7 Things: Palmer a “no” on stopgap funding, no punishment announced for asking students’ sexual orientation, and more …

7. Being in jail sounds terrible

• Lockdowns at Alabama Department of Corrections facilities has continued with some prisoners on strike, and now ADOC has announced that there will no longer be weekend visits allowed at prisons, at least for this week.
• ADOC said, “Due to these stoppages and the impact on staff resources, visitation is canceled this weekend. Inmates have been notified and encouraged to notify any visitors.” Meals at prisons have also been decreased from three to two meals a day, and movement within prisons has been largely restricted.

6. Someone needs to get a handle on the Department of Justice

• The Department of Justice and the FBI have both come under criticism for recent actions and investigations, some relating to former President Donald Trump and the raid at his Florida home, and now U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) has said there needs to something done about the issues with the organizations.
• Tuberville has indicated that some officials from the organizations could be called to testify, and said, “Hopefully we can shake out some answers in the very near future. Hopefully, when and, if we do, take over Congress, we can have more hearings, bring more people to the Hill and get to the bottom of this. Because the American people are losing confidence too – not just Republicans – but also Democrats. This is getting way out of control.”

5. Shelby will support election reform

• New legislation that would change how electoral votes are counted during a presidential election has been supported by U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) in the Senate Rules Committee. The new legislation has been presented in an effort to prevent future issues in certifying the vote.
• Shelby spokeswoman Blair Taylor said, “He plans to support Senator Collin’s legislation because it clarifies and modernizes the 1887 Electoral Count Act in an effort to ensure that the process of counting electoral votes is clear, accurate and in line with the U.S. Constitution.”

4. Republicans are going to use their supermajority

• Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl has recently indicated that there are some plans for using the party’s supermajority, and he’s said that they’re “ready to help our candidates at home, as well as around the country.”
• Wahl added, “We won’t be sitting on the sidelines taking our state’s supermajority for granted. We’ve been working hard for the people of Alabama, and doing our part to help partners in our states so we can take back the U.S. House and Senate.”

3. The aftermath of Hurricane Ian could be some of the worst seen

• Hurricane Ian has already moved through Florida and made landfall as a category 4 storm. President Joe Biden recently spoke at FEMA headquarters where he said, “The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.” Search and rescue had already started on Thursday morning. Reports have already shown heavy flooding and severe damage.
• While it’s expected that the storm could have claimed many lives, there are no actual counts that have been released. Despite this, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno has said, “I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds.” He had to change his statement later, though, saying that he only actually knows of “roughly five” confirmed deaths.

2. Teacher who gave survey with political/sexual orientation questions identified but punishment unclear

• 1819 News has identified the teacher responsible for a 48-question survey Challenger Middle School students were given that asked about their sexual orientation and parents’ political beliefs. The school system hasn’t said what disciplinary action they are taking with the teacher, all they have said is the teacher won’t do it again.
• Strangely, newly-elected school board member Andrea Alverez took issue with the parent who took the issues to social media where other parents expressed their anger over the issue, “Unfortunately, the parent decided that social media needed to find out before the school.” She also called the inclusion of the survey a “mistake.” However, it was not, it was intentional and the teacher got caught.

1. Stopgap funding passed the Senate, Palmer will vote against it

• The U.S. Senate has passed some temporary funding for the federal government in a final 72-25 vote. The stopgap funding was approved to avoid the government shutting down as a spending bill for the new fiscal year hasn’t passed, yet.
• The short-term funding will now go to the U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) has already said that he will not vote for the temporary funding, saying, “They will put this up so that it expires the middle of December with the threat that they’ll make us stay here through Christmas, and I’ve already told my staff I’m fine staying through Christmas. I’ll call their bet on Christmas and raise them New Year’s.”