1. China trade deal signed, USMCA on the way

• The United States and China reached a trade deal Wednesday that eases tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, offers massive export opportunities for U.S. farms and factories, and promises to do more to protect American trade secrets.
• Trump promoted the trade signing as a way of delivering economic justice for American workers he claims have been betrayed by past administrations and their trade policies.
• Closer to home, Alabama’s largest agriculture organization hailed the “phase one” deal with China as a “step in the right direction” for farmers who have been caught in the middle of the trade war.
• “This trade deal is a step in the right direction and a welcome sign for our farmers who have been dealing with low commodity prices,” said Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell. “We appreciate the administration fighting for better trade deals for agriculture.”
• Meanwhile, the Senate is set to give final passage to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will replace the unpopular North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.
• Republicans and the president have complained about how long it took to complete the negotiations, but the talks resulted in a rare mix of support for USMCA. The AFL-CIO, an association of trade unions, endorsed the measure along with scores of business and farm groups. The biggest holdouts are environmental groups, which continue to oppose the measure because it doesn’t address climate change.
• Read more about the trade deal with China HERE.

 

 

2. Bill named for fallen officer would allow wiretaps on suspected felony drug offenders

• Some lawmakers want Alabama law enforcement to be able to use wiretaps to pursue felony drug offenders.
• Rep. Rex Reynolds, a former Huntsville police chief, has pre-filed House Bill 14, which lays out the process for the Alabama Attorney General to submit applications to a circuit court judge to intercept wire or electronic communications under certain circumstances.
• “This bill is designed to go after drug trafficking organizations and pretty much dismantle them from the top,” Reynolds told Alabama Daily News.
• Reynolds sponsored a similar bill in 2019. It was approved by the House Judiciary Committee but never got a vote on the House floor.
• “Both Republicans and Democrats worked with me to get the support of the Judiciary Committee,” Reynolds said.
• This year, the bill is titled the “Agent Billy Clardy III Act.” Clardy, a Huntsville police officer and drug task force member, was shot and killed during a drug bust set up by authorities at a residence where they expected a suspect to drop off a large amount of drugs.
• “If this bill had been in place, (law enforcement) would have had another tool to go after that drug trafficker and collect additional information on that person before they effected an arrest,” Reynolds said.
• Full story from ADN’s Mary Sell HERE.

 

3. Wood hopes to decrease hot car deaths with new bill

• Legislation from Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston, would require day care facilities in Alabama to call a child’s guardian if the child is not at the center by 9:30 a.m.
• Wood told Alabama Daily News the goal is to prevent deaths if parents mistakenly leave their children in their cars.
• “People get caught up in their busy lifestyle nowadays and sometimes one parent isn’t accustomed to bringing their child to day care and then they get to work and leave the child in the back seat,” Wood said. “That has happened over and over again, and that’s what happened here.”
• The bill is titled the Cash Edwin Jordan Act, named after the 11-month-old boy who died after being left in the back seat of a car with his twin sister in Oxford last year. Their father forgot to take them to day care before going to work, according to media reports. They were left in the car for several hours.
• Full story from ADN’s Caroline Beck HERE.

 

 

4. Tuition increase for community colleges

• The Alabama Community College System board will vote next month on the $2-per-credit hour increase for the 2020-2021 academic year. It’ll generate about $3.5 million a year for the 23-college system.
• The slight tuition fee increase to $133 per credit hour will be used to better prepare future workers, system officials say.
• “We’re training Alabamians to enter a constantly changing workforce, which means our equipment and strategies are constantly updated to ensure our students leave us job ready,” Rachel Adams, ACCS’s communication and marketing administrator, said.
• According to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, the median annual tuition and fees at a two-year college is $4,800. Four-year colleges have an average annual tuition and fee rate for in-state students of $10,885. Other special costs or fees may be required depending on the program.
• Full story from ADN’s Caroline Beck HERE.

 

 

5. Jones hosts FAFSA workshops

• U.S. Sen. Doug Jones’ field offices will host a series of workshops across Alabama to help students and their families fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
• Last year, Jones coauthored bipartisan legislation that was signed into law to begin the process of simplifying the FAFSA. It made changes to the lengthy and often intimidating process and reduced the number of questions on the form from 108 to up to 22, his office said.
• In 2018, Alabama high school graduates missed out on an estimated $57.5 million in federal grants by not completing the FAFSA, according to information from Jones’ office. Only about half of Alabama’s graduates filled out the form, leaving millions in free college assistance on the table.
• Read more and see the schedule for the workshops HERE.

 

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