Mar 06, 2024

Let's get political today. I'll put on my Tim Russert tie and we'll do some highlights from yesterday's primary election and catch up on some of the flurry of activity on Goat Hill.

What are the chances that the Legislature will pass a lottery to put on the ballot this year? The same as Alabama seeing snow this month? Feel free to reply with the odds as you see them.

Here's the news ...

Ike Morgan

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The highest-profile congressional primary in Alabama was a race between two sitting congressmen.

For the GOP's nomination in Alabama's First Congressional District, Barry Moore of Enterprise defeated incumbent Jerry Carl of Mobile in what had become a pretty contentious race. Moore is currently representing Alabama 2, but after a court-ordered redrawing of the congressional map found himself living in Alabama 1, Carl's district.

The shape of Alabama 1 now runs horizontally along the very bottom of the state. What likely pushed Moore to victory was that his Wiregrass-area counties turned out stronger than Carl's Coastal Alabama. And Moore carried around 80 percent of the Republican vote in the Wiregrass.

Now, in the other half of that redistricting, we have Alabama's Second Congressional District. Moore is currently representing that district but was redrawn into Alabama 1. Meanwhile, the whole point of the redistricting was so that Black voters would likely have an upper hand in electing a candidate of their choice. In other words, we're a whole lot more likely to see a second Democrat join Alabama 7's Terri Sewell and represent Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives next year.

That would flip a seat in the House to the Democrats. Running to stop that flip will be either former state lawmaker Dick Brewbaker or attorney Caroleene Dodson, who finished 1-2 last night and will face each other in an April 16 runoff.

There will also be a runoff on the Democratic side, between Shomari Figures and Anthony Daniels. Figures worked in the Obama administration, and Daniels is the state House minority leader. Daniels also lives in Huntsville, way outside of Alabama 2, but he's from Bullock County and says he's maintained family ties there.

Don't assume the flip here. According to the Alabama Secretary of State's website last night, the numbers of Republican and Democrat ballots voting on this campaign were really, really close. There were more cast on the Democrat side, but by only 161.

The Alabama state Legislature has not slowed down for the primary election. To the contrary: You might see big movement on high-profile bills this week.

Lawmakers meet today, and they could give final passage to a bill protecting in vitro fertilization clinics from legal action, reports AL.com's Mike Cason. Last week the House and Senate passed their own versions of the bill, and yesterday committees in both chambers hammered out identical versions. The sooner they get a bill to the governor's desk, the sooner some of the closed IVF clinics might open back up.

Meanwhile, when the Senate went into recess on Tuesday, the education budget committee went ahead and approved the CHOOSE Act, reports The Alabama Reflector. That's the school-choice bill that includes $7,000 "education savings accounts" students can take with them to private school or home school. It was expected to come up in committee today. Instead, it's ready for the full Senate.

OK, friends and neighbors. For now, the Don't Ever Bet On Gambling in Alabama Principle is firmly in effect. That doesn't mean a lottery is dead again just yet, however.

Ambitious legislation rattling around Goat Hill this session has included the familiar lottery, casinos and sports betting. Initially we felt a little politicial momentum behind it when it passed the House, but that was about three weeks ago.

A Senate committee on Tuesday approved a version that excludes the casinos and sports betting. In other words, it's now a lottery bill.

Which may give it a fighting chance. But because it has to be a constitutional amendment, it still needs three-fifths of the Senate, three-fifths of the House, the governor's signature and statewide voter approval during a special election on Sept. 10. That special election is a change in this version of the legislation.

Senate sponsor Greg Albritton, an Atmore Republican, said that was necessary to get the needed votes.

Veteran reporter and editor Mike Oliver passed away Monday at age 64.

Mike did some big-time investigative journalism during a career that took him to Orlando, California and Birmingham. The kind of work that changed lives and brought the corrupt to justice.

And he was one of those great guys that a newsroom was lucky to have. You couldn't pass by his desk without sharing a word. Maybe about a story, or music. Or even the Lewy body dementia that stole away his health.

You always came away proud to know him.

I certainly can't do him justice in this space, but his longtime friend and colleague (and, more recently, relative) John Archibald wrote a beautiful piece on him for AL.com. Please read it. People ought to know about Mike, his great work and his wonderful sense of humor.

“The mug shot, we’ve all seen the mugshot, and you know who embraced it more than anybody else? The Black population. It’s incredible. You see Black people walking around with my mug shot."

Donald Trump, referring to T-shirts featuring an image of his booking mug shot, during a speech to the Black Conservative Foundation.

“If I see a Black person walking around with a Trump mug shot, I’m gonna punch him in the face."

Charles Barkley, Leeds native and Auburn/NBA legend, to CNN's Gayle King.

“One thing I can guarantee is when you see Wesley Hunt sporting 'The Mugshot' Sir Charles won’t be punching this Combat Vet in the face."

Wesley Hunt, a Black Texas congressman, on social media.

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