U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled on March 31 that the state of Alabama cannot prosecute those who assist women in Alabama in traveling out of state to obtain an abortion.
In the summer of 2023, several abortion rights groups filed lawsuits against Alabama Attorney General, Steve Marshall over comments Marshall had made suggesting that the state might choose to prosecute groups that supported women who traveled out of state to achieve an abortion.
Currently, Alabama has one of the strictest state bans on abortion, which prevents abortion at all stages of the pregnancy unless there is a life-threatening medical emergency, and makes no exceptions for rape or incest.
This led groups like the Yellowhammer Fund, to begin assisting women seeking an abortion in traveling to another state where abortion is legal to have one performed.
In 2022, Marshall said during an interview that his office would prosecute groups that provided assistance to those seeking abortions in traveling out of the state. This led to the lawsuits filed against him.
The groups argued that by threatening to punish them, Marshall was extending the ban outside of Alabama and thereby infringing on the freedom of travel.
In his opinion detailing his decision, Thompson agreed with the abortion activists, and argued that it would be the same as if Alabama attempted to prosecute those that planned trips to Las Vegas, since gambling is illegal in Alabama.
Alabama top stories in brief
University of Alabama System announces increases to tuition and fees
- The University of Alabama Systems Board announced tuition increases of up to 3.5%, which will take place starting in the fall for the 2025-2026 school year.
- In-state undergraduate per semester tuition rates will increase from $5,690 to $5,842 for University of Alabama students, from $5,655 to $5,820 for University of Alabama at Birmingham students and from $5,187 to $5,345 for University of Alabama at Huntsville students.
- Out-of-state students will have their per semester tuition rates increase from $16,686 to $17,271 for UA, from $14,070 to $14,490 for AUB and from $12,325 to $12,695 for UAH.
- The board also approved a $2 per credit hour increase for their infrastructure fee, which is in addition to tuition.
- Dana Keith, UA System’s senior vice chancellor for finance and administration, cited increasing cost in operating expenses and a need to pay competitive salaries as the reason for the increase.
- This is the second year in a row that tuition has been raised for UA system campuses.
Surveillance video shows ICE arrest of Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student at University of Alabama
- Alireza Doroudi was detained by ICE agents inside his apartment on March 25, with the Department of Homeland Security stating the arrest was made “…in accordance with the State Department’s revocation of Doroudi’s student visa. This individual posed significant national security concerns.”
- Doroudi’s lawyer, David Rozas, says DHS has not shown any evidence proving his client is a threat to national security. While his F-1 visa was revoked 6 months after he arrived in the U.S., Doroudi’s fiancée claims University of Alabama officials said his student status was still valid.
- Doroudi is currently being held in a federal ICE detention facility in Jena, Louisiana.
DOGE cuts over $214 million in funding for Alabama Department of Public Health
- The Alabama Department of Public Health will lose the most funding in areas related to the research and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in minority and rural communities.
- The ADPH said in a statement to Alabama Daily News that the “sudden nature” of the most recent round of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency “has been difficult for us to manage.”
- The Alabama Department of Mental Health is also losing all remaining funding from five block grants, according to the released list of grant cuts nationally.
House passes bill requiring computer science for high schoolers
- HB332, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, would change current law to require that all students at public high schools complete a computer science course as part of their graduation requirements.
- The bill also laid out requirements for classes that could fulfill the graduation requirement, which included teaching students about AI, computational thinking, how data and information is collected, the basics of cybersecurity and navigating the internet, programming and the impacts of computing.
- The new requirement could either replace a mathematics, science, elective or career and technical education course credit.
- The bill has now moved to the senate. If approved, it would impact students graduating during the 2031-2032 school year.
Senate passes bill allowing easier access to exemptions for vaccines
- SB85, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would change existing law so that parents of children in public K-12 schools need only provide written documentation that their child needs to be exempt from vaccination for religious reasons.
- Parents do not need to provide a reason for the exemption beyond stating that it is for religious purposes, nor do they need to have verification from any third party.
- The bill would also extend that religious exemption to higher education.
- An amendment to the bill was passed, which would require students that are exempt from vaccines to have completed a physical within the last 12 months.
Cell phone ban bill passes house
- HB166 would restrict students’ cell phone use in public K-12 education from the start of the school day until the end.
- Students would only be allowed access to cellphones in the event of an emergency, for educational purposes under a teacher’s supervision or if they need access to a phone as part of their individual education plan.
- In addition to restricting cell phone use, HB166 also requires the State Department of Education to create a digital course educating students on the dangers of social media and teaching them how to use social media safely.
- Supporters of the bill have said that cellphones are disruptive to learning and that removing them from the learning environment has been shown to improve educational outcomes.
- Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, voiced concerns over restricting student access to phones in the event of a school shooting.
- A companion bill, SB92, is still awaiting a vote.
Articles worth reading
- AL.com recently published the findings of an investigation into curbside recycling in the Birmingham suburbs. Several municipalities have adopted a mixed approach to recycling, where garbage and recycling are intermixed, and then taken to a specialized facility that sorts the two of them. After hearing concerns from residents, AL.com began to investigate, finding that many of the intermixed disposals were never taken to a recycling facility. You can read the full article here.
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