7 Things: Vaccine eligibility expands, mask mandate upheld 3 weeks before it ends, SPLC reaches to find ‘voter intimidation’ in Alabama and more …

7. Shelby and Tuberville support repealing the Death Tax

• Both U.S. Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) have cosponsored the Death Tax Repeal Act, which would eliminate the federal estate and generation-skipping transfer tax.
• Shelby said that this is “an unfair tax that makes it more difficult for hardworking farms & small businesses to stay in the family. He added, “It’s important that we ease the burden on these family businesses, not exacerbate it.”

6. Over $1 billion economic activity in Alabama through Google

• Google has released its economic impact report, and it showed that they generated $1.17 billion in economic activity in Alabama. This was done by 17,700 businesses, publishers, nonprofits and creators using Google products to help their business.
• Most of this was done through advertising on Google, YouTube, Google Search and Google Play. Google has also announced that it will be creating 10,000 more full-time jobs nationwide in 2021.

5. Too much special interest influence on lottery

• It’s expected that the Alabama Legislature will consider a lottery bill when they return from spring break, but there are still issues surrounding legalizing a lottery or gambling in the state. State Senator Chris Elliot (R-Daphne) has explained why he’s voted no in the past and still has concerns over the issue.
• Elliot said that he’s “frustrated by the special interests’ influence on this entire issue.” He added that while a “lottery is simple,” having to add gaming to legislation isn’t what people are looking for. He also mentioned that Governor Kay Ivey calling a special session to deal with the lottery and gaming “may be the only way to get the House to really focus on and come to the table” on the issue.

4. Illegal immigrants released without so much as a court date

• In the Rio Grande Valley Sector, Border Patrol agents have been releasing illegal immigrants without even issuing a Notice to Appear (NTA), which is just a court date, so now it is up to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to schedule and enforce hearings.
• The decision to no longer issue NTA is due to the number of illegal immigrants coming to the border and the inability to quickly process everyone for court dates. It’s been reported that there’s no space to hold people, so release into the United States is almost immediate for those coming to the border.

3. There is no voter intimidation in Alabama

• The Southern Poverty Law Center released a review of the 2020 general elections in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgi  and Louisiana, and through this report, they allege that there was voter intimidation in areas of Alabama.
• The claim is that there was a “Blue Lives Matter” sign inside a polling location in Pike County, and in Autauga County, there was a law enforcement officer who acted in a hostile manner toward a poll worker who was assisting voters.

2. Mask mandate upheld by Supreme Court

• A ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court further supports that Governor Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris acted lawfully in enforcing the statewide mask mandate, which is set to permanently expire on April 9.
• This particular lawsuit was brought by Jackson County residents alleging that the mask mandate caused injury, but they failed to prove their case. The ruling also says that there weren’t even “allegations about how facial-covering requirement is being enforced, to the extent that the requirement is being enforced at all.”

1. 18% of Alabamians have the vaccine

• State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris has said that so far, 877,815 people in Alabama had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, which makes up about 18% of the state. Starting today, two-thirds of adults in the state will be eligible for the vaccine.
• Harris has also said that the state is expected to open eligibility to all adults in Alabama by May 1 or “much earlier.” Of those vaccinated, 529,402 are fully vaccinated, which is two weeks after receiving the second shot of the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine or the same amount of time after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.