Presented by

The Business Council of Alabama

Good morning!

Here’s your Daily News for Monday, August 9.

 

1. Nearly all Alabama COVID deaths among unvaccinated

• Since the pandemic began, just 26 of the 11,600 people in Alabama who have died of COVID-19 were fully vaccinated, State Health Officer Scott Harris said.
• And most of the nearly 2,000 COVID-19 patients currently in state hospitals are also unvaccinated, he said.
• Harris released the numbers as the state tries to boost lagging vaccination rates. Health officials say recent cases resulting in severe illness and death could have largely been prevented if people had gotten inoculated.
• The state has seen a sharp uptick in cases and hospitalizations, prompting renewed warnings from health officials for precautions such as wearing masks, in addition to the continued call for vaccinations.
• The number of people hospitalized stood at 1,968 on Saturday, the highest the state has seen since late January. The Alabama Department of Public Health is expected to update those numbers later today.
• Read more from Kim Chandler HERE.

 

2. Growing demand, industry support lead to state investment in electric vehicle chargers

• Earlier this summer, the State of Alabama awarded 18 grants worth more than $4 million to help private entities add electric vehicle charging stations for public use. However, during the process, the state received 76 applications requesting more than $18 million.
• “Eighteen million dollars in requests does show the demand for these charging stations,” Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, told Alabama Daily News.
• Now, ADECA is working on a statewide EV charging plan that will show where stations are needed, including along evacuation routes.
• In 2019, Gov. Kay Ivey and lawmakers approved a 10-cent-per-gallon fuel tax increase. The legislation also placed an annual $200 fee on electric vehicles and a $100 annual fee on hybrid vehicles and created the ElectricTransportation Charging Infrastructure Grant Program. In the 2022 General Fund budget, lawmakers allocated $2 million for EV charging station grants.
• While EVs are marketed as a cleaner alternative to gas and diesel-fueled vehicles, Alabama leaders’ interest in the industry is more than being climate friendly. Electric vehicles are becoming a larger part of the state’s auto industry.
• Read the full feature story from Mary Sell and see maps for where stations are expected HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A message from

The Business Council of Alabama

• Small businesses have been the heartbeat of our hometowns for generations, and over the past year and a half, they’ve held us up more than ever. It hasn’t been easy, but they’ve fought mightily to keep their doors open and support our communities.

• Here at the Business Council of Alabama, we want to say a heartfelt “Thank you.” We couldn’t have gotten through this without you. You’re not just a business. You’re our neighbors and our friends. You were there for us, and we at the Business Council are here for you.

• Learn more about BCA and watch our “thank you” video HERE.

 

 

 

 

3. Hurry up and wait in the Senate on infrastructure

• Often elusive, the political center is holding steady in the Senate as a coalition of Democratic and Republican senators brushes off critics to push the $1 trillion infrastructure package toward final passage.
• On the left, the Democrats have withstood the complaints of liberals who say the proposal falls short of what’s needed to provide a down payment on one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities.
• From the right, the Republicans are largely ignoring the criticism from their most conservative voices, including a barrage of name-calling from former President Donald Trump as he tries to derail the package.
• All told, some 70 senators appear poised to carry the bipartisan infrastructure bill to passage, a potentially robust tally of lawmakers eager to tap the billions in new spending it will unleash for public works projects back home.
• As many as 20 Republicans are expected to join Democrats in what would be a big vote on final passage. Overcoming a 60-vote hurdle Saturday with backing from 18 Republicans was a sign that the bipartisan tenuous alliance could hold on the public works package.
• Alabama Sens. Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville, both Republicans, voted against invoking cloture.
• A final vote on passage is expected early Tuesday morning.
• Once voting wraps up, senators immediately will turn to the budget outline for a $3.5 trillion package of child care, elder care and other programs that is a much more partisan undertaking and expected to draw only Democratic support.
• Read more HERE.

 

 

4. Board lets Amtrak move ahead with Gulf Coast passenger plan

• A government agency turned down objections from freight railroads Friday and let Amtrak move ahead with procedural work to resume passenger train service between New Orleans and Mobile.
• The Surface Transportation Board dismissed objections from CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway and let Amtrak continue with its attempt to gain access to freight lines for passenger trains, which it hopes to begin operating along the Gulf Coast in January.
• The region has been without passenger service since Hurricane Katrina badly damaged tracks and equipment in 2005. Before that, passenger trains ran between New Orleans and Mobile three times a week.
• While Louisiana and Mississippi have supported a resumption, partly in hopes of increasing tourism, Alabama has withheld funding over concern that Amtrak trains would interfere with freight service at the Port of Mobile. The board said the lack of unanimous state support showed the need for a hearing to consider issues surrounding passenger service.
• The Southern Rail Commission, which supports the new service, said in a statement it was “especially pleased” that the board found no need for an environmental review and set an “aggressive” hearing schedule to move the project along.
• Read more HERE.

 

 

5. Bobby Bowden remembered as legend on and off field

• Bobby Bowden did it all.
• Not only did he put Florida State on the map by taking the Seminoles from afterthought to dynasty, he left an indelible mark on the game with a rare combination of coaching acumen, gracious demeanor and a compassion for those he coached and competed against.
• The beloved, folksy Hall of Fame coach who built one of the most prolific college football programs in history died early Sunday at 91 at his home in Tallahassee, Florida, surrounded by his wife Ann and their six children following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Bobby’s son, Terry, called his passing “truly peaceful.”
• And while he’s gone, the Birmingham native’s legacy as a top-notch coach — and human being — will live on.
• Read the full obituary HERE.

 

 

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