06-02-2025
Birmingham residents react to Gov. Ivey's focus on inner-city crime
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Gov. Kay Ivey said her main priority is making Alabama safer.
She highlighted ways to fight crime in Alabama cities during her State of the State address Tuesday.
Lawmakers and Birmingham residents reacted to the governor's statements. They said they are encouraged by what they heard. Residents and lawmakers welcomed ways to fight crime and put an end to gun violence in Alabama cities.
George McCall is the president of the Ensley Neighborhood Association.
'I'm 85 years old. For all my life, I have lived in this area,' McCall said 'When I grew up, it was a fist fight. Now, it's no more fist fights. It's gun violence for revenge and stuff like that.'
Ivey addressed the gun violence McCall is speaking of in her Tuesday speech.
'We will crack down on inner-city violence by enhancing penalties for dangerous felons with guns,' Ivey said. 'We will expand Anaiah's law, boost our successful Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, ban Glock switches, and we will enhance supervision of high-risk juveniles.'
Alabama lawmakers talk Medicaid expansion
According to state Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham), the governor's comments and the laws she is talking about are backed by bipartisan support.
'The governor's package will pass — there is no way — this is politics 101,' Givan said. 'It is going to pass.'
Givan said there will be additional legislation that helps to stop gun violence in urban areas.
'We can deal with the Glock situation, and we are going to deal with that,' Givan said. 'We also have to deal with the fact that these killers are purchasing and stealing guns that they are reselling in the black market to these young people who have no business with these guns in their hands.'
Givan said she is drafting new bills that will support ending gun violence, as her goal is making Birmingham and other Alabama cities as safe as possible.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
