7 Things: Biden announces Russian sanctions, state's largest general fund budget ever passes the Alabama Senate and more …

7. Changing language of Alabama Constitution is approved

The Alabama House of Representatives has voted 94-0 for the current plan to remove certain racist language or outdated sections of the Alabama Constitution, adopting the Alabama Constitution of 2022. The language being removed or changed outdated references to slavery, involuntary servitude, poll taxes and segregated education.
The changes to the constitution will now go to the Alabama State Senate for a vote. If it is approved in the Senate, the changes will be on the general election ballot in November for citizens to make the final decision.

6. Truckers’ rally to be held in Alabama

There will be a “Let Freedom Roll Alabama Convoy to DC” rally held at a gas station in Cullman. The plan is for the truck drivers to go to Washington, D.C. to protest coronavirus mandates and restrictions, which seem to be falling all over the country.
The event was inspired by the trucker protests in Canada, and there will also be a convoy coming from California that will meet the Alabama truck drivers in Washington but will not arrive until March 5. On a semi-related note, Alabama schools can still force kids to mask up, so these truckers may want to swing by the governor’s mansion.

5. Oakwood Adventist Academy will meet Gov. Ivey as legislature targets AHSAA

Last weekend, the Alabama High School Athletic Association punished Oakwood Adventist Academy’s basketball team for refusing to violate their religious beliefs over a basketball game. All the teams involved agreed to move their games, Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) sought an accommodation, and Governor Kay Ivey wrote a letter days later. She will now meet with the team.
State Representative Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) now wants more transparency from the AHSAA because they receive a large amount of state funding in the form of “dues from member schools, fines levied on athletic programs, gate receipts from school-sponsored events, and other sources.” The Oakwood Adventist Academy isn’t the sole driver of this bill but it is the latest issue involving the AHSAA.

4. More ads trying to create distance between Brooks and Trump

In an ad buy that totals over $1 million, the super PAC Alabama’s Future is running ads against U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) in his bid for U.S. Senate. The main focus of the ad is on Brooks’ past comments about former President Donald Trump. The ad speaks favorably of U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt and remarks that Brooks once said that in 2016 voters had a “tough” choice between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Brooks’ campaign responded by saying that Britt is “the handpicked candidate of Mitch McConnell and the DC Establishment.” The campaign added, “Every time Alabamians see a negative ad against Mo Brooks, we know it’s from Mitch McConnell and Katie Britt. The swamp is terrified of a real MAGA Conservative in the Senate.” At some point, the non-Trump endorsed U.S. Senate candidates/campaigns/PACs supporting them are going to have to come to grips with the fact that they don’t have the Trump endorsement and stop trying to mislead the people of Alabama.

3. Massive general fund budget passes

In a 29-1 vote, the Alabama State Senate has approved the general fund budget for 2023 that totals $2.70 billion, the largest budget in state history. The large budget decision includes funding for some mental health centers, cost of living raises and tax cuts.
State Senator Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) said, “The state of Alabama has never had a more sound financial basis than we do right now. After a decade of implementing several conservative measures and making drastic modifications to the budget process, we are financially one of the top states in the nation…Many states across the country cannot say the same for their financial standing, especially after facing difficult challenges brought on by the unforeseen health pandemic.”

2. The U.S. should focus on energy

Early in the administration, President Joe Biden changed energy policies that made the United States more dependent on other nations for energy. Now, former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland is pushing for the United States to be the “energy superpower” of the world.
McFarland commented after the announcement of new sanctions on Russia, saying, “The only thing that really matters—the only thing that would affect Russian behavior—is to kick them out of the international banking system, and he wouldn’t do it. Why? Because the Germans and the French and Italians—nobody wants to go along with it. Why? Because they all rely on Russian energy, Russian oil and natural gas.”

1. There are new sanctions and Biden is moving troops

After Ukraine was attacked and invaded by Russia, President Joe Biden announced more sanctions against the country and moved more troops to the region. Despite these actions, Biden said there will not be troops sent to Ukraine. During his statement, Biden said “no one expected” sanctions “to prevent anything” but continued with new sanctions.
There will be at least 7,000 U.S. troops sent to Germany, and the sanctions are harsher than what was previously announced. Biden said, “Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now, he and his country will bear the consequence.” However, there will be no consequences on the Russian energy sector (to ease “pain” at the pump), and Biden deferred to Germany when deciding not to remove Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication program, which facilitates financial transactions and money transfers for banks located around the world.