Alabama

Alabama House committee holds public hearings on bills limiting sex and gender instruction • Alabama Reflector

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

Alabama House committee holds public hearings on bills limiting sex and gender instruction • Alabama Reflector

An Alabama House committee Wednesday held public hearings on two bills that could restrict sex and gender instruction in public schools, though neither came to a vote.

HB 130, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would prohibit classroom instruction for any K-12 student “regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The bill expands a “Don’t Say Gay” law banning those discussions in kindergarten through fifth grade, a measure added in the last hours of the 2022 legislative session to a “bathroom bill.” Butler’s bill is a more limited version of legislation that did not pass out of committee last year.

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Butler said that “indoctrination” was happening in schools, and his bill would allow schools to focus on core subjects.

“It is happening all over and it is a component of Marxism, destroying the family in teaching some of these things, let it happen somewhere else other than our schools,” he said to the House Education Policy Committee.

Opponents of the bill said it could keep LGBTQ children from having access to safe space with teachers and could have unintended consequences on limiting discussion of any sexual identity or gender.

Jordan Price said the bill was part of a plan to erase LGBTQ people, and said it could also prevent the teaching of notable women.

“Every first lady would be doubly erased if we weren’t allowed to mention that they were married to men nor that they were women themselves,” Price said.

Proponents of the bill said that it would protect children.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said that he felt it was a “common sense bill.”

“I think this bill just strengthens the law that’s already in place and goes a little bit further making sure that we keep a political agenda or a social agenda out of our schools,” he said.

In his opening description, Butler also said that it would contribute to “purify” the schools. Butler walked that back in discussion with Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, who said that purity was a subjective definition.

“Is that what we should be aiming for?” she asked. “Someone else’s subjectivity?”

“No, ma’am,” said Butler.

HB 195, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, would require sexual education in the state to teach “exclusively and emphatically teach sexual risk avoidance content.” DuBose defined sexual risk avoidance as abstinence first.

The bill does not explicitly prohibit the teaching of contraception but places limitations on instruction, including that it is in line with sexual risk avoidance; does not “normalize, encourage, or promote” sexual behavior by youth and teens; does not say that contraception is 100% effective against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; and “dispels any false sense of security about ‘safe sex.’”

The bill also requires teachers to instruct students on the state’s abortion ban, domestic adoption and infant-surrendering laws. “Our sex ed program will continue to teach primarily abstinence, which is now called SRA, or sexual risk avoidance,” she said.

Christina Clark Okarmus, executive director the Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health, which was attacked by DuBose at the start of the hearing, said that Alabama has high rates of teen pregnancy. She said abstinence-only programs do not help reduce teen pregnancy or sexually-transmitted infection (STI) rates.

“I think most of us can agree that young people need messages of abstinence and prevention when it comes to sex,” she said. “This bill, HB 195, is an archaic and dangerous piece of legislation for our youth.”

Many medical and health associations endorse comprehensive sex education as the most effective, but the actual research on the impact of different sexual education programs tends to be sparse and ambiguous, according to a 2023 Hechinger Report article.

Beth Pruitt, a sexual-risk avoidance educator, said they took a holistic approach to education and included information about relationships and drug and alcohol use.

“We need to discuss that, how they are highly effective, but birth control provides zero protection against STDs and STIs,” she said. “Condoms have according to the CDC, an 18% typical use failure rate.”

The CDC says that external condoms often fail due to inconsistent or incorrect use. The CDC says the typical use failure rate is 13%.

Hannah Burkle, a professional health educator with Planned Parenthood, said that she thinks teen parents can be good parents but, in her experience, teen parents said they think that more sex education could have had an impact on them.

“We at Planned Parenthood also agree and believe that parents are the first and most important educators for their children, and from my studies as well as my work, I know that Alabama parents want comprehensive education for their kids,” she said.

Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, the chair of the committee, said the bills would return for a vote after spring break.

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Alabama

Florida man arrested in 2011 New York murders of Alabama veteran, toddler once linked to serial killer

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

Florida man arrested in 2011 New York murders of Alabama veteran, toddler once linked to serial killer

The New York Times is reporting that a 66-year-old man from Florida has been charged in the death more than two decades ago of a woman born in Alabama and her two-year-old child.

Andrew Dykes of Ruskin, Fla., was indicted this week by a grand jury on charges of murdering Tanya Denise Jackson and her two-year-old, Tatiana Marie Dykes.

Tanya Jackson was known as Jane Doe No. 3, or “Peaches,” after a tattoo on her torso of a heart-shaped peach with a bite taken out of it. She was identified in April.

According to The New York Post, Jackson’s torso was discovered in 1997 stuffed in a container in a wooded section of Hempstead Lake State Park, along a remote stretch of Long Island oceanfront, several miles from the New York City border.

In 2011, more of Jackson’s remains were found in the Gilgo area, along with the body of her daughter.

Tatiana was found in a thicket, wrapped in a blanket and wearing gold jewelry.

Tanya Jackson had been born in Alabama and served in the U.S. Army from 1993 through 1995, when Tatiana was born. Jackson later moved to Brooklyn, where she may have worked as a medical assistant, according to police.

Jackson had never been reported missing and was reportedly estranged from family members.

She and her daughter were buried at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort.

Dykes was the father of Tatiana Marie Dykes, according to police. He was arrested on Wednesday in Florida on a felony fugitive warrant.

Both Jackson and Tatiana Dykes had initially appeared to be possible victims of the Gilgo Beach serial killer, in part because of their proximity to where other victims were discovered, but investigators eventually ruled this out.

Rex Heuermann, a Massapequa Park, N.Y., architectural consultant, faces charges of killing seven women, six of whom were found in the Gilgo Beach area.

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Alabama

Comparing Alabama Final CFP Resume Against Notre Dame, Miami

Published

15 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

Comparing Alabama Final CFP Resume Against Notre Dame, Miami

It’s been said for years that teams playing in conference championship games won’t be penalized for losses when it comes to College Football Playoff rankings. That might be put to the test on Sunday when the 12-team 2025-26 tournament bracket is set and announced (11 a.m. CT, ESPN)

Following Saturday’s results, when just about everything didn’t go the Crimson Tide’s way, chances are the committee will end up picking two just teams between Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami for the final at-large spots.

Did Alabama do enough to get in after being the first team out last year? Will the committee switch it and Notre Dame in the rankings after moving the Crimson Tide ahead of the Fighting Irish last week? Might Miami leapfrog one or both despite not playing this week?

This is to put the team resumes next to each other to make them easier to compare, but before doing so we’re going to make two assumptions:

That No. 11 Brigham Young (12-2) is out of the mix after getting routed in the Big 12 Championship Game to Texas Tech. Why? Their only win against a ranked opponent this season was 24-21 over then-No. 24 Utah.

Unranked Duke won’t be seriously considered by the selection committee despite winning the ACC Championship Game in overtime against Virginia. Even with the win, the Blue Devils finished 8-5.

That means the ACC will be out of the playoff if Miami doesn’t get in.

To fill in a couple of details, one of the changes from last year was that only the top five conference champions in the rankings secure the automatic bids. Consequently, James Madison will squeeze in instead. In case you missed, it, Duke played in the ACC title game in Charlotte after a five-way tie for second place in the league standings, which was finally broken by the sixth tiebreaker.

Tulane, No. 20 in last week’s CFP rankings, will be the No. 11 seed.

Two of these teams will be in the top 10 and still alive for the national championship. Unless the selection committee makes a change with the teams that were idle this week (Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin?) the No. 9 team will visit Oklahoma, and the No. 10 team will draw Texas A&M.

SEE ALSO: Kalen DeBoer Makes Final Pitch to CFP Committee After SEC Championship Loss

Alabama Crimson Tide

CFP Ranking Last Week: 9
Record: 10-3
Did it play in conference championship: Yes, but not well, losing to No. 3 Georgia.
Wins over ranked teams: at then-No. 5 Georgia 24-21; No. 16 Vanderbilt 30-14; No. 14 Missouri 27-24; No. 11 Tennessee 37-20
Losses: at Florida State in season opener, 31-17; No. 11 Oklahoma 23-21; No. 3 Georgia in SEC Championship Game 28-7.
Note: First team in SEC history to beat four ranked opponents on four subsequent Saturdays. Went 2-2 over final four games.

Strength of schedule last week: 11
Strength of record last week (ESPN): 8
BCS computers last week: 8

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

CFP Ranking Last Week: 10
Record: 10-2
Did it play in conference championship: No.
Wins over ranked teams: Then-No. 20 USC 34-24; at No. 22 Pitt 37-15
Losses: 27-24 at then No. 10 Miami in season opener, 41-40 to No. 16 Texas A&M
Note: Won 10 straight, but didn’t beat a top-15 team.

Strength of schedule last week: 42
Strength of record last week (ESPN): 13
BCS computers last week: 10

Miami Hurricanes

CFP Ranking Last Week: 12
Record: 10-2
Did it play in conference championship: No.
Wins over ranked teams: Then-No. 6 Notre Dame 27-24 in season opener; No. 18 South Florida 49-12; at No. Florida State 28-22; at No. 22 Pitt 38-7
Losses: Louisville 24-21; at SMU 26-20 OT
Note: Beat Notre Dame, and a team that defeated Alabama, Florida State.

Strength of schedule last week: 44
Strength of record last week (ESPN): 14
BCS computers last week: 13

Texas Longhorns

CFP Ranking Last Week: 13
Record: 9-3
Did it play in conference championship: No.
Wins over ranked teams: Then-No. 6 Oklahoma 23-6; No. 9 Vanderbilt 34-31; No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17
Losses: at then-No. 3 Ohio State 14-7; at Florida 29-21; at No. 5 Georgia 35-10
Note: It had three regular-season losses, which was the difference for the Crimson Tide not making it last year. Texas is arguing that it shouldn’t be penalized for its season-opening loss against Ohio State. You could say the same then for Alabama and Notre Dame.

Strength of schedule last week: 8
Strength of record last week (ESPN): 12
BCS computers last week: 15

Vanderbilt Commodores

CFP Ranking Last Week: 14
Record: 10-2
Did it play in conference championship: No.
Wins over ranked teams: Then-No. 11 South Carolina 31-7; No. 10 LSU 31-24; No. 15 Missouri 17-10; at No. 19 Tennessee 35-24
Losses: at then-No. 10 Alabama 30-14; at No. 20 Texas 34-31
Note: Best team in Vanderbilt history? The problem is the Commodores lost to two other teams in this group, Alabama and the one directly ahead of it, Texas.

Strength of schedule last week: 22
Strength of record last week (ESPN): 11
BCS computers last week: 12

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Alabama

Alabama vs. Georgia live updates: Start time, TV channel for SEC championship

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Alabama vs. Georgia live updates: Start time, TV channel for SEC championship

Georgia football will look for revenge when it rematches Alabama in the SEC championship game.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has a 1-7 record against the Crimson Tide, though, including an 0-2 mark against second-year Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. Smart was 1-5 against former Alabama coach Nick Saban, whom he coached under as a defensive coordinator from 2008-15.

Watch the SEC championship game on Fubo (free trial)

Alabama upset Georgia 24-21 on the road in their last outing on Sept. 27. Both teams also still have plenty to play for in the College Football Playoff race, with Alabama looking to avoid bubble status and Georgia aiming to lock up a first-round bye.

The two teams have developed a rivalry as the two most dominant teams in the SEC in the last decade, with Georgia and Alabama winning 10 of the last 11 SEC championships.

USA TODAY is bringing you live updates, scores and highlights from the game. Follow along:

Alabama vs Georgia score

TEAM	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	FINAL
Georgia	—	—	—	—	—
Alabama	—	—	—	—	—

Alabama vs Georgia live updates

This section will be updated.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has a 116-20 record in 10 seasons with the Bulldogs, although seven of those losses have come against Alabama, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2008-15.

Smart has a 1-7 record against the Crimson Tide in his career, with his lone win coming in the 2021 national championship game. He’s also 0-2 against Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer.

Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas isn’t expected to play, according to ESPN. He’s listed as questionable on the SEC availability report due to a foot injury.

Cuevas, who has 30 receptions for 341 yards with four touchdowns this season, also didn’t play against Auburn or Eastern Illinois to finish the regular season. He had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma in his last outing.

Here’s a look at the most recent SEC availability report for the SEC championship game:

Georgia

Out:

WR Colbie Young
TE Ethan Barbour
RB Bo Walker
DB Kyron Jones
DL Jordan Hall
OL Drew Bobo

Questionable

Alabama

Out

DB Kameron Howard
LB Kelby Collins
LB Jah-Marien Latham
DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
DL LT Overton
RB Kevin Riley
OL Mal Waldrep Jr.
DL Jeremiah Beaman

Questionable

RB Jam Miller
OL Kam Dewberry
TE Josh Cuevas
TE Danny Lewis Jr.

What time does Alabama vs Georgia start?

Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)

Alabama vs Georgia will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 6 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

What TV channel is Alabama vs Georgia on today?

The SEC championship game between Alabama and Georgia will be broadcast on ABC. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which carries ABC and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Alabama vs Georgia predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Dec. 5.

Spread: Georgia (-2.5)
Over/under: 47.5
Moneyline: Georgia -140 | Alabama +115

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Sports: Smart wins his second game ever against Alabama as Georgia’s head coach, getting revenge on the Crimson Tide to lock up a top-four seed in the CFP. Alabama falls to bubble status, hoping BYU doesn’t beat Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game to potentially steal a bid from the Crimson Tide.