http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/vote/default.aspx Vote 2010 en-us Copyright 2012 Huntsville All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:01 -0500 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:15:39 -0500 Alabama Political Scene / http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/vote/default.aspx 50 50 15 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Group-urges-tourist-boycott-of-Alabama/83VDhR8wKU2rwawRUjPzsg.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/83VDhR8wKU2rwawRUjPzsg.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A national coalition of civil rights and labor organizations say they will run advertisements around the country encouraging people not to visit tourist sites in Alabama because of the state's crackdown on illegal immigration.

Leaders of the group said in a telephone news conference Thursday that they also plan to have demonstrations in front of 73 Hyundai dealerships around the county to encourage the South Korean auto manufacturer to publicly take a stance against Alabama's immigration law.

State tourism director Lee Sentell says tourists spent $10.2 billion in Alabama last year. He says it was the first year tourists had spent more than $10 billion in Alabama.

Sentell said immigrants would be hurt by such an action because of the number of immigrants who have jobs in the tourism industry.

]]> vote Thu, 31 May 2012 16:36:31 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Edwards-not-guilty-on-1-count-mistrial-on-other-6/C0I0dpKxW0m_xd8k-sG5Iw.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/C0I0dpKxW0m_xd8k-sG5Iw.cspx GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Ex-presidential candidate John Edwards thanked jurors and his family after a mistrial was declared in his campaign corruption trial and says he is responsible for his sins.

Edwards speaking on the courthouse steps on Thursday also choked up when speaking of his 4-year-old daughter whom he conceived with his mistress while running for president.

Edward also said he believes he did nothing illegal, but that he did an "awful, awful lot" that was wrong and that no one else was responsible for his sins but him.

Edwards was acquitted on one charge of campaign finance fraud and a mistrial was declared on five other counts.

The monthlong trial exposed a sordid sex scandal that dashed Edwards' White House aspirations in 2008.

]]> vote Thu, 31 May 2012 16:27:55 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Artur-Davis-considering-party-swap/lal_OeCg6ECRiJrBEM9vZA.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/lal_OeCg6ECRiJrBEM9vZA.cspx RICHMOND, Va (WAAY) - Artur Davis, one of the most well known Alabama Democratic candidates in recent memory - has all but fled the party.

Following his unsuccessful run for the Governor's office in 2010, Davis moved to Virginia and has been working there as a freelance writer and advocate.

After leading the polls through most of the lead up to the 2010 Primaries, Davis was upset by Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, who went on to lose to Republican Robert Bentley in the General Election. After the loss, Davis said he'd never run for public office again.

In recent weeks, however, several political insiders have noted that the former Congressman is becoming increasingly active in Virginia politics, and mostly falling on the Republican side of issues.

Davis issued a statement about the rumors on his blog Tuesday. He says "The short of it is this: I don’t know and am nowhere near deciding. If I were to run, it would be as a Republican." Davis says that he didn't change his view, but the party he was a member of has. "parties change. As I told a reporter last week, this is not Bill Clinton’s Democratic Party." he adds.
]]> vote Wed, 30 May 2012 11:39:00 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Bentley-signs-bill-giving-Ala-new-investing-rules/x4VDBmlIaEW2IUehcHjT9w.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/x4VDBmlIaEW2IUehcHjT9w.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. - (AP) - Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed into law legislation that gives the state treasurer's office more flexibility in investing the state's money;

The bill was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Bryan Taylor of Prattville. It expands the kinds of investments that can be made with state funds.

State Treasurer Young Boozer said the changes were long needed. The changes allow the deposit of state money in all interest-bearing bank products and eliminate a 20 percent restriction for investment in Treasury and agency securities.

Boozer said the changes give the treasurer's office the flexibility it needs to improve investment strategies.

Before Taylor's bill passed, he said Alabama had the most restrictive investment guidelines in the nation. He said the new guidelines give the state the ability to pursue better investment options.

]]> vote Tue, 29 May 2012 20:33:02 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Bentley-vetoes-tax-bill/-PU7QdHl70OIIRufJEmC-g.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/-PU7QdHl70OIIRufJEmC-g.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Gov. Robert Bentley has vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature with only one negative vote. It would have set up a new streamlined system for hearing appeals of state and local tax disputes.

Legislators and lawyers who worked on the legislation to create the Alabama Tax Appeals Commission said a compromise was worked out on the final day of the legislative session, but in the rush of the last day, not all of the agreed-upon language got included in the bill that was presented to the Legislature for the nearly unanimous vote

The governor decided not to sign the bill because of the error. Business groups pushing the legislation say they will try again in the next legislative session.
]]> vote Tue, 29 May 2012 15:01:59 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Former-Decatur-Mayor-Kyle-running-for-old-job/drMUTBj6O0CBL8ekJGJGEg.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/drMUTBj6O0CBL8ekJGJGEg.cspx DECATUR, Ala. (WAAY) - Former Decatur Mayor Don Kyle announced this evening that he is officially challenging current Mayor Don Stanford for the city's top elected position. Kyle was mayor from 2004 to 2008. ]]> vote Thu, 24 May 2012 20:46:37 -0500 Former Decatur Mayor Kyle running for old job http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Alabama-governor-signs-both-budgets/POBQOMd0-Uqs4LYjjop3sg.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/POBQOMd0-Uqs4LYjjop3sg.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has signed two state budgets into law.

Bentley said Thursday he didn't like everything the Legislature put into the education and General Fund budgets, but there were more positives than negatives.

Bentley said he waited to sign the budgets until the Legislature passed a use tax bill early Thursday morning. It moves part of the state use tax from education purposes to the General Fund budget.

The General Fund budget also depends on voters in September approving a transfer of funds from a natural gas revenue savings account and from the education budget. Bentley plans to travel the state to promote the referendum. He predicted voters will approve it if he explains it is a way to finance the General Fund budget without raising taxes.

]]> vote Thu, 24 May 2012 14:25:49 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Alabama-Legislature-passes-redistricting-plans/oF2Hdtr4FUGW3RLwfFdDZA.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/oF2Hdtr4FUGW3RLwfFdDZA.cspx MONTGOMERY (AP) — The Alabama Legislature approved plans that redraw House and Senate districts during an all-night session that saw Democrats claim Republican leaders used strong-arm tactics to gavel the plans, which could give the GOP greater control of the Legislature.

It was after 4 a.m. Thursday when the Senate voted 23-12 to pass a House redistricting plan moments before the House approved a Senate plan by a 62-34 vote.

The redistricting plans must be approved by Gov. Robert Bentley and the U.S. Justice Department before they take effect for the 2014 elections.

The Senate vote came as tempers were boiling over following an all-night session filled with delaying tactics and a few angry outbursts.

When the Senate approved the House redistricting plan, several black Democratic senators called Senate Republican leaders "prejudiced racists" and claimed Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh ignored pleas from Democrats that the bill be read aloud before the vote. Marsh said reading the 605-page bill would have taken 36 hours and cost the state thousands of dollars. He said he did not hear the cries that the bill be read until the Senate staff had started taking a roll call vote.

Democrats had said earlier in the debate that they wanted to have the bill read. But the bill's sponsor, Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville, caught them off guard when he suddenly called for a vote while talking to another senator.

Democratic Sen. Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham said he exercised his constitutional right to have the bill read and was ignored by Marsh.

Marsh said he did not ignore Smitherman or other senators who were screaming asking that the bill be read.

"Once the vote has started, I can't stop it," Marsh said. "I'm glad this is now behind us and now it's time to go to the Justice Department."

Marsh said it was "silly" that he would be called a racist.

But Senate Minority Leader Roger Bedford of Russellville said Marsh "violated the state Constitution. This is the lowest point I've seen in this Senate."

In the House, Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, asked at about 2 a.m. that the Senate bill be read at length. House staff had the bill read by an electronic reader, but Jackson withdrew the request after the Senate approved the bill and it quickly passed the House.

Democrats complained throughout the debate that the plans stacked black voters in certain districts and were designed to help Republicans build on their already dominating majorities in the House and Senate.

"The scheme of this thing was to eliminate Democrats," Jackson said.

But Republican House Speaker Mike Hubbard of Auburn defended the plans.

"I think we did an excellent job," Hubbard said. He said the plans passed by the House drew districts that are almost the same size.

He said the districts were fairer and came closer to following federal rules than ones passed 10 years ago when Democrats controlled the House and Senate.

"The goal was to come up with fairly drawn districts and I'm confident these will pass muster," Hubbard said.

The biggest complaints about the newly drawn districts probably came from the Montgomery County and Jefferson County delegations. Because of the declining population in urban areas and increasing population in suburban areas, districts shrunk and grew in both counties. One district in Montgomery County was moved about 70 miles north to Shelby County and one Jefferson County district was moved 100 miles north to Huntsville.

Former House Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton represents the Birmingham district being moved to Huntsville.

"I guess Rep. Newton is going to have to move and take up residency in Madison County if he decides to run again," Democratic Sen. Linda Coleman of Birmingham said of the switch.

]]> vote Thu, 24 May 2012 12:49:14 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Ala-lawmakers-hope-to-finish-redistricting-task/4LTnk4-NyESZTVbhM85IoA.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/4LTnk4-NyESZTVbhM85IoA.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Legislature is working through the night to wrap up a special session called to redraw lines for the state's 105 House and 35 Senate districts.

Lawmakers hope to gavel the special session to a close before the sun comes up Thursday morning. Republican leadership is hoping the new districts will help the GOP expand commanding majorities in the House and Senate.

Both chambers have already approved new maps for their own districts. Committees were scheduled to meet Wednesday evening to consider the plans approved for the opposite chambers. Both chambers are expected to come into session late Wednesday night to receive reports from the committees and again shortly after midnight to debate and take final votes on the new districts.

_____

Maps of proposed districts at:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/reapportionment/reap.html

http://policymaker.alabama.gov/

]]> vote Wed, 23 May 2012 19:41:21 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Guy-Hunt-Museum-opens-in-Holly-Pond/YdFYTqTo5USsI2KZ_RkFSA.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/YdFYTqTo5USsI2KZ_RkFSA.cspx HOLLY POND, Ala. (AP) - The hometown of former Gov. Guy Hunt has opened a library and museum honoring Alabama's first Republican governor since Reconstruction.

Holly Pond Mayor Herman Nail said the Guy Hunt Library and Museum is part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Cullman County town.

The 5,200-square-foot building contains photos, campaign memorabilia and documents tracing Hunt's career as Cullman County probate judge from 1965 to 1977 and as governor from 1987 to 1993. Hunt died of cancer in 2009.

Nail called the library and museum a work in progress, with more still to be done. ]]> vote Wed, 23 May 2012 11:40:00 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Senate-continues-redistricting-discussions/607dETSqiE-8lkt_1qPoXQ.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/607dETSqiE-8lkt_1qPoXQ.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Senate is spending a second day listening to a computerized voice read aloud a 333-page bill outlining new Senate districts advocated by the Republican majority.

A Democratic senator used the Senate's rules to have the bill read aloud before the Senate could vote. The computerized reading lasted until about five hours Monday night and then resumed at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Marc Keahey said he is having the bill read because the GOP's plan will make it harder for white Democrats to get elected.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh says reading the bill is silly because Republicans have the votes to pass it when the reading finishes Tuesday night. Marsh said Alabama is trending more Republican and the proposed Senate districts reflect that change.
]]> vote Tue, 22 May 2012 09:18:58 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Don-Siegelman-fights-for-charity/yboT75pyiE2DdozC7V9btQ.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/yboT75pyiE2DdozC7V9btQ.cspx BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman donned boxing gloves Saturday night for a charity exhibition match.

The Birmingham News reports Siegelman participated in the three-round bout as part of a fundraiser for the Levite Jewish Community Center, American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.

An avid practitioner of karate and more recently of boxing, Siegelman fought his karate sparring partner Jerry Schnader.

Siegelman was convicted in 2006 of selling a state appointment in exchange for a $500,000 campaign contribution.
]]> vote Mon, 21 May 2012 10:56:42 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Senate-debating-new-districts/cW1tvp0imUi0DHc1MHW6vA.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/cW1tvp0imUi0DHc1MHW6vA.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama legislators are returning to Montgomery for the third day of their special session on designing new legislative districts.

The Senate is scheduled to spend Monday debating new districts proposed by a legislative reapportionment committee. The House will do the same thing with new House districts.

The proposed districts were supported by Republicans in the reapportionment committee and opposed by Democrats. Republicans say they are a fair way to adjust the district boundaries to reflect population shifts in the 2010 census. Democrats say they are designed to reduce the number of white Democrats in the Legislature.

The districts are for use in the legislative elections in 2014.
]]> vote Mon, 21 May 2012 09:13:20 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Roy-Moores-foundation-to-defend-Ala-towns-sign/c0jqDO_em02TnGZtk-iYjw.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/c0jqDO_em02TnGZtk-iYjw.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore says his Foundation for Moral Law is ready to defend the DeKalb County town of Sylvania over a demand it remove Bible verses from welcome signs at the entrances to town.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has threatened to take the north Alabama town to court if the signs are not removed. They include words from Ephesians "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism."

Moore told the Fort Payne Times-Journal (http://bit.ly/Kc9wWO) the sign does not violate the Constitution and that the town is being "bullied" by the group.

Freedom From Religion Foundation attorney Patrick Elliott said Moore and Sylvania officials have misinterpreted the Constitution. He said the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment to mean government bodies "can't affiliate themselves with any religion."

]]> vote Fri, 18 May 2012 18:22:18 -0500 http://www.waaytv.com:80/news/content/vote/story/Dems-fighting-uphill-battle-on-redistricting/DhtKuVbv2Em6UY_hNm14Eg.cspx?rss=2841 http://www.waaytv.com/s/DhtKuVbv2Em6UY_hNm14Eg.cspx MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Democrats failed in the Legislature and in court Friday to stop new legislative districts proposed by Republicans.

Two legislative committees turned down redistricting plans drawn by Democrats and approved Republican-backed plans Friday. Both committees have a majority of Republicans.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Charles Price rejected a request by Democrats to issue a temporary restraining order against the Legislature's redistricting process. The Democratic judge ruled he can't enjoin a redistricting plan that hasn't made it all the way through the Legislature.

The full House and Senate will take up the redistricting plans on Monday.

]]> vote Fri, 18 May 2012 15:28:07 -0500