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1. Bills seek benefits changes.

• Legislation being considered in the Alabama State House could offer better retirement benefits to public school teachers and many city and county government employees as well.
• In 2013, the Legislature created a Tier II-level of benefits for newly-hired state employees within the Retirement Systems of Alabama as a cost-saving measure for the state. Unlike Tier I employees, Tier II employees can’t retire at any age after 25 years of service, but must wait until they’re 62 to begin drawing benefits. Their retirement benefits are also less than those of Tier I employees. Local governments who participate in RSA had to also adopt the Tier II for new employees.
• House Bill 61 would let cities and counties opt back into Tier I. Those local governments, and not the state, would pay the additional cost. Bill sponsor Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said the bill is particularly important for law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders.
• House Bill 77 by Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, creates a “Tier III” plan for education employees and allows them to retire after 30 years of service.
• The bill also increases the benefit multiplier, which determines how much retirees earn, from Tier II’s current 1.65 percent to 2 percent. Enrollees in the new plan would contribute .25 percent more of their pay to their retirement than Tier II members do.
• Baker’s bill is scheduled to be the subject of a public hearing in the House education budget committee today.
• Read the full story from ADN’s Mary Sell HERE.

 

2. Abortion bill stirs State House.

• Rep. Terri Collins made waves this week by introducing legislation that, if passed, would give Alabama the strictest abortion law in the country.
• House Bill 314 would ban all abortions after a woman is “known to be pregnant,” with exceptions for “lethal anomalies” and a “serious health risk” to the mother.
• The bill would make performing an abortion a felony. A woman receiving an abortion would not be held criminally culpable.
• The whole point is to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, Collins said.
• “It simply criminalizes abortion,” she said Tuesday. “Hopefully, it takes it all the way to the Supreme Court to overturn (Roe v Wade.)”
• Several states have taken up stricter abortion measures with pro-life advocates stating the same intention to get SCOTUS to take another look at Roe. But none have gone as far as Collins’ bill.
• Planned Parenthood called the bill “blatantly unconstitutional” and “a death sentence for women across this state.”
• Challenging constitutionality is the whole point, Collins said.
• Read more from Kim Chandler HERE.
• Also read stories from Al,com’s Mike Cason HERE, The Advertiser’s Brian Lyman HERE, WSFA’s Lydia Nussbaum HERE and ABC33/40’s Lauren Walsh HERE.

 

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3. Byrne raises big.

• Congressman Bradley Byrne raised more than $1.2 million in the first quarter of 2019.
• That puts Byrne at more than $2 million cash on hand for his 2020 Senate run.
• Seth Morrow, who was recently named Campaign Manager for Byrne, said, “Bradley’s strong network of grassroots supporters are building a winning campaign, and these numbers are yet another sign of our momentum.”
• Morrow shared the fundraising numbers exclusively with Alabama Daily News. Campaign finance reports will be made public April 15.
• $1.2 million is a monster fundraising quarter. I was thinking $500K would have been strong for Byrne. Remember, federal candidates have to raise money in small chunks, with $2,800 being the individual donor limit ($5,000 for PACs).
• $2 million COH clearly gives Byrne a large financial advantage in the still very early Senate race.
• It could also give pause to some others who were considering a run.

 

4. Skip Tucker: ‘The finger of God.’

• Skip Tucker is back this week (and aren’t we glad he is).
• This week’s column is about the devastating wrath of tornadoes.
• Today marks 45 years since 1974 tornado in Guin, Alabama, that killed 28 people and was one of the strongest storms ever recorded.
• His sister, Beth Tucker, experienced the twister up close and personal.
• Here’s an excerpt:

• Read the full column HERE.

5. News Briefs

• Word is the Department of Justice is set to release its investigative report today on the conditions of state prisons.
• As you would imagine, it probably won’t be pretty.
• Since 2016, DOJ has been conducting a CRIPA (Civil Rights of Institutional Persons Act) investigation in Alabama prisons. They’re trying to find whether prisoners are subject to physical harm or sexual abuse, unsafe or unsanitary living conditions, or a general lack of security.
• The report will surely spur more discussion about efforts to improve prisons, including state budget allocations and Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to built three new state prisons.

• Voices for Alabama’s Children had a big day at the State Capitol Tuesday, rallying 1,000 people for their Child Advocacy Day.
• Gov. Kay Ivey and other state leaders participated and lauded the “Kids Count” effort, which aims to ensure children are counted in the 2020 census.
• “The census count will affect our great state on many levels, from our representation in Congress, to federal funding,” Gov. Ivey said.
• Watch the full story from Reshad Hudson HERE and read more from Brian Lyman HERE.

• The Southern Poverty Law Center has named an interim president after its founder was fired and its president resigned.
• The Alabama-based civil rights group announced Tuesday that Karen Baynes-Dunning is interim president. Baynes-Dunning, a former judge, served on the SPLC board since 2017.
• She is the first African-American woman to lead the group, which at times has been criticized for having mostly white leadership.
• The SPLC last month announced it had dismissed its founder, prominent civil rights attorney Morris Dees, for unspecified conduct. Longtime president Richard Cohen also announced he was stepping down.
• The SPLC says it’s bringing in an outside group to review its workplace practices.
• Baynes-Dunning says the SPLC will remain a leader at tackling discrimination, combatting hate and extremism and promoting anti-bias curriculum in public schools.

• President Donald Trump eased up on his threats to close the southern border as officials across his administration explored half-measures that might satisfy the president’s urge for action, like stopping only foot traffic at certain crossings.
• Facing a surge of Central American migrants trying to enter the U.S., Trump last week threatened to seal the border this week if Mexico did not immediately halt all illegal immigration into the U.S., a move that would have enormous economic consequences on both sides of the border.
• While Trump on Tuesday did not back off the idea completely, he said he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days and renewed his calls for Congress to make changes he contends would solve the problem.
• “Let’s see if they keep it done,” he said of Mexico. “Now, if they don’t, or if we don’t make a deal with Congress, the border’s going to be closed, 100%.” He also said that he might only close “large sections of the border” and “not all of it.” He added that his posturing was “the only way we’re getting a response.”
• Read more HERE.

 

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