7 Things: Ivey issues executive order directed at Biden vaccine mandate, schools still masking up as coronavirus fades, Brooks denies helping plan events leading up to U.S. Capitol riot and more …

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October 26, 2021

7. Ivey doesn’t include vaccine mandate ban in the special session

The redistricting special session is set to start on October 28. Governor Kay Ivey has officially outlined that other than redistricting, the session will include “appropriations for pandemic-related healthcare service.”
Ivey didn’t include any ability for the legislature to address vaccine mandates, as she said earlier in the day that a state law isn’t the way to fight the federal mandate. She explained, “The courts are where this will be resolved.”

6. Biden wants you to care about how much he says “union”

While speaking in New Jersey Transit Meadowlands Maintenance Complex, President Joe Biden made a point to mention that he’s said “union” more than the last seven presidents “combined.”
Biden said that he’s been told he’s a “union president.” This event was for the construction of the Portal Bridge that’s creating 8,000 union jobs. Biden went on to discuss how the bridge would improve travel and infrastructure, but he also made sure to say “union” several more times.

5. Siegelman wants gambling, forgot why he went to jail

Former Governor Don Siegelman is speaking out in favor of holding a vote on legalizing the lottery and gaming in Alabama. When he was governor over 20 years ago, Siegelman tried to create a lottery.
Now, Siegelman is suggesting that the issue of casinos and the lottery be split and handled separately, but the way the Alabama Legislature has already tried to handle casino licensing “makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.” He also said that it should be an open bidding system to who gets to put casinos in different areas, and it should be up to individual “jurisdictions.”

4. Another caravan is coming to the border

Using a QR code, a caravan of migrants was organized and is heading toward the southern border of the United States. As of Monday, the caravan had just left Huehuetán and was on their third day of travel. This is one of the largest caravans seen in 2021.
A migrant from El Salvador said, “Tell Biden we are coming,” and others said that they need help. It’s estimated that this caravan is made up of more than 3,000 migrants. Due to laws passed by the Mexican government, those in the caravan can’t get a ride from truckers, so the whole group will have to walk the entirety of the trip.

3. No, Mo Brooks didn’t help plan the January 6 rally or the riot that followed

Despite “reports” that U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) spoke with coordinators and helped plan the rally on January 6 that led to a riot at the U.S. Capitol, Brooks has maintained he had nothing to do with the planning.
Brooks said that he “had no intentions of going to that rally until Jan. 5, when the White House asked me to speak.” He clarified that his staff could’ve potentially been involved, but he’s not sure if they were or not, adding that he would be “proud” if they were.

2. Schools are moving to mask optional

Delta variant coronavirus cases have declined drastically in Alabama, and now schools across the state have mostly all gone to making masks optional for students and staff. During the height of the surge, a majority of the schools required masks.
Currently, there are about 80 school systems that don’t require masks, but 70 districts still do. However, some districts like Tuscaloosa City Schools have just voted to extend their mask requirements.

1. Governor Ivey’s executive order does very little, and that’s the point

Citizens and members of the legislature have been pushing for Governor Kay Ivey to include a vaccine mandate ban in the upcoming special session, but Ivey instead issued an executive order meant to fight President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
The purpose of the order is to block people in Alabama from being forced to take the coronavirus vaccine. The order said that within Alabama, no one can “seek to impose a penalty on any business or individual for noncompliance with any federally imposed requirement that has the purpose or effect of forcing an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or requiring a business to force its employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.”