2024 has arrived. As election season heats up, the Alabama Legislature gets back to work and political issues, both new and old, play out across the state. Here are the headlines that will make headlines in some form over the next 12 months.
us presidential election
Yes, this is a national story, not a state one, and Alabama is a key state for either former President Donald Trump or the Republican nominee.
In Alabama, the Republican candidate overwhelmingly defeated the Democratic candidate, and if Trump participates in Alabama's primary vote on March 5, he will defeat Governor Ron DeSantis and Ambassador Nikki Haley in the primary. It turns out.
As Huntsville learned last year, elections have consequences when the Space Force is ripped out of Alabama on the whim of a president who doesn't like the state's people or its leaders.
Under President Joe Biden, more illegal immigrants are entering this country and resettling here and elsewhere than there are people in this country. The 81-year-old president has yet to present Congress with a plan to curb the wave of people crossing the southern border, much less a balanced budget.
Relations with Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran have all deteriorated under Biden's three years of leadership, and continuing this foreign policy for another five years will lead to a very potentially dangerous future. Dew.
Nothing will have more impact on Alabama's future moving forward than the person who takes the position on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Alabama 2nd Congressional District
Open seats in Congress are rare in Alabama, and open seats that can be won by either party are an even rarer event.
The redrawn 2nd Congressional District favors Democrats. Still, there's still a chance that Republicans could pull off an upset and win the seat, given the declining black belt population and the possibility of a Democratic presidential candidate that even Democrats aren't too keen on.
With 21 candidates running, it is highly likely that no candidate will be decided without a runoff election.
The public's money will likely flow into this fall election campaign. That's because this election could have a huge impact on which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives. Differences between the two political parties in Washington are greater and more polarized than ever before.
Push for legal gambling and state lotteries
Some gambling legislation is likely to be a big topic in 2024, as House Speaker Nathanial Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) wants it discussed.
Republican leaders in both chambers could theoretically kill serious consideration of divisive gambling legislation, but reports say they are open to considering constitutional amendments to expand gambling under appropriate circumstances. It has been shown that there is.
State Lotteries, Sports Betting, Internet Gambling, and Enforcement illegal games They are all said to be part of the proposal. Leaders will need to negotiate with Democratic leaders in both chambers to pass gambling legislation, as nearly half of Republicans will not vote for it in either chamber.
If passed, the bill would need to be approved by voters during the Nov. 5 general election and would need to be filed this year. If it is not passed in 2024, it will likely be delayed by several years.
Since there are no statewide elections scheduled in 2025 and gambling tends to drive out Democratic voters, Republican lawmakers have decided not to gamble on the ballot when they run for re-election in 2026. I want it.
medical cannabis
Medical marijuana in Alabama will likely be legally distributed in 2024.
Alabama State Legislature and Governor Kay Ivey passed bill A lawsuit was filed in 2021, a flurry of lawsuits were filed in 2023 against state officials tasked with providing medical marijuana to state residents, and none of the ongoing legal battles have been resolved. Not yet.
In theory, it could happen as early as sometime in the spring, but state and federal courts will decide when that happens and what form it will take. Additionally, some lawmakers may try to make their 2021 bill public.
school selection
Comprehensive school choice legislation failed in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature in 2023, and never advanced to a vote in either chamber.
Governor Ivey is Expanding school choice As a priority for 2024, the Alabama Education Association (AEA) and school superintendents plan to oppose significant school choice legislation.
Although they oppose any funding or withdrawal of students from public education, Alabama's school system is one of the lowest performing in the nation, and poor school performance has led to Alabama's economic growth. is increasingly seen as a major long-term disability.
Republican Primary for House District 1
In the March 5th Republican primary, Congressman Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) will face Congressman Jerry Carl (R-Mobile).
court ordered The 1st and 2nd Districts are desegregated, with the 1st District having a more conservative, Republican-leaning population and two incumbent Republicans living in the same district.
On the surface, there appears to be little difference between the two. Both are conservative Republicans. Both voted to keep Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, both voted to keep conservative firebrand Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as Speaker, and both voted to keep relative newcomer Mike Johnson (R-Ohio) as Speaker. (Louisiana) for Speaker of the House of Representatives.
But a closer look at their votes reveals even more disagreement. Moore is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, while Kahl is not. Kahl voted for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, but Moore opposed the compromise for fundamental reasons.
Republican primary voters will decide what the path forward will be. As the court has shown, the Democrats do not have the ability to win the 1st Congressional District, so whoever wins the Republican primary will become a member of the House.
Ballot collection
Another bill likely to be taken up during the 2024 session is Senate Bill 1 (SB1), sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman).
During the 2020 election, surrogates were being recruited nationwide to go door-to-door (usually targeting likely Democratic voters) to “help” voters apply for, fill out, and submit absentee ballots. , compensation was paid.
This controversial practice is less common in Alabama, but it is a reality, especially in larger cities. SB1 can earn rewards harvest ballot illegal. Democrats and moderate Republicans passed a similar bill in the state Senate in 2023, but it died in the state Senate.
Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) has prioritized the bill to make Alabama's elections “more secure.” Both Mr. Allen and Mr. Gudger hope the Senate will not be the same hurdle it was in 2023.
Alabama Department of Corrections
There is no greater potential minefield for state government than Alabama's correctional system.
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) huge prison Located in Elmore County. The project, commissioned by his Cadell Construction in Montgomery, is Cadell's largest project to date and his first prison.
The cost of the out-of-bid contract has exceeded 1 billion and is rising. ADOC was authorized to build his second mega-prison in Escambia County. They have cleared the land and completed some site work, but still need a general contractor or plans for a second prison.
Meanwhile, conditions at existing, decades-old prisons continue to deteriorate, and plans to renovate many of those older facilities have been put on hold as the cost of the Elmore program continues to grow.
There are currently three major lawsuits in federal court, including one brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against the state, arguing that the state needs to improve conditions inside its prisons. There is.
One of the lawsuits is against the Board of Pardons and Paroles, asking the state to grant more paroles.
The state is defending the lawsuit while seeking to hire more prison guards, but an adverse court ruling could affect the state's finances and public safety.
rural healthcare
Rural hospitals are also a hot topic in the state. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, eight of Alabama's 67 counties do not have a hospital and 35 counties do not have a hospital to deliver babies.
People living in rural Alabama must travel long distances to receive knee replacements, heart bypass surgeries, oncologist appointments, mental health services and eye doctor appointments. countryside. Alabama has a shortage of primary care physicians, and many of the state's rural hospitals are struggling financially.
Much of this economic hardship was masked by the massive influx of capital during COVID-19. Federal CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Now, those funds are starting to dry up, and the Alabama Legislature is being asked to find solutions to address rural health care.
Alabama Democratic Party
The Alabama Democratic Party is expected to continue to be in turmoil.
In 2024, the Alabama Democratic Party leadership and the Democratic National Committee will debate the state party's bylaws, primarily over whether changes to the bylaws will affect ADP-mandated LGBTQ+ caucus quotas. There will be a showdown. State Executive Committee Seat Is it valid?
Democrats hope to take control of Alabama's 2nd Congressional District in November. That will require both the progressive Doug Jones faction and the Alabama Democratic Conference, led by ADP Chairman Randy Kelly and Joe Reed, to work with national Democratic organizations like the DNC and ACT Blue.
That cooperation will require resolving some aspects of the ongoing power struggle.
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