7. Bail isn’t discriminatory in Cullman

• It’s been declared that bail in Cullman County does not discriminate against people with lower income, according to an opinion ruling released by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The ruling was made in a 2-1 vote.

• The majority opinion states “that indigent pretrial detainees in Cullman County are not discriminated against solely based on their inability to pay, and neither do they suffer an absolute deprivation of a meaningful opportunity to obtain pretrial release.” The decision was made in regard to a lawsuit brought up by an individual jailed in Cullman County, Bradley Hester, who claimed current law is discriminatory since lower-income individuals could stay in jail longer than those who can pay bail as soon as 90 minutes after booking.

6. Carl wants to hear from his constituents on assault weapons ban

• The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, but U.S. Representative Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) is asking for the input of his constituents on the issue. He sent out a survey asking, “Do you think the federal government should ban semiautomatic weapons?”

• U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) said the ban “won’t make Americans any safer and will instead result in the disarming of thousands of lawful gun owners who simply want to protect their families and exercise their constitutional rights.” He added, “This direct assault on the Second Amendment will capture millions of sporting rifles, shotguns, and pistols simply because they have certain mechanical features that even the authors of the bill have demonstrated they don’t understand.”

5. Ivey won’t give her opinion on closed primaries

• Governor Kay Ivey has been asked about the idea of closing the primary election system in Alabama, which would require voters to register with a party before voting in primary elections. Ivey would not state her opinion on the matter.

• Ivey stated, “I know that conversation has been ongoing, but I was hoping we could wait a little longer and talk about it more closely to the legislative session, but it is what it is.” The push for closed primaries has grown after accusations of Democrats influencing elections across the state in this year’s Republican primary in Alabama.

4. Unborn children can be claimed on your taxes in Georgia

• The Georgia Department of Revenue announced that residents could claim unborn children as dependents on their taxes and receive the $3,000 child tax credit per unborn children. Some are calling them embryos, but that is fake news garbage.

• The department said those who are eligible are those who have “an unborn child (or children) with a detectable human heartbeat” no earlier than July 20. It also detailed that this was decided after the “U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the July 20, 2022 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Sistersong v. Kemp.”

3. Pelosi has left Taiwan

• Despite China releasing a warning against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) traveling to Taiwan, she landed in the country on Tuesday, and this led to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishing a response to her travels.

• In their statement, the ministry wrote, “It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.” Pelosi stated after landing, “America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.” Pelosi wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post, “In the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s accelerating aggression, our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom.”

2. Tuberville and Shelby vote against the PACT Act over spending concerns

• U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) both voted against the PACT Act over the $400 billion of discretionary spending in the bill. Tuberville had spoken out against the PACT Act, which passed the Senate yesterday overwhelmingly.

• Tuberville explained his vote against the legislation was “[b]ecause it’s not the right bill that we need.” He further stated, “We need to put a bill out there that actually works.” The freshman senator also explained that some of his issues with the bill were the “$400 billion discretionary money that he wants us to use for whatever, use for the people of New York, not the veterans,” noting the funds that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had pushed. Tuberville added, “This is not going to help our veterans. It’s just going to put a façade over it and it’s going to look like we helped them, but it’s not going to help them the way it should help them. So, let’s get the bill the right way and then pass it.”

1. Pro-choice side wins the first post-Roe v. Wade showdown

• Primary elections were held across the United States with pro-Trump forces picking up victories in many places, including this clownish “Eric” endorsement. The real story of the evening is a vote in Kansas that blocked an attempt to remove the right to an abortion from the state constitution. Abortions in Kansas are currently permitted up until 22 weeks.

• This vote was the first electoral challenge in a state since the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, and voter turnout was big. It has been called a “thunderclap” in the abortion rights fight.” Kansas is a conservative state that went for Trump in 2020, and even with a large majority voting in the Republican primary, the people voted not to remove the right to an abortion from the state’s constitution by a 61-39 margin.