February 14, 2022 Group Watch: Supreme Court Sides with GOP in Alabama Election Map Case

The U.S. Supreme Court put on hold a lower court ruling saying that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. The court order boosts Republican chances to hold six of the state’s seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The court’s action, by a 5-4 vote, means the upcoming elections will be conducted under a map drawn by Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature, a map that contains one majority-Black district, represented by a Black Democrat, in a state in which more than a quarter of the population is Black. The justices will at some later date decide whether the map produced by the state violates the landmark voting rights law, a case that could call into question previous  precedent. The decision will presumably govern elections in 2024 through the end of the decade in Alabama and could affect minority political representation elsewhere in the country.

February 14, 2022 Group Watch: Commerce Dept. Taps Christina Stimson to Lead International Trade Efforts

The Alabama Commerce Department announced that Christina Stimpson, an international business professional with experience in export promotion, foreign direct investment strategy and business recruitment, will take the helm of the department’s Office of International Trade. Stimpson comes to Commerce from the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, where she worked in high-ranking international trade and economic development roles. She was with the Mobile Chamber for 13 years, most recently serving as director of economic development, beginning in December 2020. Stimpson is a graduate of Auburn University and completed the basic economic development course at Georgia Institute of Technology. She serves on the boards of Global USA at the University of South Alabama, the Japan American Society of Alabama, the Alabama World Trade Association and the Alabama District Export Council. She starts her new role February 16.

February 14, 2022 Group Watch: USDA Invests $360M to Build Hospital to Serve Rural Residents

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $360 million in the Medical West Hospital Authority to build a state-of-the-art 200-bed hospital in McCalla. The new Medical West Hospital will serve more than 300,000 rural people in west Jefferson County, Tuscaloosa County and other surrounding rural communities. The 405,186-square-foot facility will feature a 26-room emergency department, 12 operating rooms, eight labor and delivery rooms and eight multipurpose rooms. The project is part of the USDA’s total investment of $1 billion to build and improve critical community facilities in Alabama and 47 other states, as well as Puerto Tico and Guam.

February 14, 2022 Group Watch: Lt. Governor Ainsworth Clearly Voices Support for School Choice

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth left little doubt where he stood on the school choice debate during a recent radio program, saying  that school choice is “the right thing to do” and “I support school choice 100 percent.” He added he thinks it is needed in Alabama. His declaration came as the legislature is considering a school-choice bill brought by Senator Del Marsh in the Senate and Rep. Charlotte Meadows in the House. Ainsworth defended accepting contributions from the Alabama Education Association, a teachers’ union, noting that while he is an advocate for school choice, he also sees merit in having strong public schools in Alabama.

February 14, 2022 Group Watch: Governor Ivey Awards $2.6M to Assist Domestic Violence Victims

Governor Kay Ivey awarded $2.6 million in grants to assist victims of domestic violence as they escape from abusive situations and rebuild their lives. The governor awarded the funds to the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence and seven nonprofit agencies that serve victims in their communities. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to Alabama by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The awards were as follows:

• SafePlace Inc. (Florence): $1.4 million to provide emergency shelter, counseling and assistance to victims in six surrounding counties.
• YWCA Central Alabama (Birmingham): $135,000 for awareness and prevention services in Jefferson, Blount and St. Clair counties.
• Turning Point (Tuscaloosa): $45,000 to provide emergency shelter, advocacy and counseling to nine adjacent counties.
• SABRA Sanctuary Inc. (Selma): $32,810 for prevention and education for six surrounding counties.
• Family Counseling Center of Mobile Inc. (Mobile): $219,000 to assist victims in Clark, Mobile and Washington counties.
• The Lighthouse – Baldwin Family Violence Shelter (Robertsdale): $67,973 to provide services to victims in Baldwin and Escambia counties.

February 14, 2022 Group Watch: Alabama Paroles Bureau Buys Prison for Rehabilitation Use

The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles has purchased a vacant, private prison in Perry County to use as a rehabilitation facility for parole violators. The bureau will pay $15 million for the Perry County Correctional Center, a 700-bed prison on U.S. 80 in Uniontown. The prison was owned by GEO Group, a private prison company. It will be called the Paroles Reentry Center. The legislature appropriated $19 million for the acquisition last year as part of the larger plan for building two mega-prisons. The amount includes $4 million for repairs and renovations. The Bureau of Pardons and Paroles will operate the facility, and programs offered include vocational training, drug treatment and mental health treatment.

February 7, 2022 Group Watch: News & Views from the State Hous

While Alabama has celebrated a string of major economic development announcements in recent months, many of them focused on big companies locating or expanding in the state, leaders recognize that small businesses are also key drivers of the economy. To support them, Lt. Governor Ainsworth revealed the Alabama Small Business Commission’s legislative package last week.

In education news, a bill to increase parental choice in schools was approved by the Senate Education Policy Committee. Also, a bill removing the requirement for a permit for a concealed weapon also made progress last week, being passed by the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee.

Find more deals and rundown of other bills’ movement last week in this issue of Group Watch.

February 7, 2022 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@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

February 7, 2022 Group Watch: Legislature Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

• The House Education Policy Committee approved bills to establish the State Seal of Biliteracy; to recognize graduates who have demonstrated an indicated level of proficiency in English and at least one other world language; and to authorize the University of West Alabama Board of Trustees to hold certain meetings by telephone or video conference under certain conditions.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved bills to establish the Prison PREP Pilot Program for Small Business Development for Ex-Offenders under the board of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections as well as a House-passed bill to repeal a law relating to student athletes and compensation for use of a student’s name, image or likeness.
• The Senate passed several bills including bills to further provide for the crime of unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure; to further provide for the definition of gas as related to the regulation of underground storage facilities; and to establish community development entertainment districts under certain circumstances.

• The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill to provide a tax exemption for small businesses from ad valorem tax beginning October 1, 2023 under certain circumstances.
• The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved bills to provide that a retail wine licensee may dispense wine for off-premise consumption in approved containers and to allow the sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption to use drive thru or walk-up window for purchase.
• The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to require the Department of Human Resources to establish and maintain an Elder and Adult in Need of Protection Services Abuse registry.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved bills to repeal restrictions against carrying concealed firearms with certain exceptions and to prohibit the implementation and enforcement of federal firearm laws.
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved a bill to establish the Parent’s Choice Act relating to K-12 education.
• The Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee approved a bill to establish the Rural Logging Support Act of 2022.
• The House approved bills to authorize the board of trustees of the University of West Alabama to conduct certain meetings by teleconference and to establish the State Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing graduates with the proficiency in English and world languages, including American sign language.
• The Senate passed several bills including bills to increase the penalties for second degree assault designed to protect first responders functioning in their official capacity; to provide that the state’s electronic vote counting system must require the use of a paper ballot that is marked and inspected by the voter prior to the ballot being cast and counted; to allow nonprofit corporations that provide water service to the public to be audited by the Examiners of Public Accounts; and to further define gas to include regulation of underground storage facilities.
• They also confirmed nominees to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. See the list of those confirmed below.

• The House passed a number of bills of local application only and general bills to authorize the transfer of certain funds by the Insurance Commissioner to the Strengthen Alabama Homes Funds; to establish the Small Business Relief and Revitalization Act of 2022; and to increase the member contribution rate for the Teachers Retirement System.
• The Senate approved Sunset Bills to continue the Surface Mining Commission; the Home Medical Equipment Board; the Prosthetists and Orthotists Board; the Sickle Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission; the State Board of Registration for Foresters; the Construction Recruitment Institute; and the Real Estate Commission.

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February 7, 2022 Group Watch: Ainsworth Unveils Small Biz Legislative Package

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.