Latest news with #AlanderRocha
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Twinkle Cavanaugh leaves Public Service Commission for Trump administration job
Snow falls on the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery amid rare winter weather on Jan. 21, 2025. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh will step down as president of Alabama's Public Service Commission to take a role in President Donald Trump's administration, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cavanaugh will serve as the state director of rural development in Alabama. According to the press release, Cavanaugh will 'affirm the mission of the Trump Administration by focusing on finding ways to empower rural America and unleash economic prosperity.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with Gina Maiola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kay Ivey, who is responsible for appointing the interim president. According to Maiola said the governor will appoint someone 'in the coming days.' Cavanaugh, a former chair of the Alabama Republican Party, was first elected to the Public Service Commission in 2010. In 2012, she was elected president of the commission, defeating Lucy Baxley, who at the time was the last Democrat holding statewide office in Alabama. The Public Service Commission is the state's utility regulator, though critics have long accused it of being passive toward the companies it oversees. The PSC since 1982 has operated under a system that guarantees utilities a profit, a process different from a formal rate hearing, where an entity must justify any rate increases. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama Alzheimer's task force could propose tax credit for caregivers
Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, chairs the Alzheimer's Task Force subcommittee on advocacy and policy on March 18, 2025 in Montgomery, Ala. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) A state committee looking at Alzheimer's policy is considering proposing a new tax credit to assist caregivers with expenses related to adult incontinence supplies, citing the financial burden of Alzheimer's and dementia care. The proposal, discussed at a Tuesday meeting of the advocacy and policy subcommittee, aims to build on previously proposed legislation to provide tax relief for mothers and families with newborns with essentials such as diapers and baby formulas. 'We serve a lot of people with dementia, and all of them are in need of incontinence supplies,' said Anna Pritchett, state director for advocacy at AARP Alabama, adding that the costs add up quickly. 'Why don't we piggyback on that and just say, also including maybe people over the age of [a certain limit]?' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Alabama in 2022 had the second highest mortality rate from Alzheimer's disease, behind only Mississippi, at 46.8 per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alzheimer's disease was the sixth-leading cause of death in the state in 2023, remaining unchanged from 2020. Different factors contribute to the high mortality rate, but it is mostly due to poor health access in rural parts of the state, primarily in the Black Belt, a region with some of the highest rates of Alzheimer's in the state. Task force proposes new strategies to expand Alzheimer's care and research in Alabama The Alzheimer's Association estimated that slightly over 100,000 people over 65 in Alabama living with Alzheimer's in 2020, or about 12% of that population. Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, the chair of the committee, said that a bill addressing tax credits for infant supplies is already under consideration and will be introduced soon. The bill was introduced in the 2024 session but failed to pass before the end of the session. Shaver said that the timing could allow for an amendment to expand eligibility to seniors. 'We've got that bill coming up. I might be able to make that happen right now,' they said. The Legislature is scheduled to hold its 15th legislative day, the midpoint of the 2025 session, on Wednesday. Advocates said that financial relief is essential, as the cost of caring for an aging loved one can be not only overwhelming but also expensive. Public awareness of available support remains a significant concern, with committee members saying there is still a significant need for better outreach and education. Members proposed a website that would serve as a hub for caregivers to get information on available services and support. 'Most people don't even know there's an [assisted living communities],' said Christy deGraffenried, vice president of governmental relations for the Alabama Nursing Home Association 'Then there's nursing homes, then there's home health. They don't even understand the basics of what are the levels of care.' The task force was established in 2023 by a House Joint Resolution and tasked with establishing recommendations on how to improve the state's care system for Alzheimer's and other dementia-related diseases. Task force members will meet at the end of the month to propose recommendations to the Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey by May 5. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
USA Today
10-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
If this is how Alabama universities defend employees, it's not working
Brian Lyman ALABAMA REFLECTOR Alabama's colleges and universities are scared. And I understand why. If an administration that prioritizes ideological conformity over intellectual curiosity cut off one of my key funding sources, I'd hesitate to speak out, too. But they don't have a choice. Not if they take their educational missions seriously. When Alander Rocha asked some of Alabama's key research universities about the loss of nearly $400 million in National Institutes of Health funding — money that supports research into cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and a whole host of diseases — after President Donald Trump froze the funding last month, he got silence. The University of Alabama Birmingham, which will suffer the most from the suspension, issued a generic statement. So did the Southern Research Institute. So did the University of South Alabama. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Yes, they're trying to figure out what's going on. Lobbyists may be working behind the scenes to get the money back. But for God's sake, guys. Meekness is not a strategy. You should know that. More:Why we're looking at mental health care in Alabama | BRIAN LYMAN Last year, the Alabama Legislature — upset over intellectual debate and welcoming attitudes on college campuses — made it illegal to run a diversity, equity and inclusion program on campus, and left the door open to fire teachers who teach 'divisive concepts.' What is a divisive concept? Why, it's anything that upsets the white Republicans in the Legislature. This was a real test for the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Other public colleges and universities in Alabama must comply with whatever short-sighted idea lawmakers have at the moment. UA and AU enjoy constitutional protections and self-perpetuating boards of trustees that give them some independence. That independence was an opportunity. They could have made it difficult for lawmakers to push through this assault on their students. And given cover for other Alabama schools to fight for theirs. Instead, they caved. UA abolished its DEI program and closed dedicated spaces for the school's Black Student Union and LGBTQ+ resource center. Auburn dumped its program, too. Alabama did replace its DEI program with some vaguely worded 'Division of Opportunities, Success and Connections.' But Auburn didn't even try to replace what was lost. It closed its office and reassigned employees. And other campuses followed. South Alabama, which has one of the highest percentages of Black students of any non-HBCU school in the state, mumbled something about 'volunteerism' as it closed down its program. Standing up to lawmakers had risks. The state's conservative media, always chasing pointless rage, would have had a fit. A far-right legislator would have puffed out his chest and demanded retribution. State funding could have been threatened. But there was no guarantee such threats would have succeeded. Colleges and universities are major employers in many lawmakers' districts. Any number of senators representing Alabama, Auburn, Troy University, North Alabama, South Alabama, West Alabama and more could have blocked punitive cuts against the schools or made it harder for the Legislature to carry them out. I can't imagine legislators would have wanted a drag-out battle with the schools over this, especially one likely to put members of the Republican caucus at odds with their communities. But that didn't happen. And will capitulation spare the schools from further attacks on their independence? I wouldn't bet on it. More:Disaster aid with strings attached would hurt Alabama, too | BRIAN LYMAN 'Alabama House Republicans will continue pushing back against 'woke' policies and radical efforts that attack our morals and work to change the fundamental beliefs that make our state such a special place to live, work, worship, and raise families,' the House GOP's 2025 legislative agenda says. And now these schools face an attack on their research funding from a man with the same anti-DEI attitudes as Alabama lawmakers. The National Science Foundation, another key source of grants for universities around the country, froze its grants last week. Universities are proud of their research. They should be. Dedicated men and women working in academia have made discoveries and developed techniques that improve our lives and help us better understand the world and each other. That work is under attack. If college administrators see intellectual inquiry as something other than a marketing slogan, they need to fight for their researchers. The state's colleges and universities need to pull together and create a united front against these tantrums. They should pressure federal and state lawmakers to do their jobs; to represent their constituents and above all else, to uphold the independence of institutions that elevate our state. In other words, they have to be far more forceful than they've proven to be. There are risks to such an approach, just as there were in opposing the state's anti-DEI law. But there are far greater perils in staying quiet. Relying on the good faith of people distorting the goals of higher education and the motives of those dedicated to it will lead to disaster. Protest may not work, but humility will never be rewarded. Brian Lyman is the editor of Alabama Reflector. He has covered Alabama politics since 2006, and worked at the Montgomery Advertiser, the Press-Register and The Anniston Star. His work has won awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors, the Alabama Press Association and Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights. He lives in Auburn with his wife, Julie, and their three children. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, an independent nonprofit website covering politics and policy in state capitals around the nation.
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Gov. Kay Ivey points to education gains, economic growth in State of the State address
Alander Rocha and Anna Barrett Alabama Reflector AI-assisted summary Ivey advocated for legislative action on public safety, workforce participation, and expanding school choice options. She endorsed stricter penalties for gun crimes, including a ban on Glock switches, and increased support for law enforcement. Ivey's address also touched upon immigration concerns, parental leave for state employees, and social issues like gender definition and classroom displays. Democratic lawmakers expressed a desire for more detailed plans and raised concerns about specific proposals, particularly those related to criminal justice and immigration. Gov. Kay Ivey touted Alabama's improvements in education, infrastructure and economic development in her 2025 State of the State address Tuesday while outlining legislative priorities focused on public safety and workforce participation. Speaking before lawmakers in the Alabama State Capitol, Ivey pointed to education policy changes that may have helped Alabama students improve in national academic rankings, and said 'we are, in fact, not just a football state—Alabama is an education state.' 'When I took office, Alabama ranked 49th in reading. Today, we are 34th. In math, we were 52nd—now, we are 32nd,' she said, crediting initiatives such as the Alabama Literacy Act and Numeracy Act in helping Alabama climb in national rankings for reading and math proficiency. While Alabama made significant gains in math and improved overall proficiency in reading, it was largely due to stagnant national scores. Reading scores for 4th graders remained unchanged from 2022, while 8th grade reading and math scores remained flat. Democratic leadership seemed generally pleased with Ivey's State of the State address. Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said he did not think that bragging about being 37th and 32nd ranks in fourth grade math was deserved. 'I think the governor wanted to expand on education and make sure that our students are growing. We want to do that some more,' he said. 'But to brag on our scores at 37 and 32, we got to get a little bit higher.' The governor also said expanding using tax dollars to pay for private education and homeschooling is a key driver of progress, pointing to the CHOOSE Act, a voucher-like program which provides families up to $7,000 per qualifying child for non-public education expenditures, including private school tuition. Currently capped at 300% of the federal poverty line, or around $75,000 for a family of three, the program will eventually be open to all families in Alabama with no cap on expenditure. House Minority Leader Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said the speech lacked specificity, especially regarding the governor's praise of the CHOOSE Act. 'When we talk about the CHOOSE Act, I'm trying to understand, we've not seen any results,' he said. 'So, we're promoting something that has yet to tell us exactly what the benefits of it, if any?' Ivey also endorsed a new legislative effort to ban cell phones in schools, saying that social media use is negatively impacting student focus and well-being. 'We have to know the time, the place, and how to use these tools,' she said, calling on lawmakers to pass a bill requiring internet safety policies and social media training for students. On the economy, Ivey said that since taking office, Alabama has secured over $55 billion in new business investments and created 93,000 jobs but said there is 'still a lot of work' to be done to increase workforce participation. Public safety was another theme in Ivey's address, with the governor pledging to crack down on violent crime and illegal firearm modifications. She endorsed a legislative package aimed at increasing penalties for felons caught with firearms; expanding the list of offenses covered by Aniah's Law, allowing judges to deny bond to those arrested for violent offenses, and banning Glock switches, which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons. More:City seized 1,866 illegal guns in 2024; Montgomery mayor calls for state law reform 'To back the blue, we will provide law enforcement with enhanced legal protections that allow them to carry out their duties courageously and effectively without fear of Monday morning quarterbacking in the courts,' Ivey said. Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, has sponsored bills in the last two legislative sessions to ban Glock switches. The bill passed the House late in the 2024 session with some Republican support but did not emerge from the Senate. Ensler is bringing the bill for the third time this year. 'I'm really glad that she announced that,' Ensler said after the speech. 'It's not a Democrat or Republican issue, it's a human issue. I know people in my district, you know, and a lot of the big cities have really been calling for that.' Singleton and Daniels said they need to see details of the crime package. Singleton said he wants communities to be safer. 'I want protection in my community, just like anyone else. But I want to make sure that what's in that package is going to be something that we can live with in our communities,' he said. Daniels said he has a lot of questions about the package and needs to know what these bills would mean. 'One of the things that really got me alarmed is the immunity, the legal protections. I have to understand exactly, 'What do you mean by that?'' he said. 'You know, you hear rumors about immunity. You hear rumors about tort police, tort reform for law enforcement. I want to know what that means. I guess I need more specificity on those particular items as well.' Ensler said he wished Ivey had mentioned mental health in her speech and he believes that should be a priority of the legislature. 'I think that, you know, that's a huge issue,' he said. 'Look, the state has made some good progress on it, but I think we have to continue to focus on that, and that has to be a priority.' Ivey also announced support for the Second Chance Act, a criminal justice reform measure designed to ensure state prison space is used for the most serious offenders. House Republicans killed a bill in the 2024 legislative session by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, in a procedural vote. Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, said after the speech this is an 'opportunity' to have 'common sense approach when it comes to criminal justice.' 'These are a group of offenders who, if they were sentenced today, would never get anything even close to the sentence they got back then,' Bedsole said. The governor also said immigration is 'top security concern of every American,' aligning with former President Donald Trump, adding that 'securing the southern border is securing Alabama's border.' Daniels urged caution regarding immigration bills this session. He made the point that artificial intelligence cannot do the work in the construction and hospitality industries that migrants do. 'I think we've got to be very cautious about how it impacts our construction industry, how it impacts our hospitality industry,' he said. 'And so understanding the impact of this and our economy, how that's going to work impact workforce participation.' Ivey also endorsed legislation to provide education and state employees with parental leave. Two pieces of legislation, one by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, for education employees, and another by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, for state employees, gained momentum in the 2024 legislative session but failed after lawmakers said they wanted the bills to be in line with one another. Shaver said she's excited to have Ivey's support and thinks the bill can pass this year. 'This will give mothers time to properly bond their children, and that'll give us more very well-adjusted children, stronger families and better employees,' Shaver said. Amy Marlowe, executive director of the Alabama Education Association (AEA), said in a statement that is a 'step forward for Alabama's educators, their families, and, most importantly, their students.' 'Ensuring educators have the opportunity to care for and bond with their children without the fear of financial hardship is not just the right thing to do—it's an investment in the long-term success of our schools and communities,' she said in the statement. Ivey also backed the 'What is a Woman' bill, which defines gender as strictly male or female. She also called for legislation allowing the Ten Commandments and other historical documents to be displayed in classrooms, a law that Louisiana passed in 2024 and is currently on hold after U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles blocked the law as 'unconstitutional on its face.' In closing, Ivey called for 'responsible budgets that do not grow government' and continued investment in job creation. 'The people of Alabama deserve our very best,' she said. 'Future generations of Alabamians deserve our hardest work today. This is our opportunity—so let's not waste a moment.' Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, an independent nonprofit website covering politics and policy in state capitals around the nation.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The case for a new Alabama constitution
Snow falls on the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery amid rare winter weather on Jan. 21, 2025. Alabama state government operates under the state's 1901 constitution, which centralizes most political power in Montgomery and limits the ability of local governments to make decisions without legislative approval. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) There's a strange limbo in the weeks before the Alabama Legislature returns to work. You know what legislators should focus on. Living in Alabama makes that obvious. You can guess where their focus will be based on what they say in the weeks leading up to the gavel drop. But honestly? No one knows anything until the first day of the session. In fact, the drift of the session may not be clear for weeks afterward. So we wait. And not just fools like me who willingly enter that mold-filled building on South Union Street. Local governments sometimes have to wait up to nine months for legislators to make major decisions about their operations. School district officials cross their fingers as the state education budget goes through the legislative process, hoping nothing gets cut. Every decision must go through Montgomery. And many of those go through unelected lobbyists and special interest groups first, who get an unofficial veto over the public business. It's a real irony. A state government that howls at the slightest federal intervention keeps a tight lock on Alabama's local governments and school districts. County and city governments only have the power Goat Hill allows them to have. Property tax caps make state funding critical to most public schools, especially those in rural districts. That gives legislators lots of control over areas that either lack the power to levy local taxes or lack the business development that would make that practical. That's all thanks to the 1901 state constitution, an authoritarian document that violated the U.S. Constitution; stole the vote from Black Alabamians and snatched it from poor white Alabamians a few years after it went into effect. The overt racism is no longer there, perhaps. But the 1901 constitution's vision of a small clique of elites running the state free from public approval is largely how Alabama government still works. So even though a statewide lottery would be popular (not with me, but I'm only one of 5.1 million), you don't get to vote on it. Most Alabamians seem OK with Medicaid expansion. But not our leaders, who knit their brows and sigh at the cost as they shovel billions of dollars into an ever-more expensive prison. If polls are correct, a majority of people living here don't like Alabama's effective abortion ban. But the Legislature, which only listens to hardcore Republican voters, will keep it in place. You know what would address these problems? A new state constitution. Yes, yes, I know. The powerful interests that dominate Alabama government aren't going to surrender their privileges without a fight. Electing people to a constitutional convention could be messy. There's no guarantee that what would emerge from a convention would be better than what we have. And even a decent new governing document would face a blitz of attacks before voters got a chance to weigh in on it. The challenges are many. But think about what we could gain. The pieties about property tax caps in Montgomery belie the fact that they serve wealthy landowners, particularly those who make their money cutting down trees. Low property taxes are good for them. They're terrible for rural communities with small tax bases and limited commercial development. Their schools struggle to operate with low or nonexistent local revenue. So give those local governments and the people who elect them the power to run things. The ability to decide what education should look like in their neighborhoods. Maybe those governments will raise taxes. Maybe voters will punish them for that. Or maybe they'll be happy to see their children's teachers get the resources they need to educate their students. In both cases, it will be living, breathing Alabamians making those choices. Not dead planters from the Edwardian era. But let's think bigger. A 1956 constitutional amendment passed amid white hysteria over Brown v. Board of Education said there is no right to a public education in our state. That language needs to go, if only to force our government to fund schools. Our Legislature has spent the last few years doing everything to make voting hard. Outlawing drop boxes. Banning private money to support election operations (without allocating funding to make up for that). Criminalizing forms of absentee ballot assistance. A new constitution should include an affirmative right to vote, similar to what scholar Rick Hasen has suggested, one that prevents legislators from making the exercise of your constitutional rights an intimidating ordeal. There's more. Make it harder for the Legislature to override a gubernatorial veto. Abolish the anti-democratic budget isolation amendment, which effectively requires bills to get 60% of the vote (not a simple majority) to pass. Turn the state judiciary from elections to appointments. Will this make Alabama a utopia? Of course not. Systemic racism and poverty can only be addressed by political will, whatever framework of government you have. But empowering people to address those problems will help us develop solutions. And best of all, it won't make us wait on the whims of a part-time Legislature that all too often takes its cues from a small group of elites. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
