What’s in a place number? Secretary John Merrill and GOP Party Chairman Terry Lathan weigh in on the importance of Kay Ivey’s pending Jefferson County Probate appointment
Several weeks ago, Alabama Today reported on a letter from Paul DeMarco on behalf of Jefferson County Republicans. The letter called on Governor Kay Ivey to appoint a Republican to the open Place One probate judge seat recently vacated by Judge Alan King after 19 years of service. According to multiple sources, Judge Sherri Friday and her supporters are pushing a plan to have Ivey move her from Place 2 to Place 1 and then appoint a conservative to replace her. Why the musical chairs? The move is because Place 1 is where the power and influence lay. The Place 1 judge is responsible not just as the main elections official for the most populated county in the state, but also for choosing the county’s two conservators. Friday has long been eyeing the move from 2 to 1 and announced her intention to run as early as 2017 when King announced he was retiring, but then changed his mind. Whoever Ivey chooses to appoint to the seat will hold it for four years until King’s term is up. Their duties would include presiding over the July 14 Primary Runoff Election, the November 3 General Election, the 2022 Election Cycle, and the 2024 Election Cycle. They would also oversee two presidential elections and one midterm election cycle. Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan echoed a familiar sentiment of those watching this appointment, “Democrats fought us on everything for 136 years. They walked over us when they were in the majority. They never gave us the time of day and wouldn’t now if they could. If given an option, we need the Republican appointments for their policies and philosophies.” Lathan, one of Ivey’s biggest and most vocal supporters, pointed out that, “The governor has appointed Republicans that have been appreciated. We will always want a conservative Republican if possible.” When reached for comment on potential details for the appointment, Ivey’s office declined to say who is under consideration or when a decision might be reached. At least two different Republicans have been confirmed to have submitted their names for consideration. The idea that Ivey, her chief of staff former Congressman Jo Bonner, or her appointments team would waste such an opportunity is perplexing to many. Over a half dozen individuals who campaigned for Ivey told Alabama Today via Facebook that they’re concerned that Ivey’s staff has forgotten the conservative promises she made to them and the state when elected. Multiple people have said that they have written and called her office in opposition to the Friday appointment to Place 1. More than one pointed out on social media that Ivey is doing favors for Jefferson County Democrats as if they would do anything for her. In fact, according to the Secretary of State’s website, the results of the 2018 general election for Jefferson County was Walt Maddox 152,103 versus those who supported the Governor 105,661. According to a post by Yellowhammer News, “A search of the state’s online campaign finance database shows that Friday made four donations to Democratic entities or candidates last cycle, totaling $3,080. This included two donations to then-State Rep. Patricia Todd (D-Birmingham). Todd infamously attempted to “out” Governor Ivey during that same campaign cycle, with the result of Todd having her post-legislature job offer unceremoniously rescinded by the pro-LGBTQ+ “One Orlando Alliance.” They went on to note her friendship with U.S. Senator Doug Jones, whose law firm contributed to her campaign three times. In a statement to Alabama Today, Secretary John Merrill’s office said that he has spoken to the governor about the appointment highlighting the election cycles the appointee will preside over. He stressed the importance of the role of the individual who receives the appointment saying, “The role of the probate judge is extremely important. Due to the administration of the election, the probate judge oversees the recruitment and training of poll workers who are on the front lines of preventing voter fraud and any potential breakdowns at the local level.” Right now, the state is facing multiple attempts to undermine sections of Alabama Law that exist to protect the integrity of the elections and ballots. Merrill stressed the level of influence that the appointee would have on future elections by saying, “The probate judge has a significant level of influence. I cannot emphasize how important it is that this person is involved, interested, and informed on all things related to elections.” There is no doubt by conservatives, not just in Jefferson County, but around the state that this would be a tremendous and unprecedented gift to Democrats. For those interested in weighing in, you can send the governor a message here or call her office at 334-242-7100.
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The state this month lifted most of the restrictions that had been in place.
Alabama schools to finish year through distance learning
Kay Ivey, who had closed schools through April 5, said it became clear that schools cannot reopen yet.
Inside the Statehouse: Methodists have Dominated High Offices in Alabama History
Alabama’s leading columnists discusses the respective faiths of our state’s leaders.
Walt Maddox says railroad company has derailed talks
An Alabama mayor says a railroad is opposing a proposed site for a new Amtrak station, citing safety concerns. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox tells The Tuscaloosa News that negotiations with Norfolk Southern Railway have broken down. The city has $1.8 million earmarked for a new station for Amtrak’s Crescent, which has daily trains going south to New Orleans and north to New York. Tuscaloosa was eyeing a location at a demolished shopping center. Maddox says Norfolk Southern cited hard-to-fix concerns about sight distance. The mayor says he’ll now ask the Southern Rail Commission for permission to divert a $315,000 grant to improvements at the current station. Maddox says he fears Tuscaloosa will lose its stop without a new station. The railroad didn’t respond to a request for comment. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Walt Maddox proposes penny tax for ‘Elevate Tuscaloosa’ project
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox has proposed a one-cent sales tax to raise money for the Elevate Tuscaloosa initiative, ABC 3340 reports. Maddox believes this will shift Tuscaloosa from a retail economy to an experience-based, technology-driven city through improvements to transportation, education, and recreation over the next 10 years. Elevate Tuscaloosa consists of 19 projects that will improve mass transit, develop centers for performing arts, adds parts and sports venues, enhance the education system. “If our economy wants to grow, we got to attract and retain the best and brightest. We have a distinct advantage over most cities. We have the University of Alabama, we have Shelton State and Stillman College. We need them to not only build their business here, but raise their families here,” Maddox told ABC. Maddox says this is about growth for the future. “This is not about where we are. We can continue where we are. That’s not an issue but if we want to elevate our city. If we want to be competitive in this 21st century technology driven environment, We have to change the way we think about the economy,” Maddox said, according to WBRC. “It’s about my son Eli and my daughter Taylor, building a Tuscaloosa where they can get a high quality education..where they can go find a quality job,” The city hasn’t seen a tax increase in nearly 30 years, ABC says, so Maddox has proposed this as one way to raise the $250 million necessary for the project. “We’re going to take the revenue that’s going to be generated by this investment. They will not be co-mingled with our general fund and they will be used for those 19 specific projects only,” said Maddox. Tuscaloosa City Council is waiting for more specifics before committing. “I’m looking at it, is it balanced? Is there one area of the city that seems to be favored over all the other districts? I’m going to depend heavily on the people who elected me to see how the winds blowing,” Tuscaloosa City Councilman Kip Tyner told WBRC. As part of the proposed tax increase, the city will ask the state legislature for grocery stores to be exempt from municipal sales tax. That would reduce the tax rate from nine percent to seven. There will be an open house on Wednesday, February 6 at the Tuscaloosa River Market from 4-7 p.m to see the project, how the city proposes to fund it, and ask questions. Elevate Tuscaloosa’s 19 projects Experience venue: a large-capacity venue drawing thousands of visitors annually – resulting in direct and indirect jobs as well as infusing millions of dollars into Tuscaloosa’s experience economy Cost: $60M Implementation: FY2025 Improvements to Tuscaloosa National Airport: A commercial and TSA-ready terminal, runway enhancement, and public safety enhancements. Cost: $15M Implementation: FY2024 Workforce and Downtown Transit: Mass transit for the workers and expanded hours and days. Rapid transit for tourists to stimulate economic growth. Cost: $6.9M Implementation: FY2021 Project Trinity: A local match to infrastructure improvements. Cost: $7.5M Implementation: Undefined Nichol-Harris Water Recreation & Trails Experience: Create a national park out of this area which will bring jobs and visitors. Cost: Undefined Implementation: 2021 Bama Theater: Upgrades to a historic venue including enhancements to the educational experience. Cost: $3M Implementation: 2023 McDonald Hughes Event Complex: A venue allowing the city to recruit athletic tournaments (including basketball and volleyball). Cost: $18M Implementation: 2025 Center Court Tuscaloosa: Indoor and/or outdoor tennis courts. Consolidation of all public tennis courts into one site. Cost: $3.5M Implementation: 2023 McAbee Senior Center: Expanding fitness, proving a new fitness track, adding a new lap pool. Cost: Undefined Implementation: 2023 Phelps Center: Upgrades including a new lap pool, racquetball, and fitness center. A new trail. Cost: Undefined Implementation: 2024 Western Riverwalk: Continue the Riverwalk expansion west from the amphitheater. Cost: $5M Implementation: 2023 Northern Riverwalk: Riverwalk expansion. Cost: $2M Implementation: 2024 Snow Hinton Park: Upgrade the pedestrian experience with paths, lighting, and other needs. Cost: $2M Implementation: 2022 Bowers Park: Become a baseball and softball “megasite.” Upgraded lighting, facilities, and access. Cost: $10M Implementation: 2024 Sokol Park: Make this the primary center for soccer, lacrosse, and football. Upgraded lighting, facilities, and access. Additional fields. Cost: Undefined Implementation: 2023 Tuscaloosa Public Library: Complete necessary upgrades. Cost: $1.25M Implementation: Undefined Tuscaloosa Pre-K Initiative: Additional classrooms and opportunities for Pre-K. Cost: $4.8M Implementation: 2020 Summer Learning Academy: Extending this program to address summer learning loss. Cost: Undefined Implementation: 2020 Job and Career-ready Scholarships: Scholarships to prepare students for college or jobs of the future. Cost: $9.7M Implementation: 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e80tLVztXSA
Republican Kay Ivey trying to fight off Democrat Walt Maddox
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who was catapulted to the governor’s office last year by scandal, on Tuesday will seek to win the post in her own right and fend off a robust challenge from Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. The race pits the 45-year-old Tuscaloosa mayor — running on a platform of Medicaid expansion and establishing a state lottery to fund college scholarships — in his first statewide race against a 74-year-old Republican incumbent who has occupied the governor’s office for the last 19 months. Maddox pitched the race as a choice between politicians who are content with the state’s low rankings in education, health care and other indicators and those who think it could be better. “We are at or near the bottom in everything that matters. Corruption seems to be the only thing we seem to be good at in Montgomery,” Maddox said at a recent campaign stop. Maddox said it is “senseless” that Alabama is one of five states without a state lottery. In a state that has seen the shuttering of rural hospitals, he argued that Medicaid expansion would help shore up the state’s health care infrastructure and provide economic and health care benefits to all Alabamians. The Republican Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, became governor 19 months ago when then-Gov. Robert Bentley suddenly resigned in the middle of an impeachment investigation partly centered on his relationship with an aide. Ivey told voters throughout the campaign that she had restored trust to government and emphasized the state’s record low unemployment and growing economy. “When I took the oath of office some 19 months ago, I told the people right after we would clean up state government. We would restore people’s trust and we would get Alabama working again. Promises made. Promises kept,” Ivey said in a campaign stop in Montgomery. The gubernatorial contest comes as Democrats are seeking to build on last year’s victory of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones but face long odds in a state where it has been 20 years since a Democrat last won the governor’s office. Ivey told supporters on Monday that the polls look good, but they need to go vote Tuesday to ensure a victory. Henryette Bailey, 91, of Montgomery said she is voting for Ivey. “She’s trying to help the people of Alabama,” Bailey said. Bailey recalled how Ivey as lieutenant governor took time to listen to her as she lobbied for a change in state elder abuse law after a family friend was taken advantage of by an attorney Bailey, 91, dismissed concerns that some of Ivey’s challengers tried to indirectly raise about the 74-year-old incumbent’s health. Ivey’s primary opponents challenged each other to release health records. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Ala. Gov: Kay Ivey touts experience, Walt Maddox the need for change
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and challenger Walt Maddox agree the gubernatorial election is about choice. Ivey says the election is about keeping Alabama on the right track. Maddox frames it as a decision to break with the choices that have kept Alabama mired in the past. The race pits the 45-year-old Tuscaloosa mayor — running on a platform of establishing a state lottery to fund education and Medicaid expansion — in his first statewide race against a 74-year-old Republican incumbent who has held three statewide offices. It comes as Democrats are seeking to build on last year’s victory of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones but face tough odds in a state where it has been 20 years since a Democrat last won the governor’s office. The Republican Ivey is seeking to win the office in her own right for the first time. Ivey, who had been lieutenant governor, became governor 19 months ago when then-Gov. Robert Bentley suddenly resigned in the midst of an impeachment investigation partly centered on his relationship with an aide. In her trademark antebellum drawl, Ivey told voters through the campaign that she had restored trust to scandal-battered government. She emphasized the state’s record low unemployment rate and recovering economy, opposition to abortion and support of gun rights. Her campaign ads highlight the governor’s folksy no-nonsense demeanor. During a speech at the University of Alabama football stadium, she used sporting terms to describe the gubernatorial race in in the football-crazed state. “The state of Alabama has won every single game while I’ve been the head coach. ……Unemployment. The budgets. You name it. Heck, if I wasn’t doing a good job I wouldn’t blame them for considering somebody else,” she said. “Who would ever consider somebody who’s never coached a single game at this level to be head coach,” she said taking a swipe at Maddox. Maddox pitched the race as a choice between politicians who are content with the state’s low rankings in education and health care and those who think it could be better. “We are at or near the bottom in everything that matters. Corruption seems to be the only thing we seem to be good at in Montgomery,” Maddox said at a recent campaign stop. Maddox said it is “senseless” that Alabama does not have a lottery. He is proposing to create one to fund college scholarships, pre-kindergarten and other education programs. Alabama is one of five states without a lottery. He said the state’s health care infrastructure for all Alabamians is crumbling with the closure of rural hospitals, “all because we didn’t expand Medicaid.” The campaigns have lobbed a few direct attacks at each other in the closing month. Maddox challenged Ivey to release records after the state’s former law enforcement secretary accused Ivey of a cover-up when she was hospitalized in 2015. Spencer Collier said Ivey’s staff directed the state trooper traveling with her not to tell his bosses about the incident and then retaliated against the trooper when he reported the medical emergency. Ivey denied the accusation and her campaign called Maddox a “lying liberal.” At a restaurant near the Alabama Capitol, college instructor Lillian Russell said she likes Maddox’ support for the lottery, but also likes Ivey. “I don’t understand if most of the continental U.S. has a lottery, why we don’t have a lottery,” Russell said. “I actually like Kay Ivey. She’s a woman. The state is going in a good direction. I just think it was on track anyway. President Obama set the stage for that. They are not giving him enough credit.” Running a confident and risk-adverse campaign, the favored Ivey shunned debates with both Maddox and her primary challengers and has held fewer campaign and media appearances than Maddox. As a Democrat running in a Republican-dominated state, Maddox has acknowledged his underdog status. A former football player at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Maddox sometimes tells the story in campaign stops of a coach using colorful language to urge him to not back off in the face of tough odds. If you are going to mess up, at least do it “wide-A open,” Maddox recalled the coach saying. He said he is approaching the campaign the same way. “We’ve got work to do… but if we are wide open, look out. We are not going to shock ourselves, but we are going to shock the world,” Maddox said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Walt Maddox wants to increase voter participation by automatic voter registration, early voting
Tuscaloosa Mayor and Democratic candidate for Governor Walt Maddox has announced a new plan to help increase voter participation across the Yellowhammer State: he wants automatic voter registration and early voting. “Voting is the most important way a citizen contributes to democracy, so we should strengthen Alabama by doing everything we can to improve voter participation,” Maddox said. “Considering Alabama’s dismal rate of voter registration, low turnout of those who are registered, and the fact that the winner only gets a little more than half the votes in any given race, the truth is that only about 10 percent of our state’s population will actually decide who our state’s next leaders will be,” he continued. “We’re doing what we can to get out the vote on November 6th, but for elections in years to follow we need more forward looking ways to improve citizen participation.” Automatic voter registration According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, automatic voter registration has been approved by 13 other states and D.C. Essentially, through the aid of a state-based agency, typically the state license offices, all voting-eligible, non-felon citizens become automatically registered to vote through interating with said office. “By implementing automatic registration for citizens when they turn eighteen, we assure that young adults hit the ground running in meeting their civic responsibility to participate in elections,” Maddox explained. “This would give every eligible individual the registered voter status his or her citizenship should earn automatically.” Early voting In the United States, only 13 states that do not have some form of early voting and Alabama is one of those states. Maddox wants to change that to allow qualified voters to cast their ballot ahead of Election Day. “We must also join the majority of states and implement early voting. The idea of a single twelve hour period in which we vote for the state’s most important offices is outdated and counterproductive,” explained Maddox. “We can debate whether it should be a period of one week or one month leading up to Election Day – the average is around 20 days – but what’s not debatable is that early voting is proven to increase voter turnout.” Maddox did not specify whether he’d like to see early voting done by mail-in ballot or early-voting sites. Alabama does have absentee voting available for those unable to make it to the polls on Election Day. Maddox faces off against incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Ivey should support a state lottery, then play it: she’s one lucky lady
The fact is Kay Ivey likely would not have been touchable at all this election cycle by anyone in the state; her popularity is just that high. People were so ready for Governor Robert Bentley to be gone by the time he finally resigned that Ivey’s quiet and calm demeanor have been a God-send. His failures, personally and professionally, made her one lucky woman who slipped into the governor’s race with ease. Her luck continued when her primary race was anything but a race. That luck for her however might have cost the rest of us. If she had drawn a true challenge, if her primary opponents had taken the time to do the same level of opposition research that Walt Maddox has started pushing out in the last two weeks then maybe she could have been forced into a debate or at least some have a reason to rethink the direction of her office, the way its been run since her days as Lt. Governor and the way it is being run now. The steady drip of information, documents, and statements against and about her and her staff have been damning. The questions posed aren’t about partisan politics or even the election; they go right to the heart of the type of administration Ivey is running versus the type she has repeatedly promised the state to run. Let’s look at the questions we’re left with at the moment based on just the three stories reports coming from the Maddox campaign. Imagine if they had come from a Republican instead while conservative voters were paying attention: Did Ivey and her staff lie to the media and public about her Colorado hospitalization? Did Ivey and her Chief of Staff Steve Pelham have a state trooper reassigned for his refusal to lie and/or cover up the events of Colorado? Did the governor and her staff purposefully evade public records laws by using personal email addresses for state business while she was LG? Are they still using these email addresses? Who set up the governor’s fake (alias) email address and when and how much state business has been conducted using said email? What budget transfers have been made beyond the transportation to court diversions that the Maddox campaign highlighted today? The people of Alabama deserve more answers and accountability than what we’re getting right now. Luckily for Ivey and her team they can point to these reports as election shenanigans and most of the base will see that the questions are a result of Maddox releases and dismiss them based on that. Again, that Ivey luck. I don’t think we’re going to get full answers with defensive staff who are more interested in protecting their power and her reputation than the people. When Ivey took over from disgraced Robert Bentley, she promised accountability and transparency. In the last week and a half, the Walt Maddox campaign has brought forth questions that I hope lead to: a new way of doing business in the Governor’s office, some serious internal investigations and some true changes. Will it? That remains to be seen but it’s going to take more than Maddox raising the questions to get there so here’s looking at you conservatives who turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the Bentley scandals until it was too late. Will you call on Ivey to make real changes and give real answers or will you just sit back and wait for the inevitable train wreck that’s coming?
Walt Maddox wants Kay Ivey to release medical records, suggests cover-up
Alabama gubernatorial challenger Walt Maddox is asking Governor Kay Ivey to release more information on her 2015 hospitalization, including if her office told the state trooper accompanying her to keep it secret. Maddox said in a press conference today, the issue is not Ivey’s health, but if there was a “cover up”. Maddox said voters need to know if Ivey “can be trusted.’ Ivey is disputing allegations by former law enforcement secretary Spencer Collier. Collier says the trooper said an Ivey staffer directed him not to tell his bosses. Collier said Ivey asked to have the trooper reassigned. Collier says the trooper reported she had a mini stroke. Ivey says she had altitude sickness. Ivey’s campaign said Maddox is pushing “last second lies” because he is trailing. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
In governor’s race, issues of age, health and forthrightness
Gubernatorial challenger Walt Maddox’s introductory television ad aimed to convey crucial details to voters. He described rebuilding tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa as the city’s mayor and called his politics “pro-life and pro Second Amendment.” He also emphasized his age. “I’m Walt Maddox. I’m 45 years old,” Maddox said at the ad’s start. In Alabama’s race for governor, the issue of age and health has awkwardly rippled as an undercurrent as the 74-year-old incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey faces the 45-year-old Democrat. In the GOP primary, Ivey’s younger male opponents challenged each other to release their medical records and said the state needed a governor with energy and stamina while simultaneously maintaining that they weren’t directly questioning Ivey’s health. The undercurrent — and along with it accusations of secrecy and malfeasance — burst to the surface Tuesday. The state’s former top law enforcement officer came forward with claims that Ivey was hospitalized for stroke-like symptoms during a state trip three years ago and that her office directed the trooper not to tell superiors. Ivey adamantly denied the accusations, saying she had altitude sickness and releasing a letter from her doctor. Spencer Collier, who served as the state’s top law enforcement officer at the time, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the trooper traveling with then-Lt. Gov. Ivey reported to his commanding officer that Ivey developed stroke-like symptoms during the trip and had a transient ischemic attack. “The trooper noticed that she was incoherent and made the decision to transport her to the emergency room,” Collier said. “Initially, I was told when they brought her to the hospital it was stroke-like symptoms. In the following days we were briefed it was a TIA,” Collier said. TIA is shorthand for transient ischemic attack. According to the American Stroke Association, a transient ischemic attack is a temporary blockage of blood to the brain, caused by a clot or blockage and is sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke or warning stroke. During the 2015 incident, Collier said the trooper also reported that Ivey’s chief of staff, Steve Pelham, had directed him “not to tell anyone, including his chain of command.” Collier said Ivey also later asked to have the trooper reassigned. Collier said he was not attacking Ivey’s health, noting he himself had health problems. He said he was more concerned about the instructions to the trooper to hide the matter. “Don’t take it lightly when you instruct troopers not to tell the truth,” Collier said. Pelham now serves as Ivey’s chief of staff in the governor’s office. Ivey told reporters Tuesday evening that she had “altitude illness” and released a letter from her doctor. “The letter I released today from my doctor clearly confirms what I’ve been saying all along that I’m in good health,” Ivey said. Dr. Brian Elrod said he was aware of the hospitalization and examined her a day after her discharge. “During my examination I saw no evidence of a transient ischemic attack and learned that the extensive work-up done at the Denver hospital, including an MRI, a carotid ultrasound and labs were all negative,” Elrod wrote. The letter did not say how long she was in the hospital. Elrod said he could not confirm what condition led to the hospitalization, but said he considers Ivey to be low risk for a cardiovascular event. Ivey spokesman Daniel Sparkman disputed the claim that the trooper was told not to tell his superiors. “The answer is: No… Besides, there was nothing to cover up,” Sparkman wrote in a text message. Collier said he would be willing to take a polygraph to show he is telling the truth. He said the matter was also reported to the division chief over dignitary protection and then-Gov. Robert Bentley. Bentley did not respond to a message seeking comment. Efforts to reach the division chief and trooper were unsuccessful. The two campaigns took swipes at each other. “Like most Alabamians we were shocked to learn that Governor Ivey possibly had a stroke and attempted to cover it up. We are examining all the available information and Walt will have more to say very soon,” the Maddox campaign said in a statement issued Wednesday. Ivey on Tuesday blamed the Maddox campaign for the Collier accusation. “It’s plum sad that Mayor Maddox’ campaign is pushing this issue out just three weeks before an election,” Ivey said. “It makes me have to assume Mayor Maddox is desperate because his liberal record is not connecting with Alabamians,” Ivey said. Throughout the primary, Ivey has alternately bristled to questions about her health or responded with folksy humor that age brings wisdom. In a speech at the University of Alabama’s football stadium, she suggested her experience was a good thing. “The state of Alabama is looking for a head coach. I’m the only person applying for the job who has actual experience coaching at this level,” Ivey said, adding “who would ever consider somebody who’s never coached a single game at this level to be head coach,” Maddox in similar football-themed retorts has suggested the state would fire a coach with the state government’s record. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
