Alabama top stories in brief
- Alabama has gone back to D.C. to request the U.S. Supreme Court intervene after a three-judge panel ruled that Alabama lawmakers’ 2023 congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act, again. Alabama has seven U.S. House of Representatives districts and one majority-Black district out of the seven while 27% of the population in the state identify as Black. In June, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s previous ruling that Alabama’s current congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act and that a second minority district had to be created in the state. Lawmakers drafted a new district map without a second majority-Black district. In response, the three-judge panel has directed a court-appointed special master to submit three new maps by Sept. 25. On Sept. 5 the judges wrote, “The law requires the creation of an additional district that affords Black Alabamians, like everyone else, a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The 2023 Plan plainly fails to do so.”
- Gov. Kay Ivey has set the special election to replace former House District 10 Rep. David Cole, R-Madison. This will be the third special election announced by Ivey this year and the second to come after an elected official pled guilty to criminal charges. Cole pled guilty to a charge of knowingly voting at a polling place he was not authorized to vote. A special primary election is set for Dec. 12, and the general election will be March 26, 2024.
- The state capital will be receiving a new statue in the coming years. The Alabama Women’s Tribute Statue Commission approved a statue of Hellen Keller, a well known disability rights activist who was a native of Tuscambia, Alabama. The Alabama Legislature has allocated $200,000 towards the statue, and the commission is also accepting donations for it. The statue will be designed by Oregon sculptor Jay Warren, who has designed statues of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis and Medger Evans.
Tuberville’s hold on military promotions attracts criticism from top ranking service members
Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military promotions has attracted criticism from several top ranking active service members. Joint Chiefs vice chairman and Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, said the hold is actively hurting service members with families, who are unable to plan moves or make arrangements for putting kids in schools. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, the head of Air Combat Command, expressed concerns similar to Grady.
The other impact of the hold is that some officers are currently having to do the jobs of other positions that have been vacated, in addition to their own. Grady is one such officer, who may have to fill in as chairman of the Joint Chiefs on Oct. 1, when the current chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, retires. A replacement for Milley, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, has been selected but like all military officers, is currently affected by Tuberville’s hold and would need to be confirmed within the next two weeks to take up the new role.
The senate could choose to individually confirm appointments. Several Republican politicians have suggested that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY should call for the senate to hold votes to confirm some of the top positions.
The Congressional Research Service said that it previously estimated it would take the senate over a month to confirm all of the blocked nominations. That was when there were 273 nominations blocked. There are now over 300 nominations blocked.
Tuberville placed a hold on military promotions in February in response to a policy initiated by the department of defense to pay travel allowances for troops and dependents if they traveled out of state to acquire an abortion.
Tuberville has said that he will not release the hold until the policy is removed and the senate makes its own vote on the issue.
Our articles you might have missed
- Last week’s Roundup, we focused on the recent debates surrounding books with LGBTQ+ content in Alabama libraries.
Articles worth reading
- With the revenue from pistol permits no longer available to them, Alabama sheriff departments have begun implementing new ways of making up the lost income. This includes raising fines and fees and hosting fundraising events. You can read the full report on the Alabama Reflector’s website.
Upcoming events
- Alabama Invitational 2023 Opening Reception: 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 on our event calendar.
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