7 Things: Ivey’s health remains an issue, Huntsville and Mountain Brook elections show left-wing power growing and more …

7. Perry Hooper Jr. has been arrested on charges of sexual abuse

• Former State Rep. Perry Hooper Jr. (R-Montgomery) has been arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force on charges of first-degree sexual abuse. Hooper is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $15,000 bond.
• If convicted, Hooper could face up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to $15,000. A first-degree sexual abuse charge is a Class C felony in Alabama.

6. Nick Saban will be coaching at Alabama until 2030, pay him whatever it takes

• University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban has signed a new contract with the university that will keep him as head coach until at least February 28, 2030, which is the end of the 2029 season.
• The $93.6 million contract will give Saban an annual salary of $11.7 million and makes him the highest-paid coach in college football. The 2022 football season will be Saban’s 16^th with the university.

5. Life expectancy in Alabama is declining

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics has released new data that shows the life expectancy in Alabama and the United States has declined in recent years.
• The data showed that Alabama’s life expectancy from 2019 to 2020 declined from 75.2 years to 73.2 years. In New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, the average life expectancy decreased over two years, but nationally the life expectancy within the same time span went from 78.8 years to 77 years.

4. Student loan forgiveness coming

• The Biden administration is preparing to wipe $10,000 in student loan debt for people who make less than $125,000 a year. The move would add $300 billion-plus to the deficit, and cost the federal government $980 billion over 10 years, wipe away all the supposed gains from the Inflation Reduction Act, as well an inflationary impact.
• The move doesn’t make anyone happy with conservatives pointing out that those with college debt are higher-income earners, and it’s an election-year ploy. Liberals aren’t thrilled and are declaring, as usual, that $10,000 isn’t enough because student loan debt must be wiped out altogether.

3. Birmingham has approved millions for World Games debt

• In the wake of the 2022 World Games falling short of their projected profits by $6 million, the Birmingham City Council has approved Mayor Randall Woodfin’s request of $5 million to go toward the debt accumulated by the World Games.
• City Council member Valerie Abbott questioned the organizers of the World Games, “What did you know and when did you know it? We were left in the darkest of dark … I deeply resent being left in the dark.” Abbott later expressed that the city should have been informed sooner on the potential debt. Will the Alabama Legislature be asked to help?

2. School board races in Alabama could give liberals big wins

• In Huntsville’s Board of Education races, the liberal Persistence PAC could pick up two seats on the board, with Ryan Renaud winning the seat he was appointed to in 2021 and Andrea Alvarez ready take on Angela McClure in a race to unseat Elisa Ferrell in the conservative south Huntsville district. A win for Alvarez could shift the policies of the school board to the left in Alabama’s largest city with an annual budget of $400,000,000. The runoff election is September 20.
• In Mountain Brook, where the city council appoints the school board, the “insurgent” campaigns based on keeping the culture wars from creeping into the schools lost, as well. Board President Billy Pritchard defeated Kent Osband, who launched his campaign after the controversy involving the Anti-Defamation League, which led to the city canceling a contract with the group. Christopher Powanda, who ran on keeping “all political groups and politically motivated curriculum out of our schools,” was also beat by Graham Smith 71-29%.

1. Those spreading health rumors are cheering for Ivey to be sick

• Discussion over whether Gov. Kay Ivey is in poor health has continued, even after the governor released a statement calling them “bogus rumors.” Questions over Ivey’s health originated from Kyle Whitmire at the Alabama Media Group.
• Ivey said, “Between the rumor mills and some of you guys in the media it seems like some of you just want to will these rumors into reality and existence. But I assure you I am fine.” Ivey later added, “I’ve got a clean bill of health from the doctors. That’s what matters and I’m looking forward to serving four more years as your governor.”