>> Don: GOOD EVENING.

FROM OUR STATEHOUSE STUDIO IN MONTGOMERY, I'M DON DAILEY.

THANKS FOR JOINING US!

TOPPING OUR BROADCAST TONIGHT, AS LAWMAKERS HERE AT THE STATEHOUSE TODAY WERE FOCUSED ON ISSUES LIKE A LOTTERY AND BAIL REFORM LEGISLATION, OFFICIALS WERE URGING ALABAMIANS TO REMAIN VIGILANT THROUGH THE NIGHT AS THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUED.

MULTIPLE TORNADOES WERE REPORTED AROUND THE STATE TODAY AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR MORE LINGERED INTO THE LATE HOURS.

ALABAMA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY DIRECTOR BRIAN HASTINGS SAYS WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AN UNUSUAL, LONG-LIVED WEATHER THREAT.

>> There should be.

No surprises, Don.

Everyone should know that this forecast that we have today, Moffat people haven't seen in a very, very long time.

It's very significant.

Potentially very life-threatening and you need to be connected.

You have to have different ways to get information.

Here is the other thing: Reach out to your neighbors and friends and families and make sure their aware of what is going on.

This is a nighttime event which is twice as deadly as daytime tornadoes.

>> Don: DIRECTOR HASTINGS WAS URGING RESIDENTS ACROSS THE STATE NOT TO GO TO BED WITHOUT A RELIABLE WAY TO RECEIVE WEATHER WARNINGS IN A TIMELY MANNER.

>> Don: THE SENATE TOURISM COMMITTEE TODAY APPROVED A NEW LOTTERY BILL, REIGNITING THE GAMBLING ISSUE AT THE STATEHOUSE.

IN ADDITION TO THE LOTTERY MEASURE, THE COMMITTEE ALSO PASSED FOUR PIECES OF ENABLING LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD SPELL OUT THE FINE POINTS OF BOTH THE LOTTERY AND A BIG GAMBLING EXPANSION PLAN THAT DIED IN THE SENATE LAST WEEK.

THAT FAILED EXPANSION PLAN, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED CASINOS AND SPORTS BETTING, WAS SPONSORED BY THE COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMAN, SENATOR DEL MARSH OF ANNISTON.

Is.

>> Since last week's vote I have had members come to me, can go about reconsideration that some votes weren't there.

I said, listen, what is important is that we get something out there for the people to make a decision on.

So all I have done today are keep all of the options open.

We would have had trouble getting a clean lottery bill out today.

But now, because you had members on both sides of this issue.

You members that want to see a more comprehensive gaming package and those who do prefer a simple lottery.

All we did today was keep both alive.

>> Don: MARSH'S EXPANSION PLAN FELL TWO VOTES SHY OF APPROVAL LAST WEEK.

THE LOTTERY BILL THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE SENATE TOURISM COMMITTEE TODAY IS SPONSORED BY SENATOR JIM MCCLENDON OF SPRINGVILLE, WHO LAID OUT THE SPECIFICS OF HIS PLAN.

>> And my goal was to allow Alabamians to play whatever games they're traveling out of state to play.

If they're going to Georgia and using a gee of course.

I want them to be able to do that here in Alabama without leaving.

If they're going to Mississippi and doing scratchoffs I want them to do that.

If they're playing Powerball I want them to be able to participate here in Alabama.

>> Don: PASSAGE OF MCCLENDON'S BILL SENDS IT NEXT TO THE FULL SENATE.

>> Don: THE BILL CALLED ‘ANIAH'S LAW' CONTINUED TO ADVANCE TODAY.

THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.

APPROVED THE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD GIVE JUDGES MORE DISCRETION IN DENYING BAIL TO THOSE ACCUSED OF SOME OF THE MORE VIOLENT FELONY OFFENSES.

IT'S NAMED FOR ANIAH BLANCHARD, AN ALABAMA COLLEGE STUDENT WHO WAS MURDERED IN 2019.

THE MAN ACCUSED IN HER DEATH WAS OUT ON BOND FOR ANOTHER CRIME AT THE TIME.

THE BILL IS SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE CHIP BROWN OF HOLLINGER'S ISLAND AND HE AND ANIAH'S FATHER, ELIJAH BLANCHARD, SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE LEGISLATION TODAY.

>> Undercurrent Alabama law, the only time you can be denied bond is if you're charged with capital murder.

What this bill does is allows a prosecutor to request that an individual be held without bond if they're charged with a violent Class A felony.

>> As a parent this would prevent other parents from going through the things we have gone through.

This bill would mean so much to us.

As we send our children off to college, we want to have the freedom to know our kids are kept safe.

DON: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LAW SCHOOL PROFESSOR JUDY CARROLL SAID AT TODAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING THAT SHE SUPPORTS THE SPIRIT OF ANIAH'S LAW, BUT HAS SOME CONCERNS THAT IT MAY NOT STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND A DEFENDANT'S RIGHTS.

CARROLL SAID THE ALABAMA LAW INSTITUTE, OR ALI, HAS A COMMITTEE LOOKING AT THAT BALANCE.

>> And I Asperger's you, as you think about HB131 to allow the committee to do the hard work that has been set before it to get this balance correct and in the name of aniah Blanchard and everyone else who has suffered as a result of the experience this family has gone through.

DON: TODAY'S COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF ANIAH'S LAW NEXT SENDS IT TO THE SENATE FLOOR.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

>> Next up on the broadcast, representative Steve McMillan of Foley is it in the studio with us.

Representative, welcome back to "Capitol Journal."

>> Good to be here much appreciate the opportunity.

>> Always nice to see you.

>> Same here.

>> Let's begin with the bad weather threat today.

We hope people are being safe and vigilant as the threat was statewide, but your District is no stranger to bad weather.

You have gone through two hurricanes in the last year and you're still recovering from hurricane Sallie.

So the word to folks watching us tonight is be vigilant and be safe.

>> Absolutely.

Don't take anything for granted.

Don't think that you can be in a hazards situation or potentially hazards situation and be safe.

Just try to do anything you can to be in good cover.

>> And fortunately it's that time of year.

It's the spring tornado season and this won't be the last of the severe weather.

>> People don't realize I think but the University of Oklahoma did a study two or three years ago now, and more deaths from tornadoes in Alabama than any other state in the nation.

>> That's something to keep in mind.

>> Absolutely.

>> When we talk about having a plan, know where you would go in your house, have safety gear in that safe room in your house, those are things had to think habit before a day like today.

But have a plan.

>> Absolutely.

Good advice.

>> Representative, let's talking about a bill you're carrying in this legislative session that has made headlines recently that deals with the restaurants.

And it would give restaurants in the state the option of allowing customers to bring their dogs with them when they dine with the restaurant outside.

>> That's exactly the way it reads.

>> What inspired you here?

>> Friends of mine several years ago said they would like to do it, and I introduced it.

And didn't get much support.

But this time I have gotten really good support from all parts of the state practically protecting north Alabama and south Alabama.

Restaurants already allow this.

You just want to codify it correct?

>> That's correct.

With conditions.

There are about a dozen conditions that have to be met by the owner.

The owner has to keep the pet dog on a leash in a carrier.

Some people said they don't won't want to seat with dogs sitting next to them.

And I talked to restaurant owners and they have a way to petition off the areas for those with the dogs and those without the dogs that don't want to be that near them.

>> So restaurants you have talked to have been receptive.

>> The Alabama restaurant and hospitality association endorses it.

As one house member says when it was on the floor of the house, he is in the restaurant business, and with summer coming, people traveling with their pet dogs, they can't leave them in an air conditioned car so this would give them a way of attracting business they out otherwise will not have to.

>> I will remind folks these are for the restaurants that offer outdoor dining.

>> There's prohibition against going into the enclosed dining area.

That's not permissive.

>> I have would ma'am you have heard from a lot of pet owners that like this idea.

>> They really do.

It's been interesting.

>> Health and safety concerns have all been taken into consideration.

>> All federal Food and Drug Administration, health department, all of that is involved, the owners responsibility for my damage that the pet would do at the facility.

The pets cannot get on the tables or chairs or benches or outdoor furniture.

There's not even entrance to the patio area enclosed from the enclosed area.

You have to have a separate entrance.

So there's no way that the pets would be going through the dining area.

>> Are you optimistic about final passage?

>> I think so.

It's passed the house and out of the committee to just one more step.

>> In talking to your colleagues are they with you?

>> Seems to be.

Some felt like it was a frivolous thing but they don't know dog owners I guess.

>> Talk to the pet lovers in the legislature and they might feel differently is what you're say good luck with that.

>> Thank you.

>> I want to talk with you habit the uniqueness of your district on the coast.

You're there at the Florida line, right there at the Mississippi line, Florida the only a lottery, Mississippi with a lottery, and casinos of.

How do folks in your district feel about the ongoing gambling issue.

>> I think the majority would like to see the lottery.

Some would like to seep all of it.

But they're the ones that are not prone to be habitual gamblers that destroy the fabric of the family.

So we will have to waited and see.

>> I would just imagine you hear unique perspectives given how your district is configured interest on the coast against Mississippi and Florida at the same time.

>> And if the casino part goes through with the Wind Creek if I mean to and school district Alabama.

>> Right.

>> Are most of them at least telling you as I have heard from so many lawmakers they would like the opportunity to vote on this?

>> Absolutely.

>> The ones that would like to see it just to keep from seeing the money go across the state lines.

>> Has that -- have you felt any pressure given that Mississippi and Florida and all of our surrounding states have lotteries Orr gaming laws, has that added -- >> I have a few friends that every time they want to see me want to nope about it and when we're going to do something about it and let the people vote.

>> Do you think, given the big gambling expansion's failure in the senate earlier that we're done with this issue.

>> I don't think so.

I don't think -- we're only about halfway through as far as of the time we can spend up here in session.

So there's plenty of time left.

For wanting surface.

>> Representative, tomorrow should be an interesting day in the house.

Two high-profile bills are on your special order calendar for consideration tomorrow.

I wonder if we could discuss those briefly.

One deals with rioting.

It would create certain new penalties for rioting in reaction to the vital rights in Birmingham that came as a result of protests over George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minnesota.

This legislation is also proven very controversial in saying it -- the opponents say it has unintended consequences perhaps in quenching free speech and peaceful employee tests.

>> I don't agree with that.

Representative Treadway was kind enough to give me input before the final draft came occupant.

Therefore several things in there that I think are very significant with the fact that we expanded the definition of riot and harassment.

It's amazing when you talk to him about some of the personal experiences he's had with trying to deal with some of it.

It.

I call it peaceful protection act because that's what it does.

It protects the protesters who are peaceful and not hiding sledge hammers ahead of time and that sort of stuff on the route.

And I notice it started again.

We may be looking at another summer of this in other parts of the state or country.

Minnesota, Portland, Oregon.

Again, over the last few days.

That becomes just intolerable.

And I think the citizens in those places are really being put in jeopardy by the elected officials and the decisions that air making.

>> Representative treadway and Alan Treadaway, retired now, but was on duty during the violent riot in Birmingham last year.

He said one of the things that struck him was people that came to his protest armed with sledge hammers and came with the intent to do harm and that's what he says he is pushing back against.

>> Somebody was standing there when they would bring them in the jail.

They would make bail.

Just had a bag of cash.

And they would come in the back door with the cash, paid a bill and go back to the back door of the parade.

>> Somebody was ready to bail them out.

>> Yeah.

We have a provision that we can identify who is paying these people to come.

They have to pay for the damage they did.

>> Representative, the other side which is argued of the unintended consequences and quenching peaceful protests, representative Treadaway has gone to link lengths to satisfy manufacture those concerns.

Do you feel like that has been done here.

>> Absolutely.

I'm going to tell you he has been very reasonable with what he has proposed.

Personally, I would like to see more stringent conditions put in there but we will wait and see.

For example, the U.S. senators at home, he was not even there and they came and protested and made a noise, I guess, and I don't know -- what else with his house and two children there.

The family shouldn't be subjected to that ridiculous stuff.

>> It should be an interesting debate on the house floor tomorrow.

>> Lengthy and long.

>> Steve McMillan of Foley, always nice to have you.

>> Nice to be here.

Good luck to you.

>> And "Capitol Journal" will be right back.

>> Next up on the broadcast major general Jerry Martin is the assistant adjutant general of the National Guard and joins us.

Welcome to "Capitol Journal."

>> Thank you for having me.

>> That you in advance for what you and the guard will be doing to help Alabamians get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, 23rd, assisting the state in Mobile vaccination units around the state.

Fell us about the guard being able to do this.

The guard has to be able to respond to a lot of different things and this is probably not one that you get asked to respond to a lot.

>> That's right, Don.

We have had -- over the years we have always responded to tornadoes, to hurricanes, gulf storms.

And we have been very, very fortunate to have a lot of our airmen and our Army National Guardsmen respond in times of need.

This is the time that we need them, that Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama emergency management agency, they have called on us to support them during this time.

And we're just glad to have been able to do it.

>> Now, guard members will be vaccinators at these Mobile clinics and I guess people ask, are there people in the guard qualified to do this and the answer is there are.

>> Absolutely.

We have a medical battalion and then also our Air Force partners that we have, they have medical personnel as well.

So we have been very fortunate in this state to be able to have a very robust group of medical personnel to support our units, okay.

So we do have doctors.

We have nurses.

We have medics across our formations that have always been able to step up in some of those instances that I mentioned earlier.

So we are as a National Guard for the state of Alabama, we're very, very fortune.

>> When called upon was this a natural yes for the guard.

>> Absolutely.

This is what we're tailored to do, to respond on a very quick notice.

March 5, Dr. Scott Harris approved our plan at his request to put together a plan and, you know, we put it together in very short time.

But we already had been thinking about this.

Of the National Guard had been thinking about the possibility of being utilized six months ago.

Okay.

And it just worked outdoor, the timing was right, and we're in a pretty good situation right now in the state with the numbers dropping.

So as far as hospitalizations so it's just really worked out good that we have been able to pull our personnel and they're ready to serve: They're already always ready to serve and assist our citizens in the way they can.

>> When we say guard members will be vaccinators they means they will be putting shots in arms of people.

The state is ramping up its vaccination efforts as more vaccine becomes available and the Mobile units are targeting more rural and underserved areas to make sure that everybody gets access; right?

>> That's exactly right.

Right now, we have identified 24 locations, okay, that we will be moving into.

And one a day.

We have two teams.

And you know, it's just been an interesting ordeal with our medical professionals that we have, our planners that come in.

They do a good job of planning for situations like this.

And, you know, we have others programs that allow us to go into the underserved communities to assist in any way that we can.

This has just been a total joint interagency effort with EMA, our local EMA community, Department of Public Health, all those agencies have really been stellar over the last 18 months.

And specifically for us, helping us right now.

>> Resources in rural areas of the state have been fairly limited in getting the vaccine out and this is seen as an effort to accelerate that effort and make shots available to people who might have a lot more trouble in folks than larger this is and counties might have in getting these shots.

>> We have been extremely fortunate to be able.

We have Internet access.

Portable.

That the guard can use.

Our communications.

We will be able to have a total package that will be able to go into the communities and just set up either in a fixed facility or even in a Mobile facility if you will if we have to set up tents.

We are able -- this is what we do.

This is the what the guard does.

This is a perfect mission for us.

And along with the Air Force and the Army, we're able to go in and just really in my opinion be able to hit a grand slam home run.

>> These Mobile units which will be throughout the state starting next week, will they function similar to other clinics we have seen where people have to believe in the certain eligibility groups.

>> That's exactly right.

You know, they will have to be in the 55 or older.

I think you're very much aware of the govern's directive.

We will stick to those guidelines.

And we're following the lead of Alabama Department of Public Health.

Our team will be set up to provide control of the transportation groups as they move in and the vehicles and the marshaling of the vehicles through the areas, and we will have all of the administrative approximate systems set up to be able to record and all of the vaccine information and then of course the medical practitioners that will be there administering the vaccine.

>> For folks watching and wondering where and when you might be we can get on the guard' website or Alabama Department of Health.

>> At some point this time.

The governor's office will be releasing that very soon.

Right now, we have not finalized all locations until we do that.

It should be available yes.

>> Before we close, sir, the guard has to be prepared many times to respond in a moment's notice.

Take this week's bad weather for instance.

You never know when you're going to be needed to respond to events like that.

Or I'm thinking about recent events when our National Guard helped in Washington with security after the violence a the U.S. capital.

It's is a moment's notice type of job that you and your colleagues undertake.

>> That's right.

And we're so very fortune to have such a large group of different skill sets and functions that our National Guard provides across the entire formation had he where it's military had transporters, we're such a diverse organization across our formations, not only in the Army side but also in the -- on the Air Force side as well.

And it's a great partnership, it's a great opportunity for us to serve our communities the state of Alabama.

>> Birmingham is so committed to the guard.

Our citizen soldier ranks are among the strongest.

>> We have been very fortunate to be able to maintain our strength and our numbers that we're supposed to have that -- and our -- our soldiers just do a phenomenal job and our airmen and we're so fortunate to be able to have them.

And to be able to step up when we need them in a situation like this.

>> And it doesn't hurt the guard mate history in the last few years with the first female adjutant general and major general Cheryl Gordon.

>> She has done a phenomenal job.

And it's -- she has -- her vision, just the way that she leads in her leadership in general.

She is just a phenomenal adjutant general and we all are honored to serve with her.

>> Jerry Martin is the assistant adjutant general of the Alabama National Guard.

Thank you for what you and your colleagues will be doing to get shots in the arms of Alabamians in the coming weeks.

>> My pleasure.

Thank you for having knee.

>> You bet.

And "Capitol Journal" will be right back.

DON: AND THAT'S "CAPITOL JOURNAL" FOR TONIGHT.

COMING UP TOMORROW NIGHT AT 10:30, WE'LL HAVE THE LATEST FROM THE STATEHOUSE, INCLUDING EXPECTED HOUSE ACTION ON BILLS THAT WOULD BOTH EXPAND PENALTIES FOR VIOLENT RIOTING AND WOULD MANDATE THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN ONLY PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS BASED ON THE GENDER ON THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES.

AND WE'LL BE JOINED BY REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS BLACKSHEAR OF PHENIX CITY, WHO'LL DISCUSS HOUSE PASSAGE OF HIS BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO VOTE IN ALABAMA AND ANOTHER STATE IN THE SAME ELECTION.

WE'LL ALSO BE JOINED BY REPRESENTATIVE STEVE HURST OF MUNFORD, WHO'LL DISCUSS HIS BILL THAT WOULD DESIGNATE PART OF THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO CHEAHA STATE PARK AS SCENIC HIGHWAY.

FOR ALL OF US AT "CAPITOL JOURNAL."

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

I'M DON DAILEY.