7. An Alabama House committee rejected a bill that would have held parents criminally liable if their child brought an unsecured gun to school, with opponents arguing that the proposal failed to account for diverse household situations, such as divorced families or joint custody arrangements, which doesn’t matter in the least. Sponsor Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) defended the bill as a necessary measure to enhance school safety, stressing that it did not infringe on Second Amendment rights but simply required firearms to be securely stored. Despite support from some Democrats, the Republican-majority committee voted down the bill, citing concerns about its practicality and the broader societal issues contributing to gun violence in schools.

6. In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, President Donald Trump warned Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that if he does not act quickly to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia, he risked losing his country to the invasion. Trump’s criticism came amidst growing tensions between the two leaders, with Zelenskyy accusing Trump of embracing Russian disinformation and Republican lawmakers like Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) expressing disagreement with Trump’s comments about who is responsible for starting the war. The dispute intensified after a failed negotiation over Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, with Trump emphasizing that Zelenskyy’s refusal to sign a deal marked a significant diplomatic setback. Many lawmakers fearing this could derail a potential resolution to the prolonged conflict.

5. Independent pharmacists flooded an Alabama Senate Banking Committee hearing to champion SB99, which Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia) and 21 co-sponsors crafted to force Pharmacy Benefit Managers to pay based on national drug costs plus a dispensing fee, arguing it’s a lifeline to prevent widespread closures. Emotional testimonies, like Anna Nugent’s plea about the dire state of her family’s pharmacy, clashed with business leaders like Robin Stone, who warned that the reforms could add $347 million in costs, passed down to employees as higher premiums. Senators grappled with conflicting data and pleas for solutions, with no vote taken, but Stutts remained optimistic about advancing his bill as the session progresses.

4. Congressional Republicans live in dread of scary President Donald Trump and MAGA followers, according to unnamed sources and “to one source with direct knowledge of the events” saying lawmakers are fearing for their lives if they vote against Trump. The alleged seriousness of this navel-gazing is undercut by fears by “Lincoln Project donors” who are some of the “powerful and wealthy people” who “are talking about leaving the country.” The White House says “the Republican Party is united,” and this narrative is clearly being planted to suggest that Trump, who was targeted for assassination twice, is some sort of wild madman with violent followers.

3. The Department of Government Efficiency revealed that the Biden-era EPA funneled $2 billion to Power Forward Communities, a multiple-time electoral loser Stacey Abrams-linked nonprofit established in October 2023 with a mere $100 in revenue, as part of a $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund initiative critics call a “green bank” for political allies. EPA head Lee Zeldin labeled the grant to the inexperienced group “extremely concerning,” pointing to its ties to Abrams’ other ventures like Fair Count and the Southern Economic Advancement Project, alongside suspicions of fraud voiced by energy advocate Daniel Turner. The funds, stashed at Citibank before Biden’s exit, are now a target for retrieval by the Trump administration, which aims to halt what Zeldin calls a lavish payout to far-left activists under the guise of environmental justice.

2.  A Cullman County grand jury has branded the Hanceville Police Department a “criminal enterprise” and recommended its abolition after arresting Chief Jason Marlin and four officers on charges including evidence tampering, computer tampering, and drug distribution. The crisis escalated with the 2024 overdose death of dispatcher Christopher Willingham, blamed on the department’s negligence and a porous evidence room accessed via a broomstick through a wall hole. Sheriff Matt Gentry and D.A. Champ Crocker condemned the betrayal of public trust, warning that compromised evidence could jeopardize numerous prosecutions as the community reels from the fallout.

1. The Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee gave a favorable report to the Laken Riley Act, a bill from State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) aimed at tightening immigration enforcement by linking state and federal efforts, yet it faced pushback over a requirement to determine detainees’ nationality. State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) challenged its constitutionality, arguing it risks racial profiling and could bog down jails with prolonged holds awaiting federal action, while Yarbrough insisted it’s a simple tool for communication, downplaying fiscal impacts as minimal. With ties to a federal law signed by Trump — named after a student killed by an illegal immigrant — the bill now heads to the House floor.

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