7. House Democrats responded dismissively to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s plan to force a vote on ousting Speaker Mike Johnson, viewing it as a futile attempt to disrupt Congress. They hope a decisive defeat for Greene will quash any further attempts to destabilize the House by right-wing hardliners. Greene’s motion is expected to be overwhelmingly opposed by Democrats, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries leading efforts to table it.
6. The Laken Riley Act is officially dead and State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough expressed disappointment as HB376 won’t reach a final vote this legislative session due to time constraints. The bill, prompted by the tragic abduction and murder of college student Laken Riley by an undocumented immigrant, aimed to strengthen penalties for violent crimes against pregnant women.
5. The Biden administration’s revised Title IX regulations, aiming to “protect” LGBTQ+ students and enhance safeguards for campus sexual assault victims, has sparked controversy and legal action from multiple states, including Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall who claims the new provisions exceed federal authority. In response, Marshall and Alabama State School Board Superintendent Eric Mackey have advised public schools in Alabama to hold off on implementing the rule until further guidance is provided and until it officially takes effect on Aug. 1.
4. Gov. Kay Ivey expressed support for a gambling and lottery legislative package that easily passed the House but faced setbacks in the Senate where the constitutional amendment failed to meet the required 60% threshold for passage. Ivey reiterated her stance that it’s time for Alabama voters to have their say on the matter: “Legislators have had their say all along, so now it’s time for the Alabama voters to vote. Let’s get this done.”
3. Two of the three Republican state senators who voted for a previous gaming package but voted “no” on the latest compromise have reiterated that they will not change their vote on gambling this session, leaving Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) as the only swing vote. With Sens. Chris Elliott (R-Fairhope) and Lance Bell (R-Pell City) out, Albritton seems like a hard “no” as well and has said the legislation would put the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in an “unsustainable position economically.”
2. Campus battles rage as some campuses give in to absurd demands, Brown University reached an agreement with students protesting the war in Gaza, allowing them to remove their encampment from school grounds in exchange for the institution considering divesting from Israel. This marks a significant concession from an elite American university amidst widespread student protests nationwide, leading to hundreds of arrests and campus disruptions and will only fuel more nonsense.
1. The state of Alabama has finally gotten in on board with campus protests over Israeli’s response to an attempted genocide, at the University of Alabama with students declaring they are a group called “Tide against Genocide.” Counter-protestors were present during the comparatively boring protest and at one point both sides were chanting “F*** Biden” before peacefully dispersing before their lame list of demands was even considered.
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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
