7 Things: Alabamians lament inflation’s impact, Biden cuts gas prices a massive 3 cents a gallon and more …

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April 25, 2022

7. Confederate supporters taking today off

State offices in Alabama are observing Confederate Memorial Day and Robert E. Lee Day. The holiday has been a controversial one for years with attempts to get rid of the holiday or rename it, but those attempts have been unsuccessful.
Several other states still observe a Confederate Memorial Day throughout the year, but some, such as Louisiana, are considering doing away with the holiday. During the legislative session, State Representative Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) proposed making Election Day a holiday and ending Confederate Memorial Day, but the legislation didn’t make it out of committee.

6. Robert Bentley calls to expand Medicaid

Former Governor Robert Bentley is now advocating for the state to expand Medicaid, saying that legislators need to “look beyond politics to the needs of our rural communities.” Bentley never expanded Medicaid during his tenure.
Bentley argued that his reason for not expanding the program at the time was due to economic circumstances within the state. Bentley said that with the state’s current economic position, “state leaders should prioritize those issues that don’t otherwise get attention when money is tight. He added, “Expanding Medicaid Insurance coverage would allow these patients to have a local physician and maybe even a small hospital in their county where they would be able to be treated.”

5. Power of Trump endorsement seen in Ohio, not Alabama

In Ohio, former President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance, and it’s expected that this endorsement will show how powerful the Trump endorsement can be in an election.
University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato advised on Fox News that this “is a case where the Trump endorsement could really make all the difference.” While this has been expected in other races, it wasn’t seen as much in the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Trump has pulled his endorsement from candidate U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) after Brooks was falling in the polls, and the former president’s endorsement was no longer attracting the necessary attention for his campaign.

4. Katie Britt defends deleted BLM post

Last week, it was reported that U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt had deleted multiple social media posts before officially announcing her run for office because “it was pointed out to me that my potential opponents could intentionally mischaracterize that post.” The tweets referenced trips to China and Hong Kong, support for her former boss U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) and support for a Black Lives Matter-led social media protest called “Blackout Tuesday,” with the latter drawing the most criticism.
Britt responded by pointing out that fellow candidate Mike Durant had appeared in a Lincoln Project anti-Trump attack ad but has now explained her support for the “virtual moment of silence. Britt noted, “I’ve never supported and do not support BLM, and there has never been anything on my social media accounts to indicate otherwise. The post referenced in this article was simply intended to show that I was listening, which I think is a cornerstone of being a leader.”

3. Divisive concepts bill should’ve been passed

This year, the Alabama Legislature was unable to pass the “divisive concepts” bill that would “prohibit public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education and their employees from using or introducing courses of instruction or units of study directing or compelling students to adhere to or affirm certain concepts regarding race, sex, or religion.”
State Representative Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) said this legislation “was such a no-brainer for a super majority Republican state to pass that didn’t get passed this year, and I’m just left scratching my head…that is such a slam dunk issue.” He added, “[T]he governor’s race in Virginia was won in part over issues like Critical Race Theory being taught in schools, and for Alabama not to pass that bill this year. I mean, I was beyond disappointed that we didn’t get it done.”

2. Massive victory for Joe Biden as he drives down gas prices 3 cents

The word “hero” may be tossed around a bit too liberally these days, but people of all political stripes should be able to set aside their differences and thank President Joe Biden and his administration for lowering gas prices by less than 1% over the last week. His brilliant leadership has lowered the national average three cents in the past two weeks to $4.24 a gallon, a record low for the week.
Yes, it is true that gas prices are up $1.27 in the last year and $1.71 since Biden took office, but the three cents a gallon will save someone filling up a tank 45 cents each time they fill up. Thank you, President Joe Biden for your unflappable clear-headed leadership as we face this crisis you totally had nothing to do with. Gasoline is $5.71 in the San Francisco Bay Area, $3.70 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and $3.72 near Frog Eye, Alabama.

1. Inflation out of control for Alabamians

Recently, Lawrence Jones of Fox News traveled to Demetri’s BBQ in Homewood to speak with customers about issues facing people in the United States. One customer noted how inflation was an issue before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and another said President Joe Biden’s “administration is a total train wreck for the working man.”
The customer told the Fox News host, “The working man is getting slammed…I’m seeing businesses go out right and left. We’re doing the best we can…We also run a farm. Fuel and feed prices on that are killing us also. Two years ago, we were killing it. We couldn’t keep up. We had labor, we had material, we had fuel, we had everybody wanting to work. Nobody wants to work now. It’s easier to not work than to work with this administration.”