7. Unemployment rates have stayed low in Alabama

• The Alabama Department of Labor has announced that the state’s record unemployment rate of 2.6% stayed consistent through August, and the state has said that there are 67,881 more people employed this time this year than in 2021.

• Governor Kay Ivey has said, “All of our metrics continue to move in the right direction, and we’re seeing more and more people joining our labor force. This positive news displays that Alabamians are confident they can land a job. Opportunities abound in Alabama, and we’re proud of our continued progress.”

6. The pandemic is over. Or is it?

• During his appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” President Joe Biden said the coronavirus “pandemic is over,” and, “We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s – but the pandemic is over.” The media is not in agreement.

• Most states and operations across the country have resumed as if the pandemic ended last year. It comes as no surprise that Biden has declared the pandemic “over,” especially during midterm elections. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps has announced it is rescinding penalties for Marines who sought religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine.

5. Politics enters Huntsville school board runoff

• On Tuesday, the runoff election for the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education for District 3 will be held between candidates Angela McClure and Andrea Alvarez. McClure is a business owner and Alvarez is a senior financial analyst. Both candidates have received partisan endorsements, Alvarez is endorsed by the Democrat “Persistence PAC” and McClure has Republican group’s support from the Republican Women of Huntsville and Madison County Republicans have supported her as well.

• Alvarez and McClure recently discussed the race and the reasons for why they’re running. Alvarez said, “I’m in this race … because we need common sense solutions that build bridges between parents, administrators and teachers so we can ensure our children get the education they deserve and are prepared for their futures.” McClure said she “decided to run to stop the indoctrination of our children. I believe my experience as a parent with children in the system will allow me to be a voice for parents and their concerns, and not a voice for special interest groups.”

4. Running from the police needs to be a felony

• Running from the police is considered a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama, but State Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) has announced his plans to try and increase the charge to a Class C felony.

• Increasing the charge to a felony was tried in the last legislative session but there wasn’t time for it to pass the Senate. Stadthagen said, “This year we are going to make sure it goes through, just because all of the lives you put at risk during the pursuit.”

3. ‘Clean lottery’ would pass

• State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) has recently commented on the idea of the Legislature considering a lottery bill, saying, “A lottery, a clear lottery, call it what you will, probably would include scratch-offs and other things, it would pass in a New York second, if it were able to go in that fashion.”

• Orr went on to say that “the legacy gaming interests … do not want that lottery train leaving without their issues on it. And that would be full-scale gaming. And, unfortunately, they want to carve up the state, not have it bid out, have their organizations try to get the highest dollar and they basically want to franchise for the state.” Orr later said “people deserve the right to vote on that lottery.”

2. Reynolds wants stricter fentanyl laws

• State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) has joined other officials who have recently expressed their support for stricter laws concerning fentanyl trafficking, and Reynolds has said he supports State Rep. Matt Simpson’s (R-Daphne) proposal that includes mandatory minimum sentences for dealers.

• Reynolds added, though, that “with this fentanyl, being such a lighter volume in weight, we need verbiage to include that in our current trafficking laws, and then put that mandate on there about the sentencing guidelines,” and added, “We’ve got to take a measure against this because it’s killing our youth.”

1. Democrat mayors, TV hosts and politicians: ‘Not in my backyard!’

• The war of words and messaging over illegal immigrants being moved to sanctuary cities continues with the subject dominating the Sunday news cycle, something both sides view as a big win.

• The dysfunction at the border is highlighted, as is the hypocrisy of liberal elites, a win for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republicans. Democrats view it as a victory for them as the press and their emotional talking points about asylum, human beings used as pawns, being a society more open to bringing in immigrants of any stripe and their favorite topic, using the government to punish their political enemies.