Alabama top stories in brief

• Alabama’s K-12 public schools were given an overall B grade on new report cards released by the Alabama State Department of Education. This report card is the first one since changes were made to the Alabama Accountability Act, updating the classifications for D or F schools to priority schools and removing language that labeled those schools as failing. Over half of Alabama public schools scored A’s or B’s. Data from State Superintendent, Eric Mackey, had 19% with A’s, 37% with B’s, 27% with C’s, 11% with D’s and 4% with F’s, while 17 schools lacked sufficient data. There were 149 districts assessed: 19% had A’s, 50% were B’s, 20% were C’s, 7% were D’s and 3% were F’s, with one district lacking sufficient data. According to reporting from AL.com, this shows an increase in A grades compared to last year but fewer than in 2018-19. 

• A federal lawsuit filed last week argues that those incarcerated in the Alabama prison system are being forced into a modern day form of slavery. The lawsuit was filed against Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, a beer distributor and several fast food companies. The complaint says that incarcerated people “have been entrapped in a system of ‘convict leasing’ in which incarcerated people are forced to work, often for little or no money, for the benefit of the numerous government entities and private businesses that ‘employ’ them.” According to the complaint, the Alabama Department of Corrections bills participants in the work release program 40% of their paychecks in addition to charging them for essential services such as transportation and laundry. The plaintiffs are former and currently incarcerated people, many of whom have been denied parole, and they argue that “some of the same people who profit from their coerced labor have systematically shut down grants of parole.” Many of the plaintiffs who are trusted to work alongside non-incarcerated individuals outside of an ADOC facility have been denied parole. You can read the full complaint here. 

• The Alabama Public Library Service has launched an online form where parents or guardians can submit individual titles to be reviewed by the APLS. According the its website, the APLS “does not have the authority to remove books from Alabama’s public library shelves. This list is designed to guide public librarians in their decisions regarding the addition of books to their collections.” The creation of this list was voted on by the APLS board of trustees in September. 

• Family members of those incarcerated in Alabama prisons rallied at the state capitol last Wednesday before a Joint Prison Oversight Committee meeting. During the meeting, the family spoke out against violent conditions in Alabama prisons, with many stating that they felt Alabama was failing to keep their loved ones safe while incarcerated. Several family members shared testimonies of how they had lost loved ones to violence. 

• The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission wrapped up its third attempt at awarding medical marijuana licenses to businesses this past Tuesday, when they awarded integrated facility licenses to five businesses. The commission awarded the other five categories of licenses to businesses earlier this month. The commission has awarded licenses in all categories twice before this year, and a slew of concerns from businesses and lawsuits forced them to go through the licensing process again. Members of the commission have said that they are hopeful that this will be the final time. Facilities awarded licenses will be inspected in the coming weeks before the licenses will actually be issued to them. 

Announcements

• We have decided to stop producing From Dusk to Dawn for the time being. We’ve enjoyed our work there, but after giving it some time and listening to feedback from our audience, we’ve decided to explore other options for the podcast. We’re going to take some time, but stay tuned for future podcasting announcements! You can still listen to all of our episodes of From Dusk to Dawn on Spotify or read the transcripts on our website. 

• We want to hear from you! If you can, please take just a few minutes to complete our fall feedback survey. 

Our articles you might have missed

• In the latest edition of The Alabama Ramble, Wesley Miller visits Sylacauga, Alabama, a small Alabama city famous worldwide for its marble. While there, he gets a tour from Sylacauga’s sculptor in residence, Craigger Browne, examines stunning sculptures, learns about local businesses and gets to dig into some delicious ice cream. 

• “Hope isn’t a subconscious decision. At least, not at first.” In last month’s edition of The Breathing Room, Hannah Irvin explores how hope is a habit that must be intentionally developed and why it’s so important that we prioritize it, now more than ever. 

Events this week

• Alabama Invitational: An exhibition featuring work created by current and former Alabama artists in the mediums of sculpture, glass, photography, painting and textiles produced by artists originally from or currently based in Alabama. View more details about this event on The Sunrise News event calendar. 

• If you’re interested in having your event advertised on our calendar, you can submit events here.