7. Just tell us what isn’t white supremacy

• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama recently criticized legislation by State Representative Wes Allen (R-Troy) that restricts funds elected officials can accept and for which use for the purpose of preventing private funds from influencing government decisions with elections.

• ACLU of Alabama executive director JaTuane Bosby argued that this piece of legislation and others like it “perpetuate issues of white supremacy and discrimination.” Allen responded to this assertion by saying, “This is patently false and the ACLU of Alabama knows that. They are simply making false statements in an attempt to drum up a fake controversy and raise money for their organization.”

6. Biden thinks allowing more immigration is how you handle our illegal immigration problem

• President Joe Biden is working on the issues at the U.S. southern border, saying that he wants to “dramatically expand” migration pathways and that there needs to be a “regional declaration on migration and protection” later this year.

• Biden implied that he’ll be working with other countries to create a “new framework for our nations” and that these protections are “the best way, in my view, for us to live up to our collective values and welcome immigrants and refugees, keep migrants safe and secure all our countries.”

5. Disgraced and jailed felon Jussie Smollett says he isn’t suicidal

• The media and their Democrats, including now-Vice President Kamala Harris, really wanted former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett to have been a victim of a real hate crime, but it was pretty obvious his “attack” was staged. Smollett claimed he was attacked by two white men who doused him in bleach, placed a noose on his neck, and declared Chicago was “MAGA country.” It turns out that his attackers were black acquaintances that he paid to stage the attack.

• Because it has become obvious this attack was staged, the only question ahead of his sentencing yesterday was whether or not he would do jail time at all. The judge handling his case sentenced him to 150 days in jail and called him a “charlatan” while lambasting him for his fake hate crime. Smollett reacted with anger and declared he was “not suicidal,” implying he was innocent and someone might harm him in prison.

4. Albritton continues to push for gaming and lottery

• State Senator Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) is continuing his push to legalize the lottery and gambling in Alabama. His gaming legislation has already been approved in committee and now awaits consideration before the full Senate.

• After the legislation was approved by the Senate Tourism Committee this week, Albritton said “The familiarity of this topic was shown by the limited discussion on these bills. The Senate has approved similar efforts over the last few years, and it is past time to get this legislation through the House and send it to the people of Alabama for a vote.”

3. Constitutional carry signed into law

• Governor Kay Ivey has signed the legislation that removes the statewide requirement for concealed carry permits to carry a firearm. The legislation has been controversial since it was introduced, with sheriffs from across the state opposing the bill claiming it would cause public safety issues.

• Ivey stated, “Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law-abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights. I have always stood up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and I am proud to do that again today.”

2. Tuberville: Ukraine invasion happened because of handling of Afghanistan

• After the way the United States and President Joe Biden handled withdrawing from Afghanistan, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said that the embarrassing display resulted in Russian President Vladimir Putin feeling more confident to execute his plans to invade Ukraine.

• Tuberville outlined, “[China is] taking notes every day…I don’t think Putin would have ever done this if he had not seen a weak President like we’ve got now in terms of military. Xi Jinping is looking at this. He understands. They’ve got a plan. They’re going to take Taiwan – it’s just whether it’s going to be next week, or next year, or three years from now.”

1. Alabama is getting the worst of the gas price increase

• According to the most recent data from AAA, Alabama is seeing the largest increase in gas prices out of anywhere else in the country, with a current national average of $4.38 for a gallon of gas.

• The current statewide average is at $4.13 per gallon. In Alabama, the average price last month was $3.21, which means that the current average price represents the highest increase in price any state has seen.