7 Things: Ivey and the legislature spar over stimulus funds, expanding COVID-19 testing eligibility in Alabama, Trump-Russia case comes undone and more …

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May 8, 2020

7. Joe Biden’s accuser’s ex-husband knew of “harassment”

On the same day Tara Reade sat down with Megyn Kelly and said she wanted former Vice President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2020 presidential race, it was revealed that her ex-husband filed legal documents in 1996 referencing Reade’s issues with “sexual harassment” in Biden’s office.
The reference to the sexual harassment came in the form of a declaration by Reade’s then-husband Theodore Dronen opposing a restraining order where he noted that Reade told him in 1996 that she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden in 1993 and noted that she “eventually struck a deal with the chief of staff of the Senator’s office and left her position.”

6. Unemployment is up again, but numbers are slowing

With nearly 30,000 new unemployment claims filed in Alabama last week, the number of those who have filed for unemployment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is now just under 450,000.
While unemployment claims are still rising, the rate at which they’re being filed has decreased with 64% fewer claims filed last week than the previous week. Alabama lawmakers traveled to the Alabama Department of Labor to investigate but were denied access.

5. Alabama House passes Education Trust Fund budget

Education appropriation bills for the Fiscal Year 2021 have been passed by the Alabama House of Representatives, including the FY21 Education Trust Fund budget. The legislative package now goes to the Senate.
State Representative Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) voted “nay” on all education budget bills, except for the $1.25 billion Public School and College Authority bond issue, explaining that his vote was over concern that “this recession may last longer than projections indicate.” He added that “the Alabama legislature is somehow appropriating approximately $250 million more in spending this year than last year between our two budgets.”

4. Russia investigation documents released

By request of Republicans, the House Intelligence Committee has released the interview transcripts from the Russia probe, which in total was 57 transcripts and includes additional information from the investigation.
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) made a statement about the documents, saying that they show “the Trump campaign and Donald Trump himself, invited illicit Russian help, made full use of that help, and then lied and obstructed the investigations in order to cover up this misconduct.”

3. Case against Flynn dropped

The Department of Justice has announced that “after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information,” they have decided to drop the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
The filing by the Department of Justice said that the federal government “is not persuaded that the January 24, 2017 interview was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis and therefore does not believe Mr. Flynn’s statements were material even if untrue.” The DOJ added that charges being brought against Flynn would require his statements to be “materially” false.

2. New testing criteria for Alabama

More people are now eligible for coronavirus testing, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Those with underlying conditions will be able to be tested even if they’re symptom-free.
The ADPH said that allowing this testing will lessen “the risk of continued transmission of the virus is lessened and timely case investigations and contact tracing can begin earlier.” Previously, only those who showed symptoms could be tested.

1. Legislature will have access to stimulus funds

The $1.8 billion provided to Alabama through the CARES Act will be made available to the state legislature, Governor Kay Ivey has announced. Ivey said that she wants “the Legislature to have full control of the CARES Act appropriation, every single penny.”
Ivey insisted that she has “never desired to control a single penny of this money and if the Legislature feels so strongly that they should have that authority, I yield to them both the money and the responsibility to make good decisions” as long as the people of Alabama are informed on what’s done with it and it’s understood that the money belongs to the people. She also stated that some legislators wanted to build a new statehouse with the money.