his unwavering support for law enforcement, the military, and all first responders. We need him to stay in office to continue fighting for our community and our country! He has my full support as he seeks reelection,” said Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch. “I appreciate the job Congressman Carl has been doing for us here in south Alabama, and he has my total support in his run for Congress in AL-01,” said Retired Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran. “I am endorsing Jerry Carl for reelection in Alabama’s First Congressional District. I have worked with Jerry for years, and he is a man of his word. I am thankful for his service to this country,” said Baldwin County Commission Chairman Charles (Skip) Gruber. “I support Congressman Jerry Carl in his 2024 campaign. I have known Jerry since he was a County Commissioner, and he represents our area well in Washington,” said Baldwin County Commissioner Jeb Ball. “It is my pleasure to endorse Congressman Jerry Carl for reelection in 2024,” said Baldwin County Commissioner Matt McKenzie. “Congressman Jerry Carl has my full support for reelection in 2024,” said Baldwin County Commissioner Billie Jo Underwood. “I support Congressman Carl because of his genuine concern for the residents of our area and his willingness to listen to the concerns of his constituents,” said Escambia County Commissioner Steve Dickie. “I appreciate the job Congressman Carl has done for the citizens in Escambia County. As always, he has my total support in 2024,” said Escambia County Commissioner Brandon Smith. “I am grateful Congressman Carl is running for reelection in Alabama’s First Congressional District. He has my full support as he continues to represent this district,” said Escambia County Commissioner Larry White. “I am thankful for all the support Congressman Carl has given to Escambia County, and he’s always looking out for us. He has my full support as he seeks reelection in 2024,” said Escambia County Commissioner Raymond Wiggins. “I have known Jerry for many years and consider him a close, personal friend and someone I often depend on for advice. His dedication, honesty, reliability, and work ethic are unmatched. Jerry is passionate about his community and taking care of the people and their needs. I am proud to endorse Congressman Jerry Carl for reelection to Alabama’s First Congressional District,” said Mobile County Commission President Randall Dueitt. “Congressman Carl has been a true stalwart in working to support the best interests of south Alabama and the coastal counties. He has certainly earned the opportunity to continue representing Alabama’s First Congressional District in Congress,” said Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson.
State Auditor Andrew Sorrell addresses East Alabama Republican Assembly
Alabama State Auditor Andrew Sorrell was in Opelika on Monday to address the East Alabama Republican Assembly. Sorrell served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022, prior to his election last year as state Auditor. “In my first four years in the Legislature, I was the most conservative one down there,” Sorrell said, citing the ranking of members by the American Conservative Union and Club for Growth. “And it wasn’t even close. On every conservative scorecard, I was either number one or tied for number one.” “They said I was too conservative to get elected statewide,” Sorrell said. “I got the highest percentage of any candidate on the ballot in November.” “I was born in California, but I got out of there as quick as I could,” Sorrell said. “I was only there six weeks. We were there because Dad was a preacher at a Church there. If there is one thing that California needs, it’s more preachers. Dad took a job teaching Greek at a college in Wisconsin. I lived there until I was six years old. Dad got laid off from that job.” Sorrel’s father was laid off at the college and worked as a truck driver until finally; he was offered a job as pastor of a Church in Muscle Shoals, so the family moved to Alabama. ” There is nowhere I would rather be,” Sorrell said. Sorrell and his wife have one daughter and are expecting another. “We are going to home-school our children,” Sorrell said. “I got a good education at Muscle Shoals,” Sorrell said. “I can’t believe what has happened to the schools. There is a transgender kid in Muscle Shoals. When I was growing up, all my teachers were Christians.” Sorrell said that he became an entrepreneur growing up. His brother, Matthew, went to college at the University of North Alabama and received a $200 scholarship, so he thought his books were paid for. “That only bought one book,” Sorrell said. Then when that course was over, the bookstore would only pay $50. His brother decided to buy books on Amazon for substantial cost savings. He wanted to buy books and then sell them for a profit but had no money, so he formed a 50:50 partnership with Andrew because Andrew could front the $2000 in startup capital. “He came back home with a basket full of textbooks and $2500,” Sorrell said. They began offering cash for textbooks at the end of the semester to resell them at the beginning. “We were the book guys on campus. At one point, we bought 856 books in four days.” “We started buying hundreds of textbooks a day,” Sorrell said. Before selling the company, Andrew and his brother had grown the company to forty employees and over a million dollars in revenue. Next, Sorrell decided to go into the pawn shop business to sell guns. “It took two and a half years,” to open the store, Sorrell said. “Then I opened a second one – Gold, Guns, & Guitars. I also have eight rentals around the state.” “I am not in politics to make money – in fact, I am losing money,” Sorrell said. “Most of them (legislators) are losing money. Dr. [Larry] Stutts – I guarantee you that he is losing money in the legislature instead of delivering babies.” The Sorrell brothers became involved in local GOP campaigns, but all the candidates they helped lost their races. “Andrew, we are doing something wrong,” Matthew Sorrell said that his brother told him. “There are schools that teach you how to learn to run campaigns.” So they spent a week at a D.C. event learning how to run campaigns, and things changed. “We learned how to be campaign managers,” Sorrell said. After that, they found growing success. Sorrell said that Republican dominance has brought its own unique problem. “A big problem we have in the state is if you can’t run as a Democrat, you run in the Republican primary,” Sorrell said. “That is why we need party registration. I know you have a large problem with that down here with that.” Sorrell ran for House District 3 when he could not recruit a candidate to challenge incumbent Rep. Marcel Black (D-Tuscumbia). Black ultimately decided not to run again. “I narrowly won,” Sorrell said. “The gentleman that replaced me got 64% where I just got 52%. Part of that is redistricting made it a lot more fair, but it is also a lot more acceptable to vote Republican in Colbert County than it was.” Sorrell said one of his greatest legislative accomplishments was seeing constitutional carry law passed. That removed the requirement that gun owners purchase a pistol permit from their sheriff to carry their handguns concealed. “The guy that had it before I got elected got elected as a circuit judge, so I agreed to carry it,” Sorrell said. “I only had seven cosponsors,” Sorrell said that first year. That second year State Rep. Connie Rowe, a member of the leadership, “Stuck her neck on it” and agreed to cosponsor the bill after 22 members had signed on to cosponsor. “That took it to 26 or 27.” That third year, “I got it up to 28 or 29 (cosponsors),” Sorrell said. The bill would not come to the floor, so Sorrell decided to add it as an amendment to the lifetime permit bill to force a House floor vote on the legislation. Sorrell said that the Speaker of the House asked him to not bring that amendment and agreed to cosponsor the bill and bring it to the floor in 2022 if he would agree. “I decided to take the deal,” Sorrell said. “Fortunately for me, the Speaker kept his word.” Sorrell said that the decision by Mobile Sheriff Sam Cochran to fire State Rep. Shane Stringer as a deputy in the 2021 session over his support for constitutional carry was a key moment in passing the bill because legislators who weren’t fans of constitutional carry liked Stringer. “I wanted to introduce an amendment to name it the
House GOP backs end of handgun permit requirement
Republicans in the Alabama House of Representatives said Wednesday that abolishing the permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun will be among their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session. The Alabama House Republican Caucus announced a legislative agenda that includes the so-called “constitutional carry” legislation that does away with the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public. The backing increases the chances of approval for the proposal that has failed for several years in Montgomery under opposition from state sheriffs. The House GOP agenda for the final session before May primaries also includes anti-critical race theory legislation, the creation of a felony crime for assaulting a first-responder and pay raises for state employees and teachers. Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronnelle, introduced legislation to do away with the requirement to get a permit — which requires a person to undergo a background check — to carry a concealed handgun in public or a loaded handgun in their car. “I am a firm believer that law-abiding citizens should not be punished and forced to get a permit to carry a firearm when the criminal element is not,” Stringer said. Similar legislation has been introduced in Montgomery for the last five years. State sheriffs and other law enforcement officials have opposed the bills, arguing that the permits provide a crucial tool to combat crime and enhance public safety. “There are those who do not need to be carrying concealed weapons in our restaurants, clubs, and sports bars,” Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran told the Mobile County Commission last month, according to al.com. “The biggest thing is safety of our citizens and officers.” A telephone message left with the Alabama Sheriffs Association was not immediately returned. Stringer, a former captain with the Mobile County sheriff’s office, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is developing a database, authorized by a state law creating a lifetime concealed carry permit option, that should flag people not legally entitled to carry a handgun. The proposal drew condemnation from a gun safety group. “I don’t understand how these lawmakers can claim to support law enforcement in one breath, and then, in the next, push an extremist policy like permitless carry that law enforcement has clearly and vehemently spoken out against,” said Paula Wilson, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action. “If this bill passes, there’ll be more unvetted people carrying concealed, loaded handguns in public places with no training and no questions asked,” Wilson said. This is the first year House Republicans put the item on their session agenda. Stringer said the authorization of the database has eased opposition to the bill among some GOP lawmakers. The lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association says 20 states do not require such permits. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also said Wednesday he will push for a new state law that will loosen requirements to carry a handgun in public in that state. State Sen. Gerald Allen, who introduced similar legislation unsuccessfully for at least five years, said this might be the year it succeeds. “You should not have to pay a fee to fulfill your constitutional right — for the right to protect your life, your family, your property,” Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Sheriff, House member clash over ending Alabama gun permits
A southwest Alabama sheriff and a state House member are again jousting over whether the state should abolish permits to carry concealed handguns. AL.com reports that Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran spoke before the Mobile County Commission last week endorsing a resolution to keep permits. But state Rep. Shane Stringer, a Citronelle Republican who plans to sponsor a bill in next year’s legislative session abolishing the state’s permit requirement, urged commissioners to reject the resolution. A vote on the resolution could come on December 28. Stringer is a former Mobile County sheriff’s captain who was fired by Cochran because the two disagree on gun permits. Stringer argues for “constitutional carry,” the view that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars states from requiring permits or collecting fees for people to carry guns. Most sheriffs statewide lobbied against a similar bill last year. Cochran argues the permit process is akin to a background check, noting Mobile County turned down 700 of 63,000 applicants for a concealed weapons permit last year over concerns about an applicant’s criminal history. “There are those who do not need to be carrying concealed weapons in our restaurants, clubs, and sports bars,” Cochran told the commission. “The biggest thing is safety of our citizens and officers.” Stringer says a database being developed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will monitor for people who can’t legally possess a gun because of a criminal conviction or a finding of mental illness by a court. Stringer said the new system will “give law enforcement the tools they need to take the criminals off the street.” The database was mandated by lawmakers last year when they allowed people to buy a lifetime pistol permit for $300. Stringer argues sheriffs are trying to hold onto the fees that come with concealed carry permits but says people shouldn’t have to pay to exercise a constitutional right. “I don’t think we should be taxing people for carrying a gun,” Stringer said. He said some gun owners will still buy a permit in Alabama, so they will be allowed to travel to other states that require them. AL.com reports the dispute spilled over to the sheriff’s office Facebook page, which said Stringer’s proposal would lead to the “wild west” and urged people to call his statehouse office to oppose it. That post attracted many responses from gun rights proponents disagreeing with Cochran’s position. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Jail releases some non-violent offenders because of COVID-19
A south Alabama jail has started releasing some non-violent offenders because of a rise in COVID-19 cases at the facility. WKRG-TV reports that Mobile County Metro Jail began Tuesday allowing some non-violent offenders to be released, similar to what is done when a hurricane threatens the facility or there is a desperate need for space in the jail. Inmates facing only city, non-violent charges are allowed to sign their own bond or be released on recognizance. There are a number of exceptions, including that the charges can’t be related to driving under the influence or domestic violence. “This past week and increasingly over the weekend we had an outburst of COVID infections in the jail and it was spreading really rapidly and so to really reduce the population as quickly as we could and also limit the number of people coming in and out of the jail,” Sheriff Sam Cochran said of the decision. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
