You from our statehouse studio in Montgomery?

I'm Todd Stacey, welcome to Capitol Journal.

Today was the third day of the Alabama Legislature's 2026 regular session.

As lawmaker have gotten off to a fast start.

We'll start our coverage in the House, which today passed legislation dealing with elections.

House Bill 95 from State Representative Joe Loven of Auburn would require probate judge to conduct a post-election audit after each county and state election to determine the accuracy o the originally reported results of that election.

The bill would require each county's canvasing board to randomly select at least one precinct, and at least one statewide or county race to be inspected two weeks after the election.

The audit would report problems and discrepancies encountered and make recommendations for any corrective action needed.

Finally, the Secretary of State would be required to report all county audit results to the governor and to the legislature within 30 days of receiving them.

Loven said the goal is to increase the public's trust in the integr The bill is filed.

Would, match what we did last year.

I added one amendment in committee to make it match what the Senate committee did last year.

So it is right in line with that.

It does not change election results.

It only checks them for where the pos audit of the machines at random.

This audit can't overturn an election, right.

Because the election would already have happene and would have been certified.

And they will kind of be going on through the process.

So this audit would be to accomplish if it's not to overturn election, it would be to primarily test the machine procedures that we're used and make sure everything's working right, and give some people the peace of mind that we've we're checking everything we can.

It's a very interesting bill.

I don't know why, they decide to want to do an audit after every election.

They say the cost i only $35,000 for the whole year.

And when you divide it up between 6 to 7 counties, it's $522.30 per county.

No county can do an audit.

For that amount of money.

It's going to be way more than what I think.

They suggested that bill passed and now goes to the Senate.

Also in the House, a bill was introduced today that aims to protect kids a summer camps around the state.

Last year's tragic floods in Texas claimed the life of a young girl from mountain Broo who was attending camp mystic.

State Representative Davi Faulkner represents that area, and his house, Bill 295 would add an extra layer of protection for summer camp facilities here in Alabama.

So the bill we're going to bring, for camp safety is going to be requiring thing like criminal background checks.

It's going to be requiring that you have an emergency response plan.

It's going to require that you have that training.

That you have the ability to communicate in a time of emergency.

Even if there's no internet, that you have the ability to communicate with your cabins and the campers.

And in the Alabama Senate today, lawmakers moved quickly throug a largely uneventful calendar.

And while the first week in the upper chamber has been mostly drama, free party leaders say friction could be ahead.

Republicans are still frustrated over last session, when Democratic filibusters ultimately killed a slate of local bills.

Party leaders say they plan to move local legislation earlier this year in an effort to avoid that again.

That experience is also fueling renewed discussion about possible changes to the Senate rules.

When asked about those possible changes today, Senat President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger offered no specifics but sai any changes that that are made will not come as a surprise to Democrats.

Both sides have certain issue that they are really keen on to if they would just get brought up.

And so some of those are voting rights, obviously, on the Democrat and some of ours are looking at, you know, the rules and how are we functioning up here, and are we still efficient from when the rules, you know, were last passed?

There will be things that affect both sides of us.

We want to make sure that any social issues are not passing Alabama State Senate as well, if the Democrats bring it up.

So there's always items that are brought up on this floor that you don't see coming.

So the filibuster is a tool for both sides of the aisle, number one.

And then number two, as we move forward, there will be times where we're going to have heavy debate out here, as we usually do.

But the key is that's what this process is about.

It's like everyone's voice be heard.

The state of Alabama, which is their representatives here in the Alabama State Senate, to be able to talk back and forth and expres what their views are back home.

And so we're going to allow that to happen.

As pro tem and Alabama Senate.

The key is for communication.

And as I've always said, without communication there's no potential for growth.

And we're going to make sure Alabama grows.

So there will be communication.

I do think that there's world changes.

I do think that it will be something that we work on as a team.

And when I say it, team everyone in the Alabama State Senate, I think that's the right thing to do at the same point.

My job is not to surprise anybody, when we come onto this floor.

But there will be some, you know, hard licks that we have to hit back and forth, politically.

And so therefore, we have to do what we need to do on the Republican side.

And I know the Democrats will be doing the same to us.

You may not have the answer.

Any timeline on that, or there's not a timeline.

With Republicans holding a supermajority in the Alabama Senate.

They have the votes to pas any rules changes they want to.

Democrats say they are closely watching and also believe the session could move more smoothly, as long as Republicans avoid introducing what they call red meat issues in an election year.

Today, Senator Marica Colema outlined Democratic priorities for the 2026 session, along with legislative red lines.

Democrats say they will work t keep Republicans from crossing.

We don't want anything that's going to take away people's ability to vote.

We wish that there was mor opportunities for the disabled to go out and vote.

We want some things to expand the opportunity to vote.

And I know Senator Coleman Madison has something that she's going to do to help with, ex-felons and voting.

So if we stay away from abortion, if we stay away from o take any additional rights away.

So wome do not have the right to choose what's best for the body.

But the red meat thing, you know, the things that divide us, we can stay away from that.

Stay.

Economic development and jobs will be doing the great things that we nee to do for the state of Alabama.

That is going to be the challenge for those folks that are more on the progressive side.

You know, all of that stuff coming out where Republicans are speaking to their base that are things that we don't necessarily support.

So what we hope to do is to stop things that are going to take away voting rights, to make sure that children have schools that are adequately funded, teacher state employees get the money that they deserve in order to take care of our state and our children.

And have a good session to where we're not leaving here and not feeling good about each other.

So hopefully we can do some things that are down the middl that are good for all Alabamians and not just good for a portion of the state of Alabama.

We'll take a short break and come back, and I'll speak with State Senator Linda Coleman, Madison of Birmingham.

Stay with us.

You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online any time at Alabama Public Television's website.

aptv.. org.

Click on the online video tab on the main page.

You can also connect with Capital Journal and link to past episodes on Capital Journal's Facebook page.

Singer Wilson Pickett was renowned as an energetic and intense performer.

The Prattville native gained international fame with such hits as land of a Thousand Dances and In the Midnight Hour, and became one of the biggest music stars of the 1960s and 70s.

He remains one of the most unique and significant artists of the soul music era.

Atlantic Records produce Jerry Wexler encouraged Pickett to record at Stax Records in Memphis, merging the gospel roots of Pickett's vocals with the strutting, layere rhythms of the Stax musicians.

Picket soon was topping the R&B chart and crossing over to the pop charts.

In early 1966, Wexler took Pickett to Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, which had built a reputation as a versatile source of hit records.

He and the Muscle Shoals Swampers recorded celebratory, hard driving hits such as land of a Thousand Dances and Mustang Sally.

Wilson Pickett was inducted into the Roc and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

My son's name is Nathan.

Nathan is a welder.

He enjoys it.

Loves it.

So my plan is that he would graduate from private high schoo and go on to Auburn University, which is where everyon on his dad's side of the family goes to college.

It was very obvious now tha I have the ability to step back.

He does much better hands on learning.

Nathan had taken a tour at a local career technical school and was very interested in the welding program.

My initial reactio about a career technical school was probably the farthest from the truth.

You know, I was projecting my thoughts onto him and my expectations onto him, and it really took a lot of mom maturity to step back and just step up and be there for him.

After high school, Nathan found a welding job very quickly.

I would say within three weeks of graduation, he was working for a local contractor.

I remember having a conversation with my own mother and she said, is there really any money in welding?

What exactly do welders do?

So as an 18 year old, he's making $47 an hour, right?

So I thought I was raising a CEO.

And as it turned out, I was raising a welder.

Who knew?

Nathan knew?

Welcome back to Capital Journal.

Joining me next is state senator Linda Coleman Madison from Birmingham.

Senator thanks for coming on the show.

My pleasure.

Thank you.

Here we are.

First week of session.

How is it?

How has it been going so far?

So far, so good.

I mean, we started the session very busy.

As you know.

We came in early.

And, this is the the last year of the quadrennial so that we get ready to run.

But everything is on a fast pace right now.

It really seems like everything is on a fast pace.

And so I know Senator Obama has already told us.

He said, you know, we'v got a lot a lot of work to do.

We started early, but is it going to come up early?

And of course, once the budget comes up early and we get that passed, because those are the things that we've got to do everything else is going to be moving along really quickly.

And you'll get education trust fund in the Senate this year, right?

Yes.

We all take the first crack at yeah, okay.

But they are also workin jointly, as senator always said, that they are trying to, encourage legislators to whatever concerns you have now, whatever request you have, let's get them in early so that as we talked talk about them in the Senate, that the House also has an idea of what we're looking at.

So we don't have that many changes when they finally get the farm bill right.

Can you talk about that process a little bit?

Because we try to share with our viewers what goes on down here because you know, they watch Washington and they see almost like this kabuki theater up there with, you know, nothing.

It's hard to see anything get done.

You all actually have to, you know, get your hands dirty and things like that.

So like Senate Democrats in the minority.

But you've got to work with the majority to get your priorities in there.

How does that process work?

You've got to kind of make all that out of sausage, if you will.

Talk about that process a little bit.

And, you know, we get along more than people think.

The good thing about it is that there's a fairness to it all senators and legislators, when the money is handed down, it is divided equally.

So each senator gets the same amount for their district.

We, are requested to, to submit our, requests, whatever they are, for our districts, to the, chairman of the committee, along with a little, synopsi of what that request is about.

As much as possible, they try to get it in, to, to make.

But they I will say this.

Every senator has some of their requests in, but you have a certain amount that you spend and so that's what you get.

So we are working on to get that done.

So and that respect is, is, is a fairness.

But as you know, we are already in the budget process.

We started that earlier this summer.

And that was the first thing yesterday.

We went in of course, Tuesday.

Not a whole lot going on because you can't do anything on Tuesday.

But Wednesday we had budget hearings and we heard from various agencies.

We have an overview from the, director of finance that comes in and gives us a, the forecast of what we're looking at.

Money is going to be tight.

There's not going to be any new money as far as people making other requests, additional things.

It's it's basically level funding kind of thing, with the exception of those things that that are necessary.

And we so it's not going to be like all the departments.

And this is everybody, this that comes to us and ask for those things.

So it's going to be kind of a bare bones, you know, is no, it' not going to be any fluff in it.

We do not have the advantag of having those federal dollars that we once had a little different there.

But, you know, one thing I heard the governor say the other night, no Proration.

Yes, I think there's there are lawmakers that are in here that have gone to terms not even knowing what Proration was like.

And I'm one of those that know firsthand was bad because I was a classroom teacher.

Like pink slips come out all that.

Oh, yeah, you have people.

You have to have people in place when school starts.

And during that time what you would be in Proration and then the money that you thought was going to be there is not now.

You don't have the money to pay teacher salaries or whatever.

And that came from kind of over budgeting.

It did.

Right.

And so I think you all have gone through this era of, okay, let's hol was put in the rainy day, right?

That kind of thing.

We created a lot of funds to deal with that.

We haven't seen Proration.

And I can remember when when I was teaching, it was in every or every year occurrence type of thing, you know, just about where we are.

We in proration with people, parents.

That's what I thought you all say you were going to get that white board or whatever for the class.

Well, we had proration.

So now those things that we plan to order, we can't do it.

Yeah.

Well let me ask you about Birmingham.

What are some of the things that are going on in the Magic City?

We were talking off air about, the CityWalk there, which, I mean, I think everybody's familiar with, with the, with the, the rebuilt interstate there.

The the way I got to see it is when we went to the Southern Legislative Conferenc that was hosted in Birmingham, right there at the Sheraton.

And CityWalk was a big prominent part of that.

What used to be kind of a, you know, just interstate, inner city interstat has become a city park, a real part of the city.

It is just a lively place that had has that has it reinvigorated and enlivened the city, provided, a destination point not only for the city of, citizens of Birmingham, but the entire metro area.

As a result, conventions, more conventions are coming there.

I think City Walk was part of the reason.

As far as a drawing card, everything is, you know, opening activity was at City Walk.

People were so impressed because it was so many things that you could do.

You had the food trucks, you had people that if you wanted to go to an individual concert, a theater that was there, it was just a lot of thing that was going on at one time.

Even a park, a skate park.

So it's family friendly.

As you know it is a part of the interstate system under there.

Right now al Dot is putting in part of the money city of Birmingham, Jefferson County.

But as an ongoing maintenance kind of thing.

And then, you know, things change.

You want to make sure that it is always maintained.

Security is a big issue.

Okay?

We don't have a problem with security, but but security is an issue that it has to be ongoing because people want to feel that they are safe.

And so, we run pretty close.

About $2 million as far as that ongoing maintenance.

And there's a bill that I'm offering that is a local bill that is going to be advertised coming up in the messenger that will allow us to use gasoline tax because it is a part of roads and bridges.

And I've talked with al Dot.

It is something that they support.

This will provide ongoing stable funding for maintenance, moving in the future and Birmingham and Jefferso County in the metropolitan area, cities not going to have to worry about what is going to be there for the future.

I will say this yo I think you can ask any business whether it is mountain Brook or Homewood or even the small town and cities, wherever they are, that when people come, that is one place that they bring them to.

It has created foot traffic.

It has created people who come in to speculate, to look at if they want to locate to Birmingham, because that is has become the central focus of a quality of life for people to get back to the rebuilt legacy arena, the protective stadium right over there.

Exactly, yes.

And then you've got the outdoo amphitheater that's there now.

So everything is right there in that area.

But it has definitely been an asset to the entire metropolitan area.

And really opening up that part of the interstate to the other part of the interstate, because they used to be such a divide there.

It was it was kind of like a no man's zone.

And, and I used to tell the mayor Birmingham, air to never like one day we, we were end up in 2121 building that was looking on the other side of the interstate.

I said, that' what we need to be looking at.

I've always said we need to develop underneath the interstate, bu at that time, they didn't do it.

I don't know why not.

Other states do it.

So it finally came around and, it's just really been a great asset to the entire region.

I'm going to be talking to the mayor.

He's going to be in town next week.

So, Mayor Dan.

Yes.

Right.

So he'll be here.

I look forward to tha conversation while I've got you.

You've one of your pushes in the legislature really, over the last several years has been restoring voting rights, to those who have served their time and may not even kno that they have, voting rights.

Right.

A lot of people may just kind of assumed, okay, if I got locked up, that's that's it.

You've you've made a priority of, you know, restoring those, making sure they know I know you've got another bill this year, right.

What what does it do.

Well, actually it's the same bill that we had last yea is more of a notification bill.

And it got through the Senate.

Right now, pardons and parole.

And we work with pardons or parole on this bill long before director Ward left.

And he was one of the perso that helped us with this bill.

They maintain all of the records for people or whether they have met all of their problems, whether they have served their time well, they've paid their fines and restitution or what have you.

They have all those records, so they know whether the person has met those obligations.

The problem is, is that you have to go through a certificate of eligibility.

You have to apply for that.

And so we're saying that we did away with that.

So you don't have to do that now.

But now how do I know who tells me.

Well, I've met the qualifications so that if I want to, be reinstated or if I am eligible to vote, I don't know that.

So what this is is more of a notification bill.

It requires that they put on the website we took out where the Secretary of State has to send out mailing to all of the last known address, because the people have been there for 3 or 4 years.

More than likely your address is changed.

You may have moved to anothe county, family may have moved, but if it's on the state's website for the secretary of state, you go to their site.

They put up a site, for that for that, particular, category four page, and that person can go on there for themselves and check to find out if they are eligible.

Now they know, okay, amid our requirements, because the funds and parole will send them a list of eligible people as they meet their requirements.

And as they meet them, they will put their names on that list.

And this will be a way for them to be notified.

But you have to go in there and check and you can go to, the, the registrar's office and register to vote.

If you would never register, you would have to reregister.

But some people may have t just have their name reinstated if they were already registered.

Voter.

A lot of people don't vote because they don't know.

They don't know.

And so it's you brought up Kim Ward and he talks a lot about, you know, you know, reentering society.

Got to have, you know, got to have a job come out reducing recidivism.

Right.

You got to have that job, got to have some connections, got to get, you know, folks treatment if they need it.

But it's interesting.

It's like voting is that's that's your par of being the fabric of society, right?

You're you're born in especially on the local and state level.

Exactly.

It's this sense of pride and response gives you a sense of responsibility.

I attended during the summer.

You know, they have, this, center this down in Perry County I think it is, right?

Yep, yep.

I went down to the graduation.

I was so impressed.

The preps?

Yeah, the prep center.

I was really impressed.

Well, okay, all of this ties into it.

That's what they are giving these people down there hope.

But when you come out, you want to feel that, okay, I can really go out and make something out of myself.

And people are not going to look down on me.

You know, I want to get all the rights that I have so that I can participate.

And there are a lot of people that have really turn their lives around.

We have a center in Birmingham called Changed Lives.

That's exactly what givin people this second chance does.

Yeah, I think they have done a terrific job.

We want to go there.

Well, we were there for the graduation because.

Because, I think Jeff caught up with you or Randy.

You know, they had the the graduation robes and all this, I mean, really making it a big deal and family support and everything.

And you had children there.

Can you imagine that this child is looking up at a father or what have you, that it does make a difference in?

Wow, that is the me and center.

You know we are working together women.

It's exactly what you said.

You know, I' I'm talking with Kim Ward about.

Okay, this is great.

We're going to do the Women's Center next.

Look, we're out of time.

I'm sorry about that, but I want to have you back because I know there's plenty to talk about, man.

You're right.

Fast start to this legislative session fast and furious.

It is going to be a fast pace, but I'm excited about it.

I'm excited about it.

Everybody is working hard.

I think we are focused.

We want to do goo work and get out of here and go so that we can campaign for the people.

Represent the people.

That's right.

Senator, thank so much for coming on the show.

I look forward to having you back.

My pleasure.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

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The World War Two era Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots in U.S.

military service.

Because Tuskegee was the only training facility for black pilots in the United States during World War II.

Potential pilot came from all over the country.

The first African-American flying unit was the 99th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in the spring of 1943.

The 99th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation, flying missions against enemy targets over Italy.

The second flying unit, the 332nd fighter Group, flew several successful bomber escort missions throughout the war.

Its P-51 fighters ha distinctively painted red tails, earning the unit and its planes the nickname Red tails.

In 1948, Presiden Truman issued an executive order mandating the racial integration of all military services.

The way was paved by the Tuskegee Airmen of Worl War Two, and in 2007, President Bush collectively awarded them a Congressional Gold Medal.

My name is Jacoby Taliaferro.

I'm a welder here at Arsenal.

I work on the EPO, the Expeditionary Fast Transport.

It's like a picku truck used to transfer sellers and other equipment.

When I got to this job I met a recruiter at our store.

I met him my 10th grade year.

We went through the summer internship.

It was a six week program entering my 12th grade year.

When I came back during the pre apprentice program, I went to school and I came also around 1 to 5 every day.

They paid me to come learn about what I what I love to do every day.

You had to be on time every day.

You had to show u and be accounted for every day.

After I finished, I had to go through another interview and they actually offered me a job.

I'm happ to be a part of this team now.

I can build a career and be able to live here and take care of the people I love.

When I have a passion for what I love, you know, coming to work every day.

I love working every day and I want to change it for my mental.

You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online any time at Alabama Public Television's website.

Appy tv.org.

Click on the online video tab on the main page.

You can also connect with Capital Journal and link to past episodes o Capital Journal's Facebook page.

That's our show for tonight.

Thanks for watching.

We'll be back tomorrow night with our Capital Journal week in review at 730 here on Alabama Public Television for our Capital Journal team, I'm Todd Stacey.

We'll see you next time.