7 Things: Ivey to deliver State of the State, Omicron forcing everyone to rethink the virus, judge hears Brooks' argument against January 6 lawsuit and more …

7. National gun group speaks up against Alabama Sheriffs Association

The Alabama Sheriffs Association has received criticism for opposing the state legislature’s plan to address a constitutional carry bill. The criticism came from the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR).
Dudley Brown, president of NAGR, said this is “the first time in a decade, the Alabama Legislature appears primed to pass a solid piece of pro-gun legislation.” Brown added, “It’s sad that certain sheriffs are actually fighting against restoring gun rights to law-abiding Alabamians.”

6. Britt: Biden is the weakest POTUS we’ve ever had

U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt recently focused her attention on President Joe Biden by outlining his shortcomings. Britt called him “the weakest president we have ever had.”
Britt pointed out how Biden is “weaponizing the FBI, allowing the attorney general to go after parents who do not want Critical Race Theory in classrooms.” She went on to say that there’s an “awakening of the American people where they see their freedoms, the freedoms this country was founded on, slipping away, and they’re standing up.”

5. Manchin and Sinema in the spotlight again over filibuster and “voting rights”

President Joe Biden is headed to Georgia today to talk about “voting rights,” but Stacey Abrams and other liberal activists are boycotting the visit. All of this is theater, as Democrats prepare to attempt to push election laws and change the filibuster. U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) are expected to be brought into the spotlight again, as they’ve previously expressed opposition to these efforts.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated, “If Republicans continue to hijack the rules of the chamber to prevent us from protecting our democracy, then the Senate will debate and consider changes to the rules on or before Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” He’s also indicted Manchin and Sinema could support some level of election reform, but there has been no indication they would support changes to filibuster.

4. Neither Mike Pence nor Jim Jordan seem impressed with the January 6 committee

The media and their Democrats seem to continue to hang their hopes of a major bombshell coming out of the January 6 committee looking into the riot at the U.S. Capitol. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) suggested there was a “powerful and substantive narrative.”
While this may play itself out, it may have to do so without the participation of former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH). Pence is reportedly “disillusioned” with the whole thing and Jordan has officially refused to participate, saying the hearing “violates core constitutional principles and would serve to further erode legislative norms.”

3. Judge hears Brooks’ argument to be removed from lawsuit

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) has had his arguments presented to U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta as to why he should be removed from a lawsuit over the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, brought by U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
Brooks said that the federal government should be a defendant instead of himself. He also denied that he was ever speaking in an official capacity for then-President Donald Trump’s campaign.

2. Democrats embracing looser restrictions

A new normal is emerging in the American media with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continuing to create issues for Democrat cities that previously criticized Republican cities for remaining open. California is working to stay open this time, with both Governor Gavin Newsome (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) promising to keep the Super Bowl on the schedule.
One of the main battles is being seen in Chicago as Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) tries to keep the city and schools open, but unions are fighting to close schools. This is a massive change from Lightfoot’s initial guidance where there was police action threatened for people who violated quarantine rules.

1. Ivey to deliver State of the State

Governor Kay Ivey will lay out her vision in her annual State of the State address at 6:00 p.m. in the Old House Chamber of the State Capitol. Ivey is expected to look back on a tumultuous 2021 and look forward to 2022 that will include an important legislative session and her reelection campaign.
While Ivey has her agenda, the legislature has a plan of their own, and that could include COVID-19 restrictions, dealing with coronavirus relief dollars, constitutional carry, banning Critical Race Theory, opposing President Joe Biden’s overreach and even gambling. The amount of overlap in these agendas will set the tone moving forward.