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@SenatorGregReed Jan 31 Proud to announce that I have qualified to for reelection to serve Senate District 5! I look forward to representing the #algop on the ballot this November and continuing to fight for our shared Christian conservative values. #alpolitics |
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Lt. Governor Gov. Will Ainsworth announced the Alabama Small Business Commission’s legislative package, which consists of tax cuts, tax exemptions, paperwork reductions and other reforms. According to Ainsworth, the commission’s legislative package would serve to further support Alabama’s growing economy by implementing measures to assist small businesses.
The Senate Education Policy Committee approved a bill that would allow parents to take up to $5,561 for public schools and spend it on private school tuition and homeschooling. The bill by Senator Del Marsh was approved on a voice vote after lengthy testimony from school boards and school organizations, who said it would take badly-needed funds out of public schools and put it into an area of education the state has little control over. Marsh has pushed school choice programs throughout his time in the Senate, saying he aims to improve student performance in Alabama.
In response to suits filed in federal court, a three-judge panel made a ruling blocking Alabama’s new congressional district map, claiming it likely violates the Voting Rights Act. It also issued a court order to draw new district lines. Plaintiffs in the suits say the districts do not accurately reflect the state’s racial makeup and discriminate against Black voters. The state is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block the order, and Alabama’s attorney general says it prioritizes race over all other criteria considered when redistricting. This case marks the first big redistricting case to be heard by this Supreme Court, and many believe its outcome with have far-reaching effects outside of Alabama.
Governor Ivey was elected the 2022 States’ co-chair of The Delta Regional Authority (DRA). In this role, she will work directly with the federal co-chair on economic development and growth in the DRA region. Ivey previously served as co-chair in 2017. The DRA is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training and business development to help create jobs, build communities and improve the lives of those who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region.
On a 6-4 vote, The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation to remove the permit requirement to carry a concealed weapon. In its current form, the bill, sponsored by Senator Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, does not eliminate current restrictions on carrying guns in schools or in businesses that forbid weapons on their premises. The committee earlier approved another bill by Allen that would nullify federal gun laws in the state on a 6-4 vote. Both vote counts were along party lines.
Dura Automotive Systems celebrated the opening of its new Muscle Shoals manufacturing facility last week. The $75 million plant manufactures battery enclosures for electric vehicles to be made by Mercedes-Benz. Enclosures are lightweight metal housings that hold and protect the battery cells. Planning and construction of the plant was completed in eight months. The 200,000-square-foot facility is expected to employ more than 270 full-time workers at peak production. The plant uses 60 robots; more than 500 light curtains, lasers and proximity switches; and employs sophisticated LED lighting and water treatment systems to minimize power usage and maintain clean water.
The legislature passed the Literacy Act in 2019 as part of an effort to improve the reading proficiency of Alabama students, who rank low on national tests. A key provision of the law is that third graders must show they are reading on grade level to be promoted to fourth grade. The retention requirement will apply for the first time to this year’s class of third graders. Rep. Terri Collins of Decatur who sponsored the original legislation has introduced a bill that would delay the implementation until the 2022-23 school year. Since last year, legislators have debated whether to delay the requirement because of disruptions to school caused by the pandemic. In November, Governor Ivey determined a delay was needed and urged lawmakers to approve a one-year delay. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey warned that some schools have more than half their third-grade students at risk of retention.
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