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Alabama Reflector
Disabled workers can be paid less than the minimum wage. Some states want to end that.
This story originally appeared on Stateline. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — High-fives, fist-bumps and hugs come with the ice cream at the Golden Scoop. Tucked into a shopping center in suburban Kansas City, the shop employs 15 people with developmental disabilities. While customers first come for the sweet treats, many are drawn in by the Golden […] The post Disabled workers can be paid less than the minimum wage. Some states want to end that. appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Pretrial diversion programs are effective. And expensive for participants.
One day in October 2021, Michael Morrison finished a 10-hour work shift in Trussville. He got in a car with a cousin to go back to Miles College in Fairfield, where he was a student. His cousin made a stop at an apartment complex in Hoover. As Morrison remembers, his cousin returned with marijuana. They […] The post Pretrial diversion programs are effective. And expensive for participants. appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Meet the candidates running in Alabama House District 27
Voters in Marshall County will choose a Republican nominee for the Alabama House in a special election Tuesday. Six Republicans will compete for the party nomination in House District 27. The seat is solidly Republican: Former Rep. and current Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, got 84% of the vote in the 2018 election and 89% of […] The post Meet the candidates running in Alabama House District 27 appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Few states cover fertility treatment for same-sex couples, but that could be changing
This story originally appeared on Stateline. Elizabeth Bauer was working out at the gym one morning last August when she got a phone call from her fertility nurse. It was a call that Bauer and her wife, Rebecca, had long been waiting for. Elizabeth dialed in Rebecca so they could listen together: They were pregnant. […] The post Few states cover fertility treatment for same-sex couples, but that could be changing appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Federal rebuild of Baltimore bridge ‘will not be quick or easy or cheap,’ Buttigieg says
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg outlined Wednesday the immediate and longer-term priorities the Biden administration is pursuing in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore that left six presumed dead. While many questions remained roughly 36 hours after a massive cargo ship struck the bridge and caused the deadly collapse, Buttigieg […] The post Federal rebuild of Baltimore bridge ‘will not be quick or easy or cheap,’ Buttigieg says appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Gov. Kay Ivey sets late May execution date for Jamie Ray Mills
Gov. Kay Ivey has scheduled an execution in late May for death row inmate Jamie Ray Mills for the 2004 double murder of Floyd and Vera Hill. Ivey Wednesday sent a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm, directing him to conduct the execution at a time between midnight on May 30 and […] The post Gov. Kay Ivey sets late May execution date for Jamie Ray Mills appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
What Marilyn Lands’ win says, and what it doesn’t
One thing is clear from Marilyn Lands’ House District 10 victory: Abortion still motivates Democrats. Lands turned a seven-point loss in 2022 into a 25-point romp on Tuesday. And for the first time since 2002 – when then-Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman almost pulled off a shocking re-election upset – Alabama Democrats came out of an […] The post What Marilyn Lands’ win says, and what it doesn’t appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Senate bill would punish companies that voluntarily recognize unions
A bill filed in the Alabama Senate last week would prevent companies that voluntarily recognize an employee union or hold a non-secret ballot process to receive state economic incentives. SB 231, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, says that employers who voluntarily grant a union; “voluntarily disclose an employee’s personal contact information to a labor […] The post Alabama Senate bill would punish companies that voluntarily recognize unions appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Prattville library attorney will not retract statement regarding former director
The attorney representing the Autauga-Prattville Library’s Board of Trustees said Tuesday she would not apologize for or withdraw any statements made about the dismissal of the library’s director. In a letter to Christopher Weller, an attorney for former director Andrew Foster, Laura Clark, general counsel for the board, wrote that allegations that she defamed Foster […] The post Prattville library attorney will not retract statement regarding former director appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Marilyn Lands, Democrat who ran on reproductive rights, flips Alabama House seat
Democratic candidate Marilyn Lands, who campaigned on ending Alabama’s near-total abortion ban and protecting access to contraception and in vitro fertilization, won a special election Tuesday for a Huntsville-area state House seat. Decision Desk HQ, a website that reports election results, called the race for Lands shortly after 8:30 p.m. As of 9:22 p.m. Tuesday, […] The post Marilyn Lands, Democrat who ran on reproductive rights, flips Alabama House seat appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Hundreds protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court to keep abortion medication accessible
WASHINGTON—As the enormous yellow banner unfurled in front of the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday morning, Laura Clime-Coates turned to her 9-year-old daughter and said, “Those are the names of people who agree with us.” On the sign, titled “We the People Support Medication Abortion,” were what activists estimated to be half-a-million signatures […] The post Hundreds protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court to keep abortion medication accessible appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Birmingham-Southern College plans to close after 168 years
Birmingham-Southern College will close on May 31 after a nearly 18-month fight to keep the liberal arts school open. BSC’s Board of Trustees voted to shut the school down after legislative leaders told them that a bill to extend the private school a $30 million loan was unlikely to pass the Alabama House of Representatives. […] The post Birmingham-Southern College plans to close after 168 years appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Supreme Court justices seem skeptical of limits on access to abortion medication
WASHINGTON — The future of medication abortion access in the United States went in front of the U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday, where several justices appeared somewhat skeptical as anti-abortion organizations argued use of the pharmaceutical should be moved back to what was in place before 2016. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, speaking on behalf […] The post U.S. Supreme Court justices seem skeptical of limits on access to abortion medication appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Fearing political violence, more states ban firearms at polling places
This story originally appeared on Stateline. Facing increased threats to election workers and superheated political rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and his supporters, more states are considering firearm bans at polling places and ballot drop boxes ahead of November’s presidential election. This month, New Mexico became the latest state to restrict guns where people […] The post Fearing political violence, more states ban firearms at polling places appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery to honor victims of slavery
The Equal Justice Initiative will soon open a third site in the Montgomery area memorializing victims of racial violence. Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, a 17-acre site located on the banks of the Alabama River on the north side of Montgomery, focuses on American slavery. Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of EJI, said the site aims […] The post Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery to honor victims of slavery appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
A voter’s guide to the House District 10 special election
Voters in southern Madison County go to the polls Tuesday to choose a representative for Alabama House District 10. Madison City Councilman Teddy Powell, the Republican nominee, will face Democratic nominee Marilyn Lands, who ran in 2022, in a rare competitive battle for a seat in the Alabama Legislature. Elijah Boyd, who appeared as a […] The post A voter’s guide to the House District 10 special election appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Texas Republican border maneuvers cause chaos, outrage local officials
This story originally appeared on Ohio Capital Journal. EL PASO, Texas — Texas’ GOP politicians have long used state law enforcement to act tough on immigration. But developments over the past few days seem to show how their latest maneuvering is inviting chaos — raising fundamental constitutional questions, outraging local officials, and worsening international relations. […] The post Texas Republican border maneuvers cause chaos, outrage local officials appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Self-managed abortions increased by about 26,000 after Dobbs decision, study shows
Self-managed abortions rose by more than 26,000 in the six months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago, according to a peer-reviewed study published Monday in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal. Researchers determined that an increase of approximately 27,838 online orders of abortion pills between July and December 2022 corresponded […] The post Self-managed abortions increased by about 26,000 after Dobbs decision, study shows appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
School voucher proponents spend big to overcome rural resistance
This story originally appeared on Stateline. AUSTIN, Texas — In rural Texas, public schools are the cultural heart of small towns. People pack the high school stadium for Friday night football games, and FFA classes prepare the next generation for the agricultural life. In many places, more people work for the school district than for […] The post School voucher proponents spend big to overcome rural resistance appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments Tuesday on abortion pill limits
WASHINGTON — The same U.S. Supreme Court that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion will hear oral arguments Tuesday over access to mifepristone, a pharmaceutical used in both medication abortion and miscarriage care. The nine justices will then decide whether to leave access to the drug intact or require the U.S. Food and Drug […] The post U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments Tuesday on abortion pill limits appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
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The Alabama Reflector is an independent nonprofit website covering politics and policy in our state. We look at the problems affecting Alabamians, and search for solutions. We connect readers with the decisions made in the hallways of the State House and try to give a voice to those outside it. We write stories about people in power and men and women on the margins. We hope to reflect what our home is, and what it could be. Alabama Reflector is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Reflector retains full editorial independence.
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