• The bill by State Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) that would shorten the appeals process for death penalty cases has been advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee and will now move to the full Senate.
• The bill seeks to remove having to go through the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and just going straight to the Alabama Supreme Court, but will still provide the ability to appeal on the federal level.

5. Aniah’s Law passes

• The bill that would allow judges more ability to deny bail for those who are accused of violent crimes has been passed by the Alabama House of Representatives.
• State Representative Chris Brown (R-Mobile), the sponsor of the bill, said, “Too many of those who are accused of violent crimes are bonding out of jail and committing even more serious offenses, and it is time for law-abiding Alabamians to start fighting back.”
  

4. Bernie Sanders is in first and he can beat Trump

• In new polling data released by Fox News, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is the frontrunner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary with 31% polling, while former Vice President Joe Biden slips to second with 18%, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in third with 16%, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has 12% in fourth place and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is down in fifth place with 10%.
• Biden looks good in the most recent polling out of South Carolina which has him leading Sanders 36 to 16%. A big victory in the Palmetto State could give new life to Biden’s flailing campaign.

3. Decriminalizing marijuana in Madison County

• A letter sent to Madison County leaders by the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee, League of Women Voters of the Tennessee Valley, UAH College Democrats and the NAACP of Huntsville requests that marijuana be decriminalized.
• The letter states that “to improve the public safety, social equity, and overall well-being of our community” the county should stop arresting people for marijuana possession and also “drop all criminal charges related to cannabis possession,” claiming that this “will help ease racial disparities in community policing, allowing greater enforcement emphasis on crimes that have victims.”

2. Students need to start respecting their teachers

• Legislation that’s been deemed the “Teacher Bill of Rights” is being considered, which would give teachers 10 rights, including being able to discipline students, remove students from the classroom and to “be treated with civility and respect.”
• An attorney for the Alabama Education Association Clint Daughtry explained, “Teachers are … the only group of college-education professionals that I know of that run the risk on a daily basis of being hit, kicked, slapped, scratched, what have you.”

1. UAB helping solve the coronavirus crisis

• With coronavirus wrecking the stock market, a panic is underway, but the University of Alabama at Birmingham has been researching and developing the drug remdesivir through the Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center; that same drug is being used to treat coronavirus patients across the United States and in China.
• The work to develop the drug was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee after U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) became the chairman. Shelby said that this research “could help save thousands around the world.”

• Conventional wisdom in the GOP primary race to replace U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) is that businessman Jeff Coleman would lead the pack and that there would be a run-off, but there has always been a question about who would make the run-off with him.
• This hasn’t changed. The battle for second is possibly the closest race in the state outside of the battle for U.S. Senate in the GOP primary with Jessica Taylor, former State Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and former Attorney General Troy King slugging it out for second with between 17 and 15% choosing them as their first choice.

5. Sessions a “Warrior for Truth”

• In a new campaign ad, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions where he explains that “socialists threaten our country, and President Trump needs our help now.” Sessions reiterates that he’s been supporting Trump from early on in his 2016 campaign.
• The former Alabama senator says toward the end of the ad that “Trump needs a warrior for the truth.” In a statement, Sessions said that he “will continue to be President Trump’s number one supporter in the Senate because I understand his platform and message better than anyone.”

4. A court has ruled in favor of Trump in fighting sanctuary cities

• The 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has overturned a previous ruling that would block the Trump administration’s rule to withhold grant money from sanctuary cities through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
• A DOJ spokesman said that this “decision rightfully recognizes the lawful authority of the Attorney General to ensure that the Department of Justice grant recipients are not at the same time thwarting federal law enforcement priorities.”

3. Bill to prevent transitioning for minors approved

• A bill sponsored by State Representative Wes Allen (R-Troy) and State Senator Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) would make it illegal for doctors to prescribe minors hormone blockers that are meant to delay puberty for transgender minors has been approved by two legislative committees.
• The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act was approved by the Alabama House Health Committee and the Senate Health Committee; it will now move to the full House and Senate for further consideration.

2. Bloomberg spending in Alabama

• As Super Tuesday approaches, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has increased his already high spending, totaling $191 million in Super Tuesday states alone, and spending $8 million on TV and radio ads in Alabama. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has only spent $142,000 in the state, while former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden have not been spending in Alabama.
• Bloomberg’s dollars are also buying influence in the state as well, with the newly-elected mayor of Montgomery Steven Reed saying, “His presence is overwhelming.” Democrats note that Bloomberg put together the largest Democratic staff for a presidential primary in Alabama history.

1. Alabama schools are suspending or limiting travel

• Due to the growing concern of a serious coronavirus outbreak in the United States, the President of the United States has assigned Vice President Mike Pence to head up the response while the Center for Disease Control warns of “significant disruptions.”
• In reaction, the University of Alabama has suspended all non-essential travel to China and Jacksonville State University has decided to cancel all international travel, advised students to take general precautions and reminded them to also get their flu shot.

But, and this is important, Jones did cast a good vote on Tuesday as well. Jones broke rank with all but three of his abortion-crazy colleagues and voted to demand that medical practitioners provide aid to newborns that survive abortions.

The media and their Democrats tried their best to frame this as “fetuses that are born,” but that’s, as usual, a complete lie.

“Fetus” is Latin for “unborn human being.” Once the fetus is born it becomes a human being.

This is the “party of science” after all.

So, Senator Jones acknowledged that it would be wrong for doctors and nurses to stand around and let a born baby suffer and die.

Good for him.

This position separates him from post-birth abortion advocates like Governor “Blackface” Ralph Northam, but only barely.

If a 20-week-old fetus is born, Jones believes it shouldn’t be killed, but if the fetus is terminated via a partial-birth abortion, Jones is cool with that.

So let’s give credit where credit is due. Jones only voted to allow the killing of viable human babies if they can feel pain and are still partially in the womb.

Once they are out of the womb 100%, he draws the line.

Heroic.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• Mark Yarbrough was arrested and charged with misdemeanor harassment and impersonation since he had been using a Facebook page under the name Randall Carson to threaten a woman in Limestone County.
• Yarbrough was released on bond, but the woman who filed the complaint said she “questioned even coming forward.” She added, “He is a coward for doing this to people. I would say shame on him.” While he was arrested and charged, the “threats” made on Facebook seemed standard for internet trolls.

5. Bill to eliminate Office of State Auditor passes committee

• The bill that would eliminate the Office of the State Auditor has been approved by the Alabama Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, but the bill wouldn’t affect current State Auditor Jim Zeigler.
• If passed, the bill will be put on the ballot in November and then only become active after Zeigler’s term has expired.

4. Of course, $2.5 billion isn’t enough for likely coronavirus outbreak in U.S.

• The White House has officially requested Congress put $2.5 billion toward fighting the coronavirus, which is meant “to accelerate vaccine development, support preparedness and response activities and to procure much-needed equipment and supplies.”
• Even after China rejected President Donald Trump’s offer to send the Centers of Disease Control to their country, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has responded to the White House, saying that their request “is long overdue and completely inadequate to the scale of this emergency.” The CDC has announced that the coronavirus becoming a major issue in the United States is more of a question of when rather than if it will happen.

3. Thank Birmingham and Mayor Randall Woodfin for the new monument law

• The Alabama Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has approved an updated version of the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act that would fine violators by $5,000 per day instead of the $10,000 per day that was previously proposed.
• State Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), who originally introduced the bill, wants to ensure that all history in the state is remembered whether it’s good or bad. The bill will now go to the full Senate.

2. Democrats debate 

• Another chaotic and embarrassing Democrat debate is in the book, and this time they seem to actually be interested in taking down front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The real winner of all of this is President Donald Trump, who continues to sit on the sidelines while the Democrat candidates attempt to out-liberal each other.
• A dark horse winner here may be former Vice President Joe Biden, who cranked up the pandering aimed at South Carolina’s black voters to the point where it was uncomfortable, blaming U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for a church shooting that killed nine, blaming billionaire Tom Steyer for private prisons and promising to appoint a random black woman to the Supreme Court.

1. Jones aborted his own career long ago

• U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) has voted against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which was expected since he’s previously voted against the bill and laughed while asked how he would vote this week.
• The legislation would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy due to studies that show a 20-week-old fetus can feel pain. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) voted in support of the legislation and later said that this was “an important step in defending innocent human lives.”

• The $125 million investment project in the GE Appliances plant in Decatur has officially been completed, adding 255 jobs. The plant is working on more new “smart” technology.
• Vice president of the supply chain for GE Appliances Bill Good said, “Decatur is a great example of how we are infusing digitalization and other new technologies to improve safety, quality and manufacturing efficiency.”

5. No sanctuary cities for Alabama

• First Congressional District candidate Mobile County Commissioner Jerry Carl made clear in his newest campaign ad his opposition to sanctuary cities in the state of Alabama and his stance on illegal immigration.
• The ad stated, “If Nancy Pelosi wants sanctuary cities, I say let the illegals live with her in San Francisco, but not here.” Carl mentions how he’ll “get the wall built, end handouts for law-breaking illegals, and make sure we never have a sanctuary city in Alabama.”

4. Trump making deals in India

• While visiting India, President Donald Trump was met with a rally of 110,000 people and went on to announce a new military partnership with the government, saying, “I believe that the United States should be India’s premier defense partner and that’s the way it’s working out.”
• During his speech, Trump also touched on the mutual need to defend against radical Islamic terrorism, mentioning the United States and India “have been hurt by the pain and turmoil of terrorism.” He also added that they will work “to crack down on the terrorist organizations and militants that operate on the Pakistani border.”

3. Attacks are going to come against Byrne

• The Club for Growth Action PAC is planning to air an attack ad against U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope), calling out his initial opposition to President Donald Trump in 2016.
• The ad specifically references how Byrne said Trump was “not fit” to be president, and it says, “When the alternative was Hillary Clinton, Byrne joined with the Democrats to attack Trump.” The ad goes on ask if Byrne has apologized “for trashing Trump.”

2. Montgomery school officials misused funds

• According to a report, $700,000 of the Montgomery school district’s funds were spent at strip clubs, liquor stores, casinos and on scholarships that went to the administrator’s own children; there are at least six Montgomery Public Schools employees involved.
• Out of that money, there was around $300,000 that was sent to fake vendors, but the deposits were made to Jefferson Davis High Assistant Principal Walter James, who is currently working as an attorney in Montgomery.

1. Trump will ask for funds to combat the coronavirus

• As the media and their Democrats complain that President Donald Trump has no plan to deal with the coronavirus, it’s expected that the president will officially request that $2.5 billion be used to fight the coronavirus as it has become a global outbreak.
• The funding would be used to help develop a vaccine and possibly prepare or respond to an outbreak, but it has been stressed that the funds are more for preparedness and not meant to cause alarm.

So I thought, “These are Americans who need our help and we have the facilities to house these people!”

But I was wrong.

The facility where these patients were going to be quarantined is not a medical facility — it’s actually a training facility.

The Center for Domestic Preparedness is a training center for police, fire and emergency medical workers from across the United States. They travel to Anniston, receive training and leave.

The coronavirus patients would have been housed in a barracks, not a medical facility.

In fact, there is no functioning medical facility on this site at all, as I thought it was.

U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks) dropped a lot of knowledge while on WVNN this morning.

Rogers noted on “The Dale Jackson Show,” “The Center for Domestic Preparedness is a training facility for first responders, it is not equipped to deal with infectious disease control.”

He added, “[S]ome knucklehead thought the Center for Domestic Preparedness was a good option.”

I was wrong, as were a lot of people.

The lack of a medical facility is a big issue, not only because of the virus but because of the age and health of the individuals involved.

When Rogers was discussing the would-be patients, he said, “Most of these individuals are in their 70s. They’re going to have problems like heart conditions, they’re going to have diabetes, they’re going to have brittle bones.”

This process is not going to be a short one either. It could last up to three months and, according to Rogers, local hospitals made it clear they are not equipped for this.

My takeaway:

If there is a place in Alabama where these Americans can be held and treated if needed, we should do it, but the Center for Domestic Preparedness is not one of those sites. Our congressional delegation and Governor Kay Ivey did a good job of handling this issue for the state of Alabama.

Naysayers, and I was one, will use this to tar Alabama and its citizens, but if they are given all the information, they will have to come to the conclusion that moving these patients here is not in anyone’s best interest.

Listen:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• When you are a U.S. Senator and vote to impeach a president that is wildly-popular in your state and are caught on tape laughing about voting for abortions to continue after 20 weeks in a state that is obviously pro-life, you can expect your campaign fundraising to suffer in Alabama
• Luckily for U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), folks in other states love him because he is a liberal who won a seat in a red state and they think they can dump enough money into the state to save him. Because of this, 86% of his money is coming from places where people cannot vote for him, with roughly 45% of his dollars coming from liberal bastions like California, New York and the District of Columbia.

5. We’ve been waiting for this question 

• ESPN finally wrote the inevitable, “Will Alabama fans vote for Tuberville” story, and believe it or not, there has been a survey done to determine whether this is actually an issue for voters.
• According to a survey to collect a Local Relevance score on Tuberville with Auburn vs. Alabama fans on Twitter, Tuberville scored a 1.5 out of 100 with Alabama fans and an 8.3 with Auburn fans. By comparison, President Donald Trump scored a 23 out of 100 with Auburn fans. 

4. Alabama a sanctuary for the unborn 

• The Alabama Republican Party has approved the resolution to make Alabama a sanctuary for the unborn, which calls on Governor Kay Ivey to make an official declaration. 
• ALGOP Chairwoman Terry Lathan said that this resolution isn’t “just the same old topic again. She added, “If we’re going to have sanctuary cities for illegal aliens, or immigrants, I think our [membership] just said, ‘Well, ok fine. We want a sanctuary city for unborn children.’ So I think that’s a really important statement.”

3. Sanders looking like the nominee

• U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won the Nevada caucus with 47.1%, former Vice President Joe Biden was second with 21% (picking up his first two delegates ever) and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg placed third with 13.7%. 
• Sanders’ win in Nevada gave him a strong boost in the 2020 Democratic primary. He has now said that he’s “going to win the Democratic primary in Texas” and take it in the general as well.

2. Russia is for everyone you don’t like

• Last week, we were told that the Russians want President Donald Trump to win, but then the story became that Russia wants both Trump and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to win the Democratic primary. Both of these stories have a couple of holes in them.
• Not to be outdone, former Vice President Joe Biden says his staff has been telling him that there are Russian bots on Facebook trying to tell people that “Biden is a bad guy” because he’s the “most likely to beat Trump” so Russia doesn’t want him to be the nominee and that “no one’s helping me try to get the nomination.” But none of this information came from intelligence sources. 

1. People with coronavirus won’t be coming to Alabama 

• U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) has announced that after meeting with President Donald Trump, the FEMA facility in Anniston won’t be used to house coronavirus victims. 
• U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) worked this issue after the initial announcement and responded on Twitter by thanking President Trump, saying “Once we brought our concerns to President @realDonaldTrump, he immediately put a stop to the plan to bring coronavirus patients to Alabama. Thanks for looking out for Alabama, Mr. President!”

Jackson and Handback are joined by U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) to discuss his run for U.S. Senate, attacks leveled both against him by his opponents and the Democrats’ impeachment fervor.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” where he discusses Alabama lawmakers’ attempts to reform Alabama’s bail system in a way that keeps bad guys in jail longer in spite of the moves in other states to lower or eliminate bail altogether.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

Sessions hit Byrne for abandoning the president only weeks before the general election against Hillary Clinton.

Sessions explained on “The Dale Jackson Show,” “Well it’s a huge mistake. It would have guaranteed the election to Hillary Clinton.”

Sessions wants voters to know that he was on stage with now-President Donald Trump wearing a red MAGA hat while “my own Congressman was saying he was unfit to be president and should resign.”

“That would have split the party and been a disaster of monumental proportions, so it is a big deal, I just have to say,” he added.

The attacks pointed towards Tuberville are far more pointed.

Sessions hammered him on his Florida residency, pointing out that Tuberville claimed his homestead exemption in Florida and has never voted in Alabama. He also pointed out that Tuberville did not donate a cent to the Trump campaign, while millions of average Americans did.

“He filed for homestead in Florida in 2018, and he hasn’t voted in Alabama. He voted in Florida in 2018, it appears. I’m not sure he even voted for President Trump, I’m not sure, he certainly didn’t give a contribution to the Trump campaign, he never once spoke out in favor of the Trump campaign. So, now he waltzes in tourist-like, I think it’s a fair word, to say now I want to be Alabama’s senator, and go up there and defend Alabama’s values.”

Sessions in the interview also hit Tuberville on immigration, vets and trade.

My takeaway:

These are all fair arguments. Tuberville filed his homestead exemption, which you file on your primary residence in Florida in 2018. He paid his taxes there. He lived there and admitted to me that he moved here to run for U.S. Senate because he knew his name ID in the state would work.

Tuberville did talk about amnesty for illegals.

Tuberville did say he was blaming Trump for veterans’ health care.

Tuberville did say Trump was putting a noose around the neck of farmers.

The attacks show that Sessions knows he is in a dogfight for his former seat. He is not walking away with this like many thought he would. Polls indicate he is in first or second, so as this race continues to heat up, look for more attacks on his opponents’ records from Jeff Sessions.

Listen:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• U.S. Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) can think of at least one example of a U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “supporter being bad,” even though Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison can’t think of a single one being “unusually mean or bad.”
• Scalise was shot by a Sanders supporter while practicing for a congressional baseball game in 2017. Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) was there with others from the baseball team as well, and this exchange has happened among the debate on whether candidates are responsible for their supporters’ actions.

5. Stone only gets a little more than three years

• Roger Stone made false statements to investigators during the investigation into President Donald Trump and Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election; he has now been sentenced to three years in prison for his offenses.
• U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman said that Stone’s actions were “deliberate” and “planned,” but she also said the sentencing request was excessive, just as President Trump did. Berman sentenced him to the sentence Attorney General William Barr suggested, therefore the media panic was for nothing.

4. New poll suggests Trump wins in any matchup in key swing state

• The latest poll from Quinnipiac University shows that no matter who President Donald Trump is up against in Wisconsin, he wins by at least 7%, which would be if he were against former Vice President Joe Biden or U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
• In the event that Trump is up against former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg or former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Trump leads by 8%. If Trump squares off with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), he wins by 10%. Against U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Trump wins by at least 11%.

3. Tuberville confused about what ads attacking him are saying?

• While at an event hosted by the Downtown Republican Women of Huntsville and the Madison County Young Republicans, former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville addressed the campaign ads against him where he’s quoted that he’s “pissed off at Donald Trump” over the treatment of veterans.
• Tuberville has taken this to mean that the ads are saying that he “hate[s] the veterans,” but he said that “President Trump loves our military, loves our VA, he’s fighting for them. But we’ve got to keep fighting.” This mirrors his response to ads that showed him supporting amnesty.

2. Tuberville might have taken the lead

• The super PAC Club for Growth Action has conducted a new poll for the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, and the poll put former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville in the lead with 32%.
• Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions fell to second place at 29%, while U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) has remained consistent with 17%. A total of 16% of respondents remain undecided.

1. It’s the Russians … again

• After years of Russia investigation speculation, zero evidence that anyone on the Trump campaign team colluded with the Russians and maniacal obsession with baseless conspiracy theories about Russians costing Democrats 2016, it appears that the same players are going right back to the same story that the Russians and Trump might be in cahoots for 2020.
• After a classified briefing to members of Congress, multiple sources proceeded to go to the New York Times, which led to a headline that screamed, “Russia Backs Trump Re-election, and Trump Fears That Democrats Will Exploit Its Support.” This just further proves the Deep State is continuing to operate to defeat Donald Trump like it did in 2016.

• As the nation continues to move towards more lacks bail rules, the Alabama House of Representatives advanced Aniah’s Law, a bill that would grant judges more ability to deny bail to those accused of violent crimes.
• The bill is named after Aniah Blanchard, who was allegedly abducted and murdered by a man who has been released on bond despite prior violent offenses.

5. The GIRL Act is going further

• The “Gender is Real Legislative” (GIRL) Act has been advanced by the Alabama House State Government Committee, which would require that public school student-athletes only compete in the gender which they were born.
• The committee vote was along party lines, 8-4. Bill sponsor State Representative Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) has said that “gender is a real biological truth. It truly defies logic that anyone would deny science and want male students competing in female sports.”

4. Assange’s lawyer claims Trump dangled a pardon

• Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has made an allegation that former U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (D-CA) met with him at an Ecuadorean embassy to offer him a pardon in exchange for information about the DNC server and who fed him the information. The media is reporting this as an absolute fact because they need it to be true.
• Rohrabacher and President Donald Trump say this is not true. Rohrabacher explains, “When speaking with Julian Assange, I told him that if he could provide me information and evidence about who actually gave him the DNC emails, I would then call on President Trump to pardon him.” He added, “At no time did I offer a deal made by the President, nor did I say I was representing the President.”

3. Presidential debate Wednesday night, but the guy at a rally in Arizona won 

• The Democratic presidential debate took place Wednesday night in Las Vegas. The main target was not President Donald Trump or the 78-year-old socialist that is running away with the race. Instead, most of the fire was trained on the 78-year-old billionaire Michael Bloomberg who was attacked for his money, his history with women and his history with “stop and frisk.”
• There wasn’t really a moment at this debate that will reset the field, but U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) essentially took over the debate early on and attacked every person on the stage with pointed criticism, except for Bernie Sanders. This will probably be seen as her attempt to damage Bloomberg and will be compared to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s takedown of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) from 2016 because she won’t win but she tried to make sure he won’t either.

2. Medical marijuana is going before the full Senate

• In an 8-1 vote, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee passed the medical marijuana bill by State Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence). The bill will now face the full Senate; if eventually signed into law, Alabama would become the 34^th state to legalize medical cannabis. Last year, a similar bill passed the Senate but failed in the House.
• This bill will require Republican votes to pass the Senate. State Sens. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), Tom Whatley (R-Auburn), Will Barfoot (R-Montgomery) and Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) showed there is some Republican support for it. Only State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Sheffield) voted no while State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) abstained.

1. Doug Jones really wants to be a one-term senator

• U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) was recently asked by a tracker, “Do you think abortion should be banned after five months?” to which Jones responded, “[W]hat a stupid question.”
• The tracker referenced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that Jones will be voting on next week. Jones said he’ll “vote on it next week, just like I did last time.”

So, it should come as no surprise that the average readers of al.com are equally as out of touch with the average Alabamian because they are consuming a daily digest of anti-Alabama liberal media bile that could best be described as irrelevant and antagonistic to the politics and culture of the state of Alabama.

Former Yellowhammer News editor-in-chief Cliff Sims said it best when he called them a sports blog with a liberal bias.

Because of this, it should come as no surprise that they are attempting to pass off an online poll of their readers as representative of anything close to the opinion of the state of Alabama, but here you go.

It may be a small, and certainly unscientific sample, but it sure seems like folks in Alabama are ready for marijuana to be legal. https://t.co/ZVwwd9cYOs

— Ramsey Archibald (@RamseyArchibald) February 18, 2020

Actually, it doesn’t seem like that at all. Even Ramsey Archibald knows that.

Nationally, according to a Pew Research poll in late 2019, 69% of Americans favor some kind of legalization of marijuana. Of those who want to legalize marijuana, 59% want recreational and medical legalization and 32% want just medical legalization.

That’s a national poll — this is Alabama.

Love it or hate it, like the employees at al.com do, you have to acknowledge that there is nowhere near 83% support for recreational marijuana in this state.

Instead of legalizing marijuana, we might want to consider limiting the consumption of al.com for some of their readers whose brains are clearly being damaged by the content.

All polls like this do is show that the readership of al.com is far-left, out-of-touch and completely irrelevant in Alabama politics — just like the authors they read.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• State Representative Rolanda Hollis (D-Birmingham) has seized on her newfound fame as the “vasectomy bill” sponsor and now has introduced a feminine hygiene bill that would require schools to provide products to students in grades five through 12.
• Similar bills are being considered in Massachusetts and Maryland, and such requirements already exist in Illinois, California, New Hampshire and New York. This bill has been referred to the House Education Ways and Means Committee.

5. Alabama’s mayors want the ability to create occupational taxes; lawmakers work to take it

• The City of Montgomery is in the process of raising taxes on every person that works in the city, even if they live elsewhere. Lawmakers want to stop it but the mayors of the 10 largest cities are working together to oppose the bill because it limits a potential revenue source and they want the ability to implement this tax.
• State Representative Chris Sells (R-Greenville) argued before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that the cities could raise the tax if they want but they will have to come to the legislature to do so because it raises a tax on people with no representation in the city. The mayors argued in a letter, “What it does is give the people outside a municipality a voice through us.”

4. Trump handed out a few pardons

• Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D), who was convicted of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by President Barack Obama, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump, saying that Blagojevich’s sentence was “ridiculous.” This brings Trump’s total number of pardons during what is being reported as a “pardon spree” to 26.
• Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was sentenced for tax fraud, former 49ers owner Edward Debartolo, Jr., who was convicted for failure to report a bribe, and financier Michael Milken, who violated U.S. security laws, have all been pardoned by Trump as well.

3. The Senate election is heating up

• All three leading Republican U.S. Senate candidates have now gone negative, with former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions releasing a new campaign ad that goes after former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville and U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope).
• In the ad, there’s a claim that Byrne “stabbed Trump in the back right before the election” because he didn’t support him at the beginning of his presidential bid. The ad goes on to say, “Tuberville is a tourist in Alabama – he lives, votes, and pays taxes in Florida.”

2. Tuberville catching heat for immigration comments

• Recently, the U.S. Senate race in Alabama has gained national attention for remarks former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville said back in August when he stated, “We’re paying for illegals to come over here. …  That’s Donald Trump’s fault.”
• While Tuberville did say that, he has been in clean-up mode as he clarifies his position saying that his immigration plan “mirrors everything Donald Trump has said on the issue.” He added, “We’ve got to close our borders, protect American jobs, stop illegal drugs, and block terrorists from sneaking into our country.” Tuberville also stated that he’s “simply backing President Trump’s policy … just like I’ll do in Washington.”

1. Donald Trump hits a new high in polling and with independents

• In a new NBC poll, President Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit 50%, even notching 50% with independents. This shows his numbers holding steady after improving post impeachment acquittal and as Democrats continue to battle for their party’s nomination.
• Speaking of Democrats, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has come out to a double-digit lead over Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg is effectively purchasing his way onto debate stages and into voters’ hearts with big ad buys and a campaign that makes voters think he has the endorsement of former President Barack Obama.

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that they’ll be sending their SWAT team to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with detaining illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities, and now U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) are demanding they “reverse course.”
• Warren and Markey said that this “initiative is unnecessary, unwelcome, dangerous, menacing, retaliatory and unlikely to achieve its stated goal,” and went on to demand that CBP and ICE change their plans. They also questioned the reason “for employing paramilitary-style immigration personnel.”

5. Ainsworth announcing legislation to shorten the appeals process

• Tuesday, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is planning to announce new legislation that would shorten the appeals process for those convicted of capital murder, which has been pushed for since the increased number of officers killed on duty throughout the state.
• On Twitter, Ainsworth said, “’Back the Blue’ must be more than just a slogan. Actions must follow words, murdering an officer who maintains law and order should quickly cost your own life.”

4. Cruz isn’t happy about mandatory vasectomies

• State Representative Rolanda Hollis (D-Birmingham) has introduced a ridiculous and embarrassing bill that would make it mandatory for men over 50 or with three kids to get a vasectomy, and now U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is taking issue with the legislation.
• Cruz said on Twitter, “Yikes. A government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything…literally!” Hollis has defended her bill saying that it’ll “help with the reproductive system, and yes, it is to neutralize the abortion ban bill.”

3. Obama wants credit for economic improvements, Trump calls that a “con job”

• On the 11^th anniversary of signing the 2009 economic stimulus package, President Barack Obama acknowledged the economy is booming — while the media and their Democrats are pretending otherwise —  and tweeted that he “signed the Recovery Act, paving the way for more than a decade of economic growth and the longest streak of job creation in American history.”
• President Donald Trump tweeted that is a “con job” and his campaign has responded to Obama’s claim, saying, “Trump reversed every single failed Obama-era economic policy, and with it, reversed the floundering Obama/Biden economy,” adding that the former president and vice president “orchestrated the worst economic recovery in modern history.”

2. John Rogers has no clue what he is talking about

• State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) made very little news when he declared that NFL quarterback Cam Newton was transgender and there were 20 more transgender football players in the league without providing evidence.
• Turns out Rogers doesn’t know what it is to be transgender and, while speaking to “The Pluralist,” Rogers suggested that there should be genetic testing to determine the sex of athletes. He stated, “If a person ends up being male, they can compete as male, and if they end up being a female they can compete as female.”

1. Sessions responding to Byrne and Tuberville’s tactics

• Recently, U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville released campaign ads that throw punches at each other and at former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but now Sessions is responding with a statement and attacks of his own.
• Sessions has described these tactics as “sleazy” and added that it’s “unfortunate that both Tommy Tuberville and Bradley Byrne have abandoned any pretense of running a positive campaign.” He also pointed out that this behavior is expected as they’re both “trailing in the polls,” adding that it’s made Tuberville and Byrne appear “desperate and afraid.”

Current Alabama law requires government entities in Alabama to advertise and pay for legal notices, legislation, constitutional amendments, voter rolls and other public matters in the local print media outlets.

As I have pointed out before, this is not chump change.

• The City of Huntsville spends up to $115,000 each year.
• Madison County spends up to $153,000 each year.

The real cost across the state is clearly into the multiple millions of dollars range.

Last week, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong appeared on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show” and explained that Madison County alone was forced to pay $75,000 to Alabama Media Group, the parent company of AL.com, which runs a sports blog with a liberal bias.

For what? A 112-page list of voters.

Strong says he knows no one is reading this list to see if they are eligible to vote.

“You’re printing a 112-page document that will be used to light fires in people’s burn pits,” he explained. “People don’t even look at it, they throw it in the garbage can.”

The Secretary of State’s Office has a phone number and a website where people can see if they are eligible to vote, so this is all completely unnecessary.

Keep in mind, this is one county. All 67 counties in the state had to pay for this “service,” and they all know it is a waste of their resources.

Strong noted, “I promise you $75,000 practically every two years over 10 years, that’s $375,000, and I can tell you Madison County has a bunch of needs that money could go toward a lot more beneficial than a list.”

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Multiple lawmakers have attempted to cut in on these legal notices over the years, with little success.

State Representative Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) tried last year. He said in 2019, “I think it’s really hard to make a case in Alabama that we need more taxes while we are not spending the money we have in an efficient manner.”

Sorrell is trying again this year:

Relating to public notices; to provide for electronic publication of public notices on a public notice website operated by the Secretary of State; to provide for fees for publication; to allow counties and municipalities to opt out under certain conditions; and to provide for delivery of public notices to the Secretary of State for publication on the public notice website.

Secretary of State John Merrill is all in on supporting this bill.

My takeaway:

The same challenges that came up in 2019 will come up again in 2019. No one wants to fight the newspapers on this because they know the newspapers will fight back.

We all know the old saying: “Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.”

But it is time to pick this fight. The status quo is a scam that gives tax dollars to newspapers and citizens get little in return. It is time for other legislators to join him and get this done.

Listen:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• UAB Hospital has made the cut for one of America’s Best Hospitals based on overall clinical excellence. Only the top 5% of hospitals in the country qualify.
• There’s a total of 32 conditions and procedures that hospitals are evaluated on to be determined one of the best, including stroke, heart failure and heart attack. If treated at a hospital ranked as one of America’s best, there’s a 26.6% higher survival rate.

5. Every Trump appointee just needs to resign or be investigated?

• Amid the drama of the Department of Justice getting involved in the case of Roger Stone, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is calling for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to testify before the Senate while others are calling for resignation or impeachment (which will never happen).
• Klobuchar wants to ensure that the decision of the Justice Department wasn’t influenced by President Donald Trump with him “constantly tweeting out different requests of the Justice Department.” Barr has already agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.

4. Medical marijuana vote expected this week

• On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a public hearing where the medical marijuana bill will likely be discussed, and a vote on the bill could happen on the same day.
• State Senator Tim Melson’s (R-Florence) would require that people first get a prescription for medical marijuana from a state-approved doctor before going to a dispensary to purchase their products. Only those with specific conditions would be approved for a medical marijuana card.

3. Trump takes “The Beast” for a spin at Daytona

• President Donald Trump visited the Daytona 500 on Sunday where he acted as the Grand Marshall for the race and took the presidential limo on a lap around the track while chants of “four more years” and “USA!” filled the track.
• Obviously, the media and their Democrats were not happy with this and complained that the limo was a government resource being used for campaign purposes, which is the same complaint they make about Air Force One. Even though both parties have complained about this practice in the past, it is clearly permissible.

2. Tuberville isn’t for amnesty

• In the 2020 U.S. Senate race in Alabama, U.S. Representative Bradly Byrne (R-Fairhope) has released an ad that takes aim at former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, replaying audio from a Shoals Republican Club meeting where Tuberville talks about illegal immigration, saying, “Put the wall up – then let them come in and become citizens like we all became citizens.”
• The narrator in the ad responds with “Hey, Tommy, that’s amnesty,” but at a campaign stop in Hartselle, Tuberville said that when it comes to amnesty for illegal immigrants, “You have to go and start back the right way.” He added that people saying he’s for amnesty are part of “the swamp. … They can’t run on anything, they don’t do anything. They’ve never done anything.”

1. Byrne throwing punches shows the state of the race

• Whether he is in second or third is up for debate, but U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) is the first candidate to go on the attack in his own name in the 2020 U.S. Senate race, putting out a television ad saying that both former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions “should’ve stayed fired.”
• The ad compares Byrne to Tuberville and Sessions, saying that “Bradley is the proven fighter with a track record of defending President Trump and our values.” The Sessions campaign has responded to the ad saying that candidates attack when they’re “desperate and afraid.”

Jackson and Handback are joined by Secretary of State John Merrill to discuss the latest report by the Southern Poverty Law Center that claims Alabama is suppressing voters and Merrill’s willingness to take on more responsibility at the Secretary of State’s office.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” at the waste of millions of dollars Alabama municipalities spend on “public notices” because of a series of outdated laws requiring publication of voter rolls and public notices in local newspapers.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• In a new ad put out by the Jeff Sessions 2020 U.S. Senate campaign, Sessions’ record on illegal immigration takes the spotlight with things like his 2018 “Zero-Tolerance Policy for Criminal Illegal Entry.”
• The ad also mentions President Donald Trump saying that he and Sessions “took action” against illegal immigration. in the ad, Sessions addresses how a lot of people may say they want to fix issues with illegal immigration “but have no real commitment to do so.”

5. Police could become a protected class

• The bill that would add law enforcement officers to the class in the state was passed by the Alabama House of Representatives, but State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) thinks the bill doesn’t go far enough.
• If signed into law, the bill would make crimes against law enforcement officers hate crimes, but Rogers said for anyone convicted of killing a police officer, “The death penalty ought to be automatic. I want to see them burn.”

4. Barr just wants to do his job

• President Donald Trump’s constant tweeting makes “it impossible for me to do my job” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said to ABC News. Barr also clarified that Trump “has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case.”
• This is all after the Department of Justice intervened to get Trump confidant Roger Stone’s recommended prison sentence reduced down from nine years. Barr added that “it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases. I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody … whether it’s Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president.”

3. Mandatory vasectomies

• A piece of legislation introduced by State Representative Rolanda Hollis (D-Birmingham) would require any man 50 years old or more or after fathering a third child get a vasectomy at their “own expense.”
• While discussing the bill, Hollis said, “Under existing law, there are no restrictions on the reproductive rights of men,” taking aim at the abortion ban passed last year.

2. John Rogers doesn’t know what it is to be transgender, thinks Cam Newton is gay

• The GIRL Act had its day in the Alabama House State Government Committee, and the bill that would restrict Alabama public school students to participating in athletics in the gender on their birth certificate wasn’t advanced.
• At the public hearing, State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) had some especially interesting comments about the legislation, stating that his “favorite player is transgender” and that he knows of “about 20 football players are transgender.” He later was clarified that he was talking about former Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton and he actually believed him to be “gay” instead of transgender.

1. We’re better off now than we were three years ago

• A new Gallup poll has shown that a record 61% of Americans think that they’re better off now than they were in 2017, just after President Donald Trump took office. Only 36% of respondents said they weren’t better off.
• The same poll was conducted in 2012 when President Barack Obama was in office. In the 2012 poll, only 45% of people were better off than three years previous. In the current poll, only 3% of respondents said their situation is the same.

• Congressional candidate Jeff Coleman is running a new TV ad where he introduces the audience to a baseball bat called “The Respect Her” that he would make his daughters’ date sign before they were allowed to take them out.
• If that wasn’t enough, Coleman says the lesson for the dates was “respect, boundaries, honor and integrity.” He closed the ad with a promise to protect your family, stating “I protected my girls like I’ll protect your family in Congress. Sometimes, a little visual aid helps.” He is running to replace Rep. Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) in the Second Congressional District.

5. Now Democrats are going after Barr

• The House Judiciary Committee has announced that they will be interrogating U.S. Attorney General William Barr on March 31. Meanwhile, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) with other lawmakers are calling on Barr to resign.
• Blumenthal said that Barr should “be ashamed and embarrassed and resign as a result of his action directly interfering in the independent prosecution of Roger Stone,” as well as adding that this is an example of President Donald Trump politically interfering “to alter the independent decisions of the Department of Justice.”

4. Medical marijuana has been introduced in the legislature

• The medical marijuana bill by State Senator Tim Melson (R-Florence) has officially been introduced to the state legislature, which has been anticipated.
• If the bill were to become law, patients would have to go see a state-approved doctor to get a prescription and then obtain a “medical cannabis card.” Anyone looking to process, dispense, cultivate, transport or test cannabis would have to get a license through the state Medical Cannabis Commission.

3. Being a sanctuary city could become a felony

• State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) has a bill that would make Alabama cities that are operating as sanctuary cities a Class C felony. That bill has now advanced by the Alabama Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee.
• The bill would mandate: “It is the policy of this state to discharge illegal immigration by complying with all federal immigration laws and assisting and fully cooperating with federal immigration authorities in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”

2. Not everyone thinks all gaming talk is dead this legislative session

• The Poarch Band of Creek Indians continue to push their latest plan for expanded gaming in Alabama. Their “Winning for Alabama” proposal provides $1 billion upfront and $350 million a year to the state coffers, but the issue of other gaming such as the lottery and quasi-legal dog track bingo machines will need to be resolved before this happens.
• This all seems very unlikely to occur this year, as Governor Kay Ivey has scuttled any real chance of gaming legislation this session by calling for the creation of “a small working group of some of Alabama’s most distinguished citizens, to begin working, to gather all the facts on how much money we could really gain if some form of gaming expansion occurred.” The group’s work will provide cover to legislators who don’t want to move on this issue.

1. Sessions still leads but the race tightens

• A new poll shows former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is still leading the three-way race for the Republican nomination, and the right to beat U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) in November, against former Auburn football head coach Tommy Tuberville and U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope).
• The Alabama Daily News, WBRC and WAFF poll shows all three candidates trouncing Jones. Sessions has a lead with 31%, closely followed by Tuberville with 29% while Byrne has 17%.

That $400 million goes to the Education Trust Fund, and there is a better chance of Alabama legalizing prostitution than there is of the Alabama Education Association and their legislators agreeing to a budget that has a cut that large in it.

In fact, Governor Kay Ivey has already proposed pay raises this year, and we all know that impacts the cost for teachers’ retirement in the future, so that pay raise has more impact than just the pay to the educators this year.

There is nothing wrong with this. The teachers have a guaranteed retirement system, and while that is not economically viable in the long term, good for them.

The latest plan to address the grocery tax comes from a Republican legislator, which is a nice twist on the issue.

State Representative Andrew Jones’ (R-Centre) version recoups lost revenue by placing a cap on the amount Alabamians can deduct on their state income taxes based on their federal income tax liability.

Confused? Good.

Let me make this simple: it’s a tax increase.

By capping the deduction you can take, you will have to pay more.

Because it is a tax increase, it will require a three-fifths majority of both chambers in the Alabama legislature to approve placing a constitutional amendment referendum on a future ballot. The voters will then get to go to the polls and vote for a tax increase.

So Alabama voters will get to vote on new taxes? Yes.

It fails.

The ads will say, “You won’t pay, they will!”

It still fails.

The editorials will whine, “It’s for the children, we have to keep this money coming in!”

It fails bigly.

All of this is moot because most legislators are not going to be willing to attempt to cut one tax and then raise another while their name gets tied to the tax increase.

This won’t pass the legislature.

They will tell us, “It’s revenue-neutral!”

It fails and would scar anyone who votes for it.

The solution to this exists, and it is painfully obvious, phase the tax out.

Because the state is so reliant on this $400 million, phase it out over a decade and you will hardly miss the $40 million a year out of a $7 billion-plus budget.

A bill to end the sales tax on food passed the Alabama State House in 2008 and died in the State Senate. It comes up every year and it fails every year.

This year will be no different.

This debate has been going on for a long time, and shows no sign of ending anytime soon, at least not the way it is being proposed now.

If legislators want this tax gone, it is time for the state to slowly ween itself off of it.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• After former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited Alabama, the Alabama Democratic Party announced that they’d be endorsing Bloomberg in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
• ADC chairman Joe L. Reed said Bloomberg “has shown a keen interest in the ADC. He has visited the state twice in the last two months.” The ADC referenced Bloomberg’s business success and experience as mayor in their reasoning for endorsing him.

5. Attorney General Barr acting like Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch is apparently not OK

• The American media has been warning you for years that President Donald Trump’s presidency would be the “end of America,” and now they really mean it because the president is not happy about the sentencing suggestions for Trump confidant Roger Stone.
• Barr has now taken control of multiple investigations at the Department of Justice, leading to multiple prosecutors resigning from the case. The American media is outraged, and Democrats are demanding investigations. so things are moving on exactly as they have for years.

4. Grocery tax continues to be an issue

• State Senator Andrew Jones (R-Centre) has filed a bill to eliminate the grocery tax, which he said was “a regressive tax which penalizes hardworking families in Alabama.”
• Jones also noted that “38 states and the District of Columbia have full or partial sales tax exemptions for groceries.” He also said if there’s a cap placed on the federal income tax deduction that people can file for, it would be the equivalent to what the grocery tax currently generates.

3. Alabama doesn’t have an issue with voter suppression

• The Southern Poverty Law Center released a report that accused Alabama of suppressing minorities’ ability to vote, but Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said that the report was just a way “to help them raise financial resources to promote their liberal agenda.” Merrill mentioned how voter registration and participation records have been broken in Alabama.
• According to the SPLC, the ways that Alabama suppressed votes was through requiring photo ID to vote, “maintaining a burdensome and discriminatory restoration scheme for those with felony convictions, closing polling places in predominantly Black counties, and purging hundreds of thousands of voters from the voter rolls.”

2. Doug Jones running ads in states not called Alabama

• After the impeachment vote, U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) tried to use the way he voted to raise money for his reelection campaign through Facebook ads targeted mostly at people outside of Alabama.
• In total, Jones spent $59,902 on 166 Facebook ads. Only 18% of the ads were targeted at Alabamians, while 21% of the ads were displayed to those in New York and California; the rest was spent in various states.

1. Bernie wins, Buttigieg second, Klobuchar surprises, Warren and Biden fall

• U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won the first primary, eeking out a victory over former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) surprised onlookers by finishing third, which deals significant blows to the presidential campaigns of once frontrunners former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
• As these races continue, the field of legitimate contenders appears to be growing with Klobuchar and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg making noise and problems while showing that there are two likely outcomes ahead: a bloody fight that could end in a brokered convention, or a Bernie Sanders/Donald Trump battle.

• Last year, Jackson Hospital sued about 1,300 patients for unpaid bills. A handful of the patients sued had bills of less than $200.
• At least one woman, Tara Harriel, is claiming that she wasn’t notified of her outstanding balance until she was served a notice of the lawsuit.

5. Alabama a conservative state, the universities are not

• A list released by Niche, which was conducted through student surveys, showed the most conservative universities across the country, and none of the campuses in Alabama made the top 10.
• The first mention Alabama had on the list was Samford University in Birmingham, which came in at 16th. The second most conservative for Alabama was Troy University at 65th, Auburn University at 96th and the University of Alabama 138th.

4. Chris Pringle is building a wall around Pelosi’s office

• In a new campaign ad, State Representative Chris Pringle (R-Mobile), who is running for the First Congressional District seat, says, “I know how to build walls, so in Washington, I’ll help President Trump build his.”
• The wall he’s building is around a replica of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) office on Capitol Hill. Pringle also states, “I’ll build whatever wall it takes for America to stop illegal immigrants and stop these radical socialists.” He then adds under his breath, “Commies.”

3. Bernie surging, Biden slumping, Buttigieg climbing

• Quinnipiac University has released a new poll that shows U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has surpassed former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary just ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
• In the poll, Sanders moved up to 25%, Biden dropped to 17%, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg surprisingly had 15%, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had 14%, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg had 10% and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) came in at 4%.

2. Port of Mobile has received final funding for dredging, gas tax pays Alabama’s cut

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has budgeted $274,300,000 for Port of Mobile, which will provide the last amount of funding needed to dredge the port. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) had a big hand in making this happen.
• Shelby worked to increase funding for projects like this to 75% from 50%, and secured the funds in the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations process while announcing the funding. The senator mentioned how this project has been a decade in the making and noted this is a “victory for Mobile and the entire state of Alabama.”

1. Severe weather all over Alabama

• Heavy rainfall across Alabama has led to canceled or delayed schools, swollen rivers and concern for more problems moving into Tuesday evening with most parts of North and Central Alabama under a flood watch.
• The flooding is expected to be so bad that the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office has placed four flat-bottom boats located near different flood zones and a trained swift water team at the ready, but they would rather you avoid rising water altogether to keep everyone safe.

• Former Vice President Joe Biden continues to have one of the more interesting presidential campaign collapses because he keeps insulting voters and lashing out at reporters who dare question him.
• At an event in New Hampshire, a woman asked Biden how he can win if he is doing so poorly. Biden asked if she had “ever been to a caucus” and when she said yes, Biden responded, “No, you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier.” 

5. Buttigieg: Decriminalize all drugs

• Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has said that he wants all drug possession to be decriminalized, not legalized. He doesn’t want people to be incarcerated for possessing any drugs, even meth or heroin.
• On Fox News Channel, Chris Wallace asked Buttigieg if possession of drugs currently being illegal acts as a deterrent, but instead of answering the question, Buttigieg simply stated that the focus needs to be on distribution and that “criminalizing addiction doesn’t work.”

4. Trump’s targets items driving debt and defiicit

• The $4.8 trillion budget proposal has been unveiled by the White House, and within the budget, there would be $2 billion for the border wall and increased funding for the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security and NASA.
• While there is increased funding for some, other areas are seeing big cuts in funding. Foreign aid would be reduced by 21%, the Environmental Protection Agency would lose 26% of funding and the Department of Housing and Urban Development would be cut by 15%.

3. Tuberville going after Sharia Law

• On the heels of a baseless attack by Paul Finebaum, without being specific, former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville spoke at the Mid-Alabama Republican Club where he made a point to warn people that “Sharia Law has taken over” and that he’s been to areas where “you can’t drive through a neighborhood. …Because terrorism has taken over.”
• Tuberville added that “it’s over” if they “get their hands on the Constitution one day” because “They want to get it for one reason: that Electoral College. If they ever knock that out we’re done, we’re done.”

2. Jones and Biden don’t seem to care about voters

• Channeling his hero Joe Biden, U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) continues to be asked about his decision to vote to convict President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment in the U.S. Senate. Recently, Jones was asked about how he voted against the position a majority of constituents in Alabama hold, and he doesn’t seem to want to represent them in Washington, D.C.
• Jones defended his decision by saying, “The Constitution doesn’t require a poll in which to vote.” He added that he doesn’t make his decisions on polling, stating, “You can’t get 100% on anything.”

1. Trump isn’t going to let people forget about Jones

• The big star of the impeachment vote would have been U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) had U.S. Mitt Romney (R-UT) not bucked his party, but President Donald Trump is confident and outspoken that Jones will not be reelected because he voted to convict during the Senate impeachment trial.
• In a tweet, Trump described Jones as “that lightweight Senator,” and that he “thought his boss, Cryin’ Chuck, would have forced him to vote against the Hoax.” He then called Jones “A Do Nothing Stiff!”

Jackson and Burke are joined by Chris Lewis to discuss his run for Congress and term limits.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” at the countless hours of negative media coverage directed toward President Donald Trump on impeachment with absolutely nothing to show for it.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=615874312306732

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.