Americans for Prosperity-Alabama is applauding the Alabama House of Representatives for passing of a bill that attempts to add another check on the state’s emergency powers during a crisis.
The bill would require Alabama’s governor to certify that an immediate danger to public health, safety, or welfare exists before emergency rules can take effect. Moreover, a requirement to demonstrate unforeseen danger would protect against prolonged emergency regulations.
“AFP-AL thanks Speaker Pro Tem Chris Pringle for sponsoring this important legislation,” FP-AL State Director Adam Thompson said. “Emergency rules should be the exception, not the norm.”
The issue of the state government’s emergency powers received renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. Some critics believe that leaders took advantage of their roles during the crisis.
Thompson said he doesn’t want emergency powers to go away completely, but does believe there need to be some “appropriate checks and balances.”
“This commonsense reform will promote responsible governing by ensuring that emergency authority is exercised with appropriate checks and balances,” Thompson continued. “With House passage behind us, we encourage the Senate to take up this bill quickly.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) believes several Democratic lawmakers in the House are wasting time by trying to subpoena President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
During an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday, Palmer, who chairs the committee, blocked an attempt by Democrats in the committee to subpoena U.S. HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his stance on vaccines.
Palmer said on WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program” Wednesday that Democrats just want to try and “embarrass” RFK because they hate Trump.
“I mean, if you watch any of these hearings, it’s just a constant barrage against the Trump administration,” Palmer said, “against when we talk about health care. It’s it’s almost like they think we’re the ones who pass the Obamacare, that we’re the ones who pass the enhanced subsidies.”
The congressman believes Democrats are being dishonest about their intentions.
“They’re really trying to misrepresent the whole debate, confuse the American people, and they’re attacking RFK over vaccines,” he said. “And it’s interesting to me how hard the Democrats pushed vaccination for COVID, when most people knew that there was no vaccination and a vaccine is to prevent you from contracting a disease, not to mitigate the effects of having an ailment. So it’s just one lie after another.”
Palmer also accused Democrats about lying over the debate surrounding the extension of Obamacare subsides.
“We didn’t create the problem,” he explained. “We didn’t set the deadline for the for the enhanced subsidies to end that’s all Democrats, and it has, it won’t do anything to help the other 93 94% who have health insurance outside of Obamacare.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
The U.S. military discharged thousands of service members across the nation for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The mass terminations, carried out at the direction of the Biden Administration, began in August of 2021. Since that time, there have been growing calls from many to reinstate those unfairly discharged.
On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the military will now be addressing those who were pushed out.
“We’re also welcoming back former service members who were wrongly forced to leave the military,” Hegseth said. “More than 8,700 service members were involuntarily separated for not taking an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Others were more informally pushed out or decided to get out.”
According to Hegseth, there is a large-scale effort now taking place to bring individuals discharged back into the military.
“We are actively welcoming back those warriors of conscience,” he said. “We’ve sent letters out. We’re seeking them out, want them back. They never should have been forced out. The Personnel and Readiness department is working in real time to make that process more and more efficient, more and more direct every single day.”
The Secretary’s efforts have the support of several elected officials in Washington, D.C., including U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on X that members of the military should never have been discharged for refusing an “experimental vaccine.”
Tuberville worked to stop the discharges in 2022, when he endorsed and helped push the Preserving the Readiness of Our Armed Forces Act and the Stop Firing Our Servicemembers Act.
After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order in late January to reinstate service members dismissed for refusing the vaccine, with full back pay and benefits. Service members have until April 1, 2026, to express interest.
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
Alabama State Finance Director Bill Poole spoke to some major opportunities for lawmakers as the 2025 legislative session gets underway.
After Governor Ivey’s State of the State address on Tuesday night, Poole reported that Alabama’s financial outlook remains stable and positive as lawmakers consider post-pandemic economic adjustments.
According to Poole the state is transitioning from the fiscal anomalies brought on by COVID-19, with revenue streams stabilizing and returning to pre-pandemic growth patterns, including the Education Trust Fund.
“We anticipated that we had planned for that,” Poole told Yellowhammer News. “Also in the general fund, you’re seeing revenues start to tick back down.”
We generate a lot of revenue based on interest, on state deposits, which has been a unique kind of anomaly of holding some COVID cash. At the same time that interest rates have been high, we know that’s going to return normal. So I think we’re very stable, very positive, but we’re also going to return to a more normalized revenue cycle, as we’ve anticipated and used to.”
Now engaged in discussions to reform Alabama’s education funding formula, state lawmakers are considering significant changes to the decades-old foundation program.
“So those conversations are ongoing. I think they’re very healthy and positive conversations changing the foundation program is not an easy task. A lot of statutes have bolted onto that through the decades,” Poole said.
“I think there’s a couple approaches that you’ve heard, particularly Chairman Garrett and Chairman Orr talk about them, you go for a full revamp, or you can move into more of a hybrid position, can target the needs and fund them separately and distinctly. So I think that’s the position we’re in right now as it relates to the governor’s budget. But we also know these discussions are ongoing. We want to continue to be engaged in those any conversations about spending education dollars more efficiently.”
Alabama lawmakers are also reevaluating the state’s overtime tax cut, initially passed in 2023 and set to expire in June 2025 after significant discrepancies between projected and actual revenue impacts. Poole said there are some broad options to consider.
“I think everything should be on the table. The goal should be to vote, obviously, what is the best methodology to fund education now and long term, what is the best for the taxpayers of the state of Alabama,” Poole said.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
7. Alabama State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover) expressed confidence that the “What is a Woman Act,” which defines biological sex and related terms by genetics at birth, will pass early in the 2025 legislative session after narrowly missing Senate approval last year. The bill seeks to clarify the definitions of male, female, and other gender-related terms in state law and administrative codes to address what DuBose described as growing societal confusion. Praising federal actions under the Trump administration, DuBose spoke to the continued importance of codifying similar protections at the state level to ensure legal consistency in Alabama.
6. To meet President Trump’s mass deportation goals, ICE officers have been ordered to ramp up daily arrests to 1,200–1,500. Field offices are being issued specific quotas and officers will face potential reprimand for missing targets. While officials claim operations will prioritize immigrants with criminal records, critics argue that the quotas incentivize arrests of non-criminal immigrants, heightening risks of civil rights violations and public backlash. The administration is mobilizing personnel from other federal agencies to support ICE’s efforts, but some former officials caution this shift could undermine investigations into serious crimes like counterterrorism and human trafficking.
5. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has surged to +6 during the first week of his second term, a sharp contrast to his initial presidency when he began with a net-negative rating. CNN’s Harry Enten pointed out that Trump is the first president to achieve a higher net approval rating at the start of his second term than at any point in his first, reflecting a significant change in public sentiment. Enten attributed the improvement to Trump’s altered approach and decisive actions, which appear to align more closely with the expectations of the American people.
4. After unwavering support from Alabama U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), and a last minute no vote from former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) forced Vice President JD Vance to cast a tie-breaking vote, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, overcame a contentious confirmation process to become Secretary of Defense, marking a major win for President Donald Trump’s administration’s potentially most contentious nominee. Critics questioned his qualifications and cited allegations of misconduct, while supporters argued his outsider status makes him uniquely positioned to challenge Pentagon bureaucracy. Hegseth plans to prioritize troop readiness and reduce the influence of diversity programs, aligning with Trump’s vision for a reformed and more focused military, though his leadership style and policies are already drawing sharp divisions.
3. The CIA has revised its assessment to favor the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak in Wuhan, joining other agencies like the FBI and Department of Energy in this stance, though it emphasizes low confidence and a lack of new evidence. This shift comes under the leadership of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who has criticized past delays in addressing the pandemic’s origins and prioritized a public evaluation of China’s role, even though Dr. Anthony Fauci received a pardon for all activities reaching back to 2014 for his behavior and testimony on this matter. The Wuhan Institute of Virology remains under scrutiny for its bat coronavirus research and alleged security lapses, while China continues to deny the claims, labeling them as efforts to discredit Beijing.
2. We have our first trade war of the Trump administration following Colombia’s refusal to accept deportation flights. President Gustavo Petro announced the use of the Colombian presidential plane to ensure the dignified return of its citizens from Honduras. President Donald Trump threatened 25% tariffs (escalating to 50% next week) Petro also imposed reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods and criticized the treatment of Colombian migrants as criminals, pledging to replace American imports with domestic production. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson, vowed to enforce strict immigration policies and potential congressional sanctions against nations refusing to accept their citizens, here are the facts, Colombia is less than 1% of U.S. exports, the U.S. is 28% of their exports, and while the media and their Democrats whined in unison about coffee and flowers, Colombia bent the knee.
1. After U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) laid out the “malicious compliance” from the Air Force Academy that led to the removal of removal of videos and curriculum on the Tuskegee Airmen, training, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth condemned the removal of videos and curriculum. The Air Force officials, part of a returning Deep State resistance, citing compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning DEI initiatives, initially removed the materials but they will now be returned. Britt tweeted, “I have no doubt Secretary Hegseth will correct and get to the bottom of the malicious compliance we’ve seen in recent days. President Trump celebrated and honored the Tuskegee Airmen” and Hegseth responded, “Amen! We’re all over it Senator. This will not stand.”
Listen here:
Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast on WVNN at 10 p.m.
In 2023, my daughter Evangeline was born in the Huntsville Hospital location in Madison Alabama. I have to say it was a great experience. I’m also glad I didn’t have to drive much further away to Huntsville from Athens while my wife was in labor. I’m definitely thankful for that closer facility in Madison.
At the time the hospital was first being proposed, there were some who tried to block its construction. They made that argument to the Alabama Certificate of Need (CON) Board. That’s right. In Alabama, a so-called conservative state where leaders value the power of the free market, if someone wants to build a medical facility, they have to go through technocrats on a government board that picks winners and losers.
Currently this useless government bureaucracy is delaying the approval of a new ambulatory surgery center in Montgomery being proposed by the Southern Orthopedic Surgery Center. The Baptist Medical Center South and Jackson Hospital oppose the project.
While there might be some fair arguments for opposing such a project, it seems to me that the best thing for Alabamians is more options and more competition when it comes to healthcare. Instead we have a government organization that exists primarily to limit competition. This is not how a market should work in a free state like Alabama.
Don’t just take my word for it though. Just look at a 2024 report published by the Commonwealth Fund. The repot highlighted how Alabama consistently ranked in the bottom quartile for health care quality and outcomes.
The problems with CON laws also became more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to research done by economists at the the University of Cincinnati, Auburn University, and Southern Illinois University, states that had those laws also had increase mortality rates for COVID-19 patients and others.
Outside of poorer healthcare outcomes, it also incentivizes corruption. Alabama State Auditor Andrew Sorrell explained how this can happen during an interview on my radio show a few years ago.
“Richard Scrushy was the CEO of HealthSouth and he figured out that if he could get appointed to that board, he could vote no on all of his competition building a new hospital,” Sorrell said. “So, he gave $500,000 to Don Siegelman’s lottery campaign in exchange for a seat on the Certificate of Needs Board. Now, of course, both of them later ended up in jail, but we’ve done absolutely nothing to correct the problem with the Certificate of Needs Board since that happened. We’ve learned nothing from that mistake and I think that’s a real tragedy.”
When I first heard about CON laws, it sounded like something straight out of the former Soviet Union. Imagine if we had something similar for every other part of our economy. Should new grocery stores have to go through a government review board? Should new restaurants have to go through a government review board? We wouldn’t put up with that, and we shouldn’t put up with it in our healthcare system.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. We can follow the lead of several other states that have already passed reforms. In the last several years, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida passed changed their CON programs to encourage health care innovation in their states. South Carolina repealed its CON law altogether.
If leaders in the Yellowhammer State are serious about promoting free-market, limited government, conservative policies, then it’s time they prove it to the people: Abolish the big CON.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
7. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle secured his fifth term without opposition in the city election, leading to his automatic re-election without a single vote cast, despite this, his campaign continued to receive significant financial contributions. Since the City Council’s decision on June 27 to pronounce him mayor, Battle’s campaign raised over $18,000, mainly from two political action committees: The Boeing Company PAC and DVA Holding Company PAC, and the campaign now holds nearly $460,000 in available funds, after reporting $113,000 in expenditures.
6. Democrats can not shake President Joe Biden, even as they try to campaign against his policies with the help of the media. Biden reportedly remains bitter toward top Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who played a role in urging him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Biden is particularly upset with Pelosi, whom he views as “ruthless,” and is frustrated that Obama did not approach him directly. Despite this tension, the Democratic Party is planning a grand sendoff for Biden at the Democratic National Convention, where he will deliver a keynote address, highlighting his legacy while Vice President Kamala Harris runs away from it and the media is trying to help.
5. A Huntsville in-vitro fertilization clinic will be closing soon, but they say it is unrelated to recent overblown IVF issues in the state, but a bipartisan coalition of Alabama lawmakers still want IVF regulations clarified. The state’s only regulation, passed in March, grants immunity to clinics if embryos are destroyed, but critics argue it’s insufficient with more calls for more comprehensive legislation to ensure IVF access and protect embryos, but no consensus has been reached.
4. Victoryland, once a major greyhound racing venue in Alabama, now operates over 1,000 historical horse racing machines after the state banned electronic bingo, but these machines are slot machines with extra steps. Even with these quasi-legal machines, Victoryland, is still struggling financially as the Alabama Legislature narrowly failed to pass a bill permitting full-scale casinos and the the management says the casino’s future hinges on potential legislative changes to legalize broader gambling options in the state but some argue these places must go away before gambling can actually move forward.
3. An Alabama high school has moved to virtual learning Wednesday and today over COVID-19 in 2024 after an outbreak at Johnson Abernathy Graetz High School in Montgomery with numerous staff members being sick. During the virtual schooling, the school will be sanitized, and officials will decide today if it can reopen safely on Friday, with masks, which don’t work, available when students return after virtual learning, which also does not work.
2. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has commended Secretary of State Wes Allen for instructing the state’s Boards of Registrars to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. Allen emphasized his commitment to maintaining the integrity of Alabama’s elections, ensuring only U.S. citizens can vote. The list of identified non-citizen registered voters will be handed over to Marshall’s office for further investigation and potential criminal prosecution, Allen’s initiative is part of broader efforts to keep Alabama’s voter files clean, safe, and secure.
1. Vice President Kamala Harris has always been in favor of more taxes, she cast the tie-breaking vote to target tips for taxes before she copied former President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude tips from taxes, and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) says she will end Trump’s tax cuts if she wins. Rogers says if Harris wins, she may focus on increasing tax revenue and allow the Trump tax cuts to expire. Rogers emphasized the philosophical divide between parties on taxation, with Republicans aiming to retain or expand cuts and Democrats potentially targeting corporate taxes but Democrats don’t even know what Harris stands for.
Many small businesses in Alabama are still waiting to receive a tax credit that was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IRS admits there is a backlog in processing claims from businesses to receive the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC). The tax break was part of the CARES Act and was for eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations that were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic or kept employees on payroll during the economic challenges of the pandemic.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) joined a letter earlier this year asking for urgency on these claims. “Each day that passes with outstanding ERC claims unprocessed is a disservice to taxpayers and a threat to small- and medium-sized businesses,” Tuberville wrote.
Ryan Taylor, the spokesperson for the Coalition to Preserve American Jobs (CPAJ), discussed the issue Friday on WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program.”
“A lot of these small businesses, their recovery is not complete yet,” Taylor said, “and so we’ve got to make sure that that they are getting the support that they were promised.”
Taylor explained why many businesses are frustrated with the lack of urgency from the IRS on processing these claims.
“The IRS has been claiming that they are prioritizing denial letters for fraudulent claims,” he said. “Certainly, the coalition, and we can all agree that getting rid of waste, fraud and abuse and government programs is really important. But rather than prioritizing these fraudulent claims, we just don’t understand why they didn’t prioritize the 180,000 to 300,000 low-risk, valid claims.”
The IRS announced a moratorium on processing new claims for the ERC in September 2023
“They’re letting those languish,” he added, “and it’s just It boggles the mind. Yesterday the IRS finally announced that they would process 50,000 claims next month, of these low risk claims. They’ve been saying that for a year now. So we’re hopeful that we’re gaining some momentum here, but we’ve got to finish the job.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
7. A drag queen story time event in Mobile, Ala., was canceled twice due to alleged threats to TikTok influencer Ophelia “Mama Tot” Nichols. The brewery hosting the event cited safety concerns from social media threats, with the same thing happening when the event was moved to Books-A-Million and cancelled again. Despite claims of right-wing extremist threats, no specific examples were provided, leading to criticism from some in the LGBTQ community toward the organizers and venues involved.
6. A European Nazi murder cult had an international scheme to kill Jewish and minority children in New York City by by giving out candy while dressed as Santa Claus. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national in his early 20s who goes by the alias “Commander Butcher,” faces charges including transmission of threatening communications and conspiracy to solicit hate crimes and traveled to NYC twice in 2020.
5. Non-citizens are voting in elections, according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and attorneys general from 21 other states urged the U.S. Senate to support the Safeguard American Voter and Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Marshall noted that this is all political, “Now that Americans stand poised to vote Biden out, he is opposing common sense measures that would help ensure that the aliens he has allowed into this country do not vote in November. His response that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote is no answer, when Democrats are denying states the tools to make sure such laws are enforced.”
4. Alabama U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) wants Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify before the Homeland Security Committee. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena to Cheatle, as well, and Comer criticized the Secret Service and Homeland Security for lacking transparency and cooperation with the committee. He added that the incident represents a critical failure of the Secret Service’s mission and requires congressional oversight.
3. Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance accepted the nomination of his party with a speech that was good on substance but lacked the story he needed to tell about himself, but he wasn’t brought on for flash as the ticket has that already. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) expressed confidence in JD Vance’s performance in the upcoming vice presidential debate against Kamala Harris, stating he will “run circles around her” and predicting an easy victory for the GOP candidate.
2. In another misstep by President Joe Biden, the embattled president said in a new interview with BET that he would consider dropping out if he was diagnosed with a “medical condition” by doctors, leading to speculation that he is planning to leave the race. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are now moving toward asking Biden to leave the race, holding up his nomination, and all have amplified their calls for Biden to pack it in.
1. After multiple vaccines, President Joe Biden’s latest COVID-19 diagnosis is the latest threat to his reelection campaign amid concerns about his health and performance as his campaign continues to try to keep the clearly diminished president on the ballot. Before Biden announced he had COVID-19 and returned to his Delaware basement, he had been shaking hands in a diner and doing public events. But that is now on hold as he recovers in Delaware, while the media awaits his triumphant win over the virus which MSNBC’s Joy Reid placed on par with former President Donald Trump surviving an assassin’s bullet.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is joining opposition to a new proposal that would grant new powers to the World Health Organization (WHO). Ivey joined 23 Republican governors in a letter to President Joe Biden that opposes “two proposals currently under negotiation that they believe would grant “unprecedented and unconstitutional powers over the United States and its people.”
“These proposed accords aim to significantly alter the amendments to the WHO’s existing
International Health Regulations (IHRs),” the letter said, “and introduce a new ‘Pandemic Agreement’ (Treaty) that would undermine national sovereignty, infringe upon states’ rights, and jeopardize constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.”
The governors argue that the WHO’s new authority would infringe on the rights of American citizens.
“The objective of these instruments is to empower the WHO,” the letter continued, “particularly its uncontrollable Director-General, with the authority to restrict the rights of U.S. citizens, including freedoms such as speech, privacy, travel, choice of medical care, and informed consent, thus violating our Constitution’s core principles.”
The letter also makes the case that states should direct health policy during a pandemic, not an international organization like the WHO.
“As governors, we affirm that public health policy is a matter reserved for the states, not the federal government, and certainly not international bodies like the WHO,” the letter argued. “We are committed to resisting any attempts to transfer authority to the WHO over public policy affecting our citizens or any efforts by the WHO to assert such authority over them.”
This is not the first time there has been opposition to the WHO in Alabama. Alabama House Republicans were able to pass a resolution in April condemning the organization over the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution said, “members of this body encourage the United States government to ensure the fundamental freedoms of the American people against the corrupting influence of international entities such as the World Health Organization that all too often are under the influence of authoritarian foreign regimes that do not act in the best interest of the United States.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the State Committee of Public Health adopted an administrative rule change to the State Health Officer’s emergency powers on Thursday.
The change, while straightforward, addresses concerns expressed by state legislators in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent prevention measures implemented across the country by local, state and federal governments.
In a unanimous vote, the committee moved to prevent the State Health Officer from issuing or authorizing any emergency powers during a pandemic without the governor’s direct consent, approval, and signature.
Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer since 2018, served as the top public health official during the pandemic.
“Today, the State Committee of Public Health ensured the Legislature’s concerns were heard, questions were answered, and that we keep our word when we commit to offering solutions,” Harris said. “After speaking with many legislators and the Governor’s office, the State Committee of Public Health and I wanted to address this issue directly.
“This rule proposal offers added layers of transparency and accountability for the public and provides the Governor and the legislature with additional checks and balances.”
Previous drafts of the change would have subjected every emergency order to legislative oversight through the Legislative Council. Given the separation of the executive and legislative powers, that would’ve required lawmakers and the governor to sign off on each and every health order issued by the State Health Officer.
Due to those concerns, ADPH’s legal division said they returned to an original draft that requires the governor’s signature and approval of any statewide emergency orders.
Dr. Gregory Ayers, the committee’s chairman, said the change is a reflection of heightened awareness and engagement on public health issues since the pandemic – and that state health officials are, “here to work with legislators, listen to their concerns, and land on common-sense solutions to ongoing issues.”
“Dr. Harris and his team have worked diligently with our elected officials to ensure we can resolve this ongoing issue internally,” Ayers said. “We’re here to offer you factual and transparent information for you and your families, and with Dr. Harris as our State Health Officer, the health and wellbeing of Alabamians is in the best care it can be.”
During the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) raised concerns about the state health committee’s composition and appointing authority of the State Health Officer.
Officials say, even if unsatisfactory to lawmakers like Givhan’s intent to strip the appointing powers away from the State Committee of Public Health, the rule change adopted on Thursday provides a new playing field going into the 2024 legislative session.
“There’s no question that navigating through the pandemic was very challenging, and the measures that ADPH recommended to protect public health were understandably difficult for the public as well,” Harris said. “Still, we’re committed to maintaining the integrity of public health without intrusion and keeping Alabama open for business at all costs.
“Although COVID-19 is something we will have to live with from now on, it’s time we move on from that narrative and return to business as usual,” while also recognizing the immense loss of life and permanent impact the pandemic left on Alabamians.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) made it clear this week that he’s not thrilled with the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“[T]he new boss is the same as the old boss,” Palmer said on X. “They continue their refusal to answer basic questions and ignore the facts to push their agenda. That is not how you rebuild trust, but that doesn’t seem to be their goal.”
Over at @CDCgov, the new boss is the same as the old boss. They continue their refusal to answer basic questions and ignore the facts to push their agenda. That is not how you rebuild trust, but that doesn't seem to be their goal. pic.twitter.com/kGSHGVZHc6
Palmer question CDC Director Mandy Cohen during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on Thursday about the policy of closing schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Had you been in charge, would you have shut down the schools? Palmer asked. “If this were to happen again, if we had another major respiratory outbreak would you shut down the schools?”
“Well the good news is we’re in a different place than we were before,” Cohen responded. “We both have different tools and different mechanisms to respond. So I can’t really address a hypothetical.”
Palmer expressed frustration at what he believes was not an answer to his questions.
“You’d be great in the sales department,” Palmer told Cohen. “But I’m trying to get to policy and that’s one of the key things that troubles us about the CDC, is that we have to address policy.”
The congressman said he hopes the CDC can learn from its mistakes during the pandemic.
“There’s a saying that if you’re explaining you’re losing,” he said. “So we need to get down to policy. We need to talk about the things that went wrong and what we need to do.”
Palmer used masking policies as an example of where the CDC got it wrong.
“The CDC insisted on masking kids as young as two years old,” he said, “and made the argument that there was no disagreement. I think the word is equipoise. I have a study here that clearly shows that there was widespread disagreement in Europe, even here. Yet the CDC insisted on masking kids as young as two years old.”
He concluded that the CDC is not doing what it needs to do in order to rebuild trust with the American people.
“[T]here’s a lot of people, I mean a lot of people, that felt like this was more about power than it was medicine,” he argued. “And if you’re going to continue to try and do a sales job. If you want to continue and explain positions, it’s going to be difficult to get us on board with the CDC because people don’t trust you anymore. And there’s been enormous damage done in science and medicine by the policy of the CDC and the National Institutes for Health and others.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
This week, an elementary school in Montgomery County, Md., reimposed a mask mandate for students. Some hospitals in New York and California have also brought back mandatory masks for all visitors.
Senate and congressional Republicans came together on legislation to ensure that doesn’t become a trend nationwide.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt was vocal about her support for The Freedom to Breathe Act.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, draconian shutdowns and mask mandates inflicted immense damage across our nation,” said Britt (R-Montgomery). Just look at the consequences our children faced, from devastating learning loss that put students years behind to deteriorating mental health in kids and teenagers.”
The bill’s author, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) moved for unanimous consent Thursday, citing a “bipartisan” opportunity.
“Democrats say they’re not going to bring back mask mandates – we’re going to hold them to their word,” Vance said.
As written, the law would prohibit any federal official, including the president, from issuing mask mandates applying to schools, commercial airlines and public transportation.
It would also stop those institutions from refusing service to individuals who choose not to wear a mask.
In a few minutes, I’ll join Senator @JDVance1 on the Senate floor as he moves to pass a bill to ban federal mask mandates.
I’m proud to cosponsor this commonsense legislation — and if Democrats don’t plan on bringing lockdowns and mandates back, it should pass unanimously. https://t.co/LmjqApzGNX
“More than three years later, it’s clear we need to embrace individual liberty and facts rather than a society gripped by fear. Democrats have claimed that mask mandates and lockdowns are not coming back – however, their objection to this legislation reveals their true intentions.”
The Senate took up the legislation under unanimous consent but was blocked by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
7. President Joe Biden told one of his horribly telegraphed lies yesterday, this time he is lying about how he, “literally, not figuratively, talked Strom Thurmond into voting for the Civil Rights Act before he died.” U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) voted against the bill and Joe Biden was in college when that vote took place.
6. Wind and rain from Hurricane Idalia will impact parts of Alabama. The state will likely avoid the worst but Alabama will more than likely avoid the most severe weather outside of the southeast portion of the state, central Alabama could get some rain bands BUT things can change so be weather aware.
5. Schools are starting to close as President Joe Biden still wants you to take a new vaccine and boosters, lockdowns and mask mandates are back but they don’t work and some of them could give you cancer.
4. Alabama is ready to go with the first nitrogen-based execution and some media outlets say that Alabama wants to be the first in the nation to pull it off. Neat.
3. In a move that surprises no one, the selection of former President Donald Trump’s trial date for absurd federal charges about the 2020 election will take place on the Monday before Super Tuesday. Trump is not happy, nor should he be.
2. In the first post-debate/post-mugshot polls, former President Donald Trump has lost some points but is still the far and away frontrunner. In worse news, Joe Biden is seen as “old” and Trump is seen as “corrupt,” and half want Trump to suspend his campaign.
1. Alabama voters are backing U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) after a poll shows only half of potential voters have even heard of the issue: 45% support Tuberville’s holds, 33% want him to give in to Biden because of the imaginary impact on “military readiness.” Support for abortion restrictions is favored in Alabama too with 40% support limiting abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions and 19% agreed with a total ban with no exceptions.
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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and on Talk 99.5 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris expressed concern over the fact that many Alabamians are still skeptical about the COVID vaccine along with other vaccines.
Harris discussed the issue Friday on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal.”
“Yeah, it’s certainly is a concern,” Harris said. “There was a real loss of trust between the public and the people that they normally come to for advice about vaccines. We still hear some of that rhetoric going on now. The original COVID vaccines were fully FDA approved within about six or seven months when they were released back in the summer of 2021, which is the same process with every vaccine we’ve ever taken ever. And yet, people just failed to trust it. That’s still an issue.”
The state health officer believes much of the concern is unwarranted.
“Even now we’re approaching our third generation of these vaccines,” he said. “There’s more safety data available on the COVID vaccine than any vaccine that’s ever been developed ever, and it’s an appropriate vaccine in the right person to be taken, and yet people still mistrust it I think. And so that is unfortunate.”
Harris also thinks this is causing many people to forgo getting other needed vaccinations.
“We’ve seen parents who maybe vaccinated their older children without any concern after talking to their pediatrician who now have a lot of questions and wonder if they should vaccinate their young kids with anything,” he said. “Measles or tetanus or German measles or chicken pox, all of those vaccines. That’s starting to recover fortunately.”
He blamed much of the distrust on the fact that the disease was new and some of the guidance was changing throughout the pandemic.
“It was really clear that the messenger, in a lot of ways, was more important than the message,” he said. “It was such a divided time during the pandemic, and people were really not sure who to trust. There was a lot of conflicting information. Because we were living in real-time, watching science evolve with this disease, the guidance changed, and because people hear that, they mistrust, and they wonder, ‘Why? Were you lying to me last week because this week you’re telling me something that is different?’ And so, you know, those are things that you can expect. It made it really hard for people to know where to get good information.”
Harris said one of the issues they faced during the pandemic and continue to face today is the current state of news media in the country.
“And we also kind of have this sort of democratization of press, if you will, so everybody can pull the news from exactly the person they want to get it from, you can be inside your own bubble if you will, and reinforce what you already think,” he said. “And we had a hard time trying to figure out how to get through that. I would say we didn’t do it that well in a lot of ways.
“I think what we have learned is it is really important to work on building trust first. And then, if and when you have an episode like this, people are more inclined to listen to you.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo of the University of Alabama at Birmingham is replacing Dr. Anthony Fauci as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, UAB announced. The institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health.
“This is a great opportunity for Dr. Marrazzo to make a big difference to the country, and it is indicative of the high regard that exists for both her and UAB,” the school said. “While we are sad to see her go, we are delighted that Jeanne has been called to this national service and we are proud to count her as one of us at UAB.”
According to the college, Marrazzo was instrumental in guiding the institution through the pandemic.
“As director of our Division of Infectious Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeanne served as a trusted advisor and friend who gave us the insights, guidance and confidence that allowed our institution to thrive in spite of immense challenges,” the school said. “She also helped inform the world, as she participated in constant local, national and global media interviews throughout the pandemic, sharing critical information and perspectives.”
Marrazzo will oversee NIAID’s $6.3 billion budget which supports research to strengthen the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville is driving efforts for Americans to regain trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee met Friday to analyze the shortcomings in the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuberville (R-Auburn) proposed an amendment that would make the CDC director a Senate-confirmed position immediately, instead of waiting until 2025, which bipartisan provisions already call for.
The CDC has more than 10,000 employees and will direct $11.5 billion in discretionary spending next year. But the director of the CDC is not required to receive Senate approval.
“Americans have truly lost so much faith in the CDC as an institution, and one of the best things we can do to set us up to defeat a future pandemic is to give Americans a voice when it comes to leadership at such an important agency,” Tuberville said.
In today's HELP committee markup of PAHPA, @SenTuberville introduced an amendment that would immediately make the CDC director a position that requires confirmation by the Senate. pic.twitter.com/zx5qPEFDwn
— Senate HELP Committee GOP (@GOPHELP) July 20, 2023
Nearly three years after COVID-19 appeared, members of the committee expressed concern the U.S. is unprepared for the next deadly pandemic.
“We did learn some tough lessons,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said. “We’re updating the playbook.”
Last year in testimony to Congress, former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky called for the agency to be overhauled after an external review found it had failed to respond quickly and clearly to COVID-19. She faulted the agency for acting too much like an academic institution instead of taking action.
“For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19 and, in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations,” Walensky said.
Tuberville and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Restoring Trust in Public Health Act in September which would accomplish the goal of an immediate confirmation of that role. Today’s amendment also would have sped it up.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
The U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will hold a hearing Tuesday on “Investigating the Proximal Origin of a Cover Up.” The recent Federal District Court injunction against government censorship of social media increases this hearing’s significance.
The hearing will not decide if a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) started the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The hearing will examine the backstory of the March 2020 Nature Medicine paper, “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2.” In this paper, five leading virologists concluded, “we do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.”
“Proximal Origin” was one of the most cited scientific papers of 2020. Dr. Anthony Fauci and many others dismissed the lab leak hypothesis for almost two years by referencing this paper.
One potential response could be that real time prognostication is frequently wrong. Law professor Richard Epstein in March 2020 predicted no more than 50,000 deaths worldwide from SARS-CoV-2, which was off by two orders of magnitude.
But thanks to numerous Freedom of Information requests, we know that three “Proximal Origin” authors thought that the lab leak was a 50-50 proposition or better.
The WIV was collecting coronaviruses from bats across China to identify potentially deadly viruses before they might begin infecting humans. This research necessarily made a leak a possibility, made more likely since much of WIV’s coronavirus research was being done in a Level 2 Biosecurity lab rather than a Level 4 area.
But it gets worse. The authors were aware of a furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, never previously observed in any coronavirus. This was the key to infection: “without this feature, SARS-CoV-2 would not have posed a pandemic threat.”
WIV and EcoHealth Alliance had sought funding from DARPA to insert a furin cleavage site into a coronavirus. This proposal was not funded but the research might still have been conducted, making a lab leak a leading candidate when such a coronavirus emerged in Wuhan.
Four of the five authors of Proximal Origins were on a phone call on Feb. 1, 2020, with Dr. Fauci, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, and Wellcome Trust’s Jeremy Farrar. Somehow none of their concerns made it into the paper. As Roger Pielke Jr. summarizes the case: “a group of scientists, ‘prompted’ by government officials and ‘shepherded’ by Farrar … chose to misrepresent in a ‘scientific’ article published in a major journal what they knew and believed, as expressed in private emails.”
The case sheds light on government censorship of social media. The expert assessment justified deplatforming lab leak proponents from Twitter and Facebook. Censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story proceeded similarly, with 51 intelligence experts claiming the story was Russian disinformation.
Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi dub what their excellent reporting, beginning with the Twitter files, has uncovered the “Censorship Industrial Complex.” A lawsuit by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri led to last week’s injunction from Federal Judge Terry Doughty, who wrote, “If the allegations made by the Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history.”
Americans must push back against this censorship. I will consider only the tiny sliver posed by “Proximal Origin.” Here’s a potential response: permanently ban the paper’s authors from future federal research funding. We the people and taxpayers invest in research to make our lives better. Only scientists adhering to the highest standards can advance knowledge. Scientists willing to lie in such a publication have zero credibility to conduct honest research.
The “Proximal Origin” authors are not the only blameworthy parties here. Dr. Fauci, who was funding research at WIV through NIAID, appears particularly culpable. I would support punishment for this, but Dr. Fauci has since retired.
The federal government justifies social media censorship to combat misinformation. We still do not know whether COVID-19 emerged from the WIV. But discrediting the lab leak hypothesis represents pure government misinformation.
Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.
Dr. Peter McCullough has been a voice of reason in a broken healthcare system crazed with COVID hysteria.
As a global leader in his field, Dr. McCullough – internist and cardiologist – has worked tirelessly to educate us all on the science behind COVID and the vaccines, all while being censored for speaking scientific truth. And, unfortunately, his warnings about vaccines have been borne out.
“Far and away the most common question I get from those who took one of the COVID-19 vaccines is: ‘how do I get this out of my body?’ The mRNA and adenoviral DNA products were rolled out with no idea of how or when the body would ever break down the genetic code. The synthetic mRNA carried on lipid nanoparticles appears to be resistant to breakdown by human ribonucleases by design so the product would be long-lasting and produce the protein product of interest for a considerable time period… it is a big problem when the protein is the pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 Spike.
This leaves the dissolution of Spike protein as a therapeutic goal for the vaccine injured. With the respiratory infection, Spike is processed and activated by cellular proteases including transmembrane serine protein 2 (TMPRSS2), cathepsin, and furin. With vaccination, these systems may be avoided by systemic administration and production of Spike protein within cells. As a result, the pathogenesis of vaccine injury syndromes is believed to be driven by the accumulation of Spike protein in cells, tissues, and organs.
Nattokinase is an enzyme is produced by fermenting soybeans with the bacteria Bacillus subtilis var. natto and has been available as an oral supplement. It degrades fibrinogen, factor VII, cytokines, and factor VIII and has been studied for its cardiovascular benefits. Out of all the available therapies I have used in my practice and among all the proposed detoxification agents, I believe nattokinase and related peptides hold the greatest promise for patients at this time.”
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Those who had a loved one in the hospital in recent years know how heartbreaking it can be to not be guaranteed access by their side – especially in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
A law went into effect Tuesday that will allow more visitation freedom in Alabama healthcare facilities. Patients will be able to designate a specific visitor as an essential caregiver, which would allow them to visit for a minimum of two hours every day.
“The ability to visit a cherished loved one, whether in a hospital or nursing home, should be a fundamental right,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “However, all over the country during the pandemic, many family members, caregivers and even clergy were denied access to visit and provide emotional support to patients in healthcare facilities.”
Essential caregiver status can extend to a family member, friend, guardian, pastor, or other person designated a specific day to visit. The law also prohibits a facility from requiring proof of vaccination or stopping physical contact between a visitor and a patient.
During an emotional legislative process between the House and Senate, Sen. Garland Gudger (R-Cullman) brought the bill and saw it through to completion.
“In 2021, we passed a bill to strengthen patient-visitor access, but over the last two years, I’ve continued to receive countless phone calls from Alabamians that weren’t able to be by their loved one’s side during their final days,” Gudger said from the Senate floor.
After Ivey signed the bill Tuesday, Gudger said it was a “great day for Alabama.
The law also offers liability protection for healthcare facilities and employees in carrying out these new procedures.
“I was pleased to sign this legislation to signal that in Alabama, we support our patients having this fundamental right,” Ivey said.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270 for coverage of the 2023 legislative session.
7. This would never happen to a black student at a predominantly white school
Student Michael Newman attended Howard University for two years (2020-2022) before being expelled. Now he is suing the school for $2 million because of their “hostile learning environment” and for the “pain, suffering, emotional anguish and damage to his reputation.”
Newman was reportedly banned from online chat forums for asking to discuss “whether (1) Black voters didn’t question turning to government for solutions, and (2) reliably voting for the same party every election disincentivized both parties from responding to the needs of the black communities.” He was verbally abused despite apologizing and releasing a statement trying to clarify his good intentions, blocked from all online methods of defending himself, then expelled.
6. South Carolina proposes “Yankee Tax”
South Carolina is not happy about the millions of northeasterners moving to their state and apparently reducing their quality of living. So they’ve proposed a “Yankee tax” which would require those moving in from out of state to pay a one-time fee of $500: $250 for new driver’s licenses and $250 for vehicle registrations.
State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch claims this fee is to make new residents “catch up with the rest of us” and that he thinks $500 won’t stop people from moving to the state. He just wants them to contribute to the state’s infrastructure upfront. Meanwhile, California and New York have proposed legislation to tax people for trying to leave the state.
5. Virginia trying to stop China from buying farmland near military bases
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to sign a bipartisan bill that would ban the Chinese Communist Party from buying farmland in the state, especially near military installations such as Quantico and the Pentagon.
Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture records reveal that Chinese companies and private citizens own an estimated 14,000 acres of Virginia farmland and 1.6 million acres across the country. They’re also investigating a partnership between Ford and a Chinese-owned company, which they’re calling a “Trojan Horse” infiltration of American supply chains.
4. Britt and Tuberville seek to extend Medicare program to rural hospitals
Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), along with a bipartisan group of senators, are seeking to extend the Wage Index Hospital Policy, which offers aid to rural hospitals. The senators have asked Medicare and Medicaid for a 4-year extension, in large part because COVID disruptions made it impossible to evaluate the impact of the program.
Britt said, “Every Alabamian deserves access to quality care and the opportunity to thrive in safe, strong communities – no matter their ZIP Code.” This request comes despite the recent discussion of Medicare’s impending insolvency. On the other side, Alabama has come under criticism for being the only state in the country to not cover genetic breast cancer screenings through Medicaid.
3. Let’s roll on the executions
On Friday, The Alabama Department of Corrections announced it is as “prepared as possible” to resume executions. The Alabama Department of Corrections finished its review of the execution process under Gov. Kay Ivey’s order and now the moratorium on executions is over. Attorney General Steve Marshall is clearly ready to get these executions started again.
Now, a new rule which would prevent criminals from abusing last-minute appeals that call off their executions. The ADOC is also seeking to increase the number of medical professionals who can oversee executions, following issues with attaching IV lines to inmates. Opponents of capital punishment are claiming that the internal review did not identify or seek to fix any problems.
2. REAL school choice options are here
The Parental Rights in Children’s Education Act (PRICE Act) could provide about $6,000 a year in tax dollars for each child in Alabama. The money would be put into an educational savings account (ESA) which could then be applied to private schools, church-based schools, homeschooling, or a public school outside their zoned district. Alabama would phase this system in over four years, with families under an income cap eligible to apply for the first two years, and everyone eligible by the fourth year.
“Number one, it’s the parents’ responsibility to determine what is best for their child,” said State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia). “Number two, the money ought to follow the child. And number three main point, if you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to participate.”
1. Energy Department says COVID-19 leaked from a lab
The Energy Department revised its stance to state that COVID-19 likely came from a Wuhan lab leak after all. The report, shared with the Wall Street Journal, did not share the new evidence that led them to this “low confidence” conclusion. This was dismissed as a “conspiracy theory” and there are still some in the highest level of government who won’t admit it.
Back in 2021 the FBI already said they thought with “moderate confidence” that COVID-19 came from a lab leak. The CIA is still being cagey, but naturally emerging animal sources have never been definitively identified.
Hospital margins in Alabama have dropped 79 percent since the start of the pandemic, according to a study by Kaufman Hall, a national healthcare and higher education consulting firm. As a result, some hospital leaders are calling on the Alabama Legislature to pass some kind of Medicaid expansion.
“When I talk to business leaders that are opposed to Medicaid expansion, I ask, ‘Why do you want to pay for this instead of letting the federal government pay for it?’” Huntsville Hospital CEO Jeff Samz told the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber on Thursday. “I think it’s a better way to do it.”
Friday on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) said he doesn’t believe there’s any will to pass a Medicaid expansion this year.
“Medicaid expansion, it’s been attempted year after year after year,” Orr said. “Do I think the Legislature approves such an expansion? No. Do I see … a political posturing by the hospitals for ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money? Those decisions are being made now. So I see them crying ‘Fire, fire, we need relief, we need help.’
“Some of that is true, but when you look at and you study the issue about hospitals, the whole world of healthcare has changed.”
Orr said the biggest hurdle to ever passing an expansion is the price tag.
“It would cost the state $200-$300 million a year for Medicaid expansion,” he said. “And the general fund budget’s in good shape now, but it can change and turn on a dime; there’s just not a lot of appetite to take on that additional cost.”
Orr also talked about why some of the business groups are currently supporting a Medicaid expansion in the Yellowhammer State.
“They’ve got the business community, the BCA, of course Blue Cross, all these big business organizations behind them and going to be pushing Medicaid expansion,” he said. “Well why is that? Well it is because they see more money coming from Washington, as if it’s ‘free money,’ coming in from Washington that will be poured in to the healthcare system so everybody benefits. And more money into the system means more money for sales taxes, more employees.”
The state senator believes its foolish to make the state more dependent on federal dollars.
“Healthcare chews up or gobbles up more discretionary money that’s out there, and somebody’s got to pay it,” he said, “and we know the feds, they don’t have the money in the first place. And then you push off some of that responsibility on the state of Alabama budgets, and the business associations that are pushing this, they know that they’re probably not going to be taxed.
“Well who will be taxed to come up with another couple hundred million dollars to pay for this? Mom and pop, middle class workers, et cetera.”
Orr reiterated his frustration at those in the business community who are pressuring lawmakers about doing this right now.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “We all know the federal deficit and the federal spending. When’s the house going to fall in? We know it’s going to happen unless something changes, and nothing is wired up there to change anything.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
Calling the COVID-19 crisis “weaponized,” U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville called on Congress to end the emergency declaration and vow to never again use such dangerous lockdown measures
“It’s high time we take a look back at the devastating impacts some of the federal and state government policies in response to COVID-19,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said on the Senate floor Monday. “Most importantly, we have to focus on education. We have to look at the toll the lockdowns have taken on our country’s youngest citizens.
“Unfortunately, like many issues in D.C., the COVID crisis was weaponized for some political gain. The government misused emergency measures to grow its control over Americans’ daily lives. Hopefully, those days are over.”
As the 118th Congress begins, Tuberville disclosed the rise in excess mortality rates and decrease in educational success during COVID-19 lockdowns. The excess rate describes the number of deaths above historical norms, or how many Americans died than would typically expect to die during any given year.
“…According to data from the CDC, the number of non-COVID excess deaths reached almost 100,000 people in 2020 and 2021,” he said. “The hundreds of thousands of non-COVID excess deaths during the pandemic can be mainly attributed to shocking increases in accidents, overdoses, and death from alcoholism and homicide.
“And those causes disproportionately impacted minorities and low-income Americans, the same groups lockdowns were often billed and made to protect.”
Tuberville, a former coach and educator, spoke on the effects the lockdown had on the youth.
“In total, excess deaths among young adults throughout the pandemic were 27 percent higher than they should be, according to historical trends,” he said. “Today, our schools are facing a shortage of teachers, months of instruction still missing, [and] a mental health and behavioral crisis among our country’s students.
“As someone who spent decades as an educator and a coach, and fostered the potential of young adults, I am committed to ensuring we never inflict the damage on our school-aged kids again.”
7. Tuberville’s bill for fallen soldiers passed
Alabama’s senior U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) continues to work on helping American military families. His “Fallen Act” was already passed and signed in October but an error needed a correction and that was handled this week.
Tuberville applauded the fixed bill, which will allow service members to transfer their post-9/11 GI bill benefits to a spouse or child under certain circumstances, “I’m proud we could deliver another win for our military families and ensure dependents aren’t barred from using the educational benefits they’ve earned.”
6. If lying is now criminal, D.C. will become a prison colony
U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) is in political trouble with Republicans, Democrats, the media, and sane people everywhere pointing out that a guy who lies about his entire resume shouldn’t be a member of Congress. Interestingly, Santos could have some legal issues as well.
Republican Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly is coming for the rookie politician but is less than clear what the crimes being investigated are: “The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of stunning.” This all seems like an investigation looking for a crime, which seems like a roadmap to putting a lot of politicians in legal crosshairs.
5. Brooks slams TVA
Criticism of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s rolling blackouts has been relatively sparse despite the pronouncements that recent temperatures would not impact power usage to the point where they would be required. One of the voices criticizing the TVA is U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) who called the utilities’ reasoning “Orwellian,” adding, “if I recall correctly, and I’m going to paraphrase, but the quote was from the TVA, ‘We have to have rolling blackouts in order to ensure reliable electricity delivery.”
He said we have seen these temperatures before and they should have been prepared. “The cold streak that we’ve had over the last week, that’s happened before. So we’ve had those kind of demands on our electricity supply, people trying to heat their homes, keep their pipes from bursting and everything else. The TVA should have been prepared for it.”
4. Alabama lawmakers happy to see Title 42 extended
While Title 42 seems to be the latest focus of the immigration debate, it is still in play and we still have record illegal immigration, and the decision by the Supreme Court to extend it has been applauded by many.
Two Alabama lawmakers, U.S. Reps. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) expressed cautious optimism. Moore said, “While this news is positive, our border will remain in crisis until Biden commits to ending lawlessness at our border and beyond.” And Palmer opined, “SCOTUS made the right decisions by extending Title 42. The Biden Administration has no plan to stop the unfolding crisis at the southern border and is putting Americans at risk with their decision making.”
3. Alabama House Majority Leader defends recent decisions
The Alabama State House’s new Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) answered a couple of questions about his fundraising and office renovations in a livestream interview. He also foreshadowed a debate over a new Statehouse building because of the age of the current building and health issues surrounding it.
Leader Stadthagen was adamant that his fundraising from the group Club for Growth for his STACKPAC will be used to turn out Republican voters and the renovations being done to the Majority Leader’s office will NOT be paid for with taxpayer dollars but out of his campaign funds, which is legally permissable.
2. Chinavirus season 4 looks like a lame repeat
As China continues struggling with its handling of COVID-19, with subpar vaccines and no natural immunity, there are some signs that the spread of the illness will be global … again. In China, more than 30% of the nation – as many as 248 million – have tested positive this month alone.
In a recent flight from the communist country to Milan, Italy, more than one-half of the Chinese citizens on the plane tested positive for the virus. Another flight had almost half test positive. Italy will handle this by isolating those who have tested positive.
1. Biden copies Trump policies he called “xenophobic”
President Joe Biden’s administration has placed a travel ban on China. This shows that the media and their Democrats meant very little of what they actually said during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and proves they only cared about political power. While this is the right move, when former President Donald Trump implemented a similar travel ban, it was called “xenophobic” and ineffective by many who are oddly silent now.
The new restrictions force anyone coming from China will to show a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than two days before travel. The effectiveness of this is questionable, given the incubation period of the illness, it is not xenophobic.