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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama bill removing English language learners from school athletic classifications dies
Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, applauds during a session of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 17, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin plans to bring back his bill that would have excluded certain English language learner (ELL) students from a public school's average daily membership when determining athletic competition classification next year. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would have excluded certain English language learner (ELL) students from a public school's average daily membership when determining athletic competition classification failed to move in this year's session. But the bill's sponsor said it will likely return next year. 'We just ran out of time,' said Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, in an interview last week. 'I think one thing we can take away is a lot of people get educated on an issue that's only impacting a few areas in our state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HB 298 passed the House 72-1 with 29 abstentions and many floor amendments on April 30, but never received a Senate committee vote. The legislation would not have limited the ability of ELL students to participate The bill in some ways reflects demographic changes in the state. About 5.7% of Alabama's population is Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. But the numbers are significantly higher in parts of northern Alabama. Marshall County's population, where Colvin is from, is about 16% Hispanic or Latino. According to about 86% of ELL students in 2022-23 identified as Hispanic or Latino. Colvin and other supporters of the legislation claim that ELL students were generally not participating in extracurricular activities, which meant that schools could be moved up to athletic classification levels where they would struggle. 'I didn't understand why we have to count them, because it's not an accurate reflection of our athletic pool,' Colvin said. Through debates on the bill, Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, said Crossville High School in DeKalb County paused its varsity football team two years ago because it was moved to a 5A classification by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). Crossville High School Principal Jon Peppers said in an interview last week the school only had about 20 kids on the team and competed against other 5A schools with 50-100 athletes. 'A lot of kids were playing football in the ninth grade, 10th grade, and they were having to go out on the field against teams like Guntersville, Albertville, Boaz,' Peppers said. 'Their teams would have a whole offensive team, a defensive team, and we'd have kids that had to play both ways, and they had never played football before. Then they got hurt.' Numbers on athletic participation by racial or ethnic background in Alabama are not available. The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) does not have specific data on the race of its athletes. A 2022 National Center for Health Statistics study found that in 2020, about 60% of non-Hispanic white students aged 6-17 had participated in sports in the last year, compared to about 47% of Hispanic students and 42% of Black students. Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, said in an interview last week that English and a second language (ESL) and ELL students are not a direct correlation to high school teams not having enough participation. 'If a school's population is growing, then maybe that's what they need to address how they're classifying,' Hamilton said. 'In general, I think it's discriminatory to choose to change classification based on ESL participation.' DeKalb County is 16.4% Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 census. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 82% of the student body identified as Hispanic or Latino in the 2023-24 school year. Peppers said most of the Hispanic students start working in high school instead of participating in sports. 'So once they get old enough, 15, to be able to work, they prefer their kids not to play sports,' he said. 'They want them to get jobs to help pay for the bills.' Hamilton said that while Hispanic students are working while in school, that is not unique to Hispanic families. 'I mean for sure, there are students that are choosing to take jobs after school so that they can help their families. I think that's not just true of Hispanic families, but of many low income students,' she said. The Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (HICA) said in a statement last week it could not comment on the specifics of the bill. 'We can say that Hispanic students, like all other students, enjoy the opportunity to participate in sports programs throughout the states,' Carlos Alemán, CEO of HICA, wrote. 'Our Hispanic students also participate in post-secondary opportunities across the state, and they are one of the fastest-growing populations in our community colleges and universities.' Peppers said he plans to bring back the varsity football team this year, but the team will consist of seventh to 12th graders. There are currently 40 kids signed up for the varsity football team this fall. 'That's been our downfall of our football program. They're making us play against schools that have kids that are bigger, stronger, faster than us,' he said. 'You know, we play the kids we have that's never played football before.' Attempts to schedule an interview with the AHSAA were unsuccessful, but the association has been vocal in its opposition to the legislation. Heath Harmon, executive director of the AHSAA, said in an April statement that he is disappointed by the legislation because it would discourage ELL students from participating in sports in the name of keeping a lower classification. Colvin challenged the position saying the legislation does not prohibit ELL students from participating in sports, and they would still be counted towards the classification if they did participate. 'It's emotional and maybe there's some resentment towards the immigration population, but I think if we can get this issue fixed, it at least takes away that piece of frustration when it comes to immigration,' Colvin said Monday. 'I think it would actually lead to more assimilation, more maybe even working with these ELL kids to try to get them more involved in sports, because if they play, they count.' Peppers said the varsity football team was the only team that was paused because of low participation and high injury. He said the school's soccer team often has to make cuts to make room for all the interested kids. 'The only sport that's probably not affected is our soccer program,' Peppers said. Hamilton said that the Coalition had many members 'whose children are participating in athletic events at their schools.' 'I think that the concern I have is just that this bill seems to be potentially harmful for schools that have a significant English language learner population, limiting their ability to qualify for athletic competition.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House approves regulations for AHSAA classification on English language learners
Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville (right) speaks with Rep. Parker Moore, R-Hartselle on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 22, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House passed Colvin's bill Tuesday that excludes certain English language learner (ELLs) students from a public school's average daily membership when determining athletic competition classification. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would exclude certain English language learner (ELL) students from a public school's average daily membership when determining athletic competition classification. HB 298, sponsored by Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, passed 72-1 with 29 abstentions and many floor amendments. 'So it's not saying they can't play. I would never support that. It's just saying, they'd only count for that classification if they do participate,' Colvin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The chamber adopted a committee substitute that only allowed schools where ELL students make up 15% or more of its average daily membership (ADM) to have their classification adjusted. 'That concern came from school systems under 15, saying it wasn't covered. And I agree, every school needs to be able to utilize the formula,' Colvin said. But the first amendment by Rep. Danny Crawford, R-Athens, allows any schools to adjust their classification regardless of how many ELL students the school has. 'So the fairest thing to do is to treat everybody the same and not have winners and losers,' Crawford said. The second amendment by Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, changed the effective date to the 2026-27 school year, instead of the 2025-26 school year. He said that classifications are determined by the ADM from the previous year. 'So all this amendment does is make sure that if this piece of legislation passes, it will not impact the 2025-2026 athletic calendar year,' Blackshear said. The third and final amendment by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, requires the governing body of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) to have two additional non-voting members from the Legislature. The Speaker of the House will appoint a member from the minority party and the Senate President Pro Tempore will appoint a member of the majority party to the AHSAA board. 'I'm just trying to start getting a little bit of oversight there,' Hulsey said. Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, said a school in her district dissolved their varsity football program because the school was classified as a 5A school when she said it should have been 2A. She said the number of ELL students in the district changed the classification. 'My schools there are the poster children for exactly what you're talking about,' she said. 'It's a very big concern, there's a lot of injury and low participation. That's why they've not been able to have a varsity program for quite some time now.' Crossville High School in DeKalb County has not had a varsity football team since 2022, but is set to return in 2026, according to the county's local news outlet the Times-Journal. Heath Harmon, executive director of the AHSAA, said in a statement that he is disappointed by the legislation because it would discourage ELL students from participating in sports in the name of keeping a lower classification. He also said the third amendment on the legislation would make the AHSAA the only private association with mandated political representation. 'We strive to keep politics out of the boardroom and focus on doing what is best for all student athletes,' he wrote in the statement. 'As an Association, we are committed to supporting all member schools in all sports in addition to promoting participation. This bill is in direct opposition to those commitments.' Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, was the lone 'no' vote on the legislation. He said in an interview that he does not believe the Legislature should be involved in the AHSAA's policies. 'I don't feel the Legislature should be getting involved in the Alabama High School Athletic Association's policies no more than I feel Congress should be involved in the NCAA and their policies as well,' he said. 'It's sort of a standard I feel at both levels of government.' The bill goes to the Senate. There are four legislative days left in the 2025 session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
People who abandon pets could face a year in jail under Alabama legislation
Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, listens to a budget presentation in the Alabama Statehouse on Feb. 6, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. Colvin's bill would make pet abandonment a Class A misdemeanor with penalties of up to a year in jail and $6,000 in fines. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee approved a bill that would establish a separate criminal offense for abandoning dogs and cats. HB 249, sponsored by Rep. Brock Colvin, R- Albertville, which cleared the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee on a voice vote Wednesday, would define 'abandon' as leaving a dog or cat 'at a location without providing minimum reasonable care' and classify the crime as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying penalties of up to one year in jail and fines of up to $6,000. 'People are just dropping their dogs off on the side of the road, letting them roam around,' Colvin said to the committee, adding that it's a prevalent issue in his home district that causes accidents and puts people at risk of dog bites. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under current law, animal abandonment falls under Alabama's broader definition of animal cruelty. While severe cases of cruelty can be prosecuted as felonies, abandonment is not a distinct offense, Colvin said. The legislation pulls abandonment out of the state's cruelty statute and makes it a criminal offense. Supporters say that separating abandonment into its own statute will improve enforcement. The American Kennel Club (AKC), which backs the legislation, said in a recent statement that the bill would provide 'better clarity regarding the illegality of abandoning a dog or cat in Alabama and the penalties a person may be subject to if convicted of doing so.' 'Proper care and humane treatment includes an adequate and nutritious diet, clean water, safe and clean living and travel conditions, regular veterinary care, kind and responsive human companionship, and training in appropriate behavior,' according to the AKC. The bill was amended in committee to include an exemption for people who trap, neuter and return feral cats to their original locations. Some lawmakers questioned how the law would be enforced, asking Colvin how someone would prove an animal was abandoned, raising concerns that cases would be difficult to prosecute without evidence. Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, asked if it could be enforced based on an accusation, since it could turn into 'my word against yours.' Colvin said that it would have to be proven in court. For people who no longer want a dog they have, Colvin said, there are animal shelters where people can surrender them. 'I just don't believe the right course of action is to throw your dog off the side of the road,' he said. Alabama has some of the weakest animal protection laws in the country, ranking 49th in a 2023 report from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The report cited the state's lack of legal protections for seized animals, as well as minimal penalties for cockfighting. The bill heads to the House floor for a vote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
