7. Ivey has signed legislation for new districts

• The redistricting bills that were approved by the Alabama Legislature have been signed by Governor Kay Ivey. These will be the new districts for the U.S. House of Representatives, State House Representatives, State Senate and Board of Education.
• Lines are redrawn every decade after the U.S. Census is taken, making this a fairly routine activity for the legislature. However, the focus was stolen during the special session as there were progressing efforts to block President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

6. The Steele dossier continues to fall apart, another arrest made

• The infamous Steele dossier which was used to attack former President Donald Trump’s campaign and his presidency appears to be falling apart more with each and every move of special counsel John Durham’s investigation.
• Igor Danchenko, who was apparently the main source for the Steele dossier, has been charged with five counts of lying to the FBI in interviews. His lies laid the groundwork for leaks to the media and the never-ending Trump/Russia investigation. This all appears to lead to a point where the only Russian collusion during the 2016 election was between the Clinton campaign and Russians.

5. Biden agenda faces big test today

• Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is going to hold a vote on both the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and a separate multi-trillion-dollar social spending bill today. Pelosi said, “We’re going to pass both bills,” but the bills face serious tests along the way.
• The remaining “Build Back Better” bill is a pared-down Democrat wishlist that currently stands at $1.85 trillion. Progressives in the U.S. House still believe it is too small but may vote to pass it while the hurdles for passage in the Senate seem almost insurmountable because U.S. Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) are refusing to commit to voting “yes” on the bigger bill.

4. China is mocking the U.S.

• On the world stage, President Joe Biden is struggling because he’s been mocked by China President Xi Jinping as being “powerless” at the climate summit in Glasgow. This comes after Biden decided to “apologize” for former President Donald Trump withdrawing from the Paris agreement.
• The Global Times, a Beijing-backed source, has published an article that reviews the political distress in the United States and how divided Republicans and Democrats are. Trump has also responded to Biden’s appearance, saying, “We have never been thought of so poorly as we are right now, including the fact that the leaders of foreign countries, all of whom are at the top of their game, are laughing at Biden as he makes the rounds in Europe. So low and so bad for America. There has never been a time like it.”

3. Vaccine mandate date pushed back, penalties revealed

• Everyone working for a private business with more than 100 employees will now have until January 4, 2022 to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The previous date set by President Joe Biden was December 8. This new decision has drawn skepticism over how permanent the mandate is.
• For companies that don’t comply with the mandate, there could be a $14,000 fine per violation, according to rules set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Some industries, such as health care, risk worse penalties if they don’t comply. Employees in most industries will be allowed to either test regularly if they wish to not get the vaccine, and there will be access to medical and religious exemptions.

2. Parents must consent to their minors being vaccinated

• Earlier this year, multiple schools systems provided children under the age of 18 the opportunity to be vaccinated without parental consent. Now, the Alabama Legislature has passed a law that would make that impossible in the future. 
• Originally, this bill by State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) would have given the state attorney general authority to enforce a vaccine passport bill, instead of requiring civil action, but that was removed in a conference committee. The bill was thus narrowed to the parental consent matter.

1. Vaccine mandate ban passed in Alabama

• After a long day of debate and compromise, the Alabama Legislature passed legislation that blocks private employers from firing employees that refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine and claim medical or religious exemptions. The issue drew the ire of business groups in the state, but lawmakers were reacting to a groundswell of opposition from Alabama citizens.
• The bill’s sponsor, State Senator Chris Elliott (R-Fairhope), believes this bill will protect Alabamians “who are trying to decide between taking a vaccine that they are frightened of, that they have objections of, that they are concerned about for any number of reasons.” Governor Kay Ivey’s communication director Gina Maiola said Ivey wants to sign the bill on Friday.