Alabama Senate approves bill requiring adult-size changing tables in public buildings
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, speaks to colleagues on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama Senate unanimously passed a bill to require adult-size changing tables be installed in public buildings.
SB 83, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require the changing tables to be powered and height-adjustable and be installed in newly constructed or renovated public buildings starting in 2028. The bill passed 27-0.
'These families are citizens, our people, and need to be treated with respect and assistance. They've got a very hard life, more challenges, and the government, at all levels, can help them with these challenges,' Orr said.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Just over 9% of Alabamians have an ambulatory disability, meaning they have a physical impairment that affects their ability to walk and move around independently. That is above the national average of 6.7%, according to the United States Census Bureau.
The legislation would only apply to new construction and renovations that cost more than $500,000.
Installing a changing table in a public building would cost the state and local entities at least $15,000, and that price would be revised every three years starting in 2030 based on the Consumer Price Index percentage increase. The fiscal note said the cost could be offset by grants through legislative appropriations.
'It's a small price to pay. I wouldn't call it a price to pay. It's taking everybody into consideration,' Orr said.
Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, called the legislation a 'good bill.'
'I commend you for bringing this. I think that is the highest level of sensitivity that we can deal with,' Smitherman said.
Orr amended the bill twice on the floor. One amendment exempted public K-12 schools, and public universities and colleges.
Orr introduced the bill after a constituent, June Wilson, told him about her struggles with changing her 4-year-old son's diaper. Wilson testified when the bill was considered in committee, saying that
'She's had people be pretty unkind when she had to change the child in the back of a hatchback vehicle in a parking lot … just being very insensitive to the situation. And so we're able to pass this and at least lead by example as a state,' Orr said.
The bill moves to the House.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paul Tudor Jones Says Bitcoin Should Be in Every Portfolio as U.S. Debt Mounts
Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones says bitcoin isn't just a speculative asset — it's a necessity in the current economic environment. In a Bloomberg TV interview, Jones argued that the U.S. is stuck in a 'debt trap' and that policymakers will likely keep real interest rates below inflation to reduce the burden. President Trump, Jones said, is will likely appoint an "uber-dovish" Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell, whose term atop the U.S. central bank ends next year. That means higher prices, lower purchasing power and greater risk for traditional portfolios, Jones continued. To hedge against that scenario, Tudor Jones believes every portfolio should consist of bitcoin BTC, gold, and stocks. 'It would be some combination of vol-adjusted bitcoin, gold, and stocks,' Jones said, noting that bitcoin's price swings are much steeper than those of gold, so position sizes should vary. Still, he was clear: 'That's probably your best portfolio to fight inflation." Jones, who runs the $16 billion macro hedge fund Tudor Investment Corp., has long been vocal about using bitcoin as an inflation hedge. While he previously suggested allocating 1–2%, this time he declined to give a number — though he reiterated his strong conviction. His remarks came after fresh Consumer Price Index data Wednesday morning showed inflation rising 2.4% over the past year — slightly below forecasts. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
GOP Sen. Josh Hawley teams up with Dem to hike federal minimum wage to $15 per hour
Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., are pushing legislation that would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and provide for annual increases to account for inflation. The proposal would implement a dramatic increase from the current $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage, which has been in place for more than 15 years. 'For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages,' Hawley said, according to press releases from both lawmakers. The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has eroded significantly over the years due to inflation. Under the proposed legislation, the yearly increases to the initial $15 per hour federal minimum wage would be based on 'the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (or a successor index), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' and would be 'rounded to the nearest multiple of $0.05, if the amount … is not a multiple of $0.05.' 3 'This bipartisan legislation would ensure that workers across America benefit from higher wages,' Senator Josh Hawley said about legislation that would hike the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images 3 The legislation, which would also provide for annual increases to account for inflation, is supported by Senator Peter Welch. AP 3 The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has decreased over the years due to inflation. Amy Covington/Stocksy – 'We're in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries. A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire. Every hardworking American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table–$7.25 an hour doesn't even come close,' Welch said, according to the releases. 'Times have changed, and working families deserve a wage that reflects today's financial reality. I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to raise the minimum wage nationwide to help more folks make ends meet,' the senator added. In post on X, conservative commentator Dana Loesch decried the idea of raising the federal minimum wage, pushing back against Hawley's advocacy for the policy. 'This is a horrible, progressive idea,' Loesch asserted in the tweet.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Commentary: Inflation isn't gone. It's just dormant.
If anyone other than Donald Trump were president, inflation would be yesterday's problem. Since peaking at 9% in 2022, the overall inflation rate has declined steadily, hitting a tame 2.4% in May. That's almost at the 2% level the Federal Reserve considers ideal. Goods inflation has disappeared. The last time it was above 1% was September 2023. The cost of appliances, clothing, and electronics is actually declining on a year-over-year basis. Gasoline prices are 12% lower than a year ago. Services inflation is a bit elevated at 3.7%, but this has also been dropping for more than two years. Part of services inflation is the rising cost of labor, which is good for workers. Under normal circumstances, consumers should be enjoying some newfound purchasing power, given that incomes are now growing more than prices. The Federal Reserve should be poised to restart a cycle of gradual interest rate cuts, which it halted last December, lowering borrowing costs for everybody. But inflation isn't licked. It's just dormant. Trump's tariffs on imports are bound to have some inflationary effect, beginning any day now. Trump has raised the average tax on imports from 2.5% to about 16%. That will inevitably raise the cost of some $3 trillion worth of goods Americans buy every year. Economists thought the May inflation data would start to show signs of upward price pressure from Trump's import taxes. Not quite yet."The April Consumer Price Index is welcome news," Oxford Economics reported on June 11. "However, the boost from tariffs will be more noticeable this summer." What's hard to gauge, for now, is the amount of product inventory retailers have in stock from pre-tariff import orders. Imports surged in the first quarter as American firms stocked up, knowing the Trump tariffs were coming. Then, in April, imports plunged after Trump announced sky-high tariffs. Trump lowered some of those tariffs after financial markets tanked, but trade data for May isn't out yet. So it's not clear just how long the pre-tariff inventories will hold out. Read more: How to protect your money during turmoil, stock market volatility Some economists think signs of tariff pricing are beginning to form. Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, detects an "emerging sketch" of rising prices caused by tariffs. "Tariff sensitive goods like apparel, electronics and toys are up 0.4% since the beginning of the year and consumer electronics are up 0.5% over that same period," he wrote in a June 11 analysis. Those are small month-to-month changes shoppers might not notice — yet — but they represent a reversal of deflationary trends that were in place before Trump took office. "The price increases will be passed along," Brusuelas said. Most economists expect overall inflation to rise in the coming months. "Tariff-induced inflation will start showing up in the coming months," Moody's Analytics said in its June 11 analysis of the May inflation numbers. Goldman Sachs expects inflation to rise from 2.4% now to around 3.7% by the end of the year. Will shoppers notice? After three years of elevated prices, consumers seem unusually sensitive to any price hikes. And survey data shows they're girding for higher prices caused by Trump's tariffs. The current reprieve is certainly welcome, but it's too early to celebrate inflation's demise. Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Bluesky and X: @rickjnewman. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
