Alabama top stories in brief

• In an effort to compensate farmers who have experienced discrimination while applying for agricultural financial assistance, the United States Department of Agriculture has given $2 billion to farmers across the country. Alabama has received a large portion of that money, totaling $383.7 million for 10,907 current and potential farmers who have faced discrimination. The compensation, which was introduced in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, comes from the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. Fifty-eight thousand applicants for the compensation specifically cited discrimination based on “race, color, national origin or ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, marital status, or disability, and reprisal/retaliation for prior civil rights activity” when applying for USDA loans. Compensation ranged from $10,000 to $500,000 per applicant.

• A federally funded $2.3 million contract between the Alabama Department of Public Health and the nonprofit Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program was delayed by the Alabama Legislative Contract Review Committee. The BBUWP would be using the money to help install wastewater systems in Lowndes County. The county has historically had significant issues with wastewater treatment as the clay and soil make it difficult to install typical septic systems and the more expensive septic systems that are suitable for the soil are difficult to afford for the county’s low-income communities. Residents have had to deal with increasingly hazardous conditions as waste can flow from homes directly into their communities. The hold came after committee member and House Speaker Pro Tem Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, raised concerns about Sherry Bradley being the founder of BBUWP within two years after working as the director of ADPH’s Bureau of Environmental Sciences, a potential violation of Alabama Ethics law. General counsel for ADPH, Sancha Howard stated that she believed Bradley received approval from the Alabama Ethics Commission. Pringle raised additional concerns about how the money would be spent and managed by BBUWP. Previously, BBUWP had received $2.2 million from the ADPH for the same purpose — to help install septic systems. So far, the nonprofit has helped 67 homes with the $2.2 million received from ADPH. After the committee session, Rob Green, director of legislative and external affairs for ADPH, spoke with Pringle to address his comments and concerns. Green said that they reached an understanding on the federally funded contract. There is no set timeline for when the contract will be taken off hold. 

• John Rogers, the longest-serving representative for Alabama’s House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison. Rogers’ charges include counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Between 2018 and 2022, Rogers and his former legislative aide Varrie Johnson Kindall were personally given $200,000 between the two of them from Jefferson County community programming funding. The wired funds specifically came from a sports organization intended for youth, managed by former Rep. Fred Plump. Both Plump and Kindall were also sentenced to 12 months in prison. Rogers initially agreed to a 14- month sentence under a plea deal that would be carried out from home, but the offer was removed after Rogers’s legal team filed claims that he did not remember conversations related to his obstruction charge. Rogers was given a 13-month prison sentence.

• In Perry County, a residential facility for high-risk individuals on parole was recognized for its innovation and zero percent recidivism rate. The facility, which is directed by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, provides housing, classes and resources for formerly incarcerated parolees in an effort to reduce recidivism rates across the state. The PREP facility opened in April 2022 and serves 11 counties. Due to the facility’s success, PREP has been nominated and is a finalist for the State Transformation in Action Award, which is a part of The Council of State Governments. The Southern Legislative Conference announced PREP as a finalist last month. PREP’s work has been applauded for its mental health care, treatment for those struggling with substance abuse and educational format that allows parolees to graduate from the program and re-enter the workforce. Modifications for a current ABPP facility in Clarke County were approved last year in order to continue the model that PREP uses, except this site will focus on serving women. 

• On July 31, two couples, Emily and James LaPage and Caroline and William Fonde, dropped lawsuits filed in 2021 against the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Mobile Infirmary Medical Center for wrongful death after embryos used in the IVF process were accidentally destroyed. The lawsuits led to the Alabama Supreme Court decision which allowed wrongful death to be claimed in embryo destruction. The ruling resulted in several facilities pausing operations until March, when IVF services resumed under a new bill that gives civil and criminal immunity to IVF clinics, but some facilities in Alabama have continued to pause or suspend operations due to litigation concerns. The facility sued by both couples plans to move its services to new locations in Dothan and Mobile while Infirmary Health, an IVF service provider in Mobile that was also sued, is halting operations on Dec. 31. A task force to continue clarifying and amending IVF legislation was said to be launched, but there has not been activity so far.

Our articles you might have missed

• Xander Swain takes us on his journey exploring the Great Smoky Mountains, including two memorable hikes, in this month’s edition of The Longleaf Hiker, available on our site.

• In this month’s edition of The Breathing Room, Hannah Irvin challenges readers to ask themselves how they are viewing those around them and whether it is how they want to be seen.  

• In the first of a series of articles coming out this month and stretching into July, our editor in chief, Harrison Neville published a review of the “Redwall” series, a popular series of children books written by Brian Jacques. In his review, Neville discusses what the books meant to him, what he loved about the series and recommends the series too. 

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