7 Things: Jailbirds strike as Ivey shoots down ‘demands,’ Manchin will get screwed to keep government open, and more …

7. Huntsville will be arresting fewer on marijuana charges in the future, possibly

• The Huntsville City Council has passed a resolution at their last meeting that, if approved by the State Legislature, would allow the city to stop arresting people on minor marijuana possession offenses and, instead, issue tickets for misdemeanor offenses.
• City Councilman Devyn Keith sponsored the resolution. Keith said, “This decreases the amount of money a person spends to go through the process, but it doesn’t make anything legal. It takes [away] the burden of losing your car, [reduces] the burden of the court cost. It takes the burden away from the police officer. This is just the first step. This addresses everything from trash litter to misdemeanor marijuana possession.”

6. Biden administration is trying put a negative spin on military

• U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) has recently spoken out about how President Joe Biden and his administration have been attempting to cast a negative light on members of the armed services. Tuberville made these comments after it was announced that the Army is facing a shortage of 10,000 service members.
• More shortages are expected, with the Pentagon saying that there will likely be a shortage of 21,000 active-duty service members in the Army by 2023. Tuberville said, “This administration doesn’t inspire our youth about America. It paints service members as extremists, white supremacists, but are surprised that only 9% of young people even want to serve…Faith in our military has collapsed. For decades, our military was the most trusted organization in America. Under President Biden, faith in our military has cratered [at] 45%.”

5. Another Alabama sheriff has gotten into legal trouble over gambling debts

• Former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely isn’t the only Alabama sheriff who has gotten into legal trouble due to gambling debts and financial handling of those debts. Former Clarke County Sheriff William “Ray” Norris has pleaded guilty to one of the four criminal charges that he’s facing.
• The one charge he’s pleaded guilty to was that of making a false statement to a federally insured institution. It’s been alleged that Norris applied for four loans at Alabama banks as a way to pay his gambling debts, but claimed it would be for his office and jail expenses. The total amount of the loans was more than $48,000.

4. Most people are fine with immigrants being bused to different cities

• New polling from CBS/YouGov shows that a majority of American voters actually support sending migrants to cities that are primarily Democrat, with 51% approving of the decision. The issue has become highly contested as Govs. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and Greg Abbott (R-Texas) have been sending migrants to cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C.
• For those who approve of sending migrants to different cities, 20% were Democrat voters and 87% were Republican voters. There are also 88% of those who approve of the practice who have said it’s an effective way to bring attention to the immigration crisis.

3. Manchin says Bernie Sanders is an extremist and wants to kill his deal

• A federal government shutdown is looming and a sticking point could be a deal that was made between U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that many Democrats don’t seem to care for. They will likely kill Manchin’s deal, the deal he made to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Manchin’s energy bill will be put on a must-pass piece of legislation and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others seem ready to try and kill it. Manchin is calling that out with an op-ed, “Contrary to the radical agenda of Sen. Bernie Sanders and his allies, who seem oblivious to the reality of the global and domestic energy challenges we face, the common-sense permitting reforms… will help cut costs and accelerate the building of the critical energy infrastructure we need.”

2. Mobile police chief is putting the spotlight on Aniah’s Law

• An Alabama constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall will look to change the state Constitution that requires bail for all offenders not charged with capital murder. Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine has brought attention to Aniah’s Law, saying a recent shooting makes the law necessary. The individual, Brandon Ely, was arrested in April on a murder charge, but was released on bond and arrested again last week for shooting into a residence.
• Prine has said, “It’s important we give our judges the tools to see that with certain offenses, and with a suspect’s pattern to re-offend, we can get [the judges] to impose a no bond. We can go back the past year or two with defendants out on bond for violent offenses are re-offending. Here we are again re-arresting people for causing havoc in our community.”

1. Work will stop for inmates in Alabama

• The organization called Both Sides of the Wall has been advocating for prisoners in Alabama to strike to call for changes in some of the parole and sentencing laws, as well as improving medical care and prison conditions. But, as a result, inmate work has been halted by the Alabama Department of Corrections. There was also a protest held by Both Sides of the Wall in Montgomery that had about 80 people in attendance. The group also wants a repeal of the state’s Habitual Felony Offender Act, which has brought longer prison sentences for repeat offenders, this desired change seems unlikely.
• One of the protestors, Eric Buchannon, is a former inmate and said, “There’s some folks in there that will come out right now and do some horrible stuff. I slept beside them. But I am here advocating for some men that I know and watched whose lives changed. I know and watched the power of God work in their lives. I know some men in there who deserve a second chance.” Gov. Kay Ivey seems disinterested in this and more worried about the bad guys, calling this, “unreasonable and would flat out not be welcomed in Alabama. It is also important for these protestors to understand that a lot of their demands would require legislation, not unilateral action.”