Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill this week making possession of a “Glock switch,” which converts semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons, a state crime. The bill would make it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, for a person to own or sell the combination of parts that create a Glock switch. The Alabama Reflector reports the legislation does not apply to law enforcement or people who register their firearms with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Alabama consumers would no longer pay the state sales tax on diapers, baby formula, menstrual hygiene products and other items under a bill approved this week by the House of Representatives. The Alabama Reflector reports Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, offered an amendment to the bill expanding the exemption to adult diapers. It was adopted unanimously. The bill now goes to the Senate.
A House committee approved a bill this week making Juneteenth an Alabama state holiday. This comes after the sponsor removed a provision that would have required state employees to choose between that holiday or a Confederate one. The original bill put Juneteenth on the state holiday list but did not require offices to shut down. Instead, state employees would choose to take the holiday celebrating the end of slavery or Jefferson Davis’ Birthday, a state holiday marked on the first Monday in June to honor the president of the Confederacy. The bill was revised to make Juneteenth a state holiday for all employees, along with Jefferson Davis’ birthday.
The Alabama Department of Transportation continues to spend more each year on litter removal, diverting funds from critical road improvement projects. In 2024, ALDOT spent more than $9.4 million statewide cleaning up trash along Alabama’s roadways—a $500,000 increase from the nearly $9 million spent in 2023. In 2022, the cost was $7 million. ALDOT points out to the Alabama Political Reporter that if people would stop littering, those millions could be used for projects that make Alabama’s roads safer and more efficient.
The Huntsville City Council will be voting to add more property in Limestone County. The 91-acre tract is located east of Interstate 65 and north of I-565. AL.com reports it will be the second time this year the Council will vote to annex property in Limestone County. The city annexed 394 acres in January. According to Manager of Planning and Zoning Services Thomas Nunez, with the recent annexations, Huntsville is now the largest city in Alabama and the 27th largest city geographically in the country.
Residents of Old Town in Northwest Decatur will soon have safer access to parks and stores along the riverfront. Officials are working to improve and expand the existing Dr. Bill Sims trail, by adding new walking paths and bike lanes over a nine-mile span. WAFF TV reports the project will extend from Point Mallard Park to Benjamin Davis Elementary School. An almost $19 million federal grant is funding this entire project. The grant requires this project to be completed by November 2026.
A tree grown from seeds flown around the moon on the Artemis I mission is taking root at Monte Sano State Park. Officials from Alabama State Parks and the Von Braun Astronomical Society gathered Thursday with city leaders and representatives from NASA to dedicate the Moon Tree at the park. The Von Braun Astronomical Society, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, applied to NASA to receive a tree and learned it had been selected to receive one earlier this year. AL.com reports the tree, located near the John Scoble Memorial Pavilion in the park, will be protected by fencing and permanent signage will be installed soon to commemorate its significance.