Mike Rogers requests GAO investigation of the U.S. SPACECOM basing process
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the basing process for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) permanent headquarters. This follows Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s request for an Inspector General investigation on Wednesday. Chairman Rogers has requested that GAO investigate the process between the completion of their previous report in June 2022 and President Biden’s selection of Colorado Springs as the permanent headquarters for USSPACECOM. “National security decisions of this magnitude and significant economic interest require the process to be standardized, repeatable, transparent, and deliberate,” Rogers wrote in the letter. “Based on numerous administration officials talking to the press, the decision by President Biden appears to be anything but. Preferential decision-making by the President because of certain state laws has widely been publicized as a major factor but was never included in the basing requirements.” “Long-term, permanent basing decisions should stand up to scrutiny and not be politically motivated based on social policy preferences or based on advocacy by Administration officials,” Rogers continued. “Instead, such a process should remain analytical and focused on clearly announced criteria and requirements that can be publicly scrutinized. Anything but a transparent process played out in the final decision for USSPACECOM headquarters under this Administration. The public deserves an independent review to understand how this basing process went awry and failed to follow transparent and repeatable steps which would have garnered trust in the final basing decision for USSPACECOM headquarters.” The letter is addressed to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro: “The decision to locate Space Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was made in the waning days of the Trump Administration by the Pentagon, which set criteria for the possible relocation. Two independent reviews confirmed that Redstone Arsenal met those criteria better than any other possible site. Colorado finished fourth behind Nebraska and San Antonio, Texas. Colorado, however, is a swing state that voted for Biden.” “Not only is it outrageous, but also unfortunate for the American people to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM,” said Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) in a statement at the time. “Over and over again, the legitimate process proved that Alabama was the right choice for SPACECOM HQ. Unfortunately for this nation, this decision is the latest chapter in the long saga of the Biden Administration’s failing national security record, and I know the majority of the American people feel the same way. As a nation, we must do better. The precedent that has been set today should sound the alarm for the future of strategic, national security decision-making processes and lands a direct hit to the future of state’s rights.” The Alabama delegation has said that this decision is not final, but at this point, it seems unlikely that they will ever have the votes in Congress to overturn the President’s decision. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
AG Steve Marshall calls for inspector general investigation of Joe Biden’s SPACECOM headquarters decision
On Tuesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General requesting an investigation into the sudden reversal of the decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Huntsville, Alabama, to Colorado. Marshall made the request for an investigation after news that the head of Space Command, General James Dickinson, a previous advocate for the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville, changed his recommendation to President Joe Biden for headquarters to be located in Colorado. Marshall said that the decision to make a change of preference occurred just as General Dickinson, in April 2023, purchased a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado location. This purchase was never disclosed to members of the Alabama congressional delegation. “Since taking office, this president has targeted red states for daring to resist his radical progressive agenda. But when it comes to national security, politics must take a backseat,” said AG Marshall. “I implore the Inspector General to investigate the oddly timed investment by General Dickinson which coincided with his recommendation against the Air Force’s preferred site in Huntsville. And I will continue to use the unique power of my office to hold President Biden accountable and demand transparency into this politically motivated charade.” In January 2021, after a thorough vetting process, the Secretary of the Air Force identified the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. The recommendation for the site was then affirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office, finding that the Air Force had conducted an accurate analysis and Huntsville was the superior location. The Colorado congressional delegation staunchly opposed the planned move of Space Command to Alabama. On July 31, 2023, government officials reported that President Biden reversed the decision to locate Space Command’s headquarters in Huntsville and instead selected a location in Colorado. News reports credited General James Dickinson with convincing Biden to choose Colorado, stating, “General James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership.” Gen. Dickinson had spoken to Alabama officials as recently as June 2023, where he confirmed with Alabama’s congressional delegation that Redstone Arsenal would be the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. “I have invited Secretary [Frank] Kendall, General Dickinson, and General [Chance] Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said on Twitter. Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “Biden Administration officials have consistently evaded Congressional Oversight on the Space Command basing decision,” Rogers added. “It’s past time for them to answer the questions my colleagues and I on @HASCRepublicans have related to the matter.” The General did not disclose that in April 2023, he had registered a deed to a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado headquarters location. It is still unknown whether or not he disclosed his personal interest in Colorado to President Biden or other superiors. Colorado voted largely for Biden in 2020. To win in 2024, he will need to keep Colorado in the Democratic fold. Alabama is a solid red state. Biden has no chance of carrying Alabama, even if the state were awarded Space Command. The decision to keep Space Command in Colorado is widely regarded as political. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Marshall applauds court victory in vulnerable child protection and compassion act
On Monday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement applauding a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to vacate a preliminary injunction that had been entered by a district court last year in Eknes-Tucker v. Marshall. The federal appeals court decision will soon enable the state to enforce the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which prohibits administering sex-modification procedures to minors. “The Eleventh Circuit reinforced that the State has the authority to safeguard the physical and psychological wellbeing of minors, even if the United States Attorney General and radical interest groups disapprove,” said AG Marshall. “Alabama takes this responsibility seriously by forbidding doctors from prescribing minors sex-modification procedures that have permanent and often irreversible effects. This is a significant victory for our country, for children, and for common sense.” Alabama’s Vulnerable Child Protection and Compassion Act was sponsored by State Senator Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) and then State Representative Wes Allen (R-Troy) – Allen was elected Secretary of State last year. Marshall has defended this and similar laws to protect children from sterilizing medical interventions. Marshall says that these procedures are being pushed by medical interest groups that are driven by the pursuit of profit and radical ideology. In August, Marshall led a multistate brief in Missouri highlighting what he calls the dishonesty of advocacy groups like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). Similarly, in July, General Marshall filed a brief on behalf of 21 states in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals supporting Tennessee’s and Kentucky’s laws protecting minors from chemical and surgical sex-modification procedures for kids. The Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act was signed into law in April 2022. On May 13, 2022, the federal district court issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the law from being enforced. Monday’s ruling lifts that preliminary injunction. The case will still proceed through the federal court system. Advocates for these controversial procedures vow to continue their court fight. In lifting the injunction, the judges wrote that states have “a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty regarding benefits, recent surges in use, and irreversible effects.” Steve Marshall was appointed Alabama Attorney General in 2017. He was elected in his own right in 2018 and then re-elected for his second full term in 2022. Before he served as AG, Marshall was the district attorney for Marshall County. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
AG Steve Marshall leads 16-state brief defending Missouri’s ban on sex-modification procedures for children
Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a multistate brief supporting Missouri’s defense of its ban on sex-modification procedures for children. The 16-state brief, co-led by Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, directly addresses efforts by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and other medical interest groups that urge courts to defer to them on issues of pediatric sex changes. “In reality, the latest WPATH standards are gender ideology talking points masquerading as medical standards. These so-called standards advocate prescribing some children puberty blockers and having them undergo life-altering surgeries because it is considered ‘medically necessary gender-affirming care,’” said Attorney General Marshall. “Our youth deserve better, and I will never stop fighting to protect our children from these radical and often irreversible medical interventions.” The brief argues that the Constitution entrusts states with the “authority, in truth a responsibility, to look after the health and safety” of children. The brief argues that as European healthcare authorities have sharply restricted access to sex-modification procedures for minors in response to systematic reviews of the evidence, American medical organizations have continued to ignore the evidence and advocate for unfettered access to the procedures. “States like Missouri,” the brief argued, did not have to do the same and “could rationally take the side of caution before permitting irreversible medical treatments” on children. According to their website, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health is a non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health. The organization’s mission is “to promote evidence-based care, education, research, public policy, and respect in transgender health.” The WPATH’s goal is “to further the understanding and treatment of gender dysphoria by professionals in medicine, psychology, law, social work, counseling, psychotherapy, family studies, sociology, anthropology, sexology, speech and voice therapy, and other related fields.” In March, WPATH President Dr. Marci Bowers issued a statement opposing legislation banning access to transgender care. “Anti-transgender health care legislation is not about protections for children but about eliminating transgender persons on a micro and macro scale,” Bowers said. “It is a thinly veiled attempt to enforce the notion of a gender binary.” Attorney General Marshall was joined on the brief by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Tennessee, Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia.
Former Barbour County Sheriff Leroy Upshaw sentenced for ethics offense
On Friday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) announced that former Barbour County Sheriff Leroy Davis Upshaw had been sentenced for using his office for personal gain. Upshaw, age 52, lives in Eufaula. He was sentenced to 10 years split to serve three years in the Alabama Department of Corrections for violating Alabama’s Ethics laws. The court ordered that Upshaw serve his three-year sentence in Barbour County Community Corrections – avoiding prison time. The court also ordered him to pay a $30,000 fine. Upshaw pled guilty to the Ethics charge on June 27. In March of 2021, a Barbour County Grand Jury indicted Upshaw following an investigation by the Alabama Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division. Upshaw served the people of Barbour County as Sheriff for twelve years from January 2007 to January 2019. He lost a re-election bid in 2018. At the sentencing hearing, a Special Agent with the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division testified that Upshaw stole $32,135.85 by writing checks to himself and having a subordinate write checks to him. Prosecutors say that these checks were then drawn off Sheriff’s Office funds meant for law enforcement purposes and for the care of the inmates of the Barbour County jail. The Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts originally found Upshaw personally liable for $29,000 and told him to repay it. Instead of coming up with the money to pay the debt personally, Upshaw repaid the Sheriff’s Office with $29,000 of Sheriff’s Office funds. The Alabama Ethics Commission referred the case to the AG’s office for prosecution. The theft and subsequent cover-up formed the basis for Upshaw’s conviction and the sentence Upshaw received last week. The Attorney General thanked the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts for their assistance in this case. General Marshall also commended the Special Agents of his Special Prosecutions Division, who investigated the case, as well as Assistant Attorneys General Jasper B. Roberts, Jr., James R. Houts, and Nathan W. Mays, who prosecuted it. Marshall’s office has also successfully prosecuted former Clarke County Sheriff William Ray Norris and former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. Steve Marshall has been attorney general since his appointment by then-Governor Robert Bentley (R) in 2017. He was subsequently elected as attorney general in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Marshall served as the district attorney for Marshall County prior to his service as AG. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Marshall sends letter critical of an EPA proposed new rule on Power Plants
Americans are complaining that their power bills are too high. Those bills could be a lot higher if a controversial new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed new on existing coal, natural gas, and oil-fired power plants goes into effect. On Thursday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall signed a 21-state coalition letter opposing the new EPA proposed rule. The controversial EPA proposal, Marshall claims unlawfully, attempts to use a narrow regulatory provision in the Clean Air Act to force existing power plants into retirement en masse. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the EPA in a similar scheme just last year in the West Virginia v. EPA decision. “Just as our coalition was successful before the Supreme Court, this letter reminds the EPA that its authority is subject to authorization from Congress,” said Marshall. “As the last line of defense, I will continue to combat these out-of-control agencies who set illegal standards that will lead to devastating economic consequences for our great state.” The letter explains how the authors believe the EPA’s proposal violates the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision. They claim that Congress has not given the EPA statutory authorization to remake the electricity grids. In its latest proposal, the EPA tries to sidestep that decision by forcing a massive shift in electricity production indirectly: by setting standards reliant on theoretical technology that, as it exists today, cannot be used by the regulated power plants to meet the criteria. The result is intended: the plants will close, and the nation’s electrical grid will be transformed without Congress’s input or State involvement in the regulatory process, both of which the Clean Air Act requires. Nationwide, nearly 30 million American households struggle to pay their energy bills and qualify for federal subsidies for impoverished people. According to the latest, preliminary federal data, less than 3% receive it for their summer bills because supply is less than the demand for the program. In May, EPA proposed new regulations for power plants’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, like carbon dioxide. Under the new rules, coal- and gas-fired plants that wanted to stay open would have to lower their GHG output by 90 percent within the next decade or otherwise switch to alternative forms of energy production. The rules are part of President Biden’s pledge “to create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.” The U.S. electric industry has told the EPA that its rules are counterproductive and based on unproven technology. The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is a trade association that “represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies,” providing “electricity for nearly 250 million Americans” across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Tom Kuhn is the EEI President and CEO. “EEI and our member companies support regulations for GHG emissions,” Kuhn said. “We share EPA’s long-term clean energy vision for our sector.” Kuhn said EEI member companies had significantly lowered their carbon outputs below 2005 levels “not because they are forced to by federal regulation, but instead because they are committed to delivering resilient clean energy to their customers.” The EEI expressed concerns that complying with the new rules would be difficult. “Electric companies are not confident that the new technologies EPA has designated to serve as the basis for proposed standards for new and existing fossil-based generation will satisfy performance and cost requirements on the timelines that EPA projects,” the EEI said. “This will impact electric companies’ efforts to deliver affordable and reliable electricity to customers.” It is estimated that the new rules will cost consumers over $900 million in additional electricity costs by 2030 and, if implemented, will make the U.S. electric grid less reliable. The EPA and the Biden Administration insist that the new rules are needed to fight climate change. Attorney General Marshall joined attorneys general from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia in the West Virginia-led letter. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Paul DeMarco: Alabama leaders should work towards increasing penalties for false reporting of crimes
Both Alabama and the Nation have followed the case of Carlee Russell, the Hoover woman who has now been charged with deceiving the public and police by alleging she had been kidnapped. Hoover Police arrested her for two misdemeanor counts of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. Both are Class A misdemeanors punishable by not more than one year in jail and a fine of up to $6.000. Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office will be prosecuting Russell and will be seeking restitution from those that expended resources to search for her when she called 911, and it was feared that she had been abducted. But there is more to the story that has to be uncovered, and more importantly, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis wants the penalties for the false reporting of a crime increased by state lawmakers. Alabama State Representatives and Senators should sit down with the Police Chief and Attorney General to determine how to enhance the criminal statutes to stiffen the penalties for those who misrepresent alleged crimes to public safety. The entire episode has the public frustrated and wanting a strong law to deter this from happening again. The next Alabama legislative session will be in six months, in February of 2024, but it is not too early to have a bill drafted and pre-filed. There should be bipartisan support to pass such a new law in Alabama based on recent events. Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco.
Plaintiffs to challenge Alabama’s new congressional redistricting map
The plaintiffs in Allen v. Milligan filed a formal objection on July 28 with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama regarding the state’s revised congressional district boundaries. The plaintiffs requested that the court prohibit the state from using the new boundaries and appoint a special master to draw a new congressional map that the state would use for the remainder of the decade. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled 5-4 in Allen v. Milligan that the plaintiffs showed a reasonable likelihood of success concerning their claim that Alabama’s 2021 redistricting map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. SCOTUS’ decision affirmed the Northern District’s earlier decision, and SCOTUS remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings. Alabama enacted revised congressional district boundaries on July 21 after the legislature approved them and Gov. Kay Ivey signed the redrawn maps into law. The Senate approved the new boundaries 24-6, and the state House passed them 76-26. The Alabama Reflector’s Alander Rocha and Jemma Stephenson wrote that the congressional map the state enacted in 2023 “would lower the percentage of Alabama’s current majority-Black district and create a district in southeast Alabama that would be nearly 40% Black.” The plaintiffs’ objection to the newly enacted boundaries argued, “Alabama’s new congressional map ignores this Court’s preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map. The new map (known as SB 5) fails to address this Court’s ruling that the 2021 congressional map likely violates § 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).” After the state enacted new congressional boundaries in July, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement that said in part: “The Legislature’s new plan fully and fairly applies traditional principles in a way that complies with the Voting Rights Act. Contrary to mainstream media talking points, the Supreme Court did not hold that Alabama must draw two majority-minority districts. Instead, the Court made clear that the VRA never requires adoption of districts that violate traditional redistricting principles.” U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, issued a statement that said in part: “Today, the State of Alabama has shamelessly chosen to ignore the Supreme Court. The map advanced by the state legislature includes only one majority-minority district and a second district where Black voters make up only 39.9 percent of the voting-age population. “This map does not comply with the Supreme Court’s order and is an insult to Black voters across our state. I fully expect that it will be rejected by the courts.” Now that the plaintiffs have objected to the newly adopted boundaries, the state has until Aug. 4 to file a response. If the federal district court decides to conduct hearings in the case, those have been tentatively scheduled to start on Aug. 14. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Alabama health care providers sue over threat of prosecution for abortion help
Health care providers in Alabama, where abortion is almost entirely illegal, filed a lawsuit Monday against the state’s attorney general that seeks to prevent him from prosecuting people who help women travel outside the state to receive an abortion. The providers say Attorney General Steve Marshall has made statements suggesting that anti-conspiracy laws could be used against groups that provide assistance for Alabama women to travel to states where abortion is legal. The lawsuit, filed in federal court by two former abortion clinics and an obstetrician, seeks a legal ruling that state laws can’t be used to prosecute people who provide referrals and appointment help. A similar lawsuit filed Monday by Yellowhammer Fund, a group that once provided financial assistance to women seeking abortions, seeks to clarify it can’t be prosecuted for providing monetary help. “What the attorney general has tried to do via these threats is to effectively extend Alabama’s abortion ban outside of its borders for Alabama residents,” Meagan Burrows, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the providers in the lawsuit. The lawsuits seek to block Alabama from using prosecution, or the threat of it, to hinder efforts to help state residents obtain abortions where it remains legal. In a separate case, advocacy groups and an attorney sued Idaho earlier this month over a law that makes it illegal to help minors to travel to another state to get an abortion without their parent’s consent. Marshall has not prosecuted anyone for providing abortion assistance, but he has made statements saying that his office would “look at” groups that provide help. “Attorney General Marshall will continue to vigorously enforce Alabama laws protecting unborn life which include the Human Life Protection Act. That includes abortion providers conspiring to violate the Act,” Marshall’s office said in an emailed response to the lawsuit. His office did not respond to an email asking to clarify if actions such as providing financial assistance could be prosecuted. Those statements have had a chilling effect on abortion rights advocates, who already feel like they live with a legal target on their back, providers said. The suit was filed by the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville, and Dr. Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician. Robinson said she once made referrals for patients seeking abortions, coordinating health history information for medically complex patients, but no longer does so because of the fear of prosecution. “Tragically, banning abortion in Alabama seems to not have been enough,” Robinson said in a statement. “Those in power want to muzzle providers like me to prevent us from sharing information with our pregnant patients about the options they have.” The phone rings at least once a day at the former clinic in Tuscaloosa as women — sometimes crying and often desperate — try to find where they can go in other states to end an unwanted pregnancy, the clinic director said. “We get a lot of the anger — and we know that it’s not us that they are angry at,” said Robin Marty, operations director for the West Alabama Women’s Center. “It’s the situation, but it is very, very hard for my staff. They want to be able to help them.” After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and handed authority on abortion law to the states, the Deep South quickly became an area of limited abortion access. Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape and incest. The only exemption is if it’s needed because pregnancy seriously threatens the health of the woman. Nineteen states have enacted restrictions, and many southern states have near-complete bans. Marty said that means women often have to travel long distances to receive care, which can bring financial and logistical hardship. Marty said most people who reach out to the clinic know “there is no abortion in Alabama. What they aren’t aware of is how far that extends.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Senator April Weaver introduces legislation making it a felony to fake an abduction
Coming off the heels of Carlee Russell’s falsified report of being abducted in Hoover, State Senator April Weaver (R-Brierfield) announced Monday that she will introduce legislation in the 2024 regular session that creates a new felony crime for faking an abduction. The 24-year-old Hoover woman admitted to faking her own abduction. “This fictitious kidnapping caused fear and shock not only throughout the legislative district I represent but also throughout our state and nation,” Sen. Weaver said in a statement. “Individuals who concoct and carry out sham kidnappings and lead our law enforcement officers on wild goose chases must be given severe penalties for their deceptive actions.” Russell was charged with two misdemeanors after her story was shown to be false. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he will seek restitution if she is convicted. Russell has been charged only with misdemeanor false reporting of an incident and misdemeanor false reporting to law enforcement. “That’s our intention if we’re able to gain a conviction, to be able to seek restitution,” Marshall said. “It is no doubt that part of the role that we have in this case is not only develop the facts to present before the prosecution but also to develop an argument relating to restitution.” Marshall has asked legislators to pass legislation increasing the penalties for reporting fabricated felonies to law enforcement/ “During the recent hoax carried out by Carlethia Russell, significant monetary and human resources were used at the local, state, and federal levels to resolve this fictitious event, and numerous volunteers donated their time in record-breaking heat to search for the reported victim,” Sen. Weaver continued. “I am proud to support our law enforcement officials and the good people of our communities by sponsoring this bill, which will bring higher punishment for those who intentionally report false abductions to law enforcement and waste precious resources.” Weaver has already begun consultations with state and local prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and the Alabama Legislative Services Agency about this proposed legislation. Sen. Weaver said that her bill will include strong prison sentences and mandatory restitution requirements for the full cost of resources expended by law enforcement agencies during a hoax abduction. Carlethia Nicole Russell is a 24-year-old Hoover woman who admitted to faking her own abduction and prompting an exhaustive three-day search for the imposter victim. Marshall is concerned that the faked abduction could potentially adversely affect future victims and how the public responds to their crisis. “The thing that I think is the most harmful is the many members of the general public that came forward in response to the concern there was an abduction of a young female and trying to find her,” Marshall said. “And I think the concern there is similar to the old crying wolf story, right? Will you have that same public outpouring of help in the future if this arises?” Weaver said that she will prefile this legislation for the 2024 Alabama Regular Legislative Session, which is scheduled to convene on February 6, 2024: To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama authorities charge Carlee Russell for fabricating story about kidnapping, finding toddler
Authorities in Alabama said Friday they filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway. Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond, he said. “Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” he said. “Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate a kidnapper that we know now never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger.” Derzis said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused, but he said the law did not allow for enhanced charges. Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle. Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing woman were shared broadly on social media. “We don’t see this as a victimless crime,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a Friday news conference. “There are significant hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation.” Marshall’s office was asked to handle the prosecution because of the attention the case received, Derzis said. Marshall said he intends to “fully prosecute” Russell and said his office will take into account the police investigation to see whether additional charges are warranted. Russell, through her attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledged earlier that she made the story up. In a statement read by police on Monday, Anthony said Russell was not kidnapped, did not see a baby on the side of the road, did not leave the city, and acted alone. He said Russell apologized, and he asked for prayers and forgiveness as she “addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.” A message left Friday at Anthony’s office was not immediately returned. Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put in a car and an 18-wheel truck, was blindfolded, and was held at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood. “This story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings,” Derzis said. He said police have not determined where Russell went during the 49 hours she was missing. They plan to talk to the attorney general’s office about recovering some of the money spent on the investigation. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
AG Steve Marshall leads 21-State coalition protecting children from sex-modification procedures
On Wednesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a multistate brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in support of Kentucky’s and Tennessee’s bans on experimental and life-altering sex modification procedures for children. The 21-state brief is co-led by Alabama and Arkansas. The brief highlights what the AGs call the dishonesty of advocacy groups like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) that urge courts to defer to them on issues of pediatric sex modification. The brief argues that the Constitution gives states, not WPATH, the authority to protect children from sterilizing medical interventions pushed by LGBTQ+ groups. “In the past, federal courts have erroneously held that states have a constitutional obligation to adhere to WPATH Standards of Care,” said AG Marshall. “Let’s remember these standards say that castration is ‘medically necessary’ for a male who identifies as a ‘eunuch’ and that sterilizing sex-modification treatments for children with gender dysphoria is ‘medically necessary gender-affirming care.’ We hope the Sixth Circuit will soon make it clear that the Constitution puts states and not WPATH in charge of regulating healthcare.” The AGs state that while healthcare authorities in Europe have recently conducted systematic evidence reviews that led them to sharply curb access to sex-modification procedures for minors, the brief argues that “American medical organizations have run in the opposite direction: advocating unfettered access to transitioning treatments while quashing members’ calls to review the evidence.” The brief continues: “While medical organizations are certainly capable of establishing true, evidence-based standards of care, they have utterly failed to act responsibly when it comes to pediatric sex-modification procedures. Until they do so, states like Kentucky and Tennessee are forced to step in to protect children.” In Kentucky, Attorney General Daniel Cameron secured a legal victory on July 14, pausing the district court’s decision which had prevented enforcement of a section of Senate Bill 150. The law protects children from the irreversible effects of experimental drug treatments like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. SB 150 is now fully in force. “Today’s ruling is a win for parents and children,” AG Cameron said. “I’m grateful to the district court for doing what the law requires, which is protecting Kentucky kids from the irreversible harms that these experimental drug treatments would cause. Moving forward, my office will continue to defend Senate Bill 150 and stand up for the right of children to be children, free from the influences of leftist activists and radical gender ideology.” The Kentucky General Assembly passed SB 150 during the 2023 Regular Session. The legislation prioritizes the health, safety, and welfare of children and safeguards them from, among other things, irreversible medical treatments, and ideological indoctrination in schools. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear vetoed the sweeping legislation, and the General Assembly overrode his veto by overwhelming margins. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights sued to block enforcement of a section of the law that would revoke the licenses of physicians who perform so-called “gender-affirming care” on minors. Last month, the district court ruled in their favor, prompting Attorney General Cameron to immediately seek emergency relief in both the district court and the Sixth Circuit. “By securing a stay of the district court’s injunction, Attorney General Cameron demonstrates his willingness to fight for the rule of law and the protection of Kentucky’s children,” said State Representative Jennifer Decker, who helped pass the legislation in the House. “It is well within the legislature’s power to ban the experimental use of off-label drugs that cause long-term, irreversible consequences for children, and it is fortunate that today’s ruling allows SB 150 to take effect pending the Attorney General’s appeal.” In March, WPATH stated, “Both the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the US affiliate, the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH), vehemently oppose the broad and sweeping legislation being introduced and ratified in states across the country to ban access to gender-affirming health care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. WPATH’s long-standing Standards of Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People, now in its eighth version (SOC8), explain in detail the science- and evidence-based benefits of gender-affirming care for TGD people. Any legislation that restricts or prohibits access to this care is against best practice medical standards and is condemned by WPATH and USPATH.” The Standard of Care from WPATH states, “Given the lifelong implications of medical treatment and the young age at which treatments may be started, adolescents, their parents, and care providers should be informed about the nature of the evidence base. It seems reasonable that decisions to move forward with medical and surgical treatments should be made carefully. Despite the slowly growing body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of early medical intervention, the number of studies is still low, and there are few outcome studies that follow youth into adulthood.” Attorney General Marshall co-led the brief in support of Kentucky and Tennessee with Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. The brief was signed by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
