According to WKRG, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office said Marcos, 16, hit Jones’ vehicle head-on and then tried to run away. However, he was injured too badly to do so and collapsed after leaving the immediate scene.

Marcos was then taken to USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital for surgery. Prosecutors plan on asking the judge not to grant him bond.

He reportedly entered the country via Mexico and was apprehended in Arizona by federal law enforcement officials in 2017. Before he could be deported, he claimed asylum and was released awaiting a hearing. Marcos never showed up in court to speak to his claim, so it was denied. However, authorities had no way to locate him so he was never deported.

In a statement, Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1), who represents the Mobile area, decried yet another illegal immigrant allegedly responsible for the death of an Alabamian.

“Yet again we have someone who is in our country illegally taking the life of an American citizen,” Byrne said. “How many more Americans have to die before we take action to crack down on illegal immigration, secure the border, and keep the American people safe? Enough is enough!”

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

SB 119 was given a unanimous favorable recommendation on Wednesday by the Education Policy Committee.

State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) introduced a friendly amendment that was adopted by the Senate before they passed the bill. The amendment would move Alabama away from Common Core standards directly to new standards adopted by the state school board in 2021-2022 (instead of using transition standards next school year and then new standards in 2020-2021).

Gudger’s amendment also addressed concerns that the bill would inadvertently bar Alabama from utilizing things like AP tests and national certifications and exams.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL), who presides over the Senate, told Yellowhammer News Wednesday that he strongly supports the repeal of Common Core.

Update 4:20 p.m.:

Marsh released the following statement:

In the past I have made it clear that we have an elected school board who should dictate policy when it comes to education in Alabama. However it is clear that we have a dysfunctional school board who is incapable of making decisions that give our students and teachers the best chance at being successful.

We have used the Common Core standards in Alabama for nearly a decade and while we do have some blue-ribbon schools, the vast majority are severely behind. We are still ranked 46thand 49thin reading and math according to National Assessment of Educational Progress. This is unacceptable so it is time to try something new.

I have worked and will continue to work with the education community in developing high standards so that we have the most competitive and rigorous course of study in the country, we cannot accept the status quo and this is a good first step.

I want to thank the Senate for their support and their work as we ended up with a piece of legislation that went through the legislative process to become the best possible bill we could pass and addressed everybody’s concerns. This was a fantastic first step as we move to address sweeping education reform in Alabama.

RELATED: Ivey on Common Core: ‘We should be deliberate in determining a course of study for our state’

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

After Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) started a filibuster Wednesday, Marsh carried the bill over.

On Thursday, the bill was named to the Senate special order calendar and was again filibustered when it came up, this time with multiple Democrat senators joining in the effort. Republicans, seeing the filibuster was set to continue for hours, successfully adopted a cloture petition to end the filibuster so the Democrats would not continue blocking the chamber from conducting business.

“People I talk to across Alabama are sick and tired of politicians in Washington D.C. talking and nothing being done about the crisis on our borders. This bill is about sending a message to Washington that we support President Trump and his mission to secure our southern border,” Marsh advised.

He added, “Alabamians overwhelming favor securing our borders, protecting our citizens and their jobs and supporting President Trump. This bill simply allows citizens, if they choose, to send a message that they want to see our borders secured by sending a portion of their tax refund to donate to build the wall.”

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Gail believes that Lindh bears responsibility for the death of her son, who was killed in the line of duty during a prison riot at Mazar-e Sharif. The charges originally filed against Lindh included a murder conspiracy role in the slaying of Americans, including Spann, in an uprising at this Afghan prison where Lindh and others had been sent after their capture.

Gail explained that Spann interviewed Lindh shortly before the riot broke out, and that Lindh did not warn him that the prisoners had weapons and were primed to attack both him and another American operative, as well as allied guards.

“I want him to spend the rest of the three years [his remaining sentence time]. I do not want him out,” she said, adding, “I would [ideally] like him to spend the rest of his life in prison, but that’s not possible.”

“He could have saved my son’s life, he knew [of the weapons and prisoners’ plan] and Mike had brought him out because he thought he was a prisoner [being held wrongly] and he was going to save John Walker Lindh’s life. John Walker Lindh had the opportunity to tell Mike right there… he chose not to because he was working [with them], he was a Taliban [member]. He’s a traitor to our country,” Gail advised.

Despite the odds, Spann managed to kill seven terrorists before being overrun by the rioting masses. He was executed “cowardly” shortly after, as the Alabama legislature’s resolution explains.

The resolution said Lindh’s release is an affront to American values and everyone who has ever served under the nation’s flag.

Spann’s mother also warned that Lindh is still a threat to Americans domestically and abroad if allowed to go free.

She described the level of support she and her family have received from state and federal government officials – as well as the citizens of Alabama – since Spann’s death as “amazing.”

“America’s the greatest country in the world,” Gail emphasized.

Resounding standing ovation for Gail Spann and her son’s legacy in the House pic.twitter.com/EHV4qQZfBx

— Sean Ross (@sean_yhn) March 21, 2019

Spann was also an Auburn University graduate and Marine Corps captain when he joined the CIA as a paramilitary officer. He was a father of three at the time of his death at age 32.

Gail explained that now-CIA Director Gina Haspel had served as Spann’s partner on many occasions.

The two women spoke recently, and Gail shared an emotional moment from that visit.

“When I went last year to her first [appearance as director], she said, ‘You know [Spann] would have been director now instead of me if he had been here.’ That’s how good of an agent that he was,” Gail outlined. “They loved him. They still love him. They honor him all the time.”

You can read more about his life and heroism here.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Remington emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last year.

In November, the Huntsville City Council agreed to relieve the company of its obligation to gradually increase its workforce, and allowed it to maintain at least 415 employees with the goal of having 1,868 workers in 2023.

Canfield says the Commerce Department is confident that Remington will recover from its situation.

He says talks will be pursued to better understand the company’s business plan.

Alabama promised more than $38 million in incentives to Remington.
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)

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HB 49, by State Rep. Lynn Greer (R-Rogersville), would explicitly provide legal justification for a person to use deadly force in self-defense or in the defense of another person on church premises under certain circumstances. The House Judiciary Committee is proposing a substitute to the original filed version of HB 49 that makes it clear the legislation would function supplementally to current state “stand your ground” law instead of amending the existing statute.

This bill, nicknamed the “Alabama Church Protection Act,” has received a second reading and can now be placed on the House calendar for a third reading, debate and consideration.

Greer sponsored a similar bill with the same moniker last year that was advanced by the House Judiciary Committee before passing the full House with 40 “yes” votes, 16 “no” votes and 43 members not voting. However, the bill died in the Senate.

SB 14, by State Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence), was unanimously given a favorable recommendation by the Senate Education Policy Committee with two amendments. This bill would allow elective courses on the study of the Bible from grades 6-12 in state public schools and allow the display of artifacts, monuments, symbols and text in conjunction with these courses.

State Sen. President Del Marsh (R-Anniston) expressed his support for SB 14 back when it was prefiled.

“If students choose to study Biblical literacy as an elective in school, then there is no reason why that should not be allowed,” Marsh said in a statement. “This bill simply allows students to study artifacts, monuments, symbols, and text related to the study of the Bible.”

This is a policy supported by President Donald Trump.

Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2019

“I applaud Senator Melson for sponsoring this bill and I thank President Trump for bringing this issue to national attention. I look forward to working on the passage of this bill,” Marsh added.

SB 14 has received a second reading and can now be placed on the Senate calendar for a third reading, debate and consideration.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Singleton conducted several “small” filibusters, as he called them, leading up to debate on SB 22 when the chamber was confirming some of the governor’s various nominations.

Singleton said he wanted to slow down the bill’s passage and has managed to do so by at least one day.

When SB 22 came up as the first item on Wednesday’s special order calendar, Singleton launched into a mini-filibuster of just a few minutes before the Senate adopted a budget isolation resolution (BIR) on the bill, but in doing so, he threatened to filibuster for four hours on consideration of passage of the bill itself. He then began to appear to do just that after the BIR was adopted.

During his speech, Singleton claimed more “drugs and crime” come into the United States from Canada than Mexico. He also proposed that the federal government simply print more money to build the wall if it is needed and that walls should be built on both the southern and northern borders, rather than just the southern one.

After about 20 minutes of Singleton speaking passionately against SB 22, Marsh offered to carry the bill over to a later date so the rest of Wednesday’s legislation would not be adversely affected.

He emphasized that his bill does not divert tax money to help build the wall, but instead deals with money that taxpayers would be getting back anyway from the state. Individuals would voluntarily be able to send money already owed back to them by the state to a nonprofit named We Build The Wall, Inc.

Marsh also said SB 22 allows Alabamians to easily and directly send a message (through their monetary contribution) to the federal government and people around the nation – and world – that they support border security and President Donald Trump’s efforts. Marsh himself has made such a contribution previously, but his bill would make it easier for citizens to do the same.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“Alabama has some of the greatest teachers anywhere, they do a fantastic job each and every day laying a strong educational foundation for the children of Alabama,” Ivey said. “I have supported our teachers by proposing pay raises each of the last two years and expanding programs that have proven successful. As a former educator and president of the Alabama State Board of Education, I know how important it is to have good course materials to teach.”

The governor concluded, “Efforts like this should not be taken lightly, and I believe we should be deliberate in determining a course of study for our state. I support Senator Marsh’s efforts to ensure that headlines about Alabama ranking last or close to last in education become things of the past.”

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Ainsworth said in a statement, “I believe Alabamians should determine the curriculum and standards for our schoolchildren based upon our available resources, our needs, and our first-hand knowledge of what makes Alabama great. We should not rely upon some out-of-state entity or liberal, Washington, D.C. bureaucrats to determine our standards, and we certainly should not continue embracing this most damaging legacy of the disastrous Obama administration.”

“Sen. Marsh and the co-sponsors of his bill should be commended for working to end this unnecessary Obama-era relic, and I look forward to dropping the gavel when the repeal of Common Core passes the State Senate,” he concluded.

It is beyond time to get rid of common core in Alabama. Thanks for your leadership @SenatorDelMarsh and the members of Senate Education Policy committee. Let’s pass this on Thursday in the Senate. https://t.co/PxmYQQcgSC

— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) March 20, 2019

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

He and his lawyer declined to speak afterward and made a quick exit from the courthouse.

Prosecutors said Person accepted $91,500 in bribes to steer players with NBA potential to a Pittsburgh-based financial adviser.

As part of the plea, he agreed to forfeit that amount.

Person said he committed his crime in late 2016 and early 2017.

The plea deal has a recommended sentencing guideline range of two to 2½ years in prison, though the sentence will be left up to Judge Loretta A. Preska.

The sentencing is scheduled for July 9.

In a release, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said Person “abused his position as a coach and mentor to student-athletes in exchange for personal gain.”

“In taking tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, Person not only placed personal financial gain above his obligations to his employer and the student-athletes he coached, but he broke the law,” he said.

Person’s plea falls in line with those recently entered by three other former assistant coaches at major college basketball schools.

Tony Bland, a former Southern California assistant coach; ex-Arizona assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson; and former Oklahoma State assistant coach Lamont Evans are awaiting sentencing.

Their prison terms are likely to be measured in months rather than years.

Person, former associate head coach at Auburn, was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 1986 and played for five NBA teams over 13 seasons.

In court papers, prosecutors said Person arranged multiple meetings between the financial adviser and Auburn players or their family members.

Prosecutors said he failed to tell families and players that he was being bribed to recommend the financial adviser.

In one recorded conversation, the prosecutor said, Person warned an Auburn player to keep his relationship with the financial adviser a secret.

According to prosecutors, Person said: “Don’t say nothing to anybody. … Don’t share with your sisters, don’t share with any of the teammates, that’s very important cause this is a violation … of rules, but this is how the NBA players get it done, they get early relationships, and they form partnerships.”
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)

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He said eliminating Common Core would “clear the field” so the state could then move forward to better education outcomes.

Alabama would come up with its own high standards, premised on local control, under Marsh’s proposal.

He said his bill is cosponsored by all 27 of his Republican Senate colleagues and he expects SB 119 to pass the chamber and then receive similarly strong support in the House.

“I am committed to moving to a different standard that’s right for Alabama and moves us forward,” Marsh emphasized.

He also advised that there is a high level of politics involved in education decisions in the state but that sound policy must come first.

“[T]he education community, who I’ve asked to get this fixed, who have not addressed this, quite honestly I don’t think has put us in shape to move forward to address the problem at present. But I’m going to do all I can to see that it happens,” Marsh added.

Democrats on the Senate Education Policy Committee spoke in favor of keeping Common Core on Wednesday.

A career public school teacher from Lee County spoke in favor of eliminating Common Core at the hearing, while representatives from the state school superintendents association and the school boards association had concerns about the implementation of new standards.

Marsh said his bill will be amended before final passage to allow another national standard to be used if found to be best for Alabama, as the current language in his bill would ban any national standard from being adopted by the state school board.

Update, 11:35 a.m.:

State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) released a statement in support of Marsh’s bill.

“I strongly support Senator Marsh’s bill,” Givhan said. “The Common Core standards just haven’t worked for Alabama’s students, and the proof is evident in the data. In 2017, Alabama’s 8th grade math scores ranked 49th among the 50 states, and math scores for 4th grade students were 45th in the nation, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Common Core’s curriculum standards and guidelines have been in place for nine years, and they have failed Alabama’s students. It’s clear we need to look at alternative educational methods, with an emphasis on returning as much control as possible back to the local school districts.”

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“And remember,” Marsh continued, “it’s not about 140 legislators, there are 50,000 people in the state of Alabama affected by the ethics law. I’m going to make a plea to my colleagues, some of whom are in this room tonight: If it’s going to be fixed, we’ve got to fix it.”

He emphasized, “[I]t’s not going to get any easier. You’ve got to face the issues. You’ve got to address it and realize this is about much [more] than the legislature. So, I’m hopeful.

Marsh also noted that the uncertainty in the ethics law has “affected economic development.”

“There’s a section there where the economic developers are having problems keeping the [confidentiality] in the process of recruiting industries. We’ve got to address this,” he advised. “And I’m hopeful that we will address it this year.”

Marsh added, “I know that both Senator Albritton and Representative Jones have been in conversation with the attorney general and the ethics commission, as well. So we’re going down a path to try and get everybody on the same page. But we have got to -trust me, ladies and gentleman – we have best fix this. It’s got to be done.”

Howe then asked Marsh to articulate why certainty in the ethics law for economic development professionals is important not just for them, but for the entire state and each of its residents.

“[I]t’s important for the state, because we’re competing with all of the other states,” Marsh said.

He used the example of a piece of legislation passed out of committee that very day largely dealing with Polaris vehicles built in north Alabama and explained that the site selection process requires confidentiality, with most economic development recruitment projects being given code names.

“Because we’re competing against other states. And if we’re not able to keep that degree of secrecy at that stage of the game, we’re at a disadvantage to our neighbors,” Marsh explained.

He concluded, “So this is something that we have got to address. But I’m going to say this: that’s [only] a piece of it. And there’s going to be an attempt by the business community and economic developers to pass the piece. But I think it’s [incumbent] upon us to pass the big picture, solve all the problems, because you want as many people with you, supporting you, to make the changes. Every time you carve off a little piece, you lose some support. So, as I said, I want to help everybody, but I’m committed to the big picture.”

Lottery

Howe later asked the speaker if the time has come for a lottery proposal to pass the legislature and reach a referendum of the people.

“I think so,” McCutcheon responded. “I think it’s been coming for several years. I know that the districts, House districts, that are [bordering other states], most of those districts have seen a significant shift over the last seven or eight years because they see Alabamians driving across the state line to buy lottery tickets.”

He continued, “And people are starting to talk about it, and they’re starting to make it part of their discussion around the dinner table. … At the end of the day, there’s a good push from the people.”

McCutcheon did emphasize what he viewed as key to a successful lottery discussion.

“If we’re going to put this to a vote of the people, and I think it has a good chance of passing, we need to make sure that people understand what they’re voting on,” he outlined. “That’s very, very important. We don’t want to cloud the issue with the definition of a ‘lottery’ and try to sneak something in the back door. Let’s make sure the people understand in their minds what a lottery is and we define it in such a way that they know what they’re voting on.”

“Then, I think the next big debate will be, ‘Where’s the money [lottery revenue] going to go?’ And that will be something that we’ll have to contend with,” McCutcheon concluded.

This came the same day that Senator Jim McClendon (R-Springville) filed a lottery proposal that was soon after called not “clean” by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, who said McClendon’s legislation would legalize slot machines in a select few places in the state.

Watch the entire discussion:

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“The motivation is simple,” Drummond emphasized. “We are trying to safeguard the teens in the state of Alabama.”

She outlined, “Vape shops, as it stands right now, are not regulated at all… And the bill came about because our drug education council locally brought it to our attention, but [Stringer and I] have both seen ourselves, as well as throughout the whole state, the rise of vape shops. They’re popping up everywhere in the state of Alabama.”

While it is too early to tell what vaping is directly doing to users’ health, Stringer and Drummond emphasized there is an objective gateway effect from vaping use and to smoking traditional cigarettes.

“Right now, there is no data that says what is the [direct] effect that these products are having on our young people. What we are seeing, and this is a national trend, is that you’re seeing smoking not going down, but increasing, among young people,” Drummond explained.

Stringer, a career law enforcement officer with stints as chief of multiple local police departments, said educators from every corner of Mobile County have voiced their concerns with the lack of state oversight on vape products and retailers “saying this is an epidemic and a problem what we need to address.”

“The products haven’t been out long enough to know the problems we could face in five, ten, 15 years from now,” he said. “It’s pretty similar to when smoking came out. There was basically no risk at that time, according to everyone. Now, look at all the data that we have to go with smoking… this is a new product we’re learning every day about.”

Stringer said statistics they were shown from the drug education council show an approximately 34 percent increase in children under 19-years-old that tried smoking after vaping.

“In Alabama, we don’t want to wake up one day and see the effects, negative effects on our kids,” Drummond added. “Right now, we’re trying to be responsible legislators to make sure that we look out for the welfare of our children.”

The two lawmakers also stressed that not only do vape shop operators have no restrictions on them, but the state has no way to even keep track of them currently.

Their bill would make it illegal to sell or give vape products to anyone under 19-years-old. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board would regulate retail sales of the products, just as they do tobacco products. Retailers would have to obtain an annual permit, which includes an application fee of $300. Retailers would also have to comply with relevant FDA regulations and post signage warning of the dangers of nicotine usage.

Using vape products in certain places, including schools and child care facilities, would be prohibited.

‘This is something that is nonpartisan, it’s not anything that is about Republican or Democrat. This is something about our young people,” Drummond said. “Because if you look at the amount of nicotine that is showing up in these products, when they first hit the market, the nicotine levels were very low – like five percent. Now, it’s gone up to about ten percent. They’ve got other chemicals in there, like formaldehyde. What is the effect of that upon the brains of our kids? So, this is more of a public wellbeing bill for us.”

Stringer advised that he foresees widespread support in the legislature for the bill.

“Everyone agrees that there has to be some checks and balances [oversight] in place,” he concluded.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“I really think it will be this summer,” Ledbetter said. “I think we’ll see it immediately, and the reason I say that is inside that bill there is a mechanism that the counties can use half of their money to bond with. So, I know there’s mine – I talked to the president of my county commission, and we’re looking at bonding half of that money. So if that happens, you’re going to see a lot of paving going down, and I think it will be significant, especially on those roads we can’t get buses across, or you know, the transportation has been limited due to the fact of the road conditions.”

Ledbetter also predicted one of the aspects of the law, which is to expand the Port of Mobile, will generate a positive impact statewide, especially with regards to the automotive industry.

“I don’t think there is any question about that,” he said. “The thing I think we’ll see – Alabama rank third as far as automotive manufacturing in the country. I think we’ll move to number one. I really do. I think this is that big of a game changer. I think aerospace engineering, and some of those jobs going to the port, building airplanes and building the ships – we’re going to move up the ladder because we got availability in the port to bring the ships in and out, the post-Panamax ships we hadn’t seen.”

“You know, the sad part about it is we build all these automobiles in Alabama – a lot of those were being shipped out of Savannah because we can’t get them out of our port,” Ledbetter added. “I think once this happens, we’ll see the roll off-roll on where we’ll be carrying cars to Mobile from Huntsville, from Lincoln, from here in Montgomery to see them delivered, or shipped out from Mobile.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

RELATED: Marsh’s bill to help build Trump’s wall receives committee approval

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

Today I filed a bill to repeal common core in Alabama. Our kids deserve better. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/l8CuqHoEf4

— Del Marsh (@SenatorDelMarsh) March 19, 2019

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

In a statement to Yellowhammer News, the PCI’s division of governmental and public affairs outlined that they would support a “clean lottery bill,” but believe McClendon’s proposal would rob the people of Alabama of being able to properly vote on the lottery.

“We appreciate Sen. McClendon’s efforts to bring the question of whether the state should have a lottery to the forefront of this legislative session. However, the bill introduced today does not fit the definition of a ‘clean’ bill,” the PCI statement said. “It does not give citizens an opportunity to cast one vote on one issue — whether we should have a traditional lottery in our State. Instead, the bill is cluttered with provisions that will expand private gaming operations in a few parts of the state owned by a handful of individuals. It also demands that any vote on a lottery include a vote on video lottery terminals, which are also commonly known as ‘slot machines.'”

“We continue to support a truly ‘clean’ lottery bill that gives the citizens of Alabama the opportunity to decide a single issue — whether or not to have a lottery — by casting a single vote. The bill that was introduced today is not that,” the statement concluded.

PCI Tribal Chair Stephanie Bryan recently penned an op-ed advocating that the people of Alabama should be allowed to vote on a lottery-only proposal.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“Judicial records provide grounds upon which a court relies in deciding cases, and thus the public has a valid interest in accessing these records to ensure the continued integrity and transparency of our governmental and judicial offices,” the court stated in its ruling.

At issue is what the court described as the botched execution of Doyle Hamm on Feb. 22, 2018.

The court said that after several failed attempts to insert a needle into his veins, the execution was called off as midnight approached.

The Associated Press and other news outlets then sought the state’s execution protocol and related records.

“Alabama is the most secretive state in the country with respect to its protocol,” said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

“The intense secrecy has obvious problems,” he said. “The Doyle Hamm case is one classic example of that because the difficulties in finding a vein all happen out of the view of the public.”

Representatives of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday’s decision, so it was not known whether they would appeal.

Alabama could ask the appeals court for reconsideration of the case, or appeal to the United States Supreme Court, Dunham said.

The state also could ask for a stay of Monday’s ruling as appeals play out, he said.

Monday’s decision upheld a federal judge’s ruling last year that the public has “a common law right of access” to the records.

In that May 2018 ruling, U.S. Judge Karon Bowdre decided that some information can remain secret in the interest of security, such as the names of low-level prison employees involved in executions.

Last year’s ruling found that the execution protocol and related records “clearly concern a matter of great public concern, i.e., how Alabama carries out its executions,” the appeals court wrote in Monday’s ruling.
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)

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The bill will now head to the full Senate for a second reading, after which it can be placed on the calendar for consideration.

In a previous statement on SB 22, Marsh explained, “It is obvious that many people in the Federal government have little desire to address border security, so this is an easy way for people in Alabama, if they choose, to check a box and make a donation in support of building a border wall.”

“As I talk to people in my district and around the state, border security is the number one thing I hear about,” he added. “This is obviously an issue that has people very concerned and one that needs to be addressed.”

Thank you to the Governmental Affairs Committee for passing my bill to allow a check off box on Alabama tax returns to donate to We Build The Wall. Strong support for securing our boarders and for @realDonaldTrump #webuildthewall pic.twitter.com/JgO70lSMck

— Del Marsh (@SenatorDelMarsh) March 19, 2019

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

McClendon’s legislation would establish the Alabama Lottery Commission, with members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, Senate president pro tem and speaker of the House. The commission would issue a request for proposal, and a private company would then be chosen to manage the lottery, with oversight from the commission. The lottery management company would not be allowed to contribute money to political PACs or candidates.

The legislation would mandate that a person must be 18 years or older to purchase a lottery ticket. McClendon emphasized that he was not bringing the legislation to solve financial problems in Alabama, but that he did not want Yellowhammer State residents to have to travel and spend their money out-of-state if they want to participate in a lottery.

“For too long, the people of Alabama have been forced to drive to Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia to buy lottery tickets,” he explained in a statement. “Alabama dollars are being spent in neighboring states, funding their schools and their infrastructure projects. It is overwhelmingly clear that the people of Alabama want to vote on a lottery.”

During the press conference, McClendon said his proposal would explicitly maintain that casinos and card or table games of any kind are still illegal in the state.

He added that his legislation would mean increased job security for employees at GreeneTrack and similar existing facilities in the state that have been known to conduct pari-mutuel betting. The commission would license these facilities, which would have exclusive rights to video lottery terminals after a one-year transition away from electronic bingo.

As proposed, the lottery’s proceeds would go evenly to the Education Trust Fund and the General Fund. That is expected to be a major point of discussion and debate in the legislature, as members haggle over where the funds should go and how much of it should be earmarked.

McClendon welcomed this inevitable discussion and stressed that he wants the process to play out in public. Not handling the revenue allocation side of the equation in a constitutional amendment will allow the flexibility in future years for legislators to make changes as warranted.

The legislation would also offer new programming through the Alabama Department of Public Health to help gambling addicts. This would be funded from unclaimed lottery winnings, according to the state senator.

McClendon acknowledged that “it’s a fact” that lottery revenues decrease over time, but once his proposed lottery would get up and running, the initial annual revenue he estimates is $250 million. This is contingent on the commission allowing a flexible range of lottery games, including multi-state games like Mega Millions and Powerball and scratch-offs. His bills have not been given fiscal notes yet, meaning the state’s legislative services office has yet to confirm or rebut that revenue estimate or what expenses would be incurred by the state.

McClendon noted that since the commission would contract with a private company to administer the lottery, new state employees would not be needed.

He expressed confidence that the makeup and attitude of the legislature have changed now to benefit the chances of a lottery passing out of both chambers. If this happens, he wants the referendum by the people of Alabama to occur when turnout will be at its highest.

“It’s time we let the people vote,” McClendon said.

He identified the 2020 primary date of March 3 as his ideal date for that referendum to occur. This could have the added benefit of driving turnout up in the Republican contest to face Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL).

Here’s a fact sheet on the two bills, as distributed by McClendon pic.twitter.com/QgDYsstYdd

— Sean Ross (@sean_yhn) March 19, 2019

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“When I talk to businesses all over the state, it doesn’t matter where I was when I was traveling campaigning, the common theme I heard was, ‘Will, the number one factor limiting growth is people.’ And I think that’s such a shame because we have a lot of great people. It didn’t matter whether I was in Scottsboro talking to a car dealer who needed an auto tech there or if I was in Boaz, Alabama, talking to Pinnacle Manufacturing… [who] need more welders and painters,” Ainsworth said.

He reiterated, using the example of Pinnacle, that companies not being able to hire the number of skilled workers they need is prohibiting growth of 20-30 percent in many cases.

Ainsworth and his office are already hard at work doing everything they can to help bridge the skills gap.

“We’re working with the governor and … [the governor’s education policy advisor] Nick Moore, the two-year college system, k-12 and then we need the business community to step up to the plate on this and let’s solve this problem. Because here’s our vision on workforce development: our state should be the workforce development capital of the southeast,” Ainsworth emphasized.

He outlined that the goal can be met with the right initiatives in place, naming “Project Graduation” in Marshall County as something that is working on a smaller scale, because Alabama “has great people.”

“Taking that model, and the premise behind it is this — everyone has a God-given ability and a skillset that they can use. We need to figure out what that is,” Ainsworth said.

The Marshall County program centers on mentoring, but Ainsworth stressed that statewide workforce development efforts also need to efficiently utilize technology.

“One of the things we want to do – and a part of what Nick Moore is working on – is developing an app that will list all the jobs within a 60-mile radius of where a student lives,” he explained. “Because here’s what we found out: the same kids that need pre-k because their parents aren’t doing the job they need to do, guess what? Those same parents aren’t telling them about the job opportunities that are out there. So, kids really do not understand what jobs are out there, the education level needed, the skill set needed and the training needed – what these jobs pay. Part of what we need to do is educate people about what opportunities are out there, [ask] what are you passionate about, what do you want to do with your life and let’s get people ready for the workforce.”

“Our office is going to take a big lead on that… but we need the entire business community united to make sure we solve this problem for our state,” Ainsworth added.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

The reports say that in the course of the investigation authorities found drugs and drug paraphernalia.

AL.com says the criminal complaint states the two had crack cocaine and a crack pipe.

Both are charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

The 39-year-old Shannon is the mother of Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, who starred in a reality TV show on TLC.

Shannon later starred in her own show documenting her weight loss.

The reports did not say whether she had a lawyer.
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)

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“So, what I not only had a chance to do was share with the president some of the data I was aware of involving our drug trafficking cases and those who’ve entered this country unlawfully, but also to be able to share with him some very personal stories,” Marshall advised.

In his words, these examples included “a 13-year-old girl up in Madison County who was autistic, lost her grandmother – stabbed to death – and then she was beheaded by two members of the cartel because they were exacting revenge.”

“Or a juvenile in Shelby County who was raped by a gentleman who was previously convicted of drug trafficking,” Marshall added.

He outlined that this illegal immigrant “was deported, came back simply a few months after he left this country to the same place and committed a rape involving a young girl.”

Marshall also shared with the president a very recent story from the attorney general’s home county, Marshall County.

“A guy that was deported three different occasions came back to the same community and now is charged with the rape of a juvenile,” he explained.

“Those are stories that [the president] needs to hear,” Marshall said. “And that needs to be a little bit of a discussion when we’re talking nationally about the security of our border, recognizing that it’s not just simply an issue for California or for Texas or for Arizona. It’s also an issue for the people of Alabama.”

He then transitioned into talking about how his and Congressman Mo Brooks’ (AL-5) lawsuit against the U.S. Census Bureau focuses on illegal immigration pitfalls of a different kind.

“If you’re not here legally, you can’t vote in a federal election,” Marshall emphasized. “So I don’t understand why it is [illegal immigrants] oughta be counted in the census data for determining how many members of Congress a state has.”

He concluded, “Our experts say that if in fact those who are in this country unlawfully are counted, then Alabama’s going to lose a congressional seat… and a vote in the electoral college. One of the states that’s going to benefit from that is the state of California. And y’all, I don’t feel really good about giving California your vote for president. So, we’re going to continue to push that litigation, because we feel our constitutional basis for that argument is righteous but also that it is a matter of common sense.”

Thanks to the @MGMRotaryClub and President Eric Mackey for inviting me to speak today on the role of the Attorney General in defending and upholding Alabama’s laws. I was pleased to give an update on our efforts to combat violent crime and protect religious freedom. pic.twitter.com/QgOjpZi904

— AG Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) March 18, 2019

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

“We’re praying about it,” Palmer said on “The Jeff Poor Show.” “But I think we got a chance to get the House back and that’s extremely important. My wife and I have an attitude that we don’t want to be anywhere that we’re not supposed to be. So, we’re just praying about it. If we hold the Senate in the next election when we don’t have the majority in the House, we’re going to have two more years of not getting anything done. You can’t do anything on taxes. You can’t do anything revenue related.”

“I don’t see us making any significant effort to get appropriations back in order,” he added. “I think it’s extremely important for the country that we get the House back and any other issues personally should be secondary to that.”

On his role as House GOP Policy Committee chairman, Palmer said to expect to see the committee offer some things that will help members of the House Republican caucus, which include the highlighting of billions of dollars in misappropriated funds.

“I think it’s going well,” he replied. “We’re working on some stuff I think is really going to help our guys on a broad range of issues. I was talking about that report from the General Accountability Office on the funds sitting in agency accounts. We’re actually bringing the head of the GAO to brief our members of the policy committee on several issues, including improper payments, which I think will really be helpful to our guys. Most of them know a little bit about it, but they don’t know how big of a deal it is. We sent out $141 billion in improper payments two years ago, and it goes up every year.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.