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Pressure grows on Ivey for a wider opening of the economy

An estimated 82 protestors from the Small Business Coalition, that opposes the state’s “safer-at-home” restrictions, marched from Montgomery’s Crampton Bowl, to the Statehouse and on to the front steps of the Alabama Capitol Building on Tuesday. The protestors carried flags and signs while urging Gov. Kay Ivey to lift the restrictions placed on the economy … Continued

Brandon Moseley

May 6, 2020

Opinion

The legislative session has restarted. So have the shenanigans

Let the shenanigans begin! You had to know that when Republicans — not exactly known for their courageous governance in the best of times — kept pressing for a shortened legislative session in the middle of a pandemic that something … shady was afoot. It has taken less than two days for that shadiness to … Continued

Josh Moon

May 6, 2020

Alabama COVID-19 cases rising at pace not seen since early April

After a dip in new reported COVID-19 cases beginning around April 12, the number of new cases being reported in Alabama per day is trending back up again as the state on Tuesday reported its largest daily increase since April 9. The rise in cases comes as the death toll in Alabama surpassed 300 on … Continued

Chip Brownlee

May 5, 2020

State superintendent says challenges await when students return to class

Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey said Tuesday that as public schools plan to reopen for in-person instruction in the fall, school nurses could play a critical role in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus that shuttered them. Mackey, speaking with reporters and members of the Alabama House Democratic Caucus in a webinar session Tuesday, said … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 5, 2020

AlabamaWorks business survey shows pandemic’s impact

Nearly 1,800 business owners across the state participated in the Alabama COVID-19 Workforce Response Survey. Developed by AlabamaWorks, the survey results provide an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on Alabama’s employers and will, ultimately, help determine how private industry and state government together can best support the economy and get people back to work. … Continued

May 5, 2020

Senate committee OKs bill to extend unemployment for six months

On Monday legislature returns to work after a lengthy absence due to the coronavirus crisis. The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee met on Monday. The committee gave a favorable report to a Labor Department bill, HB351. The committee amended the bill so that during a state of emergency Alabamians who became unemployed can draw … Continued

Brandon Moseley

May 5, 2020

Senate bill would shield businesses, other entities from coronavirus lawsuits

The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee on Monday gave a favorable report to a bill that would make it harder for persons to sue others for their coronavirus infection. SB351 is sponsored by Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee Chairman Arthur Orr, R-Decatur. This bill would provide civil immunity for business entities, health … Continued

Brandon Moseley

May 5, 2020

Seventh Alabama inmate tests positive for COVID-19

An inmate at the St. Clair Correctional Facility has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the seventh state inmate to test positive for the virus, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced late Monday. The man tested positive “while he was at a local hospital where he received care for a non-COVID-19 related preexisting medical condition,” ADOC’s … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 4, 2020

Widely cited model projects eightfold increase to Alabama death toll

The COVID-19 model that has been widely cited by officials in Alabama and the White House’s coronavirus task force has been updated again, delivering a dire new projection that Alabama could see an eight-fold increase to its death toll by August and a new peak by late June or early July. But for Alabama, in … Continued

Chip Brownlee

May 4, 2020

Long-term care facilities linked to nearly 40 percent of Alabama COVID-19 deaths

Nearly 40 percent of Alabama’s COVID-19 deaths have been among long-term care facility residents. As of Monday, 107 long-term care facility residents have died from the virus, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The 107 reported deaths among long-term care facility residents account for 36.1 percent of the state’s 296 COVID-19 deaths, as … Continued

Chip Brownlee

May 4, 2020