Glock switches, BSC’s buyer, Trump’s food: Down in Alabama

As Hurricane Helene takes aim at Florida,certain to bring effects into Alabama as well, let’s sink into some more certain news.

Also, if you’re a fan of comic cons or pro wrestling, you definitely want to check out today’s podcast episode.

Today’s report follows.

Ike

Momentum for a state ban

A Democrat’s bill to ban so-called Glock switches on the state level may see growing support among Republicans during the next legislative session, according to an AL.com report.

A Glock switch is a device that allows a semi-automatic pistol to perform like a fully automatic weapon, with a machine-gun spray of rounds being fired with a single trigger pull. At least one was used in last weekend’s Birmingham mass shooting that killed four people and wounded 17 others.

The bill is being sponsored by Alabama state Rep. Phillip Ensler, a Montgomery Democrat, for the third time. Earlier this year it passed the House of Representatives but never got a vote in the Senate.

Next year odds seem good for the bill once again in the House. Key Republicans with law-enforcement backgrounds have signed on as co-sponsors.

In the Senate, Rules Committee Chair Jabo Waggoner, a Vestavia Hills Republican, said he’s ready to support a ban. Eight Republicans had confirmed to AL.com they’re behind it.

Some are more hesitant. Sen. Chris Elliott, a Josephine Republican, pointed out that Glock switches are already illegal, banned by federal law.

Supporters of the bill counter that, currently, if an officer finds you in possession of the device he or she has to turn the case over to the feds, who then decide whether or not they want to prosecute. With this bill, district attorneys in Alabama can go ahead and prosecute.

The legislation makes possession of the device a Class C felony that can get you 1 to 10 years in prison.

Campus purchase

The former institution of higher learning Birmingham-Southern College has a deal to sell its campus in Birmingham. The buyer, reports AL.com’s Hannah Denham, is another Birmingham school, Miles College.

How much are they paying and what are they going to ultimately do with the campus? We don’t know yet. But $16.5 million will come off the top to settle a debt with ServisFirst.

The two campuses are only six miles apart. Miles said both boards of trustees voted unanimously on the deal.

Stimpson’s tenure

Mobile’s longtime mayor won’t seek re-election in 2025, reports AL.com’s Patrick Darrington.

Sandy Stimpson was first elected mayor back in 2013, the year of the Kick Six, and he is currently serving out his third four-year term.

During that time, thanks to some annexations, Mobile grew to become the second most populous city in the state, leaping over Montgomery and Birmingham and looking up only to Huntsville.

Lunch with Trump

For a guy who has a diamonds-and-gold front door on his three-floor Central Park apartment, former president Donald Trump is anything butostentatious about his road food.

You may recall when the Clemson football team visited the White House in 2019 to celebrate a national championship (doesn’t Clemson winning the national title seem more distant than that?). That was during a government shutdown, so President Trump popped for fast food.

That wasn’t a billionaire being cheap. It was a billionaire in his culinary wheelhouse.

AL.com’s Carol Robinson reports that during Trump’s visit to this Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia game at Bryant-Denny Stadium, he put in the food-request for himself and his guests. On the order? Two McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches with cheese, stadium hotdogs, Domino’s pizza and Diet Coke.

He ought to ditch Mar-a-Lago and move to Dothan. The access to fast food on Ross Clark Circle blows away all that frou-frou Palm Beach dining.

U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are supposed to join the GOP presidential nominee at the ballgame.

Quoting

“It’s not scary that they’re here. It’s scary that there are so many unknowns.”

Alabama state Sen. Keith Kelly, who joined other state lawmakers in another public meeting in Sylacauga regarding Haitian migrants.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1899, composer William L. Dawson of Anniston.

In 1917, jazz trumpet player Nelson “Cadillac” Williams of Montgomery.

In 1932, astronaut Clifton Williams of Mobile.

On the podcast

Guest Joe Crowe is gonna tell us all about Alabama Comic Con and the local rasslin’ scene.

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: