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the Poarch Band of Creek Indians

1. Ivey: Can we stop labeling schools as ‘failing’?

• Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday indicated she’d like to stop labeling some Alabama schools as “failing.”
• At an Alabama State Board of Education meeting, Ivey, who presides as president of the board, asked if the term could be changed.
• “I know that the law says you have to identify the bottom 6%, can we call them something else besides failing?” Ivey asked.
• The board seems to agree, as do many education advocates. Lawmakers say they’ve been trying the change the label for some time, though nothing has ever passed.
• Now those involved are talking about marrying the Alabama Accountability Act with the school report card standards.
• That’s a complicated endeavor. Suffice to say that Ivey got an interesting conversation going.
• Read the full story from Caroline Beck HERE.

2. Griffin won’t recuse

• A state judge on Thursday refused to step aside in a lawsuit over who is in control of the Alabama Democratic Party as one side of the dispute pushed for the case to be dismissed.
• Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin said he won’t recuse in the lawsuit brought by longtime chair Nancy Worley. Defendants had asked Griffin to step aside because of longstanding ties to party officer Joe Reed, who supports Worley. Griffin did not elaborate on his reasons in the one-page order.
• Both Worley and state Rep. Chris England say they are the properly elected party chair.
• Read more of the basics HERE.
• Also read a more in-depth story from Brian Lyman Montgomery Advertiser HERE.

A message from

the Poarch Band of Creek Indians

3. Impeachment: Day Two

• The House will hear from a singular witness today in the Trump impeachment hearings: Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was targeted by the president’s allies in a “smear” campaign now central to the inquiry.
• She and other officials now testifying publicly in the historic House hearings scrambled to understand President Donald Trump’s actions, providing revelatory accounts that Democrats are now relying on to make the case that the president’s behavior is impeachable.
• In particular, Yovanovitch and others have described Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, as leading what one called an “irregular channel” outside the diplomatic mainstream of U.S.- Ukraine relations.
• In an interesting shift, Democrats are no longer using the phrase “quid pro quo” to describe Trump’s behavior, perhaps an indication that Republicans’ messaging that military aid was eventually sent to Ukraine is having an impact.
• Read more and watch the hearing live HERE.

4. Crowell ineligible for probate court

• Less than 24 hours after retired Gen. Ed Crowell had been appointed as Montgomery County Probate Judge, the appointment had to be rescinded due to his age.
• Gov. Kay Ivey appointed Crowell on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning, it became clear that Crowell was aged out of the job.
• The state constitution bars anyone over the age of 70 from qualifying to be a judge. That applies to both campaigns and appointments alike.
• It turns out Crowell is 70, so he can’t serve as probate judge. It’s back to the drawing board for the Governor’s Office to fill the vacancy created when Steven Reed was elected Mayor of Montgomery.
• ADN’s Mary Sell broke this story yesterday, and you can read her full report HERE.

5. Stacy column: An Audience of One

• As a has-been politico and current hack pundit, you could say I’m a connoisseur of campaign stagecraft. I’m always interested in the different ways candidates and their consultants try to reach people, particularly via earned media, and it all starts with the announcement.
• This election cycle, candidates have chosen all types of different campaign announcements. Actually, some have chosen not to have one at all.
• The one I found interesting was that of Jeff Sessions, who upset the political applecart last week when he jumped into the race to reclaim his old Senate seat.
• At first I was confused as to why he would go on Tucker Carlson and announce his candidacy on live TV. Then I watched what happened, and now I get it.
• Here’s an excerpt from my latest column:

• Read the full piece HERE.

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