Alabama
Alabama Voters Prep for Another Map Fight After Republicans Flout SCOTUS Ruling
![Alabama Voters Prep for Another Map Fight After Republicans Flout SCOTUS Ruling](https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/u-s-rep-terri-sewell-d-ala.jpg?id=34656064&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0,480,0,480)
Voters in Alabama are preparing for another legal battle after the state’s GOP-dominated Legislature and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday approved new congressional districts that critics say defy a surprising recent decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest map “is really a slap in the face, not only to Black Alabamians but to the Supreme Court,” state Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-103) asserted during a floor debate this week, according toABC News.
Legal experts and voting rights advocates were shocked last month when two right-wing members of the high court joined the three liberal justices for a ruling in
Allen v. Milligan that sided with Black voters who argued that Alabama’s map was racially gerrymandered by the state’s GOP legislators in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA).
“Following the U.S. Supreme Court order, I called the Alabama Legislature into a special session to readdress our congressional map,” Ivey
said Friday. “The Legislature knows our state, our people, and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups, and I am pleased that they answered the call, remained focused, and produced new districts ahead of the court deadline.”
Meanwhile, Scott Douglas, executive director at Greater Birmingham Ministries, one of the Allen plaintiffs, declared Friday that “Alabama lawmakers appear hell-bent on preventing Black voters from fully participating in the democratic process and they are blatantly ignoring their constituents, federal law, and the highest court of the land to disenfranchise us.”
“Alabama lawmakers appear hell-bent on preventing Black voters from fully participating in the democratic process.”
The plaintiffs from
Allen—represented by the Alabama and national ACLU, the Legal Defense Fund, and two law firms—have already pledged to challenge the updated map, which was sponsored by state Sen. Steve Livingston (R-8) and does not include a second majority-Black district.
“Let’s be clear: The Alabama Legislature believes it is above the law. What we are dealing with is a group of lawmakers who are blatantly disregarding not just the Voting Rights Act, but a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court and a court order from the three-judge district court,” the plaintiffs
said Friday in a joint statement.
“Even worse, they continue to ignore constituents’ pleas to ensure the map is fair and instead remain determined to rob Black voters of the representation we deserve. We won’t let that happen,” they added. “Since the beginning of the redistricting process, we have testified before the state Legislature, sent letters, and proposed maps—then we sued to defend Black representation and won. We will not rest until the state of Alabama complies with the Voting Rights Act and enacts a map with two districts where Black voters have a real opportunity to elect their candidates of choice and the Legislature fulfills its duty to obey the law.”
A federal court hearing about the new districts is set for August 14. As The Associated Pressreported Saturday:
The state’s Republican legislative supermajority boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 31% to almost 40%. The plan also dropped the Black voting-age population in the state’s sole majority Black district, now represented by Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell, to 50.65%.
[…]
Republicans, who have been reluctant to create a Democratic-leaning district, are gambling that the court will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals.
The office of Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall claimed that “the Legislature’s new plan fully and fairly applies traditional principles in a way that complies with the Voting Rights Act.”
“Contrary to mainstream media talking points, the Supreme Court did not hold that Alabama must draw two majority-minority districts,” the office added. “Instead, the court made clear that the VRA never requires adoption of districts that violate traditional redistricting principles.”
However, Sewell said in a statement that “the Supreme Court was very clear… This map does not comply with the Supreme Court’s order and is an insult to Black voters across our state. I fully expect that it will be rejected by the courts.”
If a three-judge panel finds that the Alabama districts approved Friday violate the VRA, it can appoint a special master to draw another map. Political boundaries for the 2024 election could help determine who has a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is now narrowly
controlled by the fractured Republican Party.
Citing GOP attacks on voting rights, Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday reintroduced the Freedom to Vote Act—a move that was widely praised by democracy defenders, even though the bill is unlikely to pass this session given current divisions in Congress.
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Alabama
Update: Heat advisory affecting Alabama until Saturday night
![Update: Heat advisory affecting Alabama until Saturday night](https://www.al.com/resizer/v2/LZJBAIIULVCQNDPVXVGJ3VX3JU.png?auth=56ea692a057079573f94c4092ba9ec35637aabf83e9fb164987f684c6ba8b1ab&width=1280&quality=90)
On Saturday at 1:12 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated heat advisory valid for Saturday between noon and 9 p.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Greene counties.
The weather service states, “Heat index values up to 105 degrees to 107 expected.”
“Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses,” describes the weather service.
Hot weather safety: Weather service tips for staying safe and healthy
- Stay hydrated: Keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
- Seek cool shelter: Stay in an air-conditioned room.
- Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and make sure to check up on relatives and neighbors.
- Child and pet safety: Take every precaution to never leave young children and pets alone in vehicles, especially in extreme heat when car interiors can quickly become hazardous.
- Caution outdoors: If you must work or spend time outdoors, take extra precautions.
- Time your activities wisely: Whenever possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours when temperatures are more manageable.
- Recognize heat-related issues: Familiarize yourself with warning signs and how tp recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- Dress comfortably: Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing to stay cool.
Additional recommendations for outdoor workers:
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas for outdoor workers.
- If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.
- In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
These NWS heat safety directives are essential for safeguarding your well-being when facing high temperatures. Stay well-informed and take the necessary precautions to shield yourself and others from the potential hazards of extreme heat.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Alabama
Alabama News Center receives top honors from National Federation of Press Women
![Alabama News Center receives top honors from National Federation of Press Women](https://alabamanewscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NFPW-2024-Awards-Ceremony.jpg)
Alabama
U.W.A. is first in Alabama to offer a Master of Dyslexia Therapy degree
![U.W.A. is first in Alabama to offer a Master of Dyslexia Therapy degree](https://gray-wtok-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7CW2EVZLJD2HDOTZMTHQZTEGE.png?auth=1d3379351c9a577866e00b5a990091c9eff5d6d09693fdd59010981bff9399d4&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
LIVINGSTON, Ala. (WTOK) – The University of West Alabama is launching a new degree this fall, the Master of Dyslexia Therapy program .
According to the International Dyslexia Association 15-20% of the population is dyslexic. That’s one in every five people.
“A lot of times parents see their children come home and they are just struggling to read,” said Sara Reynolds, Coordinator of Clinical Experience. “They are struggling to really capture and decode these words.”
Dyslexia is a learning challenge that is neurological, characterized by difficulties in reading and spelling ability.
“Without that their comprehension skills are going to lack and so with this program we are able to kind of screen those and give them a really good baseline to see where those children are struggling at,” said Reynolds.
The goal of the program is to enhance the number of equipped Dyslexia Therapists ready to help students soar.
“The program is a two-year program. It is thirty hours of course work and throughout those two years you will complete 720 hours of clinical experience. It begins really after you start the program, so this first cohort will begin in Fall I,” said Reynolds. “During the Fall II, which is in about mid- October, you will begin to actually be an actual dyslexia therapist-in-training. So those people will be in the schools wherever they are already employed at or we will partner them with local schools in their area to where they will actually give those services to those students in those schools.”
Studies show that Dyslexia Therapy is working, thanks to educators willing to pave the path toward a brighter future, one student at a time.
For more information on how you can apply for the program visit: https://online.uwa.edu/online-degrees/med-master-education-degree-dyslexia-therapy/.
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