A bill defining sex as determined at birth passed the Alabama House Wednesday morning, and it’s now headed to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk — she’s already indicated she will sign the bill to codify it to Alabama law.
SB79 defines a female as someone whose reproductive system produces ova and a male as someone whose reproductive system produces sperm.
Transgender men and women, along with other allies, appeared at public hearings to oppose the bill, saying it would allow harassment and marginalization of transgender and intersex people.
The bill’s supporters say it would protect women and girls in spaces like restrooms and locker rooms.
“The purpose of this act is to bring clarity, certainty, and uniformity to the laws of Alabama regarding sex discrimination, equality of the sexes, and benefits or services specifically provided to males and men and to females and women,“ the bill says.
Republican leadership in the House unusually limited debate on the bill to 10 minutes, an aside from the usual process of allowing unlimited debate. Democrats said the 10-minute limit was unfair to their constituents.
Top Republicans said the time limit was to accommodate a busy day in the legislature, but Democrats decried the limit as unfair, saying they didn’t have enough time to discuss amendments.
A bill allowing state officials to appoint leaders for local police departments was expected to be approved, according to the sponsor of the bill. It will appear in the House County and Municipal Government Committee today.
HB 14 would allow the governor or attorney general to appoint a police chief if they determine there is an ongoing public safety risk. The appointee would not be subject to local oversight.
The bill says state officials can appoint an interim police chief if the state officials review local crime statistics, find the number of police officers is at least 30% less than the average numbers of law enforcement officers employed by that department in the previous 10 years, and consult with district attorneys and sheriffs.
Notably, the interim police chief would serve under the appointing authority — not the authority of the mayor, city council or other municipal official.
The interim chief would serve until the attorney general or governor determines the public safety threat no longer exists.
Montgomery and Birmingham have struggled to maintain staffing targets, according to reporting from the Alabama Reflector.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road), said an amendment would be introduced modifying the legislation to require that both the governor and attorney general jointly agree to appoint an interim police chief.
The move comes after Alabama Republicans and Gov. Kay Ivey said public safety was a top issue for this year’s legislation.
Members of delegations representing both Montgomery and Birmingham do not support the measure, one Montgomery Democrat calling the legislation “government overreach.”
One Birmingham legislator said police departments need more revenue for salaries — not outside management.
Some departments see staffing issues because in many cases potential officers must be hired by a police department before they’re allowed to attend the police academy.
Lovetown Fire, Cottonwood Fire, Ashford Fire, Pansey Fire, and Ashford Rescue were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 4:30 AM today. The fire was located in the 400 Block of Bobby Hall Road. Chief Dixon arrived on scene to find a fully involved home, with 2 exposures and a live wire down. Tanker arrived on scene and began a defensive attack. Cottonwood E3 was placed to protect the second exposure on the “D” side of the structure. Ashford Tanker, Cottonwood Tanker, and Lovetown Engine shuttled water form Antioch Church.
Dothan Utilities Crews need to have a power outage on Tuesday, February 11th, starting at 5:00 a.m. The outage should not last more than 1 hour.
The issue is on Reeves Street, inside the Ross Clark Circle (please see map for affected areas). The area will approximately be South of the Ross Clark Circle to Stough Street and East of Reeves Street to Ozark Street, Cordova Street, and Graduate Street.
City officials are expected to in the coming weeks vote on a permanent city manager, choosing between the man who’s been doing the job and two prospective newcomers.
CANDIDATE 1: Randy Morris has been employed with the City of Dothan for 26 years. He was raised in Ozark and graduated from a Wiregrass high school before graduating from the University of Alabama. He also served in the Navy for over three years, according to his LinkedIn. He’s been leading the city as interim city manager since April of last year after the city commission rejected to renew the previous city manager’s contract. Sources indicate Morris is the choice for Mayor Mark Saliba, D3 Bradley Bedwell and D6 David Crutchfield.
CANDIDATE 2: Rich Tucker is a high-ranking officer at Fort Novosel working with the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. He attended West Point after graduating from Appalachian State University, according to his LinkedIn. Online reports indicate he was deployed several times. Sources say he’s the preferred choice for D4 John Ferguson and D5 Gantt Pierce, who reportedly want a military man to take the job.
CANDIDATE 3: Redmond Jones has worked in several cities in managerial positions. Reports indicate he was removed from his position in Groveland, Florida, in 2016 after he was accused of covering up purchases by the former city’s police chief. He went to Iowa City afterward but resigned from that position last year. Online reports indicate he’s currently interviewing for a city manager position in Palatka, Florida.
It’s currently unclear which direction D1 Kevin Dorsey and D2 Aristotle Kirkland will go.
