7 Things: Brooks still up big in U.S. Senate race, Tuberville floats use of National Guard for supply chain issues, AG Marshall wants DOJ to rescind memo about concerned parents and more …

7. Racial justice group wants HPD accountable for woman entering a van in their parking lot

  • After the death of Christina Nance, the group the Citizen’s Coalition for Justice Reform is demanding that the Huntsville Police Department be held accountable since she climbed into the back of a police van that wasn’t in use.
  • The group has said that the department is guilty of “negligent behavior” since Nance was able to get into the van. Nance’s cause of death hasn’t been released since the toxicology report hasn’t been finalized yet, but Madison County coroner Tyler Berryhill has said that there was no foul play or trauma in Nance’s autopsy.

6. Rules for thee, not for Ds

  • President Joe Biden was recently seen in Washington, D.C. violating the citywide mask mandate. Biden has regularly lectured the United States on wearing masks to protect others throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Of course, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has excused Biden’s actions and inconsistencies, telling people to “not overly focus on moments in time.” She clarified that while Biden and first lady Jill Biden were leaving the restaurant and hadn’t put their masks back on, she doesn’t “think we should lose the forest through the trees here that our objective here is to get more people vaccinated, make sure that schools and companies around the country can put in place requirements to save more lives and keep people safer[.]”

5. Afghanistan withdrawal to be investigated

  • There will be several investigations into the withdrawal from Afghanistan orchestrated by President Joe Biden and his administration, as there has been widespread criticism over the situation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was informed that the inspector general for the State Department, Diana Shaw, will be investigating the visa program Afghan refugees were put through.
  • Shaw said that the department will start “several oversight projects” over the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Shaw also said, “Given the elevated interest in this work by Congress and the unique circumstances requiring coordination across the Inspector General community.” She added that she “wanted to notify our committees of jurisdiction of this important work.” The Biden administration has tried desperately to move on from the situation in Afghanistan due to how disastrous the outcome was.

4. Spending bill has “poison pills”

  • Democrats in the U.S. Senate have introduced their remaining appropriations bills that they wish to pass, but there are several issues within the spending bills that are unlikely to receive Republican support, including removing the ban on federally funding abortions.
  • U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) said that the spending measures introduced are “a significant step in the wrong direction,” adding that the legislation “fail[s] to give equal consideration to our nation’s defense.” He advised that there are “poison pills and problematic authorizing provisions.”

3. Marshall is fighting for parents’ right to speak up

  • In response to President Joe Biden’s decision to allow the Department of Justice to investigate parents who speak up against Critical Race Theory being taught in schools, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has requested that the Biden administration reverse this decision.
  • Marshall criticized the decision to “characterize such constitutionally protected speech as domestic terrorism,” as recently there have been heated exchanges at school board meetings over mask mandates and Critical Race Theory. Marshall went on to say that the “gambit to muzzle and cower parents from speaking up for their children’s education is its most chilling, and frankly, lowest blow to common decency.”

2. National Guard could have to assist in supply chain issues

  • Despite President Joe Biden’s administration claiming that the supply chain issues are a result of Biden’s success, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has said that it’ll likely come down to activating the National Guard to get things moving along again.
  • Tuberville discussed how there are businesses who are still struggling to find workers and how that contributes to the supply chain issues, and said that “probably what’s going to have to happen is states are going to have to get involved with National Guard, the military, into transportation for a short period of time where we get back on our feet.”

1. Brooks continues to lead in U.S. Senate race

  • As expected, U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) continues to lead in the 2022 Alabama U.S. Senate race in the latest Club for Growth PAC poll. The poll had Brooks at 55%. It should be noted that Brooks was endorsed by Club for Growth.
  • The survey was taken from October 12-14, and U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt came in second with 12%, and Lynda Blanchard and Jessica Taylor both polled at 5%. There are 23% of people undecided. When respondents were asked who they would support if they knew that Brooks was endorsed by President Donald Trump, Brooks jumped to 72%, while Britt polled at 13%, Blanchard at 2%, Taylor at 4% and 9% remain undecided.