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Alabama Reflector
Inmates challenge motion to dismiss in Alabama forced labor federal lawsuit
Incarcerated individuals in Alabama have filed a 214-page response opposing a motion to dismiss their lawsuit accusing state prisons of using slave labor. The case involves multiple claims against state officials, private employers and local governments alleging Alabama’s prison labor program system is a form of modern-day slavery. Each defendant filed motions to dismiss the […] The post Inmates challenge motion to dismiss in Alabama forced labor federal lawsuit appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
The good news that Gov. Kay Ivey didn’t share
Gov. Kay Ivey did something good last year. And as far as I can tell, she never told anyone about it. As Alander Rocha recently reported, the governor’s office used a plan submitted to the federal government to increase the monthly benefit paid to recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) in Alabama from […] The post The good news that Gov. Kay Ivey didn’t share appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Louisiana enacts law to let consultants profit off disabled veterans’ benefit claims
Louisiana has quietly enacted a law that allows unregulated companies to profit off the benefit claims of disabled American veterans. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry allowed Senate Bill 159 to become law by default by refusing to sign or veto it. He’s attempting to walk a political tightrope between the bill’s Trump-adjacent corporate sponsors and its […] The post Louisiana enacts law to let consultants profit off disabled veterans’ benefit claims appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Presidential election could decide fate of extra Obamacare subsidies
By Andy Miller and Georgia Recorder When Cassie Cox ended up in the emergency room in January, the Bainbridge, Georgia, resident was grateful for the Obamacare insurance policy she had recently selected for coverage in 2024. Cox, 40, qualified for an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan with no monthly premium due to her relatively low […] The post Presidential election could decide fate of extra Obamacare subsidies appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
For some rural communities, a stripped-down hospital is better than none at all
By Anna Claire Vollers and Stateline On many days, some small hospitals in rural Mississippi admit just one patient — or none at all. The hospitals are drowning in debt. The small, tight-knit communities they’ve anchored for decades can do little but watch as the hospitals shed services and staff just to stay afloat. The […] The post For some rural communities, a stripped-down hospital is better than none at all appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Legislature passed bill to open new avenues for teacher certification
The Alabama Legislature passed a bill that expanded options for alternative teacher certification. HB308, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, would add organizations certified by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, provided that they are also seeking accreditation from Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation by April 1, 2024. Starting Oct. 1, […] The post Legislature passed bill to open new avenues for teacher certification appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Challenges in Alabama’s ARPA broadband projects discussed in oversight meeting
The Alabama’s American Rescue Plan Act Joint Oversight Committee discussed ongoing challenges in fund allocation and project implementation, praising some agencies but criticizing others. Legislators reviewed the status of the ARPA funding expenditures in Thursday’s oversight commission meeting. Agencies have until Dec. 31, 2024 to obligate the funds, establishing agreements for specific projects. Once the […] The post Challenges in Alabama’s ARPA broadband projects discussed in oversight meeting appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
One facet of Louisiana’s public records law is never enforced
Officials in Louisiana will soon be free to disregard state public records law at no risk if Gov. Jeff Landry signs into law a bill that currently sits on his desk. One expert says it will change nothing because courts have never enforced that part of the law anyway. House Bill 768, sponsored by Rep. […] The post One facet of Louisiana’s public records law is never enforced appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Senate panel divided over climate as cause of rising insurance premiums
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Budget Committee debated the cause of the insurance crisis plaguing homeowners around the country at a Wednesday hearing, with Democrats identifying climate change as the ultimate driving force of rising premiums and Republicans pointing to high government spending and inflation. Homeowners insurance premiums have skyrocketed in recent years following billions in damages, which […] The post U.S. Senate panel divided over climate as cause of rising insurance premiums appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Progressives urge Alito recusal from Jan. 6 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — Progressive lawmakers and organizers on Wednesday urged U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to testify before Congress about two flags sympathetic to insurrectionists that were displayed outside his two homes. With the Supreme Court as their backdrop, […] The post Progressives urge Alito recusal from Jan. 6 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama has not yet achieved universal pre-K enrollment despite its success
Alabama generally ranks near the bottom in most measures of education, but it is home to a pre-K program that meets all benchmarks, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. Despite that success, state officials have been cautious in efforts to expand the program to cover all of the state’s youngest learners. State […] The post Alabama has not yet achieved universal pre-K enrollment despite its success appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Retiree benefits were a discussion at Wednesday meetings
The Public Education Employees Health Insurance Board and Alabama Teachers Retirement Board of Control discussed the ongoing legislative interest in doing more for retirees during their meeting Wednesday. Neah Scott, legislative counsel for the Retirement Services of Alabama, said in an email Thursday that the federal changes would deal the federal funding of Medicare plans, […] The post Retiree benefits were a discussion at Wednesday meetings appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Ethics Commission fines Rep. Marilyn Lands $4,500 for missing reporting deadline
The Alabama Ethics Commission Wednesday imposed a $4,500 fine against Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville. The fines, which total $4,500, were issued after the Lands campaign failed to file daily campaign finance reports as required by law during the last week of the special election. This requirement is triggered when donations or expenditures exceed $5,000 within […] The post Alabama Ethics Commission fines Rep. Marilyn Lands $4,500 for missing reporting deadline appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Critics say Tennessee’s blended sentencing law needs changes after expedited passage
Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway supports the concept of blended sentencing but contends a new law affecting serious juvenile offenders is unworkable and possibly unconstitutional. “There are lots of holes in the statute that I think, on behalf of the judges, we’re working through and trying to figure out how we’re going to […] The post Critics say Tennessee’s blended sentencing law needs changes after expedited passage appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Senate Dems decry limits on abortion access
WASHINGTON — The national debate over whether laws or patients should determine abortion access dominated a U.S. Senate committee hearing Tuesday, when a panel of six experts testified about the complicated nature of treating pregnancies and miscarriages. The two-hour hearing in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was at times genuine and heartfelt. At […] The post U.S. Senate Dems decry limits on abortion access appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Executive order limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border signed by Biden
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued an executive order that will allow him to partially suspend asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border when daily unauthorized crossings reach a threshold of 2,500 migrants. President Joe Biden greets attendees after speaking at a campaign event on April 16, 2024 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) “I’ve […] The post Executive order limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border signed by Biden appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Report: 13 hate, anti-government groups active in Alabama
There were 13 active hate and anti-government extremist organizations in Alabama last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center Year in Hate & Extremism report. While there aren’t as many hate groups in Alabama as other Southern states, people faced threats, flyers, protests and gatherings targeting people of color, LGBTQ+, Jewish communities and other […] The post Report: 13 hate, anti-government groups active in Alabama appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Sponsor plans to refile SSUT bill next year
A bill to raise Alabama’s online sales tax rate that was rejected during this year’s regular legislative session will be filed again next year. HB 17, sponsored by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, would have changed the Simplified Sellers Use Tax, an online sales tax from 8% to 9.25%. The additional amount would have been allocated […] The post Sponsor plans to refile SSUT bill next year appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Georgia families struggle to buy food during summer
A little extra money to buy groceries during a recent summer gave Augusta parent Tasha Marshall a rare chance to spice up the meals she cooked for her family by adding meat. Thousands of low-income families in Georgia began receiving emergency pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits that provided extra food assistance for days that schools […] The post Georgia families struggle to buy food during summer appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
USDA aims to aid small farmers by barring pay deductions from poultry companies
WASHINGTON — A rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would eliminate pay deductions for chicken producers, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday. Under the current poultry payment system, an incentive-based arrangement known within the industry as a tournament system, farmers who raise poultry earn a base payment from the companies that buy the product […] The post USDA aims to aid small farmers by barring pay deductions from poultry companies 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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