7 Things: Tornadoes wreak havoc, Fauci says booster shots will continue to be needed, NDAA vote heats up U.S. Senate race and more …

7. The right to bear arms is in the U.S. Constitution, abortion is absent

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has made a move to push for more gun control to block any “assault weapons” from being sold or made in California, which he announced after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it wouldn’t block the Texas abortion ban yet.
Newsom said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision was also “largely endorsing Texas’ scheme to insulate its law from the fundamental protections of Roe v. Wade,” and announced he would be creating an anti-gun law modeled after the Texas abortion ban. This law would allow citizens to sue the makers and sellers of the guns. He added, “If the most effective way to keep these devastating weapons off our street is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that.”

6. Important swing state trend looks pretty bad for Democrats

For the first time in recent history, Florida Republicans outnumber the Democrats, based on recent voter registration data. The state government is primarily Republican, and Democrats are finding themselves in increasingly difficult positions within the state. The national mood heading into 2022 also doesn’t look too good for the Democrats.
State Senator Annette Taddeo (D-FL), who is running for governor against Governor Ron DeSantis (R), said, “[A]s Florida Democrats, we have lost so many times that donors and pundits have given up on us…I know we can win if we create a coalition of voters that are needed to win in a state where these decisions are made by 1% or less.” In Florida, there are 5,118,357 Republicans, 5,114,039 Democrats, and about 3.8 million voters who choose to not declare a party.

5. Law enforcement grants sent out by Ivey

Governor Kay Ivey has awarded $7 million in grants to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).
The purpose of the grants is to improve roadway safety as traffic increases around the holidays. Ivey said, “These grants will go a long way in reinforcing highway safety across our state. As we head into another peak travel time, that will be even more important. Ensuring public safety is one of the primary responsibilities of government and is a top priority for the Ivey Administration.”

4. Fauci: Boosters will keep being needed

Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed how the country needs to handle the coronavirus pandemic, and he said everyone needs to be ready get another booster shot. He advised, “If it becomes necessary to get yet another boost, then we’ll just have to deal with it when that occurs.”
Fauci said he was hoping that the first booster shot people receive will “dramatically” increase immunity, but even with his statements, it’s clear there are still very many unknowns with the pandemic and vaccinations. However, the official definition of “fully vaccinated,” which is two shots of either Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is not changing.

3. Brooks slams Britt and Durant over NDAA vote comments

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and the campaigns for U.S. Senate candidates Katie Britt and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) have shared remarks over the vote. Brooks previously voted against the NDAA, and Britt voiced her support of the measure. Brooks’ campaign said, “Katie Britt and Mike Durant, in acts of dangerous and naïve political opportunism, publicly ‘slammed’ my vote against” the NDAA.
Brooks added, “[B]oth Britt and Durant should be ashamed for promoting Speaker Pelosi’s policies while politicizing national security for a U.S. Senate seat each so badly covets.” A member of the Britt campaign, Sean Ross, responded to the statement, saying, “Mo Brooks voted for the NDAA in committee when it had all of the issues that he complained about when those issues were still in the bill.” He also claimed Brooks was playing “self-serving games.”

2. Obviously, Alabama will ban abortion if the opportunity is given

Alabama has a long history of challenging existing abortion law, as declared by the Roe v. Wade ruling, so it should come as no surprise that a group of Alabama legislators is preparing to propose legislation that would outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court opens the door to do so.
The “Alabama Heartbeat Bill” draws its inspiration from a similar bill in Texas that still stands to this day, although it is being challenged and parts have been struck down. The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) says that in Texas it is suggested that “75-100 babies are now being saved every day,” and the bill would do the same and “protect the right to life of the 16 babies who are murdered here daily.”

1. Tornadoes miss Alabama but devastate several states

Over the weekend, a massive storm system moved through nearby states and caused damage and fatalities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas and Missouri. In Kentucky, there were record-breaking tornadoes, including one that nearly destroyed the town of Mayfield.
In Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois and Arkansas, there were a total of 36 deaths. However, Kentucky continues to see its death toll climb as people are recovered. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) has said it’s likely more than 70 people were killed in the storms.