Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall will appeal a ruling rejecting Alabama’s new congressional map to the U.S. Supreme Court. Secretary of State Wes Allen, who is represented by Marshall, filed a motion Tuesday asking the court for a stay on the ruling rejecting the map. Tuesday morning, a three-judge federal court ruled that the map passed by the Legislature in July did not fix a likely Voting Rights Act violation. The court ordered a special master and a cartographer it has appointed to begin working on a new map to be used in the 2024 congressional elections. AL.com reports that the judges said in yesterday’s order that it was disturbing that the map the Legislature passed ignored the court’s directive to create a second opportunity district for Black voters.
Friday, September 1st, a 1% tax cut on groceries went into effect in Alabama – meaning Alabamians will now be taxed at 3% on grocery items, instead of 4%. The rollout of the tax cut was less than smooth and now many shoppers are taking a closer look at their receipts. If you’ve shopped at any retailer that sells food items since Friday and have noticed two different tax lines, it is not a mistake. WHNT TV reports the Alabama Department of Revenue says “most” retailers will separate items that were taxed with the statewide 4% rate and items that were taxed at the grocery rate of 3%. So, if you buy a combination of food and non-food items you will see two different tax lines on your receipt from now on.
The Huntsville City Council is considering an amendment to strengthen the city's existing law regarding the use of cell phones and other wireless devices while driving. If approved, the updated ordinance would ban drivers from reading, writing, or sending text messages, taking pictures, and watching or recording videos. It would also prohibit drivers from holding cell phones or engaging in voice-based communication while holding a device. The proposed update would allow law enforcement to treat handheld device violations as a primary offense. The City Council will vote on the updated ordinance at its next regular meeting on Thursday, Sep. 14.
Alabama’s Missing and Endangered Person Alert criteria has been expanded to include adults who have been abducted. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced that the change comes after Governor Ivey signed an expanded version of the alert into law. WAFF TV reports that previously, the criteria stated that a missing person must be living with a mental or physical disability, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or autism and is at risk of bodily harm or death. You can subscribe to receive notifications in the case of missing persons or during emergency situations by texting “ALalerts” to 99411 or enrolling online at www.alea.gov.
This Saturday, Sep. 9, Huntsville Animal Services will host a Fall Block Party with free pet adoptions. This event will highlight the shelter's "block-head" breeds, like pit bulls. Director of Huntsville Animal Services Dr. Karen Sheppard says these breeds may look tough, but they tend to be low-maintenance, healthy, and enthusiastic pets. The event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 4950 Triana Blvd. SW. You can visit www.HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal or find Huntsville Animal Services on Facebook for more information.