7 Things: Lawsuits already target Alabama's new laws on transgender issues, AEA declares victory in legislative session and more …

7. NRA has endorsed Kay Ivey while Biden bans so-called ghost guns

Governor Kay Ivey on Monday received the hefty endorsement of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) in her reelection campaign. Ivey was called the “strongest candidate” in the race by chairman Jason Ouimet. In the announcement, Ouimet said, “Kay Ivey has long demonstrated an unwavering support for our Second Amendment freedoms. She is the strongest candidate in this race and has a proven record of defending our constitutional right to self-defense. We count on Kay Ivey to protect the rights of Alabama’s law-abiding gun owners.”
President Joe Biden held a ceremony where he announced he had his attorney general draw up a regulation to declare all gun kits in an over-broad ruling that Biden called for because he was having “trouble” getting a law passed. The NRA slammed this move as pointless, especially as criminals in American cities are regularly released back onto the street and the crimes committed with these guns are statistically insignificant because a vast majority of gun crime is committed with stolen guns. This rule will be challenged and likely struck down. Biden’s move is more political than practical.

6. Steve Marshall says he’s a bad politician

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall released his first television ad for his reelection campaign on Monday. In the ad, he touts being a “good golfer but a bad politician,” and adds, “That’s why I’m not afraid of the woke mob, cancel culture or liberal radicals trying to cancel our constitution.”
The ad also mentions how Marshall will support law enforcement, “secure our elections, protect our borders,” and Marshall ends the ad saying, “The left, the media and the establishment won’t like it, but I’m more concerned with defending Alabama than I am being liked. I’m a better golfer than politician.”

5. Parker Griffith gets called out for PTSD comments

Many have criticized former U.S. Representative Parker Griffith’s (D) decision to say that U.S. Senate candidate Mike Durant “is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…I mean he was shot down, lost his friends, and nobody goes through that without being disturbed a little bit.”
U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said, “Politicizing veterans’ mental health is way over the line; it’s completely reprehensible.” U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has said, “Our veterans are heroes and should never be politicized by any candidate. I stand with our veterans against this abhorrent rhetoric from former Rep. Parker Griffith.” Instead of apologizing, Griffith stated, “Trump who dodges the draft labeled Senator John McCain a loser and said he was no hero. Durant wants Trumps endorsement. How disrespectful to our military and their families. Those who complained about my comments were silent when Trump implied McCain was a Loser.”

4. Philadelphia the first major city calling for masks — more will follow

Even though there are very few deaths in Philadelphia related to the coronavirus and no evidence that the masks actually stop the spread of the virus, Philadelphia will implement a mask mandate in the city that won’t kick in for one full week.
The city is now averaging 142 cases a day, a 50% jump in 10 days and very low hospitalizations. The city is claiming it is following CDC guidance, for what that it is worth, but even that guidance says that cities in Philadelphia’s position should urge that people get vaccinated and get tested if they have symptoms. It is not suggested that people wear masks.

3. Russia has a new offensive ready to begin in eastern Ukraine

After removing troops from Ukrainian cities in the western part of the country, including the capital of Kyiv, it is expected that Russia is ready to begin attacking cities in the east as they resupply and reinforce their troops in the country. Currently, bombing is being done, but the new offensive has not kicked off yet. This is all happening as a “purge” is taking place within the Federal Security Bureau (FSB) (the intelligence agency successor to the KGB) with people responsible for Ukraine going to prison.
The Head of Interagency Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response, Lieutenant General Mikhail Mizintsev from Russia’s Ministry of Defense, has accused NATO members France and the United States of psychological influence operations in Ukraine. Mizintsev has claimed that most of the operations are related to spreading misinformation to demean Russian forces. However, former DIA intelligence officer Rebekah Koffler advised, “This statement is almost certainly Russia’s own disinformation campaign intended to hide Russia’s hand in the atrocities that have been, are being and will be conducted in the coming weeks by the Russian forces in Ukraine. The goal is to blame Ukraine in order to confuse Western audience about who exactly commits brutality in Ukraine.”

2. The AEA has declared victory again — they aren’t wrong

For the second year in a row, the Alabama Education Association has declared that they have won the battle against Republican legislators during the legislative session. In fact, Alabama Education Association executive director Amy Marlowe proclaimed, “I think it is one of the best sessions we’ve had since 1983.”
The biggest victories may be the ones the AEA is not openly bragging about, such as the defeat of a real attempt at school choice, trapping non-affluent students in failing Alabama schools they are zoned for their entire educational careers, and their support of a delay of the Alabama Literacy Act’s retention mechanism that will send illiterate kids into higher grades, which they really wanted.

1. Lawsuits brought against new Alabama laws

Governor Kay Ivey recently signed legislation that bans certain medical treatments and procedures for transgender minors, as well as requiring students in public school to only use the bathrooms that correspond with their birth gender. Now, two families with transgender minors have joined with two physicians to sue the State of Alabama.
One of the plaintiffs, Dr. Morissa Ladinsky, claimed, “Governor Ivey has told kind, loving, and loyal Alabama families that they cannot stay here without denying their children the basic medical care they need.” The plaintiffs in the case are represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign.