7 Things: Ivey tired of toll ‘noise’, ALGOP wants Congresswoman Omar out, trade chaos continues and more …

7. Alabama AT&T workers joined the strike

• According to Communications Workers of Alabama, 20,000 AT&T employees throughout the Southeast walked out of work and protested in front of the facilities against the company’s negotiation tactics.
• The protests were sparked due to AT&T sending people to negotiate contracts for Southeast employees, but the company sent people who didn’t have the authority to make deals, and employees from Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are participating in the strike.

6. More jobs for Alabama

• The $110 million DNUS manufacturing plant’s construction has officially begun. The facility will employ 380 people to produce plastic parts for the Mazda Toyota assembly plant being built in Huntsville.
• Governor Kay Ivey attended the groundbreaking, and she said, “Today marks another pivotal moment for Huntsville as it becomes the next vital production hub for the global auto industry.”

5. The media has a new favorite Republican

• Controversial former Illinois Republican Congressman Joe Walsh has announced that he will be primarying President Donald Trump. The national news media has opened their arms to him for a series of softball interviews.
• In spite of the media and their Democrats’ desire for a contentious GOP primary in 2020, it is just not going to happen. Republican voters are firmly behind the president with more than eight-in-10 Republicans approving of his performance.

4. Opposition to ending elected school board

• The Alabama Republican Party’s executive committee has voted against the constitutional amendment that would make it to where the governor would appoint members of the state Board of Education, instead of being elected by voters.
• The resolution to oppose the amendment was passed with 64% of members voting to oppose and 36% voting not to.

3. Trade war with China continues, deal with Japan gets done

• President Donald Trump says a deal with China is still possible, but tariffs will be increased further to escalate the latest salvo against the communist nation. Japan and the U.S. made a deal for agriculture products.
• China announced Monday morning that they would like to seek a “calm” end to the trade war, but it is unclear what this means. However, while this trade war is hurting the U.S. economy, most experts believe it is hurting China more.

2. ALGOP votes to expel Omar from Congress

• The ALGOP during its summer meeting passed the resolution that State Representative Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant) introduced that calls for U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) to be expelled from Congress.
• Hanes said that Omar is “continuously spewing anti-American rhetoric, anti-Semitism. She is un-American,” Hanes also mentioned how Omar has spoken poorly of the U.S. military and veterans; he’s hoping to see other states follow Alabama’s lead.

1. Ivey wants solutions, not just “noise”

• Governor Kay Ivey appeared on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” where she said that a lot of people currently running for office are causing a lot of noise over the I-10 Mobile Bay Bridge project, but she said, “We need solutions, not just noise.”
• Ivey also said that she’s hoping the congressional delegation will help provide a “light at the end of the tunnel,” but overall, she’s hopeful that a solution with no tolls will be found.