7. Florida wants to be Alabama
- GOP Florida State Representative Mike Hill has plans to introduce an abortion ban bill modeled after the Alabama ban, saying God told him to offer the bill.
- The bill will include no exceptions for rape or incest like the Alabama bill, but it will also not include exceptions for the health of the mother, domestic violence or human trafficking.
6. First responders might be more protected soon
- On Thursday, the Alabama Senate passed a bill that would make killing a first responder a capital offense, which is punishable by life in prison or death.
- The bill has been named after recently slain Auburn Police Officer William Buechner. It will go back to the House, where it is expected to be passed, and then head Governor Kay Ivey’s desk.
5. Non-journalist Julian Assange indicted on espionage charges
- WikiLeaks’ leader was indicted for his part in a conspiracy with former Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning where he published secret military and diplomatic documents.
- Assange is already facing hacking charges in the United States for trying to help Manning break into classified materials by logging into a classified military network with another user’s identity.
4. “The American Taliban” is free and Alabama politicians are not happy about it
- Despite objections from U.S Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and President Donald Trump, John Walker Lindh was released from federal prison on Thursday, two years early. According to the most recent reports, Lindh intends to spread terrorist ideology after his release.
- Shelby and Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) have now introduced the No Leniency for Terrorists Act that would ensure that any convicted terrorist serve their full sentence and not be released from federal prison early.
3. Two 70-year-olds are sniping at each other again
- To the benefit of no one, and to the detriment of the country, the battle of words and wits between President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
- Trump referred to Pelosi as “Crazy Nancy” and Speaker Pelosi repeated her line about Trump throwing a “temper tantrum” and called him “villainous” as the dutiful clowns in the media repeat the talking points that Pelosi is “getting under Trump’s skin.”
2. Alabama and marriage licenses are getting a divorce
- When Alabama judges decided not to issue marriage licenses at all so that they wouldn’t have to issue licenses to same-sex couples, the Alabama legislature started working on a legal workaround. That workaround is SB 69, which will eliminate marriage licenses altogether.
- The bill only requires couples to file affidavits of marriage with the probate office. It was approved by the House on Thursday and now goes to Governor Ivey to be signed.
1. Oh, no. Government employees are being banned from coming to Alabama
- Los Angeles County employees are officially banned from traveling to Alabama for one year for any business issues, except for emergency response training and legally required trips.
- Colorado and Maryland have also threatened to cut off travel to Alabama due to the abortion ban. This is all being coordinated by Planned Parenthood.
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