From our state House studio in Montgomery.

I'm Todd Stacy, welcome to Capitol Journal.

Some breaking news to share.

Governor Kay Ive will not call a special session to dea with the issue of redistricting.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that Alabama's state senate district map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the influence of black voters around Montgomery.

U.S.

District Judg Anna Monaco ruled that a new map must be in place before the 2026 elections, leading many to speculate that a special session of the legislature would need to be called.

But in a news release, Ivey said she will leave i up to the court to draw the map, especially in light of a upcoming Supreme Court ruling.

Ivey said, quote, as the law currently stands, states like Alabama are put to the virtually impossibl task of protecting some voters based on race without discriminating agains any other voters based on race.

I remain hopeful that we will somehow find the magic map that will both satisfy the Federal Court and also be fair to all Alabamians.

But as of today, I cannot justify the time and expense of calling a special session.

In the meantime, I call on the U.S.

Supreme Court to clarify the law in this are as soon as possible and relieve states like Alabama from this no win situation, end quote.

And Governor Ivey was in Montevallo this week to cut the ribbon on the next phase of Independence Hall at the American Village.

The replica building is modeled after Philadelphia's original landmark, where the Declaration of Independence was debate and signed almost 250 years ago.

And it comes just in time for the year long celebration of the 250th anniversary of America's founding.

The morning of the ribbon cutting, American Village announced that its founder, Tom Walker, passed away.

Walker considered Independence Hall the crowning glory of the campus.

We gather on the eve of America's 250th birthday to dedicate not just a building, but a living classroom of liberty, where generations will learn what it means to be citizens of a free and self-governing people.

Even as we celebrate, we do so with both joy and sorrow.

Today.

Early this morning, we received word that our beloved founder and President Emeritus, Tom Walker, entered into eternal rest just after midnight.

Tom was a man of deep faith whose vision, courage, and persistence brought the American village into being.

His spirit and legacy are alive here.

Folks, it's often said that Independence Hall is the birthplace of the United States.

It's where our great republic's cornerstones were laid.

And from American Village our Independence Hall completes the circle of presenting each pillar of our democracy.

The foundation of America's judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government are now firmly represented here at the American Village.

This week, the Ivey administration announce more than $3.7 million in state funding for 13 new road projects across Alabama.

The money comes from the Rebuild Alabama Act, which sets aside at least $10 million each year from the state's gas tax for local infrastructure.

Citie and counties are also pitching in more than 2.4 million in matching funds, with all project required to begin within a year.

This round of grants is focused in rural Alabama, including resurfacin projects in Bulloch, chambers, Choctaw, Covington, Cullman, Elmore, Fayette, Hale, Jackson, Marengo, Morgan, and Randolph counties.

Since the Rebuild Alabama Act passed in 2019, more than $70 millio has been awarded supporting over 500 road and bridge projects in every county in Alabama.

And state lawmakers and infrastructure leaders are studying one of the less visible costs of building new roads.

What happens when power lines, water pipes or broadband cables must be moved?

A special Joint Stud Commission on Utility Relocation Cost met this week at the state House to look a how those projects are paid for, where the reimbursement rules should change, and where any new money could come from.

Capita Journal's Jeff Sanders reports.

When Alabama builds or widens roads, utility lines often have to be moved.

And figuring out who pays for that work can be complicated.

Sometimes companies cover the cost themselves, sometimes they're reimbursed.

But in the end, the checkbook is usually passed along to the taxpayer.

Of course, we'll rebuild Alabama and more road projects going on across the state.

With that becomes other hidden cost per se.

And what I mean by hidden costs is utilities that are underground.

Some could be above ground.

And then when you expand roads, that utilities has to be relocated.

Representative Chris Blackshear chairs the Joint Study Commission on Utility Relocation costs.

He says the group wants to find a balance that keeps projects moving without driving up costs or rates.

To figure out the way to bridge the gap between not losing dollars, it needs to go for new roads or replacement of roads.

It's also understandin that you want to try to control the cost of utilities to your customers, which are our citizens.

But State Senator Clyde Chambliss warns that changes to who and how they pay could have unintended consequences.

I think we have to be careful here.

We can upset the apple cart very easily in one direction or the other.

And all of us be worse of from the construction industry.

Skip Powell, executive director of the Alabama Road Builders Association, says relocation costs can delay or shrink badly needed road projects.

That's going to affect us all getting to where we need to go, but it's going to affect and Williamson over here.

I'm going to point at the business community.

We can't.

All these businesses that are coming or growing from the game plan are not going to move their goods or get their people to work because they're going to be stuck in traffic.

Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville, joined the group remotely.

He warns that outdated records add another challenge.

There's not a tremendous amount of maps available.

We've done a good job of mapping our system, but what I don't know what was in put in the ground seven years ago.

A newer, fast growing part of Alabama's infrastructure push is broadband expansion.

Billions of dollar are going into connecting homes and businesses across the state, and that work now sits alongside road building as a major driver of construction, planning and cost decisions.

Taylor vice is president of the Alabam Cable and Broadband Association.

Connecting folks to roads and bridges certainly is important, but connecting folks to to the outside world via the internet is equally as important.

Now the Commission expects to bring forward recommendations, possibly a pilot program or even new incentives, by the beginnin of the next legislative session.

Representative Blackshear says the aim is to move carefully, but in a way that serve the people who live in Alabama.

Reporting for Capitol Journal I'm Jeff Sanders.

Thank you Jeff.

Alabama is preparing to submit its application for a portion of the $5 billion Rural Health Care Fund.

The program, included in the One Big Beautiful Bill act, aims to distribute money to rural hospitals and other facilities, in part to offset Medicaid cuts.

Alex Angle report from Washington on how the state is going to go about this new federal funding program.

Every Friday fo six weeks, state health leaders and lawmakers will meet as part of a working group to determine how it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on rural health care.

The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program is a part of the Republican tax and spending law.

Alabama has until November 5th to submit its plan for the funds.

Broadly, this money should pa for preventative care, workforce development and innovation according to federal guidance.

If the money is used correctly and used wisely, and we're able to really do something special, I think it could be amazing.

Ryan Kelly with the Alabama Rural Health Association is optimistic that the money could spur investment in things like oral health, ObGyn and attracting providers to rural areas.

The lynchpin behind a lot of this is technology, so try to utilize technology in a more efficient and effective way, whether that's artificia intelligence in the ambient AI.

This becoming very popular right now.

Telehealt I think, will play a huge role.

The fund is broken up into two parts.

25 billion will be distributed evenly among states that submit an approved application.

The other half of the fund will be allocated based on each state's rura population and its application.

Under this system, Alabama will receive at least 500 million over five years.

But the Medicaid cuts in the law are set to last forever.

We're happy to do it, but it' certainly not going to make up, you know, for, you know, the cuts in other areas, I guess, or even really come close.

Thoug Alabama is expected to be less impacted by the Medicaid cut since it has an expanded state.

Health officer Doctor Scott Harris says the public health department's priorities include supporting health programs for chronic diseases and pushing for more ambulances in rural areas.

It's a very common occurrence for EMS to pick up.

You know, someone who's sick or injured have to transport them 2 or 3 counties away, and then the county has nobod in this unit for several hours.

Awards for the program will be announced by the end of the year.

State leaders say the biggest challenge o the application is finding a way to make programs sustainable beyond the five years of funding.

Reporting in Washington Alix Angle, Capital Journal.

Thank you Alex.

This week, community colleg faculty and staff from all over Alabama gathered here in the capital city.

They are celebrating the growth and success of the Alabama Community College System, but also planning for the future as the state focuses more intently on growing the workforce.

Capital journal's Randy Scott reports.

It looks and feels like a University of Alabama or Auburn University pep rally.

Scores of school officials gather in Montgomery to get fired up.

This is a project of the Alabama Community College System.

The goal is to bring staff, students and supporters closer together.

So we have people scattered all across the state.

This is the first one of several meetings where we've said we want everyone to get together, have a chance to mee your friends and your neighbors and your fellow employees, an know what your mission is about.

We phrase all of this under one system, one movement, one mission.

Among the hundreds gathering at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center is Doctor Donita Griffin, president of the Alabam Community College Association.

You can say she has a unique perspective on community colleges.

It's the changing the quality of life for peopl in each one of our communities.

It's having people to upscale and the jobs that they're already in or preparing a workforce.

So I think there's so many exciting things that are going around in our counties in the state of Alabama.

Doctor Griffin is what some call a community college success story.

Once upon a time she started her higher education caree as a community college student.

But recently, she was chosen to lead a community college.

I'm now serving as the president of Wallace Community College, Selma, and the Demopolis campus.

And what's so exciting about that for me is that I'm a product of Wallace Community College.

I actually graduate from Wallace Community College and was able to transfer on to the four year institution, helping create good habits which are passed on to staff and students, according to Griffin.

And I tell them all the time, you know, I celebrate my own story that I starte at the community college system and that I was able to come back and work for the community college system for 28 years and now serve as the president of Wallace Community College.

So I think it helps our students to be able to see someone who was where they are now and see the potential of where they can go.

Other rallies will take place around Alabama to celebrate the success and opportunitie of the community college system.

This pep rally in Montgomery is the first here.

They will go to other cities including Mobile and Birmingham.

Today that the Griffin brough some of her students with her.

We have over a thousand students and the dual enrollment program, and we are expanding so that we could have more capacity to be able to serve more students and and all of the counties that we serve.

We serve all of the black belt counties, and we know the story of the black Belt.

And so it is our job to change that narrative of the black belt story, showing people possibilities through the Alabama Community College system.

I'm excited about hearing the success stories.

I'm excited about hearing how our Falcon and our staff have changed the lives of students.

There going to be some stories that students are going to be telling.

There's going to b some things that are happening that we've never heard about in Montgomery.

Randy Scott, Capitol Journal.

Thank you.

Randy.

Also on the higher ed front, the University of Alabama this week celebrated the opening of the facility for outreach, research, training and education, or the Forte building.

It will be the new home o the university's Safe State OSHA Training Institute and the hub for workforce safety and professional development for the Southeast Region.

The significant investment in the renovation of the facility reflects our shared commitment to education, to training and to service.

It reflects our commitment to not only educating and training the next generations of engineers and computer scientists who will lead an industry, government and academia in the decades ahead, but to also serving as a critical and important engine for community outreach and engagement that positively impact our communities, our businesses and our citizens.

Forte also strengthens the College of Engineering's mission.

It provides our students with opportunities for real world, practice based learning and connects them directly with folks from industry and places they will hopefully once one day lead.

It creates spaces where outreach, education, and research intersect, where we trai not only tomorrow's engineers, but also today's workforce.

This facility represent what we strive for as a college to make a positive difference and impact beyond our campus, to build partnerships that matter, and to serve Alabama and the nation with excellence.

When we come back, State Representative Anthony Daniels joins me here in studi to talk about a number of topics after that.

Kelly, east of the Hudson Alpha Institute for biotechnology, sits down for a discussion about all that institution is contributing to the state.

And finally, I'll welcome Peyton Barber of the Alabama National Fair to give us a look at the best 11 days of fall coming up next week.

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 o Capital Journal's Facebook page.

Originally designated as a postal route in 1806, the old Federal Road stretched through the creek Indian Territory of Lower Alabama.

Alabama's Federal road functioned as a major thoroughfare for western migration into the Old Southwest, ushering in a new era of national expansion and exploitation of Native American territory.

Although much of the Federal Road has disappeared, portions of it remain today.

Welcome back to Capital Journal.

Joining me next is State Representativ Anthony Daniels, minority leader for the Alabama House of Representatives.

Mr.

leader thanks for coming on the show.

Thank you for having me.

It's been a while.

It has been a while and I wanted to talk about that because we, you know, we were scarce a little bit last part of the session and a lot of people wondered why you actually had a medical procedure.

You had a kidney transplant.

I did talk about that.

That's a major medical procedure.

How did it go and how are you feeling?

I feel great.

You know, right now, you know I'm doing five, six miles a day.

And I'm feeling great.

I'm able to to jog.

Now I'm starting to add som weight lifting in, and so I feel really good, and, you know, full of energy, and able to, to operate as if nothing ever happened.

But, yeah, it was, it was quite the, the scare for my family.

But I will tell you that, all the prayer and the support that I receive, from members of the legislature, just general people across the state of Alabama.

It's been overwhelming.

And very, something that I, you know, you'd never realize you do a lot to try to help other people, but you never think that you will be in a position to where you know, people then kind of love on you.

And so I just really appreciated it, from both sides of the aisle.

And so just it just really meant a lot to, for me and my family.

Well I'm glad you're feeling better.

But like, as an athlete, you never maybe expect something like that.

You know, you you could have a pretty storied career in athletics and everything and to be, you know put out of commission like that.

Yeah.

Well, just all of a sudden, it just hit me, actually hit me on the night of the governor.

State of the state.

And so after that, I said, hey, you know, kind of tired.

Guys, I'm going to go in.

Everyone else is going to, you know different reception, different things are going on at I'm going to go in kind of tired.

And I thought maybe, hey, I'm, I get enough sleep.

And so the next day I was still fatigue, dehydration.

Just, you know, off balance and just really didn't understand what was going on to, decide to go across the street and get some lab work done.

The schedule appointment back of my, primary care in Hartsville and within 15 minute of that appointment, they said, you need to go to the E.R.

right now.

Wow.

And so I went to the E.R., and that's when they kind of said to me that, hey, your kidney functions are at about 14%.

And I said, there's no way that's possible.

I've never had an issue with kidney.

And and they said, no, this it's it's really scary.

We don't know how aggressive it is.

And so I said, you know, they say that we need to go and probably do a port right away.

Monday, Tuesday next week.

This is on a Friday.

I said, no, I'm gonna get a second opinion first.

I went to UAB.

They they kind of told me and confirmed what they were saying about, the kidney function.

But they said you got some time before, looking at dialysis or other options.

And so let's get yo on the kidney transplant list.

List, you know, just figure out.

Let's go work through this process first.

But you will at some point will have the you will have to get a transplant either sooner or later or get on dialysis 1 to 1 of the two options within the next several months.

And so that's kind of where we were.

And, it just just got to a point to where, man, it was a lot of fatigue when I was still kind of operating, coming to the legislature back and forth, going to see doctors back and forth running tests.

But, you know, the law would have it that, not only my what was my rib next to me?

It was also my kidney to it.

So my wife, her, you know, she's in health care and herself.

Listen, listeners, just really it was just a miracle, really.

My my blood type is rare.

I'm, Oh, positive.

And we are universal for donating a kidney.

But being a recipient, we're among the last to be able to do it.

Because we were the only ones that can actually receive a, kidne transplant from an old positive.

And with all the other underlining tests that have to be run is just very rare.

And the Lord will have it.

That righ next to me is my miracle.

Wow.

And now really a part of you?

Yeah.

I'm a part of her family.

That's right.

Well, yeah.

And as her answer to prayer, we're really glad that you're feeling better.

And, so.

And glad you're back.

We've got a lot to talk about.

I wanted to start with this redistricting effort in the state.

Right now, it's really in the Senate that they're they're talking about this.

We don't know whether it may require a special session, but just as an issue, redistricting, it's not just here in Alabama, but across the country.

It's become really more politicized than ever before.

From your caucuses perspective, what are the answers, to maybe solving some of these redistricting questions?

I think from a constitutional standpoint here in Alabama, you know, that there is a, a method to to really focus on making counties whole so that the representation is either live and or in proximity to the county that they're representing, where you see communities of interest.

And so I think that if mayors would have it their way, they would want to see lines drawn within their municipalities especially your larger cities, because that way your represent you have bigger, more representation fro within your city limits versus someone coming i and getting a couple of streets from your from your, your community.

And so, the, the issues of, of, of what do they have in common with our community becomes a real issue at that point.

And so I think that, in politics, you've seen play out across the country where individual are choosing their constituents and to instead of their constituents choosing them.

And the polarization exists because individuals will pack their districts with constituents that they're they're more likely to vote for them, than actually trying to, serve a broader base of people and different ideas, different opinions and different interests.

And so being able to balance all of that as I think some may think that very difficult.

And so you see it play out where there's a lot of, obviously a lot of gerrymandering going on.

But unfortunately, sometimes, when the courts get involved, good people get impacted by it and certainly have some good people, in the Senate, in the House, and some good people get impacted by, unfortunate.

Yeah.

And we're going to se how the court plays out again.

We've got a small ish redistricting issue in the state Senate, but the the larger cases before the Supreme Court could get decided this fall, maybe next year.

But a lot is riding on whateve the Supreme Court, determines.

Looking forward to the legislative session.

It'll be here before we know it.

Mid-January is coming quick because this is the yea that it's earlier than normal.

Looking toward that we we recently had this summer the expiration of your bill, the, overtime income tax cut.

It was wildly popular.

Also wildly expensive in terms of revenue to the state.

That's why I guess the legislature allowed it to expire.

Do you see that coming back up?

Do you plan to kind of reintroduce that and make it an issue, in this next session?

I think that'll be it's going to be a campaign issue.

To be honest with you, I think that you'll see, individuals that are running for state office from the federal level will probably talk about that issue.

And because it's been done at the federal level, although there are limits and caps on it, I do think that within the state, I will be introducing another piece of legislation t deal with, renewing, the, the, eliminating income tax on overtime pay.

From a fiscal standpoint, I certainly are looking at certain numbers to, to still prove, that prove the naysayers wrong because although there's a lot of things that are expensive, but what works better, better things to do to to put money hard earned money back in the pockets of those individuals that are earners, because we are oftentimes, we we're trying to figure out ways to, to spen some of the money that we have.

And I think that right now, there's nothing better than putting the money bac in the pockets of the Hartman, hard working men and women.

They've done it at the federal level.

And I think that states are going to be pressured, from the federal level, to do something similar within the states again.

And so I'm happy that we were the first ones to ever do it and that they were able to follow our lead at the federal level in doing so.

But I hope that we get the courage, to, to go back in and put the, you know, elimination of income tax on overtime pay, back into law and make it a permanent.

You mentioned the kind of caps and different provisions on the federal level.

I'm not privy to all of those, but should there be, like, if you reintroduce it, should there be some kind of cap or.

I don't know, lever that that don't leave the state, you know, $330 million later, you know, more than expected.

Are there provisions you can put in the bill that makes it more predictable in terms of a revenue?

So before agreeing to putting any type of caps on it, I think that is important that we look at the workforce participation rate, in looking at the workforce participation rate last year, this time and this year, and since the, the expiration of the overtime bill, let's look and see and compare apples to apples.

Let's compare the, income tax receipts, looking at the income tax receipts, are people working more right?

Or if they're working, if the current workforce is working more, you start to see more revenue generated, as a whole.

And so I think we got to look at the data to, to, to really look and see, when we're not doing it what type of what type of data are we collecting and making certain that the data is accurate and that we're being honest about it because, what I saw is, workforce participation increased during the time of the overtime, legislation.

So, individuals taking home more money in their pockets.

I saw an increase in the, corporate tax receipts.

I saw an increase in individual income tax receipts.

And so I just want to see why are we all still on that trajectory?

June, from, you know, next June or are we not?

Because I think that you got to look at the data and, and the indirect, revenue that it brought in and see, does it really does it make sense?

Oh, yeah.

Look forward to that conversation.

Well what else what might we see in the legislative session coming up as your caucus or y'all talking about agenda because it's going to be a shortened kind of session anybody wants to go home and campaign, but I'm sure there are issues that y'all might want to bring up and talk about.

Well, we're going to focus o a lot of issues that deal with, the federal impact, the cuts at the federal level and how that impacts our state.

You know, of course, the general fund budget is going to be there's going to be a lot of stress on the general fund budget.

And so we want to be able to look at Snap and looking at the new rules that are being implemented.

The federal level, of course, at the state level there, there will have to be some adjustment made in or in order to benefit, get draw dow some of those federal dollars.

Right.

And so, we got to make some decisions, you know, is there a penalty for not being in line 100% aligned with the federal government, or can we, sidestep or work around, some of the rules that have been put in place at the federal level to still allow our citizens to take advantage of it?

I think that, you see, from a health care standpoint, you know, there this this $50 million, you know, the the $50 million, and seeing what ar the rules is almost like Covid dollars all over again to try to figure out, what we do with it.

But I think that what we have to do is there's certainly some experts on this, on this, committee, you know, the governor, you know, you have hospita CEOs, hospital administrators.

I wanted to ask you about the elders.

You know, I want to ask you specifically about that because the governor has.

So, so.

All right, so in the big, beautiful bill, $50 billion set aside for rural hospitals, that could mean as much as, what, $500 million for Alabama, I think is the estimate meant for rural hospital to get through this rough patch.

You're on this commission that the governor has formed to decide a lot of that.

How does one go up?

Because everybody' going to want something, right.

How do you go about deciding who gets the money?

I think what we did last time we put it in in different pots and so it may be 500 million, but you may allocate certain parts of that to certain industries within the health care infrastructure.

And so it may be, you know, you have nursing homes, you may have, hospitals, you may have, you know, departments, becaus there's a cut the cuts in April, I think the, the, Alabama Department of Health, lost about $179 million, $73 million.

And so we need to see, okay, can we be flexible with these funds to fill some of those gaps?

So there's a lot of questions and not a lot of answer definitive answers right now.

That's wh I think this group is convening to figure out what is the magic bullet.

What do we put in this pie, that pie.

And we did this before during Covid.

Right.

And so, but we just had to make certain that, you know, we don't know how long this money is going to last, you know?

Hey, and another administration comes in and a few years, these changes are going to make or be made.

Now, the other thing, the onl benefit to the state of Alabama, I think that some of the tax, issues regarding the affordable Care Act expansion, we won' necessarily have to deal with, but there are some other elements that with shortfalls that we have because we get, two thirds of our funding, come from the federal government.

And so, is this equivalent equal to or greater than the money that we've been receiving from the federal government?

And what are the hole because of the cuts that exist, that we're going to have to fill the holes in?

How can we be creative with doing so?

And so there's a lot we need a lot of lawyers, to be honest with you, to we need a lot of lawyers to to really sit down and help us sift through, the rules.

And we got to write a lot of, try to get responses from, Treasury and from the federal government to really understand that.

And then the other thing that I see is it almost seem as if they're trying to decentralize DC into the state, and if they're trying to decentralize DC into the states, meaning experts in certain areas on health care, we've seen it with FEMA we've seen it with other areas.

Right.

Then we need to set up a similar infrastructure to ensure the implementation, is without any issues long term or a temporary solution until the next administration, at some point, government is going to have to put together a 10 to 20 year, 30 year strategic plan so that states are not left to guessing on what's going to happen next.

I was going to say it's almost like a Band-Aid for the rural hospital situation.

I know Alabama is not alone i the rural hospitals struggling.

And everybody look, this is great news that that they're getting this money.

But it's going to it's going to run out.

And I'm thinking it probably shouldn't stop the conversation about more, longer term solutions for those rural hospitals that have been closing at a frightening clip.

Absolutely.

And I think that, it should be an opportunity for us to be able to kind of build out a strategic plan, but also put some of those dollars to the side.

You know, oftentimes in government, they don't see you as much money if you don't spend all that, what they send you.

And so there needs to be something in there that gives you the flexibility to put money to the side as you build your infrastructure.

Because a different administration comes in and you're then stuck again with trying to figure out what their focus is going to be and what role and what role they're going to play.

Are they going to go back to hiring some of the people that were terminated before?

Okay.

Does that put us reset us bac to where we were, you know, pre 20, 22.

Right.

So we just need to understand exactly what May 2024, exactly where we're, where we're going to be.

And but the federal governmen got to get their act together.

They need to be more like some of us here in the Alabama legislature.

Try to figure out and work through some of the problems.

Yeah, we have disagreement.

But for the most part I think at the end of the day, we're trying to solve some of the problems instead of the all of the, the, finger pointing, the, vitriol that exists at the federal level.

They probably need to take a no for Alabama, just like they did on the overtime bill.

I don't disagree with that, Mr.

Leader.

We're out of time.

It's great to see you again.

And we'll see you agai back here soon.

Thank you ma'am.

We'll be right back.

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The 375,000 acres that make up the three Ranger districts of Talladega National Forest were purchased by the federal government in 1936 as part of an effor to restore clearcut timberlands and farmlands no longer capable of producing crops.

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You're watching Alabama Public Television celebrating 70 years of service to Alabama.

Welcome back to Capital Journal.

Do you want to be.

Next is Kellie East, vice president of educational outreach for the Hudson Alpha Institute for biotechnology.

Kelly thanks for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me, Hudson Alpha.

Such an amazing story.

A success for our state, really, for the whole country in the world.

Amazing things going on.

Not just in Huntsville, but to the Wiregrass.

I want to get to both.

But first can we start out just with you reminding our audience about Hudson Alpha, its origin and its role in the state now?

Absolutely.

So Hudson office stor starts back in 2008, actually, before that, where the idea was born that Hudson Alpha opened its doors officially in the spring of 2008 u the road in Huntsville, Alabama.

And Hudson Alpha, at its core is a nonprofit genomics and biotechnology research organization.

So science is what we do and specifically science around DNA and genomics which is a really big word that that simply means all the DNA inside a particular organism.

And so at Hudson Alpha, we have scientists that are working and studying DNA to answer questions and really to solve problems, to use genomics to to make life better, to solve problems related to us as human being and our health and our disease risk, an whether we're going to get sick and if we do get sick, what are the right ways to to treat those diseases that are individualized and based on the DNA recipes inside of us?

But also scientists that are trying to solve problems related to plants and agriculture, an how do we better feed, clothe, and fuel the world around us?

Well, yeah, I read a lot about the unlocking of the genome.

And so y'all are taking that and using it, you know, applying it to science all across the board.

And again, it's hard for folks like me to understand exactly what the genome is and everything, but it is there's so much applicability that can be used.

There's so much.

And when we rewind the clock to yo mentioned unlocking the genome.

And on the human side of things, it took the world, scientists across the world 13 years to sequence a person for the first time from 1990 to 2003.

But then when you fast forward to today, we can now sequence humans or plants or animals or anything on an order of days rather than decades.

Well, let's talk about the Wiregrass, because I had Doctor Lamb on her and I think, Mayor Saliba too.

And it was, I guess maybe the project down there had only been around about a year.

But it's really fascinating because, you know, so much is going on in Huntsville.

We know that Huntsville is the, you know, the scientific core of the state.

But going down to Dothan, famous for peanuts, obviously, and you've got this peanut project going on down there.

I was hoping you could explain kind of what's going on in the Wiregrass.

I'd be happy to.

And it's great timing.

I woke up in the Wiregrass this morning.

I'm in on my wa back to Huntsville later today.

That Hudson off a Wiregrass is, an instance of Hudson Alpha that has that is being born up, down in the Wiregrass with huge support from the city of Dothan as well as the state of Alabama, and bringing Hudson Alpha's expertis in science, in entrepreneurship and in educatio to that portion of the state to to help further our goal of of having a statewide impact.

And, the Wiregrass peanut project that you mentioned.

That' why I was down there this week.

And it is a project that is, unique to the Wiregrass.

It's not being done elsewhere.

And the model of what we're doing is, I think, really unique to what's happening with science and education, really, anywhere.

I don't know of other instances where you've got students doing what we've got students doing down there, and that project blends beautifully.

Hudson Health is research and science expertise.

Doctor Josh Clevenger i one of our faculty investigators at Hudson Alpha and he is an expert in peanuts and peanut DNA.

And he has, science interes in and exploring that, helping understand how, changes in that peanut genome control traits that we care about in peanuts, being resistant to diseases or growing well in different conditions.

So that's his goa from a science side of things.

But what we're doing in the Wiregrass is we're bringing students along as student scientists in that project.

So these are students that are ninth through 12th graders that are helping us do science inside their classrooms.

They're growing peanuts.

They plant them.

They grow them.

We were down there this week working with those students to do a three, four hour lab experiment.

That's a long time.

It's a long time.

Where they are working to get DNA out of their peanut seedlings that they've been growing.

And, that DNA will go back to Hudson Alpha to get, sequenced and analyzed.

And then those students in a few weeks, will get those results back, and they will get to help make decisions and make sense of that data and help drive where this research project is, is going, and which types of, peanut plants are going to move on to the next stage of the research.

So, what I love about it i these are students that are not simply simulating science in the classroom.

They're actively doing science in the classroom.

And the the power that can have o students in their Stem identity and that sense of belonging in science, that they don't have to wait till college or career to feel like they belong, that they're belonging.

Today, as a ninth grader.

Well, George Washington Carver would be very proud of what's going on.

Well, and you mentioned, you know, the students in the in the hands on, environment, this is our state has struggled with science scores, right.

And I'm wondering if thi kind of thing is the hands on.

It's not a textbook you know, it's not just a test, but the hands on nature of it, if that could be replicated.

I mean, if you see him, the eyes light up, like, you know, doing these experiments, mayb that can be part of the answer.

Yeah, I think so.

And we listen to students as we talk about, you know, that they feel some pressur in those situations that they're they don' want to make a mistake because it's real and science, it's it's science.

But there's, there's no, answer key for it.

And that they are, you know, actively doing that work and doin authentic science in classrooms.

We've got another example of a project not in peanuts.

The other example is in, doing research around cancer, where we've got middle school students up in North Alabama in afterschool programs.

They're they're learning skills.

They're learning information that they they should be learning in seventh grade.

But it's being attache to ongoing, authentic research.

And Hudson Health is a great place for these things to happen, because both of thos are happening at Hudson Alpha.

You know, cutting edge current research, as well as our education team that can come alongside and blend those beautifull together for Alabama students.

Well, I want to get more on the education side because it was a long time ago.

I think it was 2008.

I was working for Governo Riley at the time, has an Apple, was brand new, got to visit the campus up there, which is absolutely phenomenal.

It's only grown since then, and one of the things that really struck me during that visit was not just the technology that again, went way over my head, but there was a learning lab and there were teachers from, I guess, the local area.

It may have been statewide that were there to get do like a workshop, get trained up in some science learnin and how to better teach things.

That struck me because suc an Apple, again, was brand new.

And yet even at this, at those beginnings, was reaching out and tryin to be a part of the community, be a part of the state, and help be a resource not just for research, but for instruction.

Talk about that mission and why it's been a part of your DNA.

From the very beginning.

You're right.

Education has been ther as a core mission area of Hudson Alva, from opening day in 2008 with, the teaching la that you were just referring to.

And fast forward to today, we've got three teaching and training labs on our campus in Huntsville and down in Dothan.

They're the Wiregrass Innovation Center that's currently under construction has a teaching lab there, too, which provides great opportunities for students to get in that space and to learn and to to fee like a scientist working in a, in a in a high tech lab but also working with teachers.

We we love getting to interact with students ourselves but teachers across our state, get way more time with our Alabama students.

And so we want to be that resource for them so that they can brin cutting edge content and skills and career connections to their classrooms.

So teachers, we in the summertime do weeklong academies, both in Huntsville and now in Dothan, where teachers from across the state of Alabama can come and engage with us and really, get an in-depth look at what's happening at Hudson Alpha and how they can bring that to their classrooms.

But also all across the schoo year, we go out across the state and do one day workshops for high school teachers, middle school teachers, bringing them that cutting edge content and new hands on activitie that we were just talking about.

So, so manipulatives, ways that students can be using their hands to engage with, genetic stories and learn it.

Farm.

I think far better than jus reading something in a textbook.

Right.

I want to do some of this stuff that sounds actually really, great.

And I know that y'all do some adult, you know, education and things like that, too, is that's part of what you offer.

We do, public education is important.

We, we want our communities across Alabama to to not be intimidated by genetics.

It's got a lot of big words.

It can be intimidating to approach it, but, people are approaching DNA in their everyday lives, whether that' at the grocery store, shopping, in their doctor's office, watching the news.

They're confronting it.

And we want, our communities to be, to understand what Hudson Health is doing and the place we play in genetics and genetic research, but also just how they use that in their everyday lives.

And so as we think about ou our education mission at Hudson Outfit, the reason we exist the reason we show up every day is, is twofold.

One is around having genetically genomically literate communities that that understand genetics and how to use it, but also building that workforce that we need for tomorrow in not just in science, but really all of Stem.

And we want those jobs.

We want to be training our Alabama students to be ready and excited to take those on.

You know, there's been a lot of talk in the recent weeks and months about public funding, whether it comes from Congress or the state of Alabama.

I had a, researcher from UAB on here, a few weeks ago.

Cancer researcher, this dependent on NIH grants and things like that.

We had a little bit of discussion about that.

We'll talk about tha because, you know, you mentioned getting local, state, federal support.

Talk about the importance of that, in your mission and and being able to use those dollars to give back.

Yeah.

We've, been very, thankful for the support that we've had in throughout Hudson office history, around our both our research mission and the work that we're doing in education from, from our, from local stakeholders, from the state of Alabama as well as federal support, to, to achieve those missions.

So, we, with the funding that we receive for education from the state of Alabama are really trying to look a how do we steward that best to to give back to the teachers and the students here in Alabama, and across Alabama of doing teacher training across the state, where if you are a life science teache in any region of the state, that that we know you, that we have over the past decade or more really built strong relationships with those teachers across our state where they, even in between when we're seeing them at workshops, they they call us, they ask us questions.

We are that resource for them, but they also know that we're going to show up every two years with a workshop in their backyard.

Yeah, it's an investment.

Really.

And everything.

We we're out of time, but can you is there a website where people can learn more about these opportunities, maybe even teachers, and want to participate in some of these?

Absolutely.

So, Hudson alpha.org is the main.

It's a website.

And from there you can navigate to whatever part of Hudson.

If you're wanting to learn about whether that is our science, our entrepreneurship in that businesses that are connected to Hudson Alpha or, all of our educatio offerings for teachers, students and the public.

Absolutely.

Well, we're we're bringing Capital Journal to Huntsville soon.

And so we hope to visit the campus and maybe give our viewers an up close and personal, a little taste of what Hudson Alpha is such a gem for our state, and I treasure.

Thank you so much for.

Absolutely.

Thanks for having me.

We'll be right back.

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Located in the heart of Alabama's aerospace industry, the U.S.

Spac and Rocket Center in Huntsville is dedicated to the U.S.

space program.

The collection spanned the history of spaceflight from early 20th century rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard to present day.

The permanent collectio includes the Apollo 16 command module and one of the thre remaining Saturn five rockets.

Although the center is well known for its historical collections, it is perhaps better known as the home of the original Space Camp.

This world class educational program began in 1982 as an effort to encourage children to explore careers in mathematics, science, and technology.

Space camp provides children and adults alike with an opportunity to experience what it would be like to be an astronaut.

In historical monument to the U.S.

space program.

The U.S.

Space and Rocket Center continues to not only preserve artifacts and archives, but to inspire future exploration and explorers.

Welcome back to Capitol Journal.

Joining me next is Pedon Barber of the Alabama National Fair.

Peyton thanks for coming on the show.

Thanks for having me.

I greatly appreciate it.

You're here.

That means it's time for the fair.

It is.

It's only about seven days away, and we start in October the 3rd.

Okay.

All right.

Well, people come from miles around.

We all remember the familiar jingle.

Oh, yeah.

From the farms and from the town.

That's right.

That's right.

And it's always exciting.

And it's a reminder that follows here.

Right?

There will be some crisp air coming.

What can we expect from th Alabama national Fair this year?

Well, we're really bringing back our concert series this year.

We've got four major concerts this year.

We have, Corey Kent, an upcoming country artist.

On our first Saturday, we've got a hard rock Christian band called skillet coming on the first Sunday.

We've got Anthony Hamilton the second Saturday.

And then we have Lee Greenwood as part of our Hometown Heroes Day on our second Sunday.

Oh, wow.

That'll be a big draw.

You mentioned off air about hometown heroes honoring hometown heroes.

Talk about this special event.

So on our second Sunday, whic is going to be October the 12th, we have, a special ceremony set up, starting at 615 that day.

We're going to honor our local military, active and retired as well as our first responders.

That day, they can come in for fre as they can come in every day, but also they can bring a plus one that day.

And we just kind of want to highligh those people in our, local area and the sacrifices that they make.

And, we'll have a concert and followed up with that.

Absolutely.

Lee Greenwood people.

Yeah, I'll come see that.

Now, look, a lot of peopl might go for the rides, right?

Not me, but I'll go for the food.

Well, right off the fair.

Food is like the big draw for me to talk about what kind of food we might expect.

Some traditional favorites, maybe.

And some.

Some new things.

Well, just for you, I'll give you a a and your viewers, a little sid note, we have, on their second on October 2nd before we open is called taste of the fair.

It'll be from 5 p.m.

until 8 p.m.. You buy a $30 ticket, you get to come in and try samples of all the fair foods that we have available this year.

And that ticket' also good for a return visit to, we've got our classics, the corn dogs, a funnel cake, cotton candy.

We also have some kind of out there things.

We're bringing back the donut burger and the pancake burger, as well as new for this year, we found a vendor that does everything bacon wrapped, so.

All right, get your get your cholesterol up.

And it's about to say, do yo offer a free cholesterol test?

Well, I haven't gotte the American heart Association to sponsor it yet but I think it might be a good.

And, but they're doing bacon wrapped, bacon wrapped everything as well as chocolate dipped bacon.

So we'll see how that goes.

Goodness gracious.

The corn dogs are my favorit funnel cakes, things like that.

But like, it's kind of interesting.

I only like it at the fair.

Oh, it tastes completely different.

You know, you you slick one out of the freezer and throw it in the oven.

It just doesn't taste the same.

And the sights and sounds, all of that?

Oh, very much so.

It's unique.

Well, look, it's a big deal.

Encourage everybody to go.

I'll certainly be there.

But it's also a big economic impact, not just for the capital city, but for the state.

Talk about the economic impact the fair brings.

I was talking to our fai operator, actually, yesterday.

They're coming from Oklahoma.

And they're bringing 50 plus tractor trailers run in three times.

And they are refueling here along the way.

You have not just that they're they're lodging.

They're buying their local supplies.

There's such a huge tax incentive here in Alabama when they come and bring into our local economy.

It's it's a a huge boon for us.

Honestly, I you start thinking about all the moving pieces and parts that are coming in and those people that are her for about three weeks as we set up, get ready, operate, and then they go home.

They're buying their groceries here.

They're getting all their supplies.

It's huge.

Not to mention just the people coming out to the fair.

Sure.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, I noticed your, Kiwanis club.

Penn, this is, you know, put on by the Kiwanis Club.

Talk about how.

Because it's historically been that way.

I don't know how many years.

Right.

Talk about the Kiwanis involvement and the Alabama National Fair.

So the Alabama National Fair started out as a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club back in 1954.

Wow.

And we have been in operation that in whole time.

And over the years, we've given back over $10 million in grants to local children's charities in Montgomery, in the surrounding area.

It's something that we care very greatly about.

Last year alone, I thin we were at the $380,000 range.

So it's, it's huge for us.

And that's something that no everybody knows about the fair.

They come out and enjoy it, and it's a great time.

It's a great value for what you're getting.

But the ultimate impact is that you are providing to some of these children's charities that may not have funding, whether it's a new bus for a, a children's home or adding this fund or that funds different organizations.

And it's been a huge impact in Montgomery for over 70 years.

Wow.

Well, that's something to absolutely remind people about and encourage folks to go to the fair.

I'm going to go to this tasting thing, because I'd really like a sample, but you'll see me out there.

Remind our audience once again, when the fair's in town.

All right, so taste of the fair would be October 2nd.

But our main kickoff da is Friday, October the 3rd, and runs through the 13th.

And you can find out more information on al National fair.org.

Okay.

We'll encourage folks to be there.

Really appreciate you coming o the show.

Thanks for having me.

We'll be right back.

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Tuskege University is the second oldest historically black college in Alabama, and one of the largest in the United States.

Founded in 1881 as the normal School for Colored Teachers at Tuskegee, the school quickly became a driving force in the developin industrial education movement.

Under the leadership of noted educator Booker T Washington, its first president in its early decades.

Tuskegee Institute made significant contributions to agriculture and improving the lives of rural black farmers.

Tuskegee has played an integral role in Alabama history and education.

It pioneered the movable school, served as the training ground for the Tuskegee Airmen, and students and faculty were heavily involved in the civil rights movement.

In addition to its many notable alumni and academic developments, it was the first HBCU to have a marching band.

Tuskegee University was recently ranked as the top black college in Alabama, and the sixth nationally.

That's our show for this week.

Thanks for watching.

We'll be back next week at the same time right here on Alabama Public Television for our Capital Journal team.

I'm Todd Stacey.

We'll see you next time.