Does @DougJones agree with @BernieSanders and @KamalaHarris that the Boston Bomber–who killed 3 people and injured 280 more in a horrific terrorist attack–should be able to vote while he’s in prison?

Do the people of Alabama? #CNNTownHall #ALsen #ALpolitics pic.twitter.com/Ovz2R6IaqU

— The Senate Majority (@NRSC) April 23, 2019

This is not the only radical policy issue that Jones has tacitly promised to support with his blanket presidential pledge, nor could it be the last.

.@DougJones has committed to support *whoever* Democrats nominate in 2020

Tonight Democrat candidates have spoken in support of the #GreenNewDeal, eliminating private insurance, impeaching @RealDonaldTrump, raising taxes, and banning frozen pizza#ALsen #ALpolitics #CNNTownhall pic.twitter.com/N6B2ZyOqJg

— The Senate Majority (@NRSC) April 23, 2019

Expect to see Republicans continue to tie Jones to national Democratic ideas that the clear majority of Alabamians disagree with. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton 62.9 percent to 34.6 percent, which was a difference of almost 600,000 votes.

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

Both meetings are in room 825 of the State House.

SB 220 and SB 4 have each received a public hearing in recent weeks.

SB 4’s public hearing was in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

SB 220 is the only clean lottery legislation that has been filed this session.

SB 237 is known as the “Alabama Open Records Act.” State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) is carrying the bill in the House.

The House will gavel in at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, while the Senate will begin its legislative day at 3:00 p.m.

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

Join Sean Ross for the inside scoop on all the latest from Goat Hill to Capitol Hill as he hosts “The Insider,” a podcast on the new Yellowhammer Podcast Network.

Episodes will be released as news breaks, so subscribe now to stay in the know on all things political in Alabama.

Podcast (theinsider): Play in new window | Download

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This came after The Anniston Star published an interview Monday evening with Marsh saying, “I’m not running.”

Marsh, who has been one of Alabama’s most powerful people since the Republican takeover of the state legislature in 2010, was rumored for months to be a leading contender for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination this cycle.

However, Yellowhammer News had reported in recent weeks online and on WVNN’s “The Jeff Poor Show” that Marsh had become significantly less likely to mount a bid.

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL) also confirmed recently that he will not run for Jones’ seat in 2020.

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) and former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville are the only announced Republican candidates thus far.

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

Warfield confirmed the report on Twitter, while also using the opportunity to fundraise for Jones.

Thanks for all the tweets. Also.@DougJones will need all your help. Contribute here https://t.co/qRtR70IlZg or sign up to volunteer. #ALSEN https://t.co/wBPlYukhFi

— Cory L Warfield (@corylwarfield) April 22, 2019

The new campaign manager also formerly ran Nevada’s 2016 Democratic presidential caucus.

This comes after Jones only raised 12 percent of his funds from Alabama donors in the first quarter of 2019.

The incumbent junior senator continues to draw heavy criticism for his coziness with D.C. special interest groups and national Democrats.

Not surprising anyone, @DougJones has promised to support whoever the Democrats nominate for President in 2020… no matter how bad their ideas might be for Alabama. #ALsen #ALpolitics pic.twitter.com/vpevXq3YZb

— The Senate Majority (@NRSC) April 22, 2019

RELATED: Doug Jones touts support of abortion rights — ‘I am in favor of a woman’s freedom to choose’

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

The billboard can be found in Birmingham along I-59, near Roebuck Plaza where the interstate crosses over Highway 11.

It reads, “Doug Jones silent as 2,472,100 Alabamians would lose their private health insurance.”

This builds off of Jones’ blanket pledge to support the Democrats’ 2020 presidential nominee, despite many of the candidates embracing far-left policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. The billboard specifically references Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) plan that would end private health insurance for 2,472,100 Alabamians.

“Doug Jones will not get a pass from voters as he has pledged to support socialist candidates for president who would eliminate private health insurance for 2,472,100 Alabamians,” NRSC spokesperson Nathan Brand told Yellowhammer News. “Alabama voters will retire Doug Jones because they know he has consistently opposed President Trump and his agenda when it matters most.”

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) and former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville are currently the only announced Republican candidates against Jones.

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

As a former assistant district attorney for Baldwin and Mobile Counties who dealt with child sex crimes, Simpson explained that his bill came from his full, firsthand understanding of the necessity for stricter sentencing for those who commit sexual abuse on young people.

“This is a simple bill to understand – if you commit sexual abuse on someone 15 years younger than you, there are going to be serious additional consequences,” he said in a statement.

“This bill helps protect our children and makes sure we’re punishing people who would seek to harm them,” Simpson added. “Keeping them behind bars for the crimes they’ve committed against children keeps our streets safer and helps give all of us greater peace of mind.”

The bill is on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s meeting agenda for Wednesday. Simpson said he is working with senators from around the state to make sure the bill passes through that chamber.

“This is common sense legislation that helps keep all of our children and grandchildren safe,” Simpson concluded.

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

“The census taking place in 2020 will help determine important issues like the number of seats each state will hold in the U.S. House of Representatives and the amount of population-based federal funding that will be awarded,” Allen said. “While Alabama has taken a hard stance against illegal immigration, liberal states like California, New York, and Massachusetts have thrown open their borders to those who break our laws with their simple presence. In essence, they stand to benefit by thumbing their noses at long-standing federal immigration law.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Congressman Mo Brooks have both been part of the lawsuit as they seek to prevent illegal immigrants from counting toward the nation’s population.

Marshall recently spoke to “The Jeff Poor Show” about the negative effects of counting illegal immigrants and his reason for joining the lawsuit.

“It won’t surprise anybody that means that our electoral vote will go to the state of California,” Marshall said. “And I’m not willing to sit idly by and let that happen.”

Brooks has been out front on the issue for much the same reason.

“Congressional seats should be apportioned based on the population of American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Brooks explained. “After all, this is America, not the United Nations.”

Allen pointed out that the position of his caucus and the Trump administration is backed by long-standing precedent.

“Questions regarding citizenship have been included in the U.S. Census as far back as 1820, and Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are among the counties that routinely ask them,” he noted. “Including questions about citizenship on the census should be common sense, not controversial.”

Allen fears not asking about citizenship will end up rewarding areas of the country which ignore America’s immigration laws.

He warned that federal dollars and increased representation in Congress would go toward areas that harbor illegal immigrants.

The resolution has been adopted by the House Republican Caucus and will be sent to the court prior to oral arguments in the Department of Commerce v. New York case.

Tim Howe is an owner and editor of Yellowhammer News

“Shame on all who participated in this deplorable charade,” she concluded. “It’s time to stop focusing on these baseless accusations and get to work making America great again. President Trump’s policies are working and our historic economy shows it.”

RELATED: Alabama’s congressional delegation reacts to Mueller report: ‘Time to investigate the investigators’

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

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

He concluded, “It is time to investigate the investigators and see who was really behind what was tantamount to an attempted coup that was a waste of time and tax dollars.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) stated, “The full report from Bob Mueller’s investigation just reaffirmed the original summary report: there was no collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russian Government. It must be remembered, this was the sole purpose of this investigation in the first place and the conclusion of that report is clear and unequivocal.”

Remainder of Aderholt’s statement as follows:

Even though many of my Democrat colleagues are grasping at straws as they try to relitigate this two year, 25-million-dollar, taxpayer funded investigation; it is clear by what we have learned today, that no credible evidence for any criminal wrongdoing was found.

There’s an old saying that the Democrats are proving true today: ‘if you cannot argue substance, then you argue process.’ The same Democrats who claimed Russian collusion was a ‘slam dunk,’ are now arguing that they don’t like the way the report that proves them wrong is being released.

I’m sure this full report will not end Democrat denial of the 2016 outcome. President Trump was elected in 2016 because candidate Trump’s message resonated with the American people. As President Trump moves forward, I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle won’t continue to try to manufacture other investigations. We have a strong economy and Congress and the President need to work together to make it even stronger.

Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01), who is one of two declared Republican candidates against Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) in 2020, said, “President Trump and Attorney General Barr should be commended for their unprecedented transparency in releasing Special Counsel Mueller’s report today. Finally, every last justification for Democrat grandstanding over imagined Russian collusion has been eliminated.”

“The charade is up. There was no collusion. There was no obstruction. And there was no coverup. Robert Mueller had the full resources of the Department of Justice and was unable to find criminal activity. It is time to move on. I hope the Democrat majority in the House will move past this embarrassing chapter in our history, call off their phony investigations, and stop the partisan political messaging so we can address issues that truly will benefit the American people,” he added.

I look forward to reviewing the Mueller report. Thank you to AG Barr for releasing as much of the report as possible while excluding classified material. Barr has done an excellent job ensuring transparency for the American people while also protecting sensitive intelligence.

— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) April 18, 2019

Update 2:15 p.m.:

Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05) released a statement, saying, “The perpetrators of this scam and fraud should be prosecuted and convicted to the full extent of the law. Further, they should be sued and forced to repay American taxpayers the tens of millions of tax dollars that were diverted from helping America citizens to investigating a crime that never occurred. Compared to Socialist Democrats and the Fake News Media, Jussie Smollett is a mere rookie and babe in the woods.”

Brooks’ full statement as follows:

As with the summary report of Attorney General Barr, today’s redacted Mueller Report once again debunks and exposes the Big Lie Propaganda Tactics of the Fake News Media and Socialist Democrats. The Mueller Report states, ‘The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’ Simply put, case closed. President Trump has been totally vindicated of “Big Lie” claims that he illegally colluded with Russia in the 2016 elections. The American public has been subjected to this fraud and false reporting for 2 ½ years. The American public deserves better.

The Fake News Media’s coverage of the Russia Collusion delusion was endless, it even resulted in the staffs of the New York Times and The Washington Post receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for National Reporting into the so-called ‘Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign.’ It’s a shame that the media will not be held accountable for their lies and fraudulent reporting. After today’s release of the Mueller Report, the Washington Post and New York Times should be forced to return their 2018 Pulitzer Prize because Robert Mueller has now confirmed the non-existence of any Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign or any other American.

If any of the Fake News Media’s allegations were credible then Special Counsel Mueller would have been able to substantiate those claims because he had massive and almost endless resources. For emphasis, the Special Counsel ‘employed 19 lawyers who were assisted by a team of approximately 40 FBI agents, intelligence forensic accountants, and other professional staff. The Special Counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, . . . and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses.’ After tens of millions of wasted American tax dollars, the finding is succinct. ‘[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’

This Socialist Democrats and Fake News Media’s scam and fraud has undermined public faith in our republic. The perpetrators of this scam and fraud should be prosecuted and convicted to the full extent of the law. Further, they should be sued and forced to repay American taxpayers the tens of millions of tax dollars that were diverted from helping America citizens to investigating a crime that never occurred. Compared to Socialist Democrats and the Fake News Media, Jussie Smollett is a mere rookie and babe in the woods.

This story may be updated as statements are released.

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

Sheriffs from across the state came to Montgomery to oppose the bill, saying it would get rid of a useful law enforcement tool and source of revenue. They advised that gun permitting requirements give them probable cause to ask for permits when making a multiple-occupant vehicle stop and often later find that weapons then confiscated have been stolen but not previously recorded as such.

Members of Moms Demand Action also opposed the bill.

Proponents of the bill, including BamaCarry’s Eddie Fulmer, pointed to data from states that have implemented the same type of policy. They said law-abiding citizens continue to get permits when purchasing or otherwise legally obtaining weapons and that non-law-abiding citizens will continue to illegally obtain and possess firearms. They also said that law enforcement concerns about safety are not backed up by the data from these other states and added that similar concerns when Alabama moved from a “may issue” state to “shall issue” in 2013 did not come to fruition.

However, none of this testimony was new or particularly noteworthy. The same debate happened last year when the bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

The fireworks started when the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) Todd Adkins was speaking in favor of SB 4. Afterward, State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile) used her opportunity to ask questions of Adkins to launch into a diatribe that had nothing to do with the bill at hand, or any bill that has been filed in the Alabama legislature.

“[W]hy would you want to do certain things that really put people at greater risk?” Figures asked, not pausing for an answer.

She said, “You even want to repeal a part of the law that’s in place now about carrying weapons into a demonstration, where everyone knows that the emotions are high … and we also know Congresswoman (Gabby) Giffords (of Arizona) was actually shot during that time, during a demonstration. Why would you want to take away the presumption of intent? That somebody could just shoot someone else and not even have intent, to repeal that. I really don’t understand it. I’ve always gotten an ‘F’ from the National Rifle Association and that’s a proud ‘F’ that I receive… I just don’t understand the mentality of what you guys or – or what you guys continue to push to do. Particularly, with all the gun violence that is happening, to allow a person to be able to get a gun who has mental problems – to me that says the person who’s pushing that has some mental problems. They don’t understand why people with mental issues shouldn’t have a weapon.”

State Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster), the chairman of the committee, then kindly warned her, “Let’s keep it close now, Senator.”

“Well, it’s just fact,” Figures responded, then saying, “I didn’t call any names.”

“But you are talking to me,” Adkins said.

“Well, I’m talking to you because you are representing the National Rifle Association, but I’m also talking about all of the people who keep pushing this,” Figures admitted. “I don’t understand why you all don’t understand that part of it. It just – I don’t understand.”

Speaking to Yellowhammer News after the hearing, Adkins explained that Figures’ assertions were sadly indicative of devolving American discourse, as scare tactics and smears now reign above substantive debate.

“Well, obviously I understand that this is a controversial issue for folks on both sides… so I understand that people can get excited and rather dramatic about this,” Adkins said. “But I’m the NRA. And we have members throughout this state, and I can assure you that we believe in the right to self-defense. We believe in the Second Amendment. That certainly doesn’t mean we have any issues that she was attempting to associate with us.”

He continued, “I’ve seen it become more and more common in the public square unfortunately these days that such attacks are made. And I will say: I respect her right to voice her opinion certainly. That’s what these types of hearings are all about, but I won’t characterize why necessarily she made them. I’ll just say I know all the people I work on behalf of – our members in this state – are good, law-abiding citizens.”

Ward said the committee will vote on the bill next week.

RELATED: Lt. Gov. Ainsworth: ‘I don’t think you should have to have a permit to carry’

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

In that previous Morning Consult survey, 63 percent of Alabamians said they approved of Ivey’s job performance, while only 19 percent disapproved and 18 percent either do not know or had no opinion. The margin of error in that polling was one percent.

Additionally, the new Mason-Dixon polling generally mirrors Shelby’s Morning Consult data from the final quarter of 2018. That survey had 47 percent of Alabamians approving his job performance and 27 percent disapproving.

However, Trump’s numbers in the Mason-Dixon poll represent a sizable deviation from Morning Consult data from March 1, which said 61 percent of Alabamians approve of the president’s job performance and 35 percent disapprove. Alabama has consistently been one of the highest three states for Trump’s approval ratings, often coming in at the top.

Moving back exclusively to the new Mason-Dixon polling, demographic breakdowns show that Ivey has a positive net approval rating with both Republicans and Democrats.

Comparatively, even though she enjoys a much bigger net approval rating, Trump scores considerably better amongst Republicans than the governor does. This is explained by Democrats even approving of Ivey’s job performance 45-41, while they disapprove of Trump’s by 93-4.

Trump is approved 87-9 by Republicans while Ivey scores a 75-16 score in the same metric.

Shelby, while certainly popular with his own party, has relatively balanced support, too. Republicans approve of Alabama’s senior senator 65-22 while Democrats disapprove 57-29.

Ivey also is approved by both white (66-24) and black people (46-37) alike.

This was the same poll that showed Sen. Doug Jones’ (D-AL) re-election bid faces huge demographic barriers. The polling was just released in two parts between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mason-Dixon CEO & Managing Director Brad Coker told Yellowhammer News that this polling was done in conjunction with public policy research for several private clients.

“We did an omnibus issue poll for about a dozen public policy clients in the state. Then we added the election questions for our own use,” Coker explained.

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

“In recent days, we have seen comments suggesting that Auburn University’s proposed budget allocation is not fair in comparison to that for The University of Alabama. For decades, and for reasons we have never understood, Auburn University has received a far larger state appropriation than The University of Alabama. The per student funding advantage for AU over UA is even wider. We embrace any conversation, today and in the future, about equitable and fair funding for our State’s great universities and the students we serve,” he emphasized.

Auburn’s full-time student enrollment was recorded as 27,468 in the fall of 2018 while the University of Alabama’s full-time enrollment was 33,038. These are the most recent available numbers.

UA got $146,089,724 in operations and maintenance funding from Ivey’s FY 18 budget, while Auburn received $162,700,206. This breaks down to $4,421.87 per full-time student for UA and $5,923.26 for Auburn.

This trend has generally continued, with UA’s FY 2019 O&M funding being $151,862,111 vs. Auburn’s $168,472.593. For Ivey’s proposed FY 2020 budget, UA’s O&M funding is $164,087,170 while Auburn’s is $177,192,494.

Sources with direct knowledge have also stressed that Ivey’s budget proposal was based on data-centric recommendations from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Sources emphasized that Auburn has been the only university not to accept ACHE’s proposed accountability measures.

This comes as the University of Alabama is set to freeze in-state tuition rates for the second consecutive year; in fact, the University of Alabama System’s trustees in June are expected to approve a historic system-wide in-state tuition freeze.

“The University of Alabama System is committed to accountability. In response to the needs of Alabama students, we have frozen tuition at the University of Alabama for two years. Last week, we announced a System-wide tuition freeze for UA, UAB, and UAH. To our knowledge, no other university in the state has frozen tuition,” St. John advised.

He concluded, “Our System is committed to improving education in Alabama at every level, from pre-K to Ph.D. and every level in between. We pledge to work together across the State to serve our citizens and improve the future for every student.”

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

The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 5, the first day of the regular session, however, it has still not received consideration by the committee and is not on the schedule for this week.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) previously told Yellowhammer News that he is supportive of Elliott’s bill and believes it will gain significant traction in the chamber.

He called SB 36 “a reasonable approach.”

“I think [Elliott’s] bill is balanced and it’s also justified,” Ward advised.

SB 36 was introduced in the wake of the shooting death of Mobile Police Department’s Sean Tudor.

“We must honor the sacrifice of Officer Tudor and others who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and ensure that these crimes never happen again,” Elliott emphasized. “That goal starts with punishing, to the greatest possible degree, those who commit violence against law enforcement officers.”

On Tuesday, Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack commended Elliott for sponsoring the legislation.

“We are immensely grateful for Senator Elliott’s support of our law enforcement officers,” the sheriff said. “Our community is deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Tudor. Senator Elliott and I have been closely working together on this plan to bring greater justice to criminals who target police officers and sheriffs, and I urge the Alabama Legislature to pass this much-needed bill.”

State Rep. Chris Sells (R-Greenville) is carrying the House companion bill to SB 36.

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

‘On the shoulders of giants’

Quiet but commanding, Crowell’s nickname could very well be “The Genteel General.” As he dove into the interview, his background in military logistics was not easy to miss. For each topic that came up, I could see the wheels turn in Crowell’s mind as he thoughtfully considered his response. Genuine yet measured, everything he said fit together neatly.

“We have the old saying in the military: ‘we stand on the shoulders of giants,'” Crowell said. “Well, the backbone of our services is the enlisted force … but there always has to be a leader. And when you’re thrusted into a leadership role, you don’t become a leader just because you’re thrusted into that role. You’ve got to earn your keeps. You’ve got to demonstrate your mettle.”

“And you do that by, first of all, being a good listener,” he explained.

This was a theme throughout the interview — his emphasis on listening as a leader. Whether it was heeding the advice of enlisted sergeants in the Air Force, subject matter experts in the private sector or other community leaders involved with the countless board and organizations Crowell has served, he stressed the importance of operating from a place of knowledge – and how to get there.

This skillet, and mentality, earned Crowell the reputation as being a fixer in the Air Force. He would go into dysfunctional units, listen to the service members, assess the situation and meticulously and personally work solutions.

This kind of experience served him well in his parallel career trajectory in the corporate world. Crowell served both as an active and reserve duty officer at various intervals, which allowed him to build quite the legacy at Blount International and then VT Miltope, where he eventually became president and CEO before retiring.

Whether at one of these distinguished Alabama companies, in a civic or charitable organization or in the military, Crowell has always led by example. One of his core tenets of leadership is that you never ask of someone what you yourself would not be willing to do. It was that frontline mentality that sometimes got him derided by fellow officers in the Air Force, as Crowell would do chores normally reserved for enlisted men and women. However, the same attribute also garnered the respect of the people he was meant to lead, with Crowell noting that troops would walk through fire for him because they knew he would first walk through himself.

“We’re a team, and we’re going to work this as a team,” he added.

Giving back

For someone who has always been on the civil service side of public life, dipping his toes into politics is not necessarily a natural thing. However, when members of the community started approaching Crowell to run, his modus operandi kicked in.

“I made a decision years ago that I was going to be on the giving end rather than the receiving end,” he explained.

And Crowell has been doing so ever since he came to Montgomery in 1968. His work in the community is renowned, best exemplified by his being named the city’s “Man of the Year” in 2018. From the YMCA to the Shakespeare Festival, Crowell has served on the board or been chairman of just about every civic or philanthropic organization possible in Alabama’s capital city. Each step along the way, his leadership style and dedication to bettering the community one cause at a time has earned him the respect of his peers, which just kept getting him recruited to serve in more and more ways.

He sees being Montgomery’s mayor as the last recruitment destination on his journey — one final, hugely impactful way to give back to the community he and his family love.

Crowell also views his longtime service as a personal investment into the community and future generations. In his opinion, Mayor Todd Strange’s administration has the city moving in the right direction, and the retired general wants to keep this momentum going and protect his investment the best way he knows how – through serving.

“I feel I’ve made a sizable investment in this community, and I think the train is on the right tracks right now,” Crowell shared. “And I don’t want to see any regression in it. The only way I can be assured that it continues, because I’ve never been one to be on the sidelines: if you’re not in the game, you can’t play.”

“So, I made a decision that I’m going to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem. And you do that by being in the game. If I’m in the game, I can ensure that my investment does not go astray. … I’m pretty passionate about helping. And I’m pretty passionate about making certain that there is follow-through on whatever we decide we want to do,” he continued.

‘Neighborhood mayor’

While noting there are several policy issues and goals he has, Crowell stressed that there are two priorities that stand above the rest for Montgomery right now.

“[T]hey’re visible … education and crime,” he said. “I think the root of crime is education. If individuals are not educated, or they don’t feel like they can be educated, then we’ve got a problem.”

Crowell said he will be a “neighborhood mayor,” visible and personally engaged with each area of the city. He wants to restore hope to the neighborhoods that are in a state of decay — both by addressing vacant buildings and cleaning up overgrown, neglected lots, as well as instituting tangible programs that ensure opportunity is accessible for hardworking people in Montgomery, regardless of their lot in life.

He also said he is “not going to be defensive about crime.” Crowell openly acknowledged the problem and explained that he wants to tackle the problem head-on.

“I’m going to lay the gauntlet down where it is,” Crowell advised.

He also noted that government alone cannot be the solution to Montgomery’s present or future. He urged others to get involved just as he has been for the last half-century: volunteerism. Crowell also shared some advice for those looking to make a difference.

“You learn that you’ve been given opportunities that others may not think that they have, although they were there – they didn’t take advantage of them,” he said. “You should be a spark for some of these others who’ve given up, who feel like they can’t excel. They need somebody like you to show them the way.”

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

In his email, Hightower said, “South Alabama has given me and my family so much, I cannot sit on the sidelines as our nation is facing so many challenges.”

“Radical liberals like Nancy Pelosi and AOC are taking us down a dangerous path of socialized medicine, open borders, and socialism. We cannot allow them to fundamentally transform our great country,'” he continued.

“The people of South Alabama need a conservative congressman who will fight for us each and every day in Congress to make sure our priorities and our values are represented,” Hightower concluded. “I will proudly stand with President Trump’s efforts to continue growing our economy, cut wasteful government spending that is bankrupting future generations, and defend the sanctity and dignity of each and every life.”

He has also launched a campaign website.

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

Men answered by a margin of 59-34 percent that they want to replace Jones, while women said 46-42 percent that they would re-elect him.

Jones is underwater with both people under and over the age of 50. The more reliable, older voting group would replace him 54-37 percent. His job approval rating was actually worse than his re-elect numbers in this older group, which disapproved by 55-36 percent.

Then, when it comes to race, white people would replace Jones 70-20 percent while black people would re-elect the junior senator from Mountain Brook by 84-5 percent. Only 27 percent of white people approved of Jones’ job performance.

This key demographic statistic potentially bodes worst for Jones, as the survey was the best case scenario for him considering it was weighted to account for 64 percent of voters being white and 29 percent being black, while an estimated 74 percent of Alabama voters were white and 24 percent black in the 2016 general election.

Independents would replace Jones 49-35 percent.

In a statement to Yellowhammer News, renowned pollster and consultant Jim McLaughlin said, “In the general election, it tells you what many of us have expected, Doug Jones is done, and this is with no one having laid a glove on him and a very friendly mainstream press.”

… ‘Unless Roy Moore’

However, the one possibility that could still save Jones’ hide – the specter of Roy Moore being the Republican nominee again – was also polled. Mason-Dixon’s polling conclusion warned, “Jones’s re-election chances will be affected by who he draws as his Republican challenger in 2020.”

The survey separately tested a hypothetical Republican primary ballot between Moore, Reps. Bradley Byrne (AL-01), Mo Brooks (AL-05) and Gary Palmer (AL-06), Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) and former gubernatorial candidate Tim James. Former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville was not included.

Moore led the primary ballot with 27 percent of the vote, trailed by Brooks at 18 percent, Byrne at 13 percent, Palmer at 11 percent, Marsh at 4 percent and James at 2 percent, while 25 percent were undecided.

Adding a name recognition question to that information tells the whole story. Moore essentially has maximized that metric, with only 4 percent (within the margin of error of zero) not recognizing his name. He only has a five percent net favorability rating, at 34-29 percent. In contrast, his potential opponents (Byrne is the only one polled that has actually announced) have a lot of room to grow in name recognition while not having the baggage and set ceiling that Moore does.

Byrne’s 23 percent was the highest net favorability at 25-2 percent, followed by Brooks’ 19 percent (27-8), Palmer’s 17 percent (18-1), James’ 12 percent (13-1) and Marsh’s 8 percent (15-7).

Again considering only 4 percent did not recognize Moore’s name, note that 23 percent had never heard of Brooks, 46 percent Byrne, 53 percent Palmer, 57 percent Marsh and 70 percent James. A factor at play here is that Brooks, like Moore, ran in the 2017 Senate special election primary. Byrne’s high net favorability while having so much room for growth in name recognition is very much an encouraging sign for his campaign.

McLaughlin advised, “I wouldn’t feel good if I were Roy Moore in the primary. Yes, at first blush he is the leader with 27%, but he has almost full name recognition with the voters, and he seems to be capped out at a quarter of the vote. Moore is what I would call the pseudo incumbent in the primary, and we have a saying: usually what the incumbent’s got, that’s all they are going to get. Moore has high negatives among the primary voters (29%), whereas the other candidates have a lot more room to grow and have virtually no negatives.”

McLaughlin, president and partner of McLaughlin & Associates, is considered the “gold-standard” when it comes to political polling, strategy and public opinion surveys. He is a nationally recognized expert, appearing on major network and cable news programs and being quoted in the country’s biggest print publications. The firm was widely accredited for its accurate polling in predicting a 2016 Trump victory while other national pollsters floundered.

McLaughlin concluded, “Bottom line, Jones appears to be a goner against any Republican unless Roy Moore became the nominee, which doesn’t seem likely.”

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

The signatories called on the Air Force to refrain from weakening any performance requirements and emphasized the importance of limiting Phase 2 missions to two launch providers.

The program, called Launch Services Agreement (LSA), originally awarded three companies the opportunity to develop launch vehicles for use in national security space missions under public-private partnerships.

News of the award to carry national security payloads brought praise from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and others.

The companies entered into LSA with the understanding that certain performance requirements were necessary to participate in a second phase of the program where the Air Force would only call on the top two providers.

As a result, companies became incentivized to make substantial investments for the opportunity to participate in the second phase.

Not proceeding as planned has some in the industry concerned that companies who fell behind, or were not willing to invest the necessary resources, could end up getting rewarded.

In a statement to Yellowhammer News, Brooks reiterated the importance of ensuring Phase 2 gets down to two providers from three on schedule.

“America’s military relies heavily on space to defend America,” the congressman from north Alabama said. “Therefore, America must have reliable and affordable space access options. The Air Force conducted a robust and competitive launch provider selection process open to all U.S. launch providers. National security requires that the Air Force’s launch provider acquisition must remain on schedule.”

He further explained, “Current law mandates that America stop relying on Russian rocket engines. If launch provider acquisition is delayed, America cannot ensure we can reliably launch space assets on time. The Air Force should not weaken performance requirements, particularly for America’s most sensitive national security missions, because doing so risks mission loss caused by lesser quality rockets.”

State and federal leaders have positioned Alabama as a key player in the national security space race.

However, Brooks outlined that there could be negative effects on the state’s aerospace industry if Phase 2 remains open to three providers.

“The Air Force has determined that there are enough launch missions to support two providers but not three. Having only one launch provider is costly and risky,” Brooks advised. “Costly because, with just one provider, there is a monopoly and no competition. Historically, monopolies result in much higher consumer prices. Risky because, if there is only one provider and that one provider goes out of business, America no longer has launch capabilities for military, commercial or space science launches. That would be very bad for America, particularly since an overwhelming majority of America’s national security weaponry relies on space assets to properly function.”

He continued, “While three or more launch providers are an option, there simply are not enough missions available to profitably allow three or more providers to co-exist. More launches equals fewer launches per provider which, in turn, means higher taxpayer cost resulting from the loss of economies of scale that reduce prices.”

“Essentially, one launch provider is not enough and three providers are too many. Two providers is the sweet spot, and the sooner we get to two providers, the better off America and its taxpayers will be,” Brooks concluded.

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

The SMART Act establishes a flat income tax of 17 percent on all income.

The only exception would be the following personal exemptions:

$14,480 for a single person;
$18,490 for a head of a household;
$28,960 for a married couple filing jointly; and
$6,250 for each dependent.

The above allowances would also be adjusted to the consumer price index in order to prevent inflation from raising the tax burden. To prevent the double-taxation of income, earnings from savings would not be included as taxable income, resulting in an immediate tax cut for virtually all hardworking taxpayers.

Additionally, by closing loopholes for individuals and businesses, the SMART Act would create broad-based, lower tax rates that would give American individuals and businesses a competitive edge, create and retain jobs in the United States and curb offshoring.

Shelby has previously advised, “The SMART Act would also allow businesses to redirect resources away from tax compliance and instead focus on expanding their businesses and creating jobs.”

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

This was less than Alabama’s junior senator raised individually from California, New York and Texas. Seventeen percent ($152,544) of Jones’ itemized individual donors were California residents, while 16 percent ($148,458) were New York residents and 13 percent ($119,122) were Texas residents.

One notable individual donation was from George Soros’ son, Jonathan, who contributed the federal maximum on March 20. Jonathan Soros is the CEO of JS Capital Management LLC, a private investment firm in New York City. He previously served as co-deputy chairman of his father’s company, Soros Fund Management.

Another stark comparison to his paltry home-state percentage is the fact that $425,360 of Jones’s $1.6 million in total receipts came from PACs.

The PACs giving the most to Jones included Hawaii PAC, Follow the North Star Fund and Vermont’s Green Mountain PAC, along with many other leadership PACs of Democrat elected officials. Out-of-state corporations and special interest groups were also prevalent throughout the list of PACs.

Jones again received contributions from Thailand, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Belgium during the quarter, although the total amount of these overseas donations was much less than the final quarter of 2018.

You can browse the report here.

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

He continued, “With record revenues and the largest budget education ever, Auburn received the lowest percentage increase among colleges and universities. While our increase is 5 percent, the University of Alabama’s increase is more than 7.5 percent. Athens State University received the largest increase at more than 11 percent. It’s important to note that Athens State is in the district of State Senator Arthur Orr, who chairs the Finance and Taxation Education Committee.”

Rane then outlined that efforts are underway to increase Auburn’s proposed slice of the budget.

“President Leath and other administrators have met with the governor, her chief of staff and the Senate pro tem, Senator Del Marsh, about our concerns. Our plan is to continue to work aggressively to improve Auburn’s appropriation for a more equitable treatment among the state’s colleges and universities. This week President Leath, Provost Hardgrave, CFO Shomaker and Steve Pelham met with Education Budget Chairman Orr and Senator Marsh to present our message. After the meeting, Senator Marsh pledged his support to help improve our appropriations while Chairman Orr indicated he had a solution to help improve funding for higher education,” Rane advised.

Ivey is an Auburn graduate. Rane was the co-chair of her gubernatorial inaugural committee.

Rane’s remarks came just over an hour before the University of Alabama System announced it will propose a historic tuition freeze for in-state students for the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

1. Got Trump? We now have one candidate in, for sure, and one candidate out, for sure, since our last Rumors and Rumblings. Former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville announced he’s running. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth announced he is not.

But a common approach developing in the campaigns of Tuberville and Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) is an attempt to demonstrate a connection to President Donald Trump through his political operation. Tuberville has engaged former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer for his campaign.

Now, it sounds as if Byrne’s team is in talks with former Trump official Andy Surabian to help Byrne with his bid to join the U.S. Senate. Steve Bannon has said Surabian was a “one man war room” during Trump’s campaign.

As one political observer told Yellowhammer News, “Hiring former Trump team members is the quickest way to establishing Trump street cred in a Republican primary.”

2. Congressman Mo Brooks (R-05) sent out invitations to a fundraiser in Huntsville taking place in two weeks, and it’s what is not on the invitation that has people talking. The invitation, a copy of which Yellowhammer News has seen, does not specify the office he is seeking. A candidate for federal office may utilize funds raised should they decide to seek a different federal office.

3. The confirmation of Finis E. “Fess” St. John, IV as chancellor of the University of Alabama System has opened up a seat on the board from Alabama’s fourth congressional district. Look for much jockeying to occur in the coming weeks for that coveted seat on the board.

The board is composed of three members from the congressional district in which the Tuscaloosa campus is located and two members from each of the other six congressional districts. The governor and the state superintendent of education are ex-officio members of the Board.

4. The anticipation of reprisal against those voting against the Rebuild Alabama infrastructure funding bill continues to emanate throughout the Alabama statehouse. The House of Representatives shifted around some committee assignments this week. Among the moves were Rep. Paul Lee (R-Dothan) replacing Rep. April Weaver (R-Alabaster) as chair of the House Health Committee and Rep. David Wheeler’s (R-Vestavia Hills) removal from House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure. Both Weaver and Wheeler voted “no” on the Rebuild Alabama bill.

Members of the legislature have also noted to Yellowhammer News that lobbyists have shied away from having legislators who voted “no” on the infrastructure package sponsor bills for them. Lobbyists are said to fear that bills sponsored by “no votes” will have little chance of passing this session. This apparent fear has left some members sponsoring more bills than usual.

“After deep discussions with my wife, Kendall, and prayerful guidance from above, I have determined this is simply not the right time for me to serve our state and our nation in Washington, D.C.,” Ainsworth advised.

He continued, “With twin, 9-year-old boys and a 7-year-old daughter, I cannot be the absentee father that service in Washington demands. The memories we can make together at their ages are too important to sacrifice.”

Ainsworth anticipates serving his full term as lieutenant governor and emphasized that he will enthusiastically work to help replace Jones in 2020 with a strong Republican nominee.

“I also swore an oath to serve as Lieutenant Governor when my fellow Alabamians elected me to this office, and I plan to keep that commitment by fulfilling my term,” Ainsworth concluded. “Best of luck to my fellow Republicans who enter the race, and let’s make sure our current senator becomes known as ‘One and Done Doug.'”

This comes as Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) is set to campaign in Ainsworth’s home city of Guntersville on Wednesday, April 17.

Byrne will hold a town hall “regarding issues ranging from illegal immigration to health care to veterans’ issues,” according to a press release.

Byrne and former Auburn University head football coach Tommy Tuberville are the only announced Republican candidates against Jones thus far.

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