Despite some detail tweaks still in progress, a vote on gambling in Alabama is coming this week, according to Senator Del Marsh (R-Anniston) who is sponsoring a bill that would allow a lottery and up to 10 casino locations in the state. If the bill passes both the Senate and House, it will appear on the ballot, letting the people of Alabama cast their vote and make the ultimate decision on the issue. Read more here.
An epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham projected that the country, and Alabama, could reach herd immunity to COVID-19 as early as May or June. Dr. Suzanne Judd said her calculations are based on the current pace of delivering COVID-19 vaccines and a recent study from Columbia University that estimated more than a third of the U.S. population may have already been infected with the virus by the end of January. Herd immunity occurs when the virus cannot spread through a population uncontrolled because enough members of the population have some kind of immunity, either from a vaccine or from antibodies if they had the disease and recovered. There is a strong belief that a large but unknown number of people who got the virus were never tested. Judd says that although there is no magical number for herd immunity, her calculations are based on a threshold of getting immunity in 72 percent of the population.
A bill to create the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority made it through the Senate last week without a single “nay” vote. The Authority that SB215 establishes will help ensure all parts of Alabama, including currently underserved (mostly rural) areas, have access to high-speed internet. Proponents point to high-speed internet as an essential element of increased economic development. The Authority will also be charged with determining the most cost-effective way to expand access. Read the bill’s full text here.
@willainsworthAL
Feb 26
After discussions with my wife, Kendall, and prayerful consideration, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Because our twin boys and daughter are young and need a father who is present and deeply involved in their lives.
I feel strongly that God’s plan currently calls for me to continue leading on the state, not federal, level of government. The encouragement to run that I have received from every corner of the state is humbling, and the support of my fellow Alabamians is deeply appreciated.
Sen. Shelby has served Alabama well, and his shadow will loom large over all those who run to fill his seat. As lieutenant governor, I will continue seeking conservative solutions to the problems facing Alabama and will keep working each day to bring more jobs, hope, and opportunities to the citizens of our state.
The Alabama Department of Commerce is launching a new digital marketing campaign — “RurAl” — which includes a website that focuses on rural Alabama as a great place for doing business and the source of valuable products in demand around the world. The centerpiece of the “RurAl” campaign, the content-rich website showcases the business advantages of the state’s rural communities and shares the success stories that energize their economies. The online platform will also serve as a hub for information and resources to assist economic developers working in Alabama’s rural counties, adding a new dimension to Commerce’s strategic effort to enhance the competitiveness of those areas for job-creating projects.
A bill to legalize and regulate marijuana in Alabama is now in the hands of the House of Representatives. House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said he will send the bill through the Judiciary and Health Committees. It is rare for a bill to go through more than one committee before coming to the House floor. The 86-page bill passed the Senate this week. Alabama would become the 37th state to allow products made from marijuana to be used for medical purposes. Senator Tim Melson, who sponsored the Senate-passed bill, is a medical researcher and anesthesiologist who opposes recreational marijuana use. He said his bill would make it a felony to divert medical marijuana products from a patient to others.
The U.S. Department of Defense has launched an Aerospace Education Research and Innovation Center at Tuskegee University, enhancing research in critical areas and expanding the future technical talent pipeline for the industry. The DOD said Tuskegee will support two-year research projects in the areas of fatigue damage tolerance, experimental aerodynamics and the performance of materials and components under extreme environmental conditions. The research center is being established at an institution that was home to the Tuskegee Airmen, and $2 million in funding was sponsored by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
All of us at The Bloom Group would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to Representative Steve Clouse and his family on the loss of his father this week.
During a COVID-19 update, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the state is seeing an average delivery of about 90-100,000 does a week. There are 1.5 million residents eligible, which requires 3 million doses. According to Dr. Harris, more than 800,000 people have received their first shot, and 77 percent of doses received so far have been administered. Since the pandemic was first discovered in the state in March 2020, Alabama has reported 490,220 cases, 9,744 deaths and 45,250 hospitalizations.
