7. Alabama A&M has made an offer for Birmingham-Southern College’s campus for $52 million and they intending to operate it as a standalone campus under the Alabama A&M umbrella. This plan will keep a college operating there on that campus with credentialed faculty and staff, a full range of academic programs, plans to enroll 3,500 students by 2029 and keeping the economic engine for the community cranking.
6. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act (MOMS Act) which requires states to extend child support obligations during pregnancy and creates a clearinghouse called Pregnancy.gov to provide adoption resources and support for pregnancy crisis centers. Failed abortion advocates are not happy. Robin Marty who runs the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa, wants Medicaid expanded instead, which has nothing to do with this.
5. Most U.S. citizens would find it outrageous that illegal immigrants are being counted for representation in Congress, but it is happening, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) wants it to stop. “The Equal Representation Act” was summed up by Palmer, “if California picked up another 2 million people, Alabama could lose a representative because we’re not going to go over 435 representatives. So, instead of me representing, say, 730,000 people, I might have to go to representing 800,000 people, and us lose a seat in Alabama and California pick up one. That’s the problem.”
4. Once again, Judge Juan Merchan denied a mistrial request in the “criminal” “hush-money” trial of former President Donald Trump, after porn actress Stormy Daniels’ testimony where she hilariously alleged during her cross-examination that discussing her sexual encounter with Trump has being detrimental to her life. Also, Trump is still bound by the court’s gag order and totally had nothing to do with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) appearing on the scene criticizing the judge’s daughter and the lead prosecutor for creating conflicts of interest in the case.
3. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) are sounding off on President Joe Biden’s pro-Hamas decision to withhold ammunition if Israel attacked Rafah noting it weakens Israel’s deterrence against Hamas and prolongs the conflict, which it does. Rogers said he is “appalled that the administration paused crucial arms shipments to Israel. Withholding arms to Israel weakens Israel’s deterrence against Iran and its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah,” and Tuberville proclaimed, “President Biden needs to stop appeasing the America-hating fringe of the Democrat party for votes in November and release the weapons to Israel.”
2. Despite a bipartisan, leadership-pushed, mainstream media-promoted bill, and a popular governor pushing for it, the Alabama Legislature could not get gambling over the finish line again BUT it did get closer than it has in 25 years in putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot to approve a lottery and a protectionist gambling racket for some of Alabama’s poorest areas. This failure came about because the advocates and their allies in the media refused to read the room and continued to cheerlead gaming expansion when it was made clear from day one what the Alabama State Senate would accept and what they would not.
1. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is throwing cold water on the idea that she will be calling a special legislative session to revisit the issue of a state lottery and casinos, citing lawmakers’ inability to reach a consensus. Despite her disappointment, after decades of opposing gambling, with the Legislature’s failure to pass an expansive gambling and lottery package, she questioned the necessity of investing time, effort, and money into a special session when lawmakers couldn’t agree.
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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.
