Presented by the

Alabama Accountability Act Coalition

 

 

 

1. State defends prison staffing numbers

• The Alabama Department of Corrections is defending its hiring of a new class of easier-to-train, lesser paid correctional officers as contributing to its staffing numbers and prison safety.
• Meanwhile, state leaders, including the governor, say more needs to be done to attract qualified correctional officers.
• U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson earlier this month ordered a breakdown of ADOC staffing. Thompson previously ordered ADOC to hire about 2,000 additional correctional officers by 2022 and quarterly ADOC staffing reports are now required.
• A new court filing shows that from June 30 to September 30, ADOC lost 41 correctional officers, leaving just 1,040. However, the department added 126 basic correctional officers, bringing that classification to 182.
• This month, Thompson said he was worried that even though staffing numbers appeared to be increasing, the type of officers being hired might not improve safety in the prisons.
• In the latest filings, ADOC contends that the basic correctional officers’ training meets all the requirements that COs must reach except for the physical fitness requirements and firearms training.
• “Generally speaking, the minor differences between the qualifications for BCOs and correctional officers only restrict BCOs from carrying firearms, conducting inmate transports requiring an armed officer, and filling perimeter security posts,” the filing said.
• ADOC says it has hired more than 340 basic correctional officers in the last seven months, “undeniably improving correctional staffing across the state of Alabama.”
• Read the full story, including reactions from Gov. Kay Ivey and state lawmakers HERE.

 

2. New Senate poll tests general election

• A new Senate poll is out, but it’s not the usual GOP primary horserace numbers we’ve been pouring over all Fall. (FWIW, a breakdown of the last five Senate polls is available via Inside Alabama Politics HERE.)
• Louisiana-based JMC Analytics on Sunday released a survey of Alabama’s general electorate looking at the re-election prospects of Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.
• Much of the survey shows what you’d expect: opposition to the impeachment of President Donald Trump, not-so strong reelect numbers for Jones across the board, but better among younger voters.
• Perhaps the most interesting results were the head-to-head numbers between Jones and the different GOP candidates.
• Tommy Tuberville fared the best against Jones at 47-40-13.
• Any guess who fared the worst? Yep, former Chief Justice Roy Moore. Jones beats him in a head-to-head 47-33-20.
• This is a different kind of survey that most of us aren’t used to. It uses “hybrid” methods of contacting voters, including both robo calls and text messaging.
• Also, it’s worth pointing out that while it claims to survey “likely” households, it includes voters who haven’t voted once in the last four elections. Including people who didn’t bother to vote for president in 2016 in a sample testing Senate race is, well, problematic.
• Anyway, read more and see the full poll results HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A message from the

Alabama Accountability Act Coalition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Increased trooper presence during holidays

• State troopers will have an elevated presence on Alabama roadways during the holiday travel period.
• The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says all available state troopers will be assigned to patrol state roadways. The holiday travel period lasts from 12:01 a.m. Dec. 20 to midnight Jan. 1.
• “Our goal is simply to save lives,” Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Hal Taylor said.
• The state law enforcement agency is urging people to: (1) obey speed limits; (2) buckle up; (3) do not drive while under the influence or while distracted; and (3) don’t follow other vehicles too closely.
• Be safe out there, everyone!
• Full story HERE.

 

4. Evangelical tussling over anti-Trump editorial escalates

• A top Christian magazine’s editorial calling for President Donald Trump’s removal has caused quite the clamor in the evangelical community, particularly the part that plays a lot in political issues.
• Christianity Today, a magazine founded by revered evangelist Billy Graham in the 1950s, last week featured an editorial calling the president’s conduct “profoundly immoral” and supporting his removal from office, just as it did with Bill Clinton in the 90s.
• On Sunday, more than 100 conservative evangelical figures closed ranks around Trump, co-authoring a scathing letter to CT’s leadership.
• “Your editorial offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations,” the group wrote.
• Though no groundswell of new anti-Trump sentiment emerged among evangelicals in the wake of Christianity Today’s editorial, the president fired off scathing tweets Friday accusing the establishment magazine of becoming a captive of the left.
• The magazine’s president, Timothy Dalrymple ran a response of his own response Sunday. Countering Trump’s suggestion that the magazine had shifted to favor liberals, Dalrymple wrote that the publication is in fact “theologically conservative” and “does not endorse candidates.”
• Read the full story plus all the links to the other articles HERE.

 

 

5. Bradley Byrne: Alabama will see benefits from new trade deal

• During last week’s crazy news cycle, you could be forgiven if you overlooked a significant story: a new North American trade deal with Canada and Mexico cleared the House and is now on its way to final passage.
• Congressman Bradley Byrne contributes an op-ed for today’s Daily News emphasizing some of the benefits of the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). In particular, Byrne says the new agreement will “unlock new opportunities” for the state’s agriculture and automotive sectors to keep the economy “humming.”
• Here’s an excerpt:

• Read the full op-ed HERE.

 

News Briefs

Parts of popular state park closed after Alabama tornado

• ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — It’s unclear when a popular north Alabama state park that was hit by a tornado will be fully reopened.
• The lodge, marina and some other sections of Joe Wheeler State Park are operating following Monday’s strike by what forecasters determined was an EF-1 twister. But the campground and day-use areas were badly damaged, and park officials said clearing away fallen trees and other debris will take time.
• The park is on the Tennessee River at Rogersville. The weather service said it was struck by a twister with 110 mph maximum winds that left a trail of damage as wide as 500 yards.

Landmark fountain on Alabama campus breaks; repairs planned

• FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — Officials at the University of North Alabama are getting ready to repair a campus landmark.
• Part of a three-tiered fountain on a plaza at the school entrance collapsed on Wednesday, raining pieces of a limestone bowl down into the pool below.
• An assistant vice president for facilities, Michael Gautney, tells the TimesDaily that workers will take apart much of what’s left of the structure and decide how to replace it.
• He says the fountain was made with limestone obtained from Florence, Italy, in a nod to the university’s location in the northwest Alabama city of Florence.
• The fountain was dedicated in October 2002 through a $600,000 endowment from donors. Cracks developed on the limestone bowls, and the frequent freezing and thawing from temperature changes during winter aggravated problems.
• “It’s always been a challenge,” Gautney said. “Being elevated, the wind-chill factor plays into it, as well.”

• GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama youth evangelist was sentenced Friday to more than 1,000 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child-sex charges.
• Al.com reports that a judge handed down the maximum sentence on every count to Paul Edward Acton Bowen. Bowen had pleaded guilty in Etowah County to 28 counts involving six boys between the ages of 13 and 16.
• The 39-year-old Bowen faced charges that include sexual abuse, sodomy, enticing a child for sex and traveling to meet a child for sexual abuse. He still faces other charges in the Birmingham area.
• Victims and family members wept as the judge slowly read out the maximum sentence and fine on every count, the newspaper reported.
• The shackled minister apologized to his own family and victims in the courtroom.
• “The shame and guilt I feel is overwhelming and has been for a long time,” he said. “My heart was never wanting to hurt anybody but my mind was not well.”
• He had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disorder.
• Bowen was arrested on sex abuse charges last year. Authorities say additional victims came forward after he was in jail.
• Bowen was a Christian minister who wrote books, ran his own youth ministry and traveled to speak at youth events.
• Bowen pleaded guilty as his first trial was set to begin.

 

 

 

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