Aderholt, Roby, and Bachus Vote to Build Keystone XL Pipeline

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

President Barack H. Obama has refused for years to permit America's energy industries to easily access Canadian oil sands via the Keystone Pipeline. Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H.R. 3) that if passed by the Senate would authorize construction of the pipeline without a presidential signature.

Congressman Robert Aderholt (R) from Haleyville said on Facebook, “House Republicans remain committed to implementing policies that help our economy grow and create opportunity for the private sector to create American jobs. H.R. 3 does exactly that. The Keystone XL pipeline is a private-sector infrastructure project that will bring an estimated 20,000 jobs to the United States, add $20 billion to our nation’s economy and provide greater energy security to America.”

U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery co-sponsored the bill, officially known as H.R. 3, The Northern Route Approval Act. Rep. Roby said, “American families experience the pain of high energy costs every time they fill up the tank or pay the power bill. At a time when energy costs are high and job creation low, now is the time to build this pipeline as part of an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach. In addition to lowering costs and creating jobs, approving the Keystone Pipeline would also be a key step towards ensuring American energy independence.”

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R) from Vestavia said, “We have talked for years about reducing our dependence on oil from hostile regimes in the Middle East and this is our opportunity. For the sake of our economy and our national energy security, it is time to get this needed project moving ahead. This oil is going to be produced and sold, and I would rather have consumers in the U.S. realize the benefits than see it sent to China.”

Rep. Aderholt said on Facebook, “This is a situation where we have a private-sector company willing to invest $7 billion, that would create thousands of jobs. Instead of jumping at the chance to get our economy moving again, the Administration has kept this project in bureaucratic limbo for over four years. As jobs reports and economic growth in this country continues to be dismal, removing the roadblocks preventing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline is a win-win for America. I am proud to have supported the legislation that passed in the House today and hope to see the Senate act swiftly on this commonsense measure.”

Congresswoman Roby said, “President Obama has had more than 1,700 days to approve the permit for the Keystone Pipeline, yet he continues to delay when some 20,000 jobs hang in the balance. Since the President refuses to show leadership and act, a bi-partisan House majority has stepped up to offer a solution that could will help expand domestic energy production and create thousands of American jobs. It’s difficult to understand how the President can campaign all over the country about job creation, when at the same time he’s standing in the way of a project that could create tens of thousands of jobs.”

The House passed H.R. 3 by a vote of 241-175 which authorizes the full construction of a pipeline that would link oil sands in Canada with refineries in the U.S. The Northern Route Approval Act would pave the way for the privately-financed Keystone Pipeline project by declaring that TransCanada Corporation needs no Presidential permit for the pipeline application they filed on May 4, 2012. H.R. 3 also calls for an expedited judicial review in the inevitable legal challenges from environmental extremist groups. The bill also removes additional regulatory burdens caused by unnecessary environmental regulations.

The Keystone Pipeline project would carry as many as 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada and North Dakota to oil refineries on the Gulf Coast.


Slow death for SB122

By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter

MONTGOMERY—Senate Bill 122, died on the floor of the Senate Monday night as the clock ticked toward Sine Die.
The bill touted as a vehicle to streamline government to many looked more like a consolidation of power.
The bill was designed to abolish longstanding institutions such as the Legislative Council, the Legislative Committee on Public Accounts, the Joint Fiscal Committee, the Legislative Building Authority, and the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment as well as taking the teeth out of the publicly examiners office. SB122 would have consolidated these and other legislative offices under a small select committee appointed by the Speaker and President Pro Tem.
Under SB122 there would have been no oversight of salaries, budgets, accounting or purchases made by the offices of the Speaker, the Pro Temp or the Lt. Governor.

The new ruling Joint Committee on Legislative Operations would have even been exempt from Alabama’s Open Meetings Act in certain circumstances.

One little known fact was that the House amended SB122 to give sole authority to grant press credentials to the Speaker of the House and the Lt. Governor.

Under the current rules the non-partisan Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House have the authority to grant press credentials to members of the media.

Most had thought that the bill was dead but it was revised in the final hours of the session. The House passed SB122 after Rep. Greg Wren (R-Montgomery) took to the floor on three occasions to say that one of the best parts of SB122 was that the legislature would now have the power to decide who would be able to report from the floor of the Statehouse. Wren also incorrectly stated that only the Secretary of the Senate has such authority currently.

Having partisan politicos decide who can and cannot have press access would have sent a chilling message to those who dared report unpleasant facts on the ruling party.

Wren was called for this report but failed to respond to a request for comment.

In the senate, freshman Sen. Phil Williams (R-Rainbow City) on several occasions made unsuccessful attempts to have the press credentials of the Alabama Political Reporter revoked during the 2013 session.

It would appear that Wren, Williams and others want to limit freedom of the press within the halls of the Statehouse.
Also within the bill was a section that would have allowed for the removal of the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House at the whim of the committee.

This section was seen by many as a move to instate a “puppet regime” of the committees to serve as clerk and secretary.

Under current law the Secretary of the Senate, is elected by the senate body. He or she can only be removed for cause by a vote of a majority of the members elected to the Senate.

SB122 would have changed this law, making it easy to remove the secretary. The same would have been true for the Clerk of the House.

Prior to the 2013 session the Secretary of the Senate served as the parliamentarian for the upper chamber of the state legislature.

Part of the secretary’s duties was to serve as a neutral arbiter of the many arcane rules governing the body. However, in 2013, Lt. Governor Kay Ivey chose to hire her own personal parliamentarian changing what had been the tradition of the Senate.

SB122, would have rewritten many of the functions that have served the state for over a century. This was conceived all under the banner of streamlining government.

SB122, died as the Democrats chewed-up the clock on the senate floor ending the 2013 session.

Lawmakers Pass Bill Strengthening Animal Cruelty Laws

MONTGOMERY—The Alabama legislative session ended on a high note for animals as lawmakers sent HB 27, a bill to strengthen the state’s animal cruelty laws, to Gov. Robert Bentley for his signature, receiving praise from The Humane Society of the United States.

“We applaud the Alabama Legislature and urge Governor Bentley to sign this important bill to extend felony level protections to all animals in the state,” said Mindy Gilbert, Alabama state director for The HSUS. “Dogs and cats have had felony level protection under the law since 2000, hopefully now all other animals will have the same protection.”

HB 27, sponsored by Rep. Joe Faust, R-Baldwin, strengthens the cruelty laws that protect all animals by raising the penalty for violators from a class B misdemeanor to a class A misdemeanor, and adds the definition of aggravated cruelty for certain acts at the class C felony level. The bill passed the Senate 31 to 1.

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) also praised Alabama lawmakers for passing House Bill 27.

“By increasing the penalties for animal cruelty, Alabama legislators have made it known that anyone who commits an act of cruelty to an animal will be held accountable,” said Sherry Rout, state director of ASPCA Government Relations for the Southern region. “We thank Alabama lawmakers for passing HB 27, and we urge Governor Bentley to sign this bill to further protect animals throughout the state.”

HB 27 amends the existing cruelty laws by increasing the penalty for an offense from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000. The bill also adds a definition for torture, making this offense a Class C felony, with a punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine up to $15,000.

Alabama ranks 45th in The Humane Society of the United States’ 2012 “Humane State Rankings” which grades each state and the District of Columbia based on a wide range of animal protection laws dealing with pets, animal cruelty and fighting, wildlife, animals in research, horses and farm animals. Alabama has lacked many animal protection laws common in other states. Alabama also has a weak cockfighting law – it’s one of only 10 states that deem the cruel practice a misdemeanor - hurting its ranking.

Adline Clarke Wins Special Election to House District 97

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

On Tuesday, voters came to the polls (many for their third time) to elect Democrat Adline Clarke to the Alabama state House. House District 97 became vacant when longtime state legislator Yvonne Kennedy passed away after a short illness.

Adline Clarke said in a written statement, “For over three decades, I have had the honor and privilege of serving the Mobile community as a newspaper journalist, entrepreneur, agency administrator, and as a community volunteer. Representing you in District 97 would be an extension of my decades of service to a host of community service organizations, including Sickle Cell Disease Association, the YWCA, Mercy Medical, and Senior Citizens Services.”

Clarke said on Facebook, “The story of my life is I have stepped up and accepted challenges as they've been placed before me.”

Clarke said, "House District 97 is dear to my heart. I have lived and worked in the district for most of my adult life. There is a dire need for us to have effective and honest leadership in order for District 97, our city, county and state to continue making positive strides.”
In Tuesday's general election, Clarke took 90% of the ballots cast. Independent Burton LeFlore received 7%, while independent David Blunt took just 3% of the votes cast.
Clarke told Al.com “We are very excited here tonight We had hoped that the competition might have been a bit stiffer. We had to go this extra leg. We put the same amount of energy into this leg as we did into the other legs of the election.”

In the Democratic Party primary, Adline Clarke received 40.4 % of the vote in a crowded seven way field, but because Alabama law requires that the winner of the primary have 50% of the vote plus one, Clarke went into a Democratic Party runoff with Mobile attorney Karlos Finley. Finley had received just 24.4 % of the vote in the primary, but Clarke narrowly defeated Finley by just 162 votes.

House District 97 is considered to be a Democratic Party stronghold so no Republican challenger ran for the seat in the majority minority district. Two independent candidates (Blunt and LeFlore) did qualify forcing there to be a special general election. Ironically, Clarke's election comes just one day after the 2013 legislative session ended. Clarke will get to participate in the 2014 legislative session, but will have to run again for the seat in 2014 when the term expires.

Clarke was endorsed by Patsy Dow (the wife of former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow), "I support Adline Clarke because I know she will honorably and effectively represent the citizens of District 97. She is an exceptionally hard-working, progressive-thinking, and compassionate person and I trust her to speak for me and the residents of District 97 in Montgomery. We need Adline Clarke working for us." Clarke also had the endorsement of several members of Yvonne Kennedy's family.

Clarke owns 'Black Classic Books and Gifts' and 'Jamabalaya.' She was also the former owner of a temporary job service, Norrell Staffing Services. She currently serves as Senior Vice President of Business and Community Relations for Mobile Development Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Mobile Housing Board.

Clarke is also a former reporter for the Mobile Press-Register.