7 Things: Senate candidates ‘answer’ questions on 2020 election, gambling likely dead in the Alabama Legislature and more …

7. Anti-lynching bill signed by Biden

• The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, which makes lynching a federal hate crime, was signed into law by President Joe Biden. Anti-lynching legislation has been proposed for over 100 years. Biden declared, “Thank you for never giving up, never ever giving up.”
• Biden went on to say, “No federal law, no federal law, expressly prohibited lynching—none—until today,” adding, “Racial hate isn’t an old problem – it’s a persistent problem. Hate never goes away. It only hides.” But, it should come as no surprise, lynching people has always been illegal. This legislation makes lynching a hate crime.

6. Trump had a 7+-hour gap in his phone calls on January 6

• The Washington Post is reporting that as the January 6 committee continues its investigation, former President Donald Trump had a gap in his call records on January 6, 2021, for seven hours and 37 minutes, which has raised suspicion by many.
• The gap of time in the day started at 11:17 a.m. and ended at 6:54 p.m. During some of this time was when the riot at the U.S. Capitol was taking place. This comes just after a federal judge said that Trump was likely guilty of crimes related to the riot during a decision to turn over documents drawn up by his lawyer to challenge the election.

5. Get ready for the approval of another shot

• While it seemed like booster shots being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had been stalled, there has now been a fourth shot, or second booster shot, approved for the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
• The additional shot is only approved for those 50 years and older. A majority of eligible Americans are vaccinated against the virus, but the rate of those getting vaccinated has slowed tremendously. There is a new variant spreading in the United States, but the illness it creates is the equivalent of seasonal allergies.

4. Lawsuit claims Ivey overstepped her authority

• Governor Kay Ivey has been served with another lawsuit concerning her executive health orders during the coronavirus pandemic that shut down businesses. State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris is also included in this lawsuit from business owner Saranne Riccio.
• Riccio is represented by an attorney from the Alabama Center for Law and Liberty, Matt Clark, who has said that Ivey and Harris “exceeded their authority in issuing all these orders.” Clark asserted that Ivey “was relying on the Alabama Emergency Management Act, it gives the governor an unconstitutional amount of pretty much unlimited discretion on how to handle emergencies.”

3. Shelby and Tuberville disapprove of Biden’s budget

• After President Joe Biden announced his $5.8 trillion budget for the 2023 fiscal year and claimed that it would provide more support for national security and defense, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) heavily criticized the proposed budget.
• Shelby stated, “[T]he President has again proposed a fiscal blueprint that overspends on wasteful domestic programs and fails to adequately provide for our nation’s defense…The Biden budget increases non-defense spending by nearly $100 billion while defense spending does not keep pace with the skyrocketing rate of inflation.” U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) said, “Gimmicks and smoke screens are used to hide the true cost of expanding social programs and prioritizing clean energy policies that will continue to strain Americans’ bank accounts and fuel inflation.”

2. Lottery and gambling are dead for this session

• State Senator Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) and State Representative Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Isle) have both confirmed their doubts about their gambling or lottery legislation being successful in this legislative session. Like the girls competing against the transgender swimmer in college championships, these bills lost before they were ever filed.
• Albritton said that those already involved with gambling are helping stop the legislation, saying, “I was optimistic because I felt the arguments would win the day. But the money won the day.” Brown said about his legislation, “I think we just don’t have time right now to work on something as complex as that. So I think it’s just something we’re going to have to look at addressing another session.”

1. Alabama’s U.S. Senate candidates have stated where they are on the 2020 election

• Former President Donald Trump has removed his endorsement from U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) for U.S. Senate, and with the endorsement up for grabs, candidate Mike Durant has changed his position on making election integrity a priority, and candidate Katie Britt has remained consistent on wanting the 2020 election investigated for irregularities. All three were asked to answer with one word whether or not the election was stolen. Brooks said “Yes,” while Durant and Britt did not answer.
• The candidates were further pressed about their positions on the 2020 presidential election. Brooks meticulously laid out all of his concerns about 2020. Durant said, “I believe that Joe Biden was not rightfully elected and the American people were robbed of four more years under President Trump because of unconstitutional changes to the process.” And Britt didn’t answer the question directly but called for a nationwide forensic audit.