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Alabama Reflector
Alabama Senate Republicans appear divided over gambling bill
A gambling package passed by the Alabama House last month appears stalled in the Alabama Senate amid strong opposition from some senators. It’s still not clear what proposal, if any, can win the support of the Republican caucus, but senators on both sides are expecting changes. Alabama Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, a longtime […] The post Alabama Senate Republicans appear divided over gambling bill appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Presidential campaign moves to the border, as Biden urges Trump to back immigration deal
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon paid competing visits to the nation’s southern border, where Biden called on Congress to reconsider a bipartisan border security deal that Republicans tanked at Trump’s direction. Biden traveled to Brownsville, Texas, while Trump journeyed to Eagle Pass, highlighting how immigration policy has […] The post Presidential campaign moves to the border, as Biden urges Trump to back immigration deal appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
States consider menthol cigarette bans as feds delay action
This story originally appeared on Stateline. CLERMONT, Fla. — It was just after sunset, and the evening traffic was buzzing on Highway 50 as 24-year-old Elijah Kinlaw popped into his local Walgreens in Clermont, Florida, to pick up some smokes. He had just finished a long day working at a local roofing company, and he […] The post States consider menthol cigarette bans as feds delay action appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on a bipartisan vote passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills — trying to dodge a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or […] The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama to deliver GOP response to State of the Union
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will deliver the Republican rebuttal following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress on March 7. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Thursday that Britt will share her story as a mother and as the first woman elected to serve Alabama in the […] The post U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama to deliver GOP response to State of the Union appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Legislature passes bills aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization
The Alabama Legislature Thursday approved bills to extend criminal and civil immunity to in vitro fertilization (IVF) providers, trying to address the fallout of an Alabama Supreme Court decision that declared frozen embryos children. HB 237, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, passed the House on a 94-6 vote late Thursday morning. The Senate passed […] The post Alabama Legislature passes bills aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama gambling bills get Senate committee hearing without public notice
An Alabama Senate committee heard objections to gambling legislation in a committee meeting Wednesday. But what that legislation will look like will remain a mystery. The Senate Tourism Committee’s meeting Wednesday was posted with little notice and with neither of the two gambling bills that passed the Alabama House earlier this month on the agenda. […] The post Alabama gambling bills get Senate committee hearing without public notice appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama House committee delays consideration of child labor bill
An Alabama House committee Wednesday delayed consideration of a bill that would eliminate a school permission form required for 14- and 15-year-old minors to work. The House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee carried over HB 102, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, after Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, the committee chair, expressed reservations that schools may […] The post Alabama House committee delays consideration of child labor bill appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Economic effects of state abortion bans debated by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators heard detailed testimony Wednesday on the economic impacts women face and how those considerations can play into whether they seek elective abortion access. The Senate Budget Committee also heard examples of the increased pressures women who need abortions for medical reasons have experienced after more than a dozen states severely restricted […] The post Economic effects of state abortion bans debated by U.S. Senate panel appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Senate Republican blocks legislation protecting in vitro fertilization
WASHINGTON — U.S. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked a bill from passing Wednesday that would have preserved access to in vitro fertilization nationwide, stalling a push by Democrats following a landmark Alabama Supreme Court decision. The court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos counted as children under state law and parents could […] The post U.S. Senate Republican blocks legislation protecting in vitro fertilization appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama House committee passes bill putting definitions of sex into law
The Alabama House Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved a bill creating legal definitions of men and women based on the presence or potential for the person to possess certain reproductive cells. HB 111, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, says that a man is a person with “a reproductive system that at some point produces sperm” […] The post Alabama House committee passes bill putting definitions of sex into law appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Bills aimed at protecting IVF advance in Alabama Legislature
Three bills aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures in Alabama moved out of House and Senate committees Wednesday as IVF patients and advocates held a rally to protect the procedure. IVF programs in Alabama have been put on hold after a Feb. 16 Alabama Supreme Court decision that declared frozen embryos children and […] The post Bills aimed at protecting IVF advance in Alabama Legislature appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
McConnell to step down as U.S. Senate GOP leader
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will step down as the Senate Republican leader in November, he said on the Senate floor Wednesday, announcing the end of a run as party leader that broke records for its length and shaped American politics over nearly two decades. “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is […] The post McConnell to step down as U.S. Senate GOP leader appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Senate committee approves Birmingham-Southern College loan bill
An Alabama Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill that would extend a loan to Birmingham-Southern College in the hopes of keeping the liberal arts college open. But several members of the Senate’s Finance and Taxation Education Committee expressed concerns about language that effectively required the state to give loans to distressed institutions. “If this bill […] The post Alabama Senate committee approves Birmingham-Southern College loan bill appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Transparency bills seek to reveal the true costs of college
This story originally appeared on Stateline. University students in Alaska kept asking Republican state Sen. Robert Myers why they were being blindsided with requirements to buy expensive textbooks after they signed up for classes, he said. Students complained to Myers that universities warned them about high tuition but not about the costs of textbooks, lab fees and equipment that also add […] The post Transparency bills seek to reveal the true costs of college appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama House passes school voucher-like program
The Alabama House of Representatives Tuesday approved a a voucher-like program for schools after a debate lasting over four hours. HB 129, sponsored by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville and known as the CHOOSE Act, passed the House on a 69-34 vote. Six Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. Supporters of the bill said […] The post Alabama House passes school voucher-like program appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Who’s not discussing the Alabama IVF ruling? State judicial candidates.
The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling declaring frozen embryos human beings set off an uproar in the state and around the nation. But one group has remained largely silent on the issue. The Alabama Reflector reached out to judicial candidates at all appellate levels, including chief justice, about the Feb. 16 ruling. Nearly all declined comments […] The post Who’s not discussing the Alabama IVF ruling? State judicial candidates. appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Senate OKs ending school permission form for young teens to work
A bill that would remove school official approval from the requirements for employed 14- and 15-year-olds passed the Alabama Senate Tuesday. SB 53, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would repeal the “eligibility to work form,” required to be signed by the head administrator, counselor or home-school instructor for a 14- or 15-year-old to work. […] The post Alabama Senate OKs ending school permission form for young teens to work appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Senate approves bill allowing Boy Scout abuse victims to pursue damages
The Alabama Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would allow survivors of sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America to take full advantage of the bankruptcy proceedings against the organization. SB 18, sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, passed the Senate 34-0. The bill goes to the House of Representatives. “We want to […] The post Alabama Senate approves bill allowing Boy Scout abuse victims to pursue damages appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama senator files bill to protect IVF services in state; hearings set for Wednesday
Alabama legislators Tuesday filed bills to protect in vitro fertilization programs from criminal and civil liability. SB 159, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, says that no criminal or civil action can be brought against entities or individuals providing goods or services related to IVF “except for an act or omission that is both intentional […] The post Alabama senator files bill to protect IVF services in state; hearings set for Wednesday 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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