By Anna Barrett | Staff Writer
“I have filed this bill repeatedly, and will file it again until I get some traction, until we start realizing that our children's lives are worth more.” - Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, on a bill she has sponsored requiring safe storage of firearms.
HEALTHCARE
By Anna Barrett
In an annual report released by the Alabama Department of Public Health, weapon-related deaths were the leading cause of death in children under 18 years old. In about one-third of those deaths, the weapon was not locked away from the child. Alabama lawmakers have differed in how to promote gun safety. One Democratic lawmaker has sponsored a safe storage bill for years, while an outgoing Republican lawmaker sponsored a 2023 law that exempts gun safety devices from sales tax.
ELECTIONS 2026
By Anna Barrett
Alabama Republican gubernatorial nominee and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville was joined by Secretary of State Wes Allen in moving to dismiss a lawsuit that questions Tuberville’s eligibility for the executive office. The senator also requested a stay in discovery so that his Democratic opponent Doug Jones will not be able to use the information revealed in his campaign.
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
By Ralph Chapoco
Circuit Court Judge Matthew R. Huggins signed a consent order last week requiring the owner of a Limestone County quarry to change its operations and establish a buffer to reduce the burden on residents in the surrounding area. An attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center in Alabama said the order was a compromise between the two parties after a year and a half of litigation.
ICYMI
U.S. Education Department offers two-year trim on student loan interest rates | Shauneen Miranda, D.C. Bureau
When teens drive less, they don't register to vote. Here's how civic groups are adapting. | Jonathan Shorman, D.C. Bureau
States are changing fire codes to make housing cheaper. Some safety experts are worried. | Robbie Sequeira, Stateline
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