Birmingham City Council Approves The Council President’s Trip To Meet With Legislators
The Birmingham City Council has approved its first official travel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
During a virtual meeting Tuesday, the council approved last-minute funding for Council President William Parker to take a two-day trip to Montgomery to meet with Alabama legislators.
Councilors approved Parker’s travel without many details. His request paperwork, submitted Monday, was not provided in the council’s meeting packet; instead, he briefly held a copy of the document in front of his webcam.
The trip, which will cost $225.30, will be focused on instituting the Jefferson County cemetery board, which was established by state lawmakers in 2017 as an authority over all for-profit cemeteries in the city. The board still hasn’t met, and appointees say they haven’t received official notification from lawmakers.
Parker said the “last piece of the puzzle, the last thing to make sure it’s fully functioning and fully enforceable” is for the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations to appoint a chairman to head the board. But the delegation has been unable to reach a quorum to do so.
Parker also said his trip will involve meeting with the Alabama Historical Commission to discuss naming Legion Field a national landmark.
The council also approved funding to send several police officers, including Chief Patrick Smith, to Montgomery next week. Smith, along with Deputy Chief Ronald Sellers and Assistant Chief Darnell Davenport, will attend the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police winter conference, which will cost an estimated $1,019.05 each. Smith is currently attending an FBI-run training program in Quantico, Virginia.
Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed
The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.
Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?
The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.
Musher from Alabama is going for back-to-back Iditarod wins
Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year. He doesn't mind.
Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries
Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.
Auburn football player uses NIL funds to open a community hub in Birmingham
Jourdin Crawford, a freshman defensive lineman at Auburn, used earnings from a Name, Image, and Likeness deal to give back to his hometown.
Ivey commutes death sentence of inmate whose accomplice fired fatal shot
Charles “Sonny” Burton was sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building.
