Lottery, medical marijuana, Confederate monuments: Alabama lawmakers face decisions
Updated Feb 02, 2021;
Alabama lawmakers begin their annual session Tuesday with a plan to finish what they say is urgent business the first two weeks, leaving contentious bills like a lottery, medical marijuana, and changes to the Memorial Preservation Act for later in the session.
The COVID-19 pandemic will limit access to the State House and chances for the public to participate in hearings on controversial issues.
The House of Representatives and Senate convene at noon Tuesday and will adjourn in time for Gov. Kay Ivey’s State of the State address at 6:30 p.m.
Organizations call Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to lease prisons a ‘30-year mistake’
Updated Jan 29, 2021;
Posted Jan 29, 2021
Inmates rest on their bunks in Dorm B in Alabama s Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore County. The dorm holds more than 300 inmates. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)
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Opponents of Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to lease three new men’s prisons today released a letter to legislators urging them to try to stop it.
Thirteen organizations are listed at the end of the letter, which says it was written on behalf of a coalition that includes almost 300 college students, farmers, and activists.
Alabama lawmakers press Jeff Dunn to reveal more about cost of new prisons
Updated Jan 27, 2021;
Posted Jan 27, 2021
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Alabama legislators sought more information today from Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn about negotiations with private developers to build three new prisons, but Dunn revealed nothing new about the talks or prison plans.
The commissioner said he expects Gov. Kay Ivey to make announcements on the negotiations “very soon,” although he was not specific about the timing.
Dunn made a presentation and answered questions during the Legislature’s budget hearings at the Alabama State House.
The Ivey administration and the ADOC are negotiating with two developer teams for three men’s prisons that the developers would finance, build, maintain, and lease to the state over 30 years. In September, Ivey announced the prisons would be in Bibb, Elmore, and Escambia counties.
Madison County Commission Chairman calls out ADOC, ADOC Commissioner blames COVID-19 and federal court order
Madison County Commission Chairman frustrated with ADOC, ADOC Commissioner blames COVID-19 By Eric Graves | January 19, 2021 at 10:02 AM CST - Updated January 19 at 10:02 AM
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong said the Alabama Department of Corrections is taking advantage of Madison County citizens and it’s costing money.
“We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars of expense to the taxpayers of Madison County,” Strong said.
As of early January, Strong said there were 985 inmates in the Madison County Jail. Under state guidelines, any inmate convicted and sentenced must be transferred out of a county jail and into a state prison within 30 days of their sentencing. Strong says that isn’t happening. He told us about 190 of those 985 inmates should be in state prisons right now, but they’re not. They are still in the