One month into the shutdown of the federal government, Alabamians are feeling the mounting strain from interruptions to government services, ranging from threats to food assistance programs to missing paychecks for furloughed federal workers.

As October drew to a close, many Alabamians braced for Nov. 1, the day on which federal funds for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were set to be suspended amid the shutdown. However, a federal judge ruled on Oct. 31 that funds for the benefits must be released from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Contingency Fund as soon as possible for November payments. It still remains unclear how soon funds will be released, leaving the 15% of Alabamians that rely on SNAP benefits for food assistance in limbo as the month begins.

Ahead of Nov. 1, Alabama Republicans and Democrats alike called for SNAP funding to continue amid the shutdown. Still, state lawmakers continued to assign partisan blame while calling for benefits to be restored.

“Working families should never be used as leverage in partisan battles. If Democrats wish to open discussions about Affordable Care Act subsidies, I say let’s do that — but let’s keep the government running while we talk,” U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-AL, said in a statement released last week. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-AL, criticized the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers for the threat to benefits in a video posted to social media. 

“President Trump and Republicans would rather take food away from hungry Americans than to work with Democrats to end this shutdown,” Sewell said.

Amid partisan divides among lawmakers, several Alabama organizations rallied to prepare additional food assistance ahead of the beginning of the month. 

“On top of going into the holidays and people worrying about food already, now we have what I would call a crisis or a disaster situation,” Nicole Williams, CEO of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, told AL.com. 

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin is seeking $1 million of support for the nearly 23,000 Birmingham households that rely on SNAP benefits from the City Council as part of a proposed three-part plan to address food insecurity during the shutdown. 

Meanwhile, Alabama-based reproductive rights organization, the Yellowhammer Fund, has pledged $50,000 to food assistance efforts.

The stress of the shutdown is also hitting close to home in North Alabama, where thousands of federal employees work at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal. While it is unclear how many of the arsenal’s 45,500 federal and contract workers have been furloughed due to the shutdown, Huntsville Business Journal has estimated that roughly 13,000 workers could be affected by the extended shutdown. 

Alabama top stories in brief

Colorado files suit over Space Command Alabama move

• Colorado’s attorney general has filed a suit against the Trump administration over plans to move U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville. 
• In the suit, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser claims that the move was based on an “illegal decision” by the Trump administration to move Space Command out of the state due in part to the state’s mail-in voting system — a system that President Donald Trump has called corrupt.
• The suit seeks an injunction against the move.

Alabama lawmakers propose amendment requiring lawmakers to be native citizens

• Alabama state lawmakers, backed by Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, have proposed the Natural Born Citizen Constitutional Amendment, an amendment that would require all elected state officials to be natural-born U.S. citizens. 
• The amendment — which is being sponsored by state Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, as well as state Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise — would make Alabama the first state to require all elected officials to be born in the United States if the amendment is ratified.
• Under current Alabama law, the state’s governor and lieutenant governor must be U.S. citizens for ten years before being elected. The attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer and commissioner of agriculture and industries must all be citizens for seven years prior to election. State lawmakers must be citizens for three years prior to election.
• Allen described the measure as an “Alabama-first priority” in a post on X last week. 

Alabama Public Television considers cutting ties to PBS

• Some Alabama Public Television officials are considering dropping the outlet’s PBS programming in the future following the federal defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• Two Alabama Educational Television Commissioners, Les Barnett and Ferris Stephens, have proposed the split. Barnett cited an unwillingness to keep funding PBS as part of why he proposed the split.
• While APT produces some of its own programming, it also sources much of its programming — such as the PBS News hour and PBS Kids programming — from PBS itself.
• Several other commissioners have spoken against splitting from PBS. Additionally, APT Executive Director Wayne Reid pointed out that contractual obstacles and APT infrastructure could make a split with PBS tricky.
• The commission is currently accepting public comments regarding splitting from PBS. Comments can be directed to [email protected] ahead of a Nov. 18 vote on the proposal.

Dauphin Island animal celebrity ‘Roxy’ can be trapped, according to judge

• Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Michael Youngpeter ruled that Dauphin Island town officials and state conservation officials can carry out a plan to trap and kill some foxes on the island’s West End in order to protect migratory birds and sea turtles.
• This plan landed in court after two plaintiffs sued the town over their plan to eliminate predators from a town-owned nature preserve that acts as a habitat for snowy plovers and nesting grounds for loggerhead sea turtles. The plaintiffs claim that the plan is inhumane.
• One of the plaintiffs, Spencer Harrison, claims he has befriended one of the foxes that live on the island, who he has named “Roxy,” by bringing her dog biscuits. Harrison has gained a following on social media for his photos of Roxy.
• When the plan was introduced, a petition circulated to prevent fox removal, gaining 2,500 signatures.
• Under Youngpeter’s ruling, the town can proceed with their plan. However, the plaintiffs are free to take their case to federal court.

Our articles you might have missed

• We just published another release in our continuing series on Alabama flora and fauna, this time focusing on Alabama’s amphibians. Check out the article here and stay tuned for future Longleaf Hiker articles!

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