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Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alabama governor overhauls state's largest water utility despite cries of racial discrimination
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The city of Birmingham is one step closer to losing control over Alabama's largest water utility after the governor signed a bill on Wednesday that would give more power to neighboring suburbs, despite a pending federal lawsuit alleging the move would constitute racial discrimination. The bill redistributes power from Birmingham city officials — who currently appoint a majority of the nine-person board — to the governor, the lieutenant governor and the surrounding four counties that are also in the board's jurisdiction. It also reduces the number of board members to seven. Board members approve rate hikes and manage infrastructure projects for the utility's 770,000 customers. The state Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill, and the House of Representatives voted along party lines. FILE - Alabama Governor Kay Ivey visits the sidelines during an NCAA football game between Troy and Arkansas State, Oct. 7, 2023, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File) 'No doubt, this is an important issue to all those residents served by this utility board. The Alabama Legislature overwhelmingly passed SB330, and I was pleased to sign it into law,' Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said in a written statement. Proponents of the bill point to frequent rate hikes, old infrastructure and recent scandals. The legislation said that the power transfer will prevent catastrophic events that have happened in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, or Detroit, Michigan. Opponents say that the restructured board wouldn't solve the utility's problems. Five counties rely on the Birmingham Water Works Board. Over 40% of customers are concentrated in the city of Birmingham, and 91% are in Jefferson County. The new system would give more weight to Jefferson County's neighboring areas that have only a fraction of the customers, but which house some of the reservoirs that supply the system. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up Mayor Randall Woodfin and city council members filed a federal lawsuit against Ivey on Tuesday, alleging that the legislation 'constitutes blatant racial discrimination' because it gives the majority-white suburbs disproportionate influence and takes power away from Birmingham, a majority-Black city where close to half of the utility's customers live. 'We live in America, representation matters. It matters at all levels of government — the federal level, the state level, the local level,' Woodfin said at a press conference on Tuesday. U.S. Chief District Judge Emily C. Marks declined to temporarily block the bill from going into effect on Tuesday evening without first hearing oral arguments from either side. She set a hearing for May 15. ____ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
More than half the SEC will have new QBs in 2025, though some changes come with continuity
Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, red shorts, stands with Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) between plays during Alabama's A-Day NCAA college football practice and autograph session, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) is also pictured. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) Georgia Red Team quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) looks to pass the ball during the NCAA college football team's spring game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) FILE - Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File) Georgia Red Team quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) celebrates with teammates after throwing a touchdown pass during the NCAA college football team's spring game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) Florida's injured quarterback DJ Lagway, (2) signs autographs during the Orange and Blue spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP) Florida's injured quarterback DJ Lagway, (2) signs autographs during the Orange and Blue spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP) Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, red shorts, stands with Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) between plays during Alabama's A-Day NCAA college football practice and autograph session, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) is also pictured. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) Georgia Red Team quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) looks to pass the ball during the NCAA college football team's spring game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) FILE - Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Alabama, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File) Georgia Red Team quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) celebrates with teammates after throwing a touchdown pass during the NCAA college football team's spring game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) Florida's injured quarterback DJ Lagway, (2) signs autographs during the Orange and Blue spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP) More than half the teams in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference will have new starting quarterbacks this fall. Many of the changes were expected. Some were needed. All of them will be overly dissected before training camps open in August. Advertisement Alabama ( Jalen Milroe ), Auburn (Payton Thorne) Missouri (Brady Cook), Ole Miss ( Jaxson Dart ) and Texas ( Quinn Ewers ) lost entrenched starters to the NFL. But those typical progressions were hardly the norm elsewhere. Georgia's Carson Beck transferred to Miami. Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava bailed on a $2.4 million name, image and likeness deal and ended up at UCLA. Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold landed at Auburn. And Kentucky's Brock Vandagriff retired from football after getting benched. 'A new day and age in football,' said current Florida backup quarterback Harrison Bailey, who previously played at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville. 'I'm glad I'm getting out of it.' The burgeoning transfer portal — the lure of more money or a better opportunity elsewhere, really — continues to create roster turnover in college football, and no school appears safe from the chaos. Advertisement Not even the SEC, which has every head coaching returning for the first time since 2019 and for just the second time since 2005. Despite all the different faces under center, 10 SEC schools are poised to start the season with some level of continuity at the all-important QB position. The holdovers Arkansas' Taylen Green, Florida's DJ Lagway, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Mississippi State's Blake Shapen, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, Texas A&M's Marcel Reed and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia have significant experience in their current systems. Sellers, though, has a new offensive coordinator, former Alabama coach Mike Shula. Advertisement Green could make a jump in his second year under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Lagway and Sellers, athletic big men with above-average arms, look like budding stars who could carry improving teams to the College Football Playoff. Nussmeier is entering his third year in coach Brian Kelly's system. Shapen, a sixth-year senior, is healthy again. Reed flashed early last season before losing four of his final starts as a freshman. And Pavia was a bright spot for the Commodores, finishing with 20 touchdown passes and four interceptions. The not-so-newcomers Georgia's Gunner Stockton came up big in last year's SEC championship game against Texas and should benefit from sitting behind Beck the last two seasons. Ole Miss is confident Austin Simmons will step in for Dart and keep the Rebels rolling. And the Longhorns have been waiting two years for Arch Manning to take the spotlight. Advertisement 'I hope he's got a really hard decision to make around January 21,' Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told the Houston Touchdown Club this week. 'That means we played a long time. That means he played a really good season. And that means he's trying to figure out do I want one more year in the burnt orange or is it time to go to the NFL? 'I hope it's a really hard decision. I hope it's not a no-brainer to come back to school.' Everyone else The six remaining schools – Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee – have varying degrees of uncertainty about their QBs following spring football. Advertisement Alabama is turning to Ty Simpson. Auburn is expected to go with transfer Jackson Arnold. Kentucky is taking a chance with transfer Zach Calzada, who is entering his seventh collegiate season. Missouri appears content with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who signed a $1.5 million NIL. Oklahoma believes its new duo from Washington State – quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle – will pay immediate dividends. Tennessee might have the most to figure out. The Volunteers ended up with UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar in a pseudo trade. But Aguilar still has to beat out Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre for the job. 'I'm looking forward to being a part of the traditions, the fans, and the legacy of winning at Tennessee,' Aguilar wrote on social media. 'I'm ready to get to work, compete at the highest level and building something special with my teammates and coaches. I can't wait to get to Rocky Top!' Advertisement ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
