Alabama top stories in brief

• The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief on Aug. 19 supporting plaintiffs for a case challenging statements made by Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall that the state could prosecute groups that assist women in crossing state lines to obtain abortions. In their brief, the DOJ argued that Alabama would be intruding on another state’s affairs by prosecuting those groups, and thus it would be unconstitutional.  The case was originally brought forward by Yellowhammer Fund and the West Alabama Women’s Center. The Attorney General’s Office requested that the case be dismissed in May and was denied. 

• A new bill introduced by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would allow private schools and homeschool groups in Alabama to hire school resource officers, which are made available by city councils and police departments through sheriffs and county commissions. SB4 was initially brought to Elliott by Huey Hoss Mack, Baldwin County’s sheriff. Within Baldwin County, which is in Elliott’s district, placing an SRO in each school was investigated following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that happened in 2018. When referencing the service performed by SROs at public schools, Elliott said, “They are trained specifically as school resource officers and do great work interacting with kids, families, teachers, administrators, etc., and so I want to expand that and make sure we have school resource officers all over the state.” Currently, SROs are not allowed to serve their position full time at non-public schools, but officers are allowed to individually contract with schools while off-duty. If the bill is passed, which was previously filed last spring but amended with feedback, private schools would need to pay the full cost associated with an SRO contract as well as insurance.

• A new committee created after the passing of Senate Bill 135 earlier this year held its first meeting on Aug. 29 to discuss the mental health of Alabama’s veterans, specifically addressing an initiative known as the Safer Together program. The program, which has already been adopted into Louisiana state law, allows veterans to store their firearms at firearm stores if they are experiencing mental health crises. Alabama has the nation’s highest veteran suicide rate, and nationally, 85% of suicides are committed with a firearm. Jason Smith, who resides on the committee, advocated for the program. Smith is a suicide prevention coordinator from the Alabama National Guard and discussed the topic alongside other members of the committee, who include individuals from the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, lawmakers and military representatives. The program cites the often extensive paperwork and documentation needed to store a firearm, something that has deterred veterans experiencing mental health crises from properly storing them. Some veterans, Smith said, also fear that their weapons will be taken if they admit to struggling with their mental health. “There was no way I was about to tell somebody I had PTSD and run the risk of losing my gun rights, and that barrier has got to be removed,” said Smith, who is a veteran. The committee will meet next on Oct. 23, focusing on veterans and substance abuse.

• Last month, the University of Alabama closed and renamed their previous Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices to comply with Senate Bill 129. Now, UA’s spaces dedicated to Black and LGBTQ+ students have been closed as well. The spaces include the Black Student Union and Safe Zone resource center. The Black Student Union commented on the closing of their space on Instagram, releasing a post that included, “We are saddened by this loss—not just of a physical space, but of a place where we have gathered, shared, and built a community rooted in our shared experiences, struggles, and triumphs.” As for Safe Zone, students who were employed in the office are now being given other employment opportunities. In the future, students will be able to reserve space in the student union for registered organizations, but topics concerning DEI will have to comply with state law. The university commented, “The university will continue to provide resources and support to every member of our campus community and remains committed to our institutional goals to welcome all, serve all and see all thrive and succeed.” 

• The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous ruling that Alabama’ law banning gender-affirming medical care did not violate the 14th amendment. Judge Barbara Lagoa’s concurring opinion supporting the ruling, referenced Dobbs v. Jackson — the case that reversed Roe v. Wade — in which Justice Samuel Alito argued that any rights not mentioned directly by the constitution must be “deeply rooted in this nation’s history” in order to fall under the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause. A press release from the Human Rights Campaign, one of the groups representing the plaintiffs in the case called the decision disappointing and said, “Parents, not the government, are best situated to make these medical decisions for their children. These laws are a shocking example of government overreach and a jarring intrusion into private family decisions.” Steve Marshall, Alabama’s attorney general called the decision “a significant victory for our country, for children, and for common sense.” 

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