Speaker’s Press Clips
Friday, January 9, 2015
Al.com: Alabama receives $8.3 million for Early Head Start-Child Care programs, and more is
on the way
Al.com: Gov. Robert Bentley to announce major economic development project today in
Huntsville
Yellowhammer News: Rubio coming to Alabama in support of Republican push for school choice
Al.com: Alabama legislator targets bills to protect teens caught in sex trafficking, stopping
prostitution at massage parlors
The Chattanoogan: Desoto State Park Enjoys New Improvements
Al.com: Alabama task force recommends DOT bureau handle state oversight of drones
Montgomery Advertiser: Firm auditing ASU to be paid another $500,000
Al.com: 'Sheer joy': Spay/neuter clinic veterinarian's response in the wake of judge's decision
Al.com: Alabama opposes San Francisco law requiring guns in homes to be trigger-locked or
locked away
AP: Alabama officials give reviews of movie "Selma"
Al.com: Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley at 'Selma' premiere: Voter ID is not comparable to voting
restrictions from 1965
Al.com: AP credits, career plans: Mobile County students make an impression at legislative
delegation meeting
Al.com: Alabama Senator Richard Shelby named chairman of the Senate Banking Committee
Al.com: Restoring Alabama: Green groups collaborate on 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for
conservation funding after oil spill
Al.com: How dependent are Alabama, Mississippi on federal aid? Tax Foundation crunches data
Washington Post: Obama to unveil proposal for tuition-free community college
Politico: Arne Duncan to call for No Child Left Behind revamp
New York Times: House Fires Shot at Health Care Law, Seeking to Alter Critical Coverage Rule
FULL TEXT
Alabama receives $8.3 million for Early Head Start-Child Care programs, and more is on
the way
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Jim Stinson
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on
Thursday that it will grant Alabama about $8.3 million annually, for five years, to promote Early
Head Start and child care.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources will get the grant. As many as 566 new children
will be able to access Early Head Start, the HHS said.
The federal department said it developed the grants to encourage collaboration between new or
existing Early Head Start grantees and child care providers.
Sylvia M. Burwell, HHS secretary, said the grants will ensure more children in Alabama will
benefit from high-quality early childhood efforts.
The $41 million total grant will assist in enhancing young education, officials said.
"Research shows the first three years are critical for brain development, and Early Head Start
provides high-quality early care and learning opportunities for our most vulnerable young
children," said Mark Greenberg, the acting assistant secretary for HHS' Administration for
Children and Families. "These grants will help support working families by providing a full-day,
full-year program for young children."
HHS officials said infants and toddlers in the new program will receive developmentally
enriching care-giving which promotes their physical, cognitive, social and emotional
development.
The efforts prepares children for future growth and development. HHS officials said the program
will also offer support to parents to be primary caregivers, and to teachers of their children and to
help parents move toward self-sufficiency.
Federal officials said the Early Head Start program requires significant support from the
community, including matching funds, much of which is delivered in kind. The programs work
most effectively when local businesses and community organizations work together to support
these most vulnerable children, the officials said.
Public and private entities throughout the state were invited to embrace the new program and to
"be part of the solution for early childhood care and education in Alabama."
For more information on the program, visit the HHS Early Childhood Development page; the
HHS Office of Head Start; and the HHS/ACF Office of Child Care.
+++
Gov. Robert Bentley to announce major economic development project today in Huntsville
Al.com
January 9, 2015
Lucy Berry
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Gov. Robert Bentley will be in Huntsville today to announce a
major economic development project for the Rocket City.
State and local leaders will convene at the Jackson Center on 6001 Moquin Drive N.W., at 1 p.m.
for the top-secret jobs announcement.
No other information is available at this time. Yasamie August, press secretary for Bentley, and
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle's office declined to give details about the announcement.
"We're extremely excited," said Kelly Schrimsher, director of communications for the city of
Huntsville. "It's a great jobs announcement."
AL.com will provide live updates from the press conference this afternoon.
+++
Rubio coming to Alabama in support of Republican push for school choice
Yellowhammer News
January 8, 2015
Cliff Sims
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is coming to Birmingham Wednesday,
Jan. 14 in support of Alabama Republicans’ efforts to implement more school choice reforms
during the upcoming legislative session.
Rubio is scheduled to speak to the Birmingham Rotary Club and his remarks will focus on the
school choice successes in his home state of Florida, as well as the broader impact it has on
public education and the American economy.
Rubio sponsored The Educational Opportunities Act in the U.S. Senate which, similar to the
Alabama Accountability Act on the state level, would create a federal corporate and individual
tax credit to promote school choice by allowing contributions to go to Scholarship Granting
Organizations (SGOs) that distribute scholarships to a student to be used toward private school
tuition or expenses related to attending a private school.
“Parents everywhere share a common dream: we all want our children to have the chance at a
life better than our own,” Rubio said. “This has propelled the progress of our nation and has
become an essential part of the American Dream. To give children this chance, every parent
should be given the right to choose the learning environment that best fits their child’s unique
needs.”
The Accountability Act introduced school choice in Alabama for the first time, but Republicans
are expected to further expand the reforms during the coming legislative session.
“Under Republican leadership, we have made great strides towards school choice in Alabama
and I’m proud that such a well-known conservative like Senator Marco Rubio is taking time out
of his busy schedule to applaud and promote our efforts,” said Alabama House Speaker Mike
Hubbard. “The Accountability Act is only the first bold step towards school choice in Alabama
and our efforts will continue until every child in Alabama has access to a quality education.”
+++
Alabama legislator targets bills to protect teens caught in sex trafficking, stopping
prostitution at massage parlors
Al.com
January 9, 2015
Kent Faulk
Bills aimed at protecting teens exploited by sex traffickers and to shutter massage parlors
involved in prostitution will be introduced in the Alabama Legislature this spring, the chairman
of the state's legislative task force on human trafficking said this week.
Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, chairman of the Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force
formed last March said he is looking at introducing the bills during the spring legislative session.
Williams talked to AL.com about the bills as the task force prepared for Alabama Human
Trafficking Awareness Day, an event the group is sponsoring statewide to raise awareness
among residents and law enforcement agencies about the problem of human trafficking.
"It's just an opportunity to call attention to the fact that there are more people in slavery now
(worldwide) than at any other time in history," Williams said.
More than 27 million people worldwide are victims of sex and labor trafficking, Williams said.
Legislation
Williams, who went after traffickers when he sponsored the state's first human trafficking law in
2010, said he plans to submit a bill during the legislature's spring session to add a provision that
would prevent teenage trafficking victims from being charged with prostitution. The new
provision would not prevent them from being arrested for other crimes they may have
committed.
The 2010 law gave limited immunity to trafficking victims, Williams said, but the goal is to
expand it to have a true "Safe Harbor" provision like many other states already have in place.
"The focus should be on the exploiters, not the exploited," he said.
Young girls were either forced or coerced into the prostitution and should not have to face being
charged with a crime for it, Williams said. "She didn't get this idea at career day at school," he
said.
In another move, Williams also plans to go after sex trafficking within the massage parlor
industry.
Williams said he will look at updating Alabama's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations (RICO) Act to make it easier for law enforcement to go after the massage parlors
that are involved in prostitution and to seize property.
Many times the women in massage parlors where prostitution is occurring are being moved
around to different locations, Williams said. "That's a criminal enterprise," he said.
Awareness Day/Summit
Besides legislation, the task force also is trying to raise awareness among the public and law
enforcement about the human trafficking problem in Alabama.
The task force has a website - www.enditalabama.org - that includes facts, warning signs on how
to spot someone who may be exploited, and where to go for help.
During today's Alabama Human Trafficking Awareness Day mayors in Huntsville, Madison,
Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Mobile are being asked to sign proclamations in
observance of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Among the other events is a program at Rivertree Church, in the Hampton Cove community of
Huntsville, 6 p.m. Sunday Jan. 11. Pat McCay, Chair of the Huntsville-Madison County Human
Trafficking Task Force and Secretary of the Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force will
present an overview of human trafficking. Lynn Caffery, Regional Director for Tennessee
Valley Family Services' Koru Silver House, a transitional living program for youth ages 16-21 in
Huntsville, and a survivor of human trafficking also will speak.
On Jan. 30 the task force also will sponsor the Alabama Human Trafficking Summit at First
Baptist Church in Montgomery (305 S Perry St Montgomery, AL 36104). The fee is $50.
Law enforcement and social agencies and groups involved in helping victims will be attending,
but the event is open to the public.
The summit will focus on what to look for and how to report human trafficking. It will include
speakers from the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Homeland Security, and several non-profit
agencies that help those exploited by human traffickers.
"It's something we have taking place in our own community," Williams said.
Statistics
Just how many victims of human trafficking are in the state is not clear. Statistics on just how
widespread human trafficking is in Alabama were not available.
But Tajuan McCarty, founder and executive director of The Well House that rescues women
from sexual exploitation and human trafficking, said the number of calls for help on their crisis
line has steadily increased since the agency was founded in 2010.
In 2010, The Well House received 389 direct service or crisis related calls, McCarty said. In
2014 that had risen to 1,600.
The Well House has also quickly expanded in order to provide homes where it provides
temporary shelter to victims pulled out of the trafficking.
McCarty was sexually exploited and trafficked as a teen. "I have rescued (a woman) off the same
porch where I was once trafficked (in Birmingham)," she said.
Williams and McCarty point to the Interstate 20 corridor between South Carolina and Texas as
being the "Sex Trafficking Superhighway," a corridor pimps use to move young women along.
Local cases
A few cases that made the news around Alabama have illustrated the problem:
A man was charged in Georgia in January 2013 on a sex trafficking charge involving a
17-year-old girl from Birmingham who had been bought and sold for sexual purposes in four
states since she was 12..
Three juveniles were rescued and two pimps were arrested in the Birmingham area as part
of a massive, nationwide FBI operation targeting sex trafficking in July 2013.
Five people were arrested in Madison County in December 2012 in a human trafficking
case involving a 15-year-old girl from Memphis.
A Tennessee man was charged with kidnapping a girl and holding her against her will at
the Quality Inn Hotel in Dothan in August 2013.
Earlier this week two men had hearings before a judge in Shelby County on separate human
trafficking cases.
One of those men, Kelandus Tavares Consenta, 40, of Birmingham, was indicted by a Shelby
County grand jury in November for human trafficking sexual servitude. The indictment alleges
he required a woman to prostitute herself, took the money earned, and provided drugs, money
and shelter to her.
In the other separate case, Fred Lacy, 44, of Antioch, Tenn., also was alleged in a Shelby County
indictment to have required multiple females to prostitute themselves in Alabama and Tennessee,
"requiring the females to give him the money that they had earned from prostituting themselves
and threatening to do them harm."
The public defender's office, which represents both men, declined comment but in a statement
said it would be prepared for a vigorous defense of the two men.
Shelby County District Attorney Jill Lee said she couldn't discuss specifics of the Consenta and
Lacy cases, but said the women being exploited in the cases were in their early- to mid-20s.
Lee said while she's noticed more human trafficking cases, she doesn't know if human trafficking
is on the rise or if it's just a product of Alabama law enforcement officers being more aware of it,
are looking for it, and now have a specific state law to go after traffickers.
"Law enforcement is very aware and cognizant that this is occurring and very concerned about
this trend," Lee said.
A common thread for prosecutors in the cases are drugs, with pimps getting young women
hooked on drug in order to manipulate them, Lee said. "It's frightening and I'm truly glad that we
now have this law," she said.
+++
Desoto State Park Enjoys New Improvements
The Chattanoogan
January 7, 2015
Alabama’s State Parks have been working on improvements both large and small all over the
state. These projects range from new primitive campgrounds, construction of bathhouses,
renovations, a multitude of maintenance projects, and improved pet accommodations
Desoto State Park received some much-needed improvements to the lodge to repair damage from
the 2013 tornadoes. The lodge received a new roof, and new microwaves and refrigerators have
been added to the rooms.
This year State Parks have increased their accommodations for your four legged friends.
Specified cabins and cottages now allow pets to stay overnight, for only $15 per dog. Dogs are
welcome for no charge at all campgrounds.
“The tornadoes a few years ago caused damage all over our community, including DeSoto State
Park, which is a huge economic engine in northeast Alabama” says Representative Nathaniel
Ledbetter. “I’m thrilled the parks have been able to use the money allocated from the state to
help fix the damage so quickly. The park system relies on these funds in order to improve the
parks and carry out necessary renovations.”
User fees generated from parks, partners, visitors and tourist from all over the world generate
90% of the parks’ operating budget. The legislature allocates only a small amount of funding to
support the parks annually. The improvements at the parks all over Alabama are mostly possible
due to the partners and visitors of the parks. The majority of the extensive maintenance at
DeSoto State Park came from insurance money, which was used to repair the damages from the
tornadoes.
Last week the park also opened a brand new pioneer style cabin in the primitive camping area.
This new pioneer camping cabin was made possible by a grant from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund and the Alabama Department Economic and Community Affairs. The
pioneer cabin is available for $40 a night and can sleep up to five people.
“The Parks system in Alabama is an incredible asset and I hope to see them continue to provide
access to the outdoors for generations to come," continued Rep. Ledbetter. "This will only be
possible if the important annual funds from the State remain available for the parks to continue
making needed renovations and improvements around the state.”
While some of these improvements seem small, they have a huge impact, and guests are noticing
at parks around the state. Earlier this year Desoto State Park was one of nine Alabama State
Parks to receive TripAdvisor’s 2014 Certificate of Excellence Award. This is an honor reserved
for the top tier of attractions, hotels, parks and restaurants out of the thousands of attractions
around the globe.
In order to continue receiving these great reviews, the parks are continually improving to meet
guests’ needs and changing outdoor preferences. The state parks are currently looking to expand
concession agreements throughout the system, similar to the zip line course at gulf state park and
ski system recently installed at Oak Mountain State Park.
“We are proud to provide visitors an excellent experience at all of our state parks,” says Greg
Lein, director of the Alabama State Parks. “We are continually looking for ways to make our
parks better, and this is only possible with the great partners around the state and the continued
support of our legislature. At Alabama’s State Parks, partners pay the way. With 22 parks all
over the state and 48,000 acres to maintain and improve each year, volunteers are crucial to the
success of the parks.”
+++
Alabama task force recommends DOT bureau handle state oversight of drones
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Mike Cason
MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- A task force appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley to study the use
of drones recommended placing state oversight of unmanned aircraft under the Alabama
Department of Transportation Aeronautics Bureau.
Gov. Robert Bentley appointed the task force in August to develop a statewide management plan
for unmanned aerial vehicles by Jan. 15.
Much work remains to be done on developing a plan, but the task force approved a draft of a
letter to the governor on what it has learned about the potential.
"This emerging technology holds great economic promise for our Great State in nearly every
sector," the letter says.
The letter recommends that the task force stay on as an advisory group to the Aeronautics
Bureau.
The task force compiled reports from subcommittees that studied the potential use of drones for
agriculture and forestry; conservation; transportation, construction and public utilities; first
responders and public safety; education and research and aviation.
Agriculture and Industries Commissioner John McMillan, who chaired the task force, said the
state needs to plan policies carefully.
"One of the primary challenges is to make sure we don't make any legislative mistakes,"
McMillan said.
He said some states acted too hastily to restrict the use of drones. He said North Carolina is one
state that has done a good job in developing policies.
Whatever plan the state comes up with, the use of drones in Alabama will be heavily dependent
on federal rules, which are still a work in progress.
The Federal Aviation Administration regulates unmanned aircraft. The FAA allows only very
limited use in the private sector.
FAQ about federal regulation of drones.
Hobbyists don't need an FAA permit as long as they fly below 400 feet and not close to airports.
State and local government entities can get FAA authorization for use of drones for specific
purposes.
The FAA does not yet allow commercial use of drones, but does issue certificates for research
and development, training and flight demonstrations.
Safety is the first consideration as the FAA works on a framework for integrating more drones
into airspace.
An Alabama subcommittee that studied the use of drones by law enforcement and emergency
responders reported that potential uses include search and rescue, disaster assessment, accident
investigations, response to hostage situations and crowd control.
"Privacy and civil liberty issues are the foremost concerns with first responder unmanned aerial
use," the report said.
The subcommittee on transportation, construction and public utilities listed potential uses
including aerial photography and mapping, inspection of electricity distribution and transmission
lines, storm damage assessments, railroad bridge inspections, monitoring of oil and gas pipelines
and others.
Alabama Power Company said in an attachment to that report that unmanned aircraft could make
inspections of transmission lines safer, less expensive and more efficient. It said they have the
potential to complement or replace inspections now done using planes and helicopters.
A report from the subcommittee on conservation and natural resources said drones could
potentially be used for disaster response, habitat monitoring and research, filming and
photography for public outreach and education, reconnaissance of the extent of fish kills, and
other uses.
Auburn University, Tuskegee University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are
involved in research with unmanned aerial systems. Troy University offers a minor course of
study in unmanned aerial systems.
+++
Firm auditing ASU to be paid another $500,000
Montgomery Advertiser
January 8, 2015
Josh Moon
The 25-month forensic investigation of Alabama State University's finances shows no signs of
stopping and the bill is set to balloon to well over $1 million.
The Alabama Legislature's contract review committee, which has oversight over most state
contracts, will review a proposal from acting AG Chris McCool next week to extend the forensic
auditing contract for Forensic Strategic Solutions (FSS) for $500,000 for 2015. That committee
has no power to stop the contract from being implemented but can hold it up for up to 30 days.
FSS was originally hired by Gov. Robert Bentley to investigate ASU's finances in December
2012, shortly after former president Joseph Silver leveled allegations of improper contracts at the
school.
Since that time, FSS, another auditing firm and two grand juries — one state and one federal —
have investigated financial wrongdoing at the university.
To date, no ASU employee or former employee has been indicted or been accused of illegal
activity, although a number of employees and trustees have been called to testify.
A "preliminary report" from the investigation released in Oct. 2013 by FSS leveled allegations of
conflicts of interest against trustees Elton Dean and Marvin Wiggins and raised questions about a
Medicaid contract at the school. Dean eventually resigned his position and Wiggins was removed
by Bentley, although each maintain they did nothing improper.
FSS, in the meantime, has raked in close to a $1 million in fees for its work already and stands to
earn another half-million if the committee approves McCool's recommendation.
"This is the biggest fishing expedition ever conducted against a state university," said Rep. John
Knight, who serves on the contract committee and retired last year from ASU. "What the
governor has done here is shameful. And he and (legal advisor) David Byrne — one of them or
both — represented to us the last time this contract came up that it would be the last extension
for FSS."
Bentley's communication director, Jennifer Ardis, said the governor's office is not requesting a
new contract for FSS.
Bentley's office turned the investigation completely over to Attorney General Luther Strange's
office last June, and because of a prior contract with ASU, Strange recused himself from the case
and appointed Chris McCool, a district attorney from the Pickens County area, to handle the
investigation.
McCool had been leading the state's ASU investigation, which included a state grand jury, since
January 2013, but the governor's office controlled the forensic investigation of the university.
McCool is currently out of the country on vacation with his family and unavailable for comment.
Bentley's office has accused ASU officials of purposefully stalling the investigation in its early
stages by hiring Birmingham attorney U.W. Clemon to review every request made by FSS for
financial documents and sit in on every interview of ASU employees. Without subpoena power,
FSS auditors were forced to abide by Clemon's mandates to receive information.
But since June, with the AG's office running the investigation, FSS has worked with subpoena
power.
"Enough is enough," Knight said. "If someone has done something, OK, so be it. Handle that and
let's move on. Punish those who have done wrong. But you can't just continue to drag this out
and cripple the university."
The investigation has devastated ASU. In addition to the bad publicity, the school has endured
three credit downgrades — costing it millions of dollars in excess interest fees — and has been
placed on "warning status" by its accrediting agency.
University officials say it also impacted enrollment this fall, leaving ASU 800 students short of
projections and that this stripped another $8 million from its operating budget.
Knight, who led a lawsuit against the state that forced Alabama to pay millions to historically
black colleges that were improperly denied the money for decades, said he's heard from many
who believe the ongoing investigation is retribution for that Knight v. Alabama lawsuit.
"I didn't want to believe that, but it's tough to figure out another reason for this action," he said.
"Here we are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery March and we're
still dealing with some of the same issues."
In total, once ASU's attorney fees and the cost of a second audit are added in, the investigation at
ASU has cost taxpayers nearly $2.5 million since December 2012.
+++
'Sheer joy': Spay/neuter clinic veterinarian's response in the wake of judge's decision
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Joey Kennedy
Dr. Margaret Ferrell, lead veterinarian at the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic in Irondale, learned
just before Christmas that an administrative law judge would recommend to the Alabama State
Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners that all charges against her be dropped.
"I'm in sheer joy," Ferrell said after the decision was released Wednesday evening. "It was just
the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten."
Ferrell, 34 years old and the mother of four children, was perhaps facing the end of her 6 1/2year veterinary career had the decision gone against her. Still, instead of leaving the spay/neuter
clinic and going into private practice, as she could have done to avoid the charges, Ferrell stood
her ground.
It wasn't the easy path.
"I had a call that said I was committing career suicide," Ferrell said. "They wondered why I
didn't walk. But I wasn't doing anything wrong, and I had to stand up for what is right."
The judge's recommendation certainly confirms Ferrell did nothing wrong.
Administrative Law Judge James Jerry Wood, hired by the ASBVME to hear Ferrell's case,
issued his 39-page recommendation a few days before Christmas.
Dr. Ferrell
View full size
Dr. Margaret Ferrell (Photo courtesy Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic)
"The undersigned, based on having heard all of the evidence and applying the Alabama
Veterinary Practice Act and ASBVME's Administrative Code, recommends that ASBVME find
Dr. Ferrell not guilty on all 29 remaining charges in this Complaint because none of the charges
has been established by the preponderance of the credible, unbiased evidence presented in the
hearing," writes Wood in his conclusion.
Ferrell was originally charged with 30 counts of misconduct. One count was dismissed during
the hearing before Wood. In that one, Ferrell was accused of malpractice for harming an animal
she was caring for. Evidence showed Ferrell never treated that particular animal.
The remaining charges were wide-ranging, from Ferrell not working for a veterinarian-owned
clinic to misleading the ASBVME to failing to supervise clinic employees properly. The
complaint alleged that the high-volume spays and neuters are unsafe and that by performing
those surgeries, Ferrell "rejected the surgical training she received in her veterinary education at
Auburn University ..."
The ASBVME will reportedly consider the judge's recommendation at a called meeting Jan. 16.
Chris Waller, one of Ferrell's lawyers, said the board has three options in considering the
recommendation: "They can accept it all, they can reject it all or go somewhere in between."
But Waller points out that it would be odd for members of the board, which hired Wood and did
not sit in on the hearings or hear the testimony, would reject his recommendation now.
"This is an impartial individual, a seasoned lawyer, who was approved by them (ASBVME
board members) and accepted by them," Waller said.
Waller said Wood's findings "were very well-reasoned" and "just."
Ferrell herself is now a member of the ASBVME, appointed last fall by Gov. Robert Bentley, to
replace Robert Pitman, one of the board members who has pushed so hard to have the nonprofit
spay/neuter clinics shut down. Another former board member, Ronald Welch, also campaigned
against the clinics.
What they were doing was wrong, and I believe in standing up for what's right." -- Dr. Margaret
Ferrell, Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic vet
"I don't know what the board is going to do," Ferrell said. "I'm very cautiously hopeful they're
going to accept (Wood's recommendation)."
Ferrell said she fought the charges because she loves what she's doing.
"What they were doing was wrong," Ferrell said, "and I believe in standing up for what's right."
Ferrell admits there were times up to this point where she was "full of fear and doubt." God and
prayers, she said, are "what carried me through this."
The decision could have an impact on Dr. William Weber's appeal of a fine and suspension of
his license enacted ordered by the ASBVME earlier. The ASBVME itself heard the charges
against Weber, who is owner for the veterinary practice that operates at Alabama Spay/Neuter.
Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick is hearing that appeal.
"The broader arguments (in both Weber's and Ferrell's cases) are the same," Waller said.
Tammi S. Cargile, executive director of the ASBVME, did not respond to an email asking her
for a comment.
+++
Alabama opposes San Francisco law requiring guns in homes to be trigger-locked or locked
away
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Mike Cason
MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- Alabama has joined 26 other states in support of a court brief
opposing a San Francisco ordinance that requires guns in homes to be stored in a locked
container or with a trigger lock, the attorney general's office said.
The amicus brief, filed by the state of Nebraska, asks the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the
law, which was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The locked-gun restriction applies except when the homeowner is carrying the gun.
Attorney General Luther Strange said the law effectively stops a person from being able to use a
gun for protection in the home "since most people don't have time to unlock and remove their
gun from storage during an attack."
The states' brief is in support of an appeal filed by the National Rifle Association and others.
The brief says that if the San Francisco law is determined to pass constitutional muster it would
"undermine the core right protected by the Second Amendment."
The brief says the San Francisco law is similar to a District of Columbia law the Supreme Court
found invalid in 2008, when it found that citizens must be allowed to use handguns for selfdefense.
+++
AP credits, career plans: Mobile County students make an impression at legislative
delegation meeting
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Sally Pearsall Ericson
MOBILE, Alabama -- The highlight of the Mobile County school system's legislative delegation
meeting on Thursday was undoubtedly the announcement that the district's graduation rate had
risen to 82 percent.
But the students who took turns at the microphone also left a strong impression of a school
system on a roll, from Haskew Elementary fifth-grader Ansley Duke's discussion of classroom
technology to Baker High School senior Bradi Glover's pride in earning 24 college credits from
her Advanced Placement courses.
Glover earned a hearty round of applause with her announcement. She is an AP Scholar of
Distinction, because her grades on her AP exams averaged 3.5. She plans to major in chemical
engineering at Auburn University.
Ansley, 11, described the different ways that technology is used at Haskew, where all-electronic
class projects are displayed on Smartboards and students read chapter books on tablets.
Haskew is one of the school system's 16 "digital literacy" schools.
Technology "makes learning fun for everyone, even the teachers," said Ansley, whose mother,
Lettie, is a counselor at Haskew.
John Kupersmith, a student at Clark-Shaw Magnet School, told the audience that the rigorous
curriculum at his school had helped him become more focused on academics and athletics.
B.C. Rain High School senior Raymond Horace underscored the impact of his school's careeroriented classes at the Aviation and Aerospace Academy, now in its second year. Until the
signature academy was launched, he said, he knew very little about aviation.
"I did not expect to gain this knowledge in high school," he said. Now, he hopes to study
aerospace engineering at Tuskegee University in the fall.
The school system has seven other signature academies: The Health Career Access Program at
Blount High School; the Coastal Studies Academy at Alma Bryant High School; the
Manufacturing, Industry and Technology Academy at Citronelle High School; the Academy of
Teaching and Learning at Mary G. Montgomery High School; the Academy of International
Studies at Murphy High School; Industry and Engineering at Theodore High School; and
Maritime, Engineering and Entrepreneurship at Williamson High School.
Any Mobile County high school student may attend any of the signature academies, because they
are not restricted to those who live in the attendance zones for the schools.
+++
Alabama officials give reviews of movie "Selma"
The Associated Press
January 8, 2015
Phillip Rawls
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Comments by Alabama officials who have seen the movie
"Selma" and its portrayal of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march :
Gov. Robert Bentley, whose administration helped attract the movie company to Alabama: "It is
very difficult to watch because of the remembrance of what happened 50 years ago. ... The
struggles that took place in that time changed America forever. It is our history. ... It shows how
far we've come, and I'm proud of how far we've come."
State Sen. Hank Sanders, who helped start the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma and
helps organize the annual march celebration called the Bridge Crossing Jubilee: "It is a very
powerful movie, and it made the points well. It is a movie, not a documentary, and it had very
powerful acting."
Secretary of State Jim Bennett, who was a reporter in 1965 covering state officials' efforts to stop
the voting rights march and then appeared in the movie as an extra portraying a reporter: "It was
good. I enjoyed it, and it brought back a lot of memories." But he said he would agree with
criticism that the movie contains a few historical inaccuracies, including how it portrays
President Lyndon Johnson.
State Tourism Director Lee Sentell, who is using the movie and the 50th anniversary of the
Selma-to-Montgomery march to try to boost tourism: "People all over the world will see this film
in the next four or five months. A lot of people are going to be intrigued about places where the
events happened, and they are going to come experience learning about the civil rights
movement in parts of Alabama and the rest of the South. ... Because of this movie, Selma
becomes one of the place names that stand for significant milestones in American history."
+++
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley at 'Selma' premiere: Voter ID is not comparable to voting
restrictions from 1965
Al.com
January 9, 2015
Jim Stinson
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Gov. Robert Bentley found parts of the recently released movie
"Selma" hard to watch.
The beatings on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The complicity of state police officers in
those beatings.
And the laws preventing blacks from registering to vote in Alabama.
The movie, intentionally or not, sparks a debate on many issues today: racism, police procedures
toward black people, and voter registration.
After the Alabama premiere of "Selma" in Montgomery on Tuesday night, Bentley, a
Republican, said Alabama has come a long way since the brutality seen during the Selma-toMontgomery march in March 1965.
But he didn't buy the comparison of GOP-passed voter ID rules today to Jim Crow-era laws that
repressed black voter registration in the 1960s.
Asked if voter ID, which Bentley supports, was a modern-day parallel to old registration laws,
Bentley said voter ID was protection for voters.
"I do support ID to vote at the polls," said Bentley. "But it's really for a different reason than a lot
of people think. It's really to protect the voters, to make sure no one uses your right to go vote
under your name."
The efforts to require photo identification at polls kicked off in the middle of last decade, starting
in such states as Indiana, which enacted their ID law in 2005. Laws in Georgia and Indiana
withstood a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
But Alabama didn't enact such a law until 2014. The June 2014 primary was the first Alabama
election in which IDs were required at the polls. To satisfy critics, the state offered free IDs to
people without current photo identification.
At a press conference in Montgomery last October to discuss the coming 50th anniversary
celebration of the Selma-to-Montgomery march, voter ID came up.
State Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said the free IDs were not enough, and that Alabama's voter
ID law was still an affront to "the people already on the margins of society."
Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford said the state needs to remove all barriers and make it easier to
register and vote.
"Too many people have died and bled for the right to vote," Ford told the media last October.
The Selma-to-Montgomery march is celebrated every year, but organizers expect the 2015
celebration to be as big as the 1965 march.
The 50th anniversary re-enactment will be held from March 8 through March 13.
+++
Alabama Senator Richard Shelby named chairman of the Senate Banking Committee
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Jesse Chambers
Richard Shelby, Alabama's senior U.S. Senator, has been named chairman of the Senate
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for the 114th Congress, according to a news
release today from his office in Washington, D.C.
Shelby was elected by the Republican members of the committee on Wednesday, and his
appointment was confirmed today by the Senate Republican Conference, the release states.
"I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to implement policies
that will foster economic growth," Shelby said in the release.
Shelby previously served as the chairman of the Banking Committee from 2003 -2006.
The committee has jurisdiction over legislation concerning many key subjects, including banks
and other financial institutions; federal monetary policy, including the Federal Reserve System;
money and credit, including currency and coinage; export and foreign trade promotion; and the
renegotiation of government contracts.
Press coverage of Shelby's return to the Banking Committee chairmanship.
Shelby's return to the Banking Committee chairmanship has been expected for months and has
attracted much discussion in the media.
The New York Times said on Nov. 3 that "high on (Shelby's) agenda will be changes to the
financial overhaul law enacted in response to the 2008 crisis, known as Dodd-Frank. The 2010
law that brought stricter regulation of banks and Wall Street has been a burr in the side of
Republican lawmakers, and the GOP-controlled House has passed numerous bills to unwind it."
American Banker reported on Nov. 4 that Shelby "is likely to renew his focus on problems with
the Dodd-Frank Act, including concerns over the structure and activities of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau."
However, "The GOP Takeover May Be Mixed Blessing for Banks," according to The Wall
Street Journal. The article stated that "Shelby is no friend of Wall Street," despite his opposition
to Dodd-Frank, and that "his voting record is marked by evidence of a strong populist streak."
And The Hill.com reported in September that Shelby and ultra-liberal Massachusetts Democratic
Senator Elizabeth Warren "both expressed concern that actions tied to the financial collapse have
resulted in fines and settlements but not arrests, suggesting the Senate Banking Committee will
be an aggressive force no matter which party controls it after November."
Businessweek.com reported on Nov. 5 that the Republican victory in the midterms is bad news
for Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen. The site discusses Shelby's harsh criticisms of
Yellen in the past: "Shelby voted against (her) nomination as vice chair in 2010 and as chair last
year."
+++
Restoring Alabama: Green groups collaborate on 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for
conservation funding after oil spill
Al.com
January 8, 2015
Dennis Pillion
MOBILE, Alabama -- While the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill represented an unprecedented
environmental crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, the influx of funding earmarked for coastal
restoration projects now represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make lasting impacts on
the region impacted by the spill.
As the government restoration process moves from theory into practice, many of the
environmental groups who've worked on the spill since 2010 have shifted their focus to form
what they call the Alabama Renewal Group, a collaboration of like-minded organizations hoping
to help the state get the most positive economic, environmental and community benefit from its
undetermined pool of oil spill fine money and to offer a unified voice from several organizations.
Environmental projects long hoped for but hard to pay for may finally get a chance to become
reality. The list of proposed projects is already long and getting longer each week, however, as
more are submitted.
Group members meet once a week to discuss the latest developments, look at newly proposed
restoration projects and try to raise support on the council and among the public for the projects
they believe are most beneficial. The group is comprised of Mobile Baykeeper, Ocean
Conservancy, the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Oxfam America, the Conservation Alabama
Foundation, the Gulf Restoration Network, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife
Federation and Birmingham Audubon.
Helping the economy by helping the environment
The group has developed a concept of a "triple bottom line," the belief that restoring the
economy, environment and building healthy, safe communities go hand-in-hand and that projects
that promote all three objectives should be given priority. They point to the state's $3.6 billion
tourism industry and $1 billion commercial and recreational fishing activity as evidence that a
healthy environment will lead to more economic opportunity.
"We really don't see either/or in any of this," said Kellyn Garrison of The Nature Conservancy.
"We know everything is connected so tightly to this triple bottom line of environment, economy
and community."
The group, which met with Press-Register/AL.com reporters and editors Thursday, is much less
supportive of strictly economic projects that create no benefit to the environment, or even cause
harm to the coastal ecosystems the fine money is meant to restore.
"(The oil spill) was an environmental disaster and what stood out to me was how deeply and
thoroughly this community recognized that an environmental disaster wrecked, destroyed our
economy," said Casi Callaway, executive director of Mobile Baykeeper. "We are forgetting.
That's where we're going to an 'or' instead of 'and.'"
Rather than endorse or object to specific projects, the groups created a spreadsheet evaluating
each project submitted to the state web portal, evaluating how many of their 32 criteria each
project meets. The criteria are grouped into one of four categories: best practices, economic
priorities, community priorities and environmental priorities.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council -- consisting of Gov. Robert Bentley, the mayors of
Mobile, Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre, as well as
county commissioners from Mobile and Baldwin counties and the executive director of the
Alabama State Port Authority -- will have the authority to award an undetermined amount of oil
spill fine money paid by BP and the other companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
oil spill.
The council is still evaluating projects and is still weighing the merits of economic and
environmental proposals.
Public input is key
Both those on the council and on the outside looking in have said repeatedly that public input is
crucial in proposing and evaluating restoration projects. With the exception of the Port Authority
director, each council member is an elected official who will depend on feedback from their
constituents to make decisions.
But the evaluation process is still a work in progress for a council created by the federal statute.
There is no template to rely on. Some are concerned about a lack of transparency throughout the
process, arguing that the council's decisions are reached behind closed doors and explained after
the fact in the public meetings.
"They meet for several hours and then they have a short meeting with the public, so we don't
know everything they're thinking or talking about," Callaway said. "We would like to, but that's
the challenge."
+++
How dependent are Alabama, Mississippi on federal aid? Tax Foundation crunches data
Al.com
January 9, 2015
Brendan Kirby
The fact that Alabama relies heavily on federal tax dollars probably would fall into the category
of common knowledge, but a new ranking by the Washington-based Tax Foundation indicates
that it takes in far less federal aid than some other states.
The report, published Thursday, ranks Alabama ninth in the country with 36.5 percent of general
revenues coming from the federal government in fiscal year 2012. Mississippi was most federaldependent, with 45.3 percent of general revenues coming from the feds.
Alabama, in fact, was less reliant on federal aid than all but one of its immediate neighbors Florida. But it appears to be growing more dependent proportionally compared with other states.
Its ranking in fiscal year 2010 was 19.
For all states, 31.5 percent of general revenue came from the federal government in fiscal year
2012, the most recent year data are available.
"That number varies pretty widely for specific states, however," economist Liz Malm and
spokesman Richard Borean wrote on their blog for the Tax Foundation.
The report traces a drop in federal spending on state aid over the past few years. When the Tax
Foundation visited this issue in June 2013, it found that the federal share of state revenues in
fiscal year 2010 was 40 percent or greater in 11 states. For Mississippi, which also was No. 1
then, it was 49 percent.
Alaska was least dependent on federal revenue in both years, but in declined from 24 percent to
20 percent between fiscal years 2010 and 2012.
To calculate the percentages, the Tax Foundation divides the federal-to-state "intergovernmental
revenue" tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau into general revenue collected by each state. It
excludes utility revenue, liquor store revenue and insurance trust revenue.
How dependent are Alabama, Mississippi on federal aid? Tax Foundation crunches data
The fact that Alabama relies heavily on federal tax dollars probably would fall into the category
of common knowledge, but a new ranking by the Washington-based Tax Foundation indicates
that it takes in far less federal aid than some other states.
The report, published Thursday, ranks Alabama ninth in the country with 36.5 percent of general
revenues coming from the federal government in fiscal year 2012. Mississippi was most federaldependent, with 45.3 percent of general revenues coming from the feds.
Alabama, in fact, was less reliant on federal aid than all but one of its immediate neighbors Florida. But it appears to be growing more dependent proportionally compared with other states.
Its ranking in fiscal year 2010 was 19.
For all states, 31.5 percent of general revenue came from the federal government in fiscal year
2012, the most recent year data are available.
"That number varies pretty widely for specific states, however," economist Liz Malm and
spokesman Richard Borean wrote on their blog for the Tax Foundation.
The report traces a drop in federal spending on state aid over the past few years. When the Tax
Foundation visited this issue in June 2013, it found that the federal share of state revenues in
fiscal year 2010 was 40 percent or greater in 11 states. For Mississippi, which also was No. 1
then, it was 49 percent.
Alaska was least dependent on federal revenue in both years, but in declined from 24 percent to
20 percent between fiscal years 2010 and 2012.
To calculate the percentages, the Tax Foundation divides the federal-to-state "intergovernmental
revenue" tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau into general revenue collected by each state. It
excludes utility revenue, liquor store revenue and insurance trust revenue.
+++
Obama to unveil proposal for tuition-free community college
Washington Post
January 8, 2015
Nick Anderson
President Obama on Friday will propose making community college tuition-free for “responsible
students,” launching what officials described as an ambitious plan for the federal and state
governments to widen access to higher education.
Under a program dubbed America’s College Promise, administration officials said, an estimated
9 million students a year nationwide could benefit. The average tuition savings for a full-time
student at a public two-year college was estimated to be $3,800 a year.
Obama’s goal, said Cecilia Muñoz, the White House’s domestic policy director, is “to make two
years of college the norm — the way high school is the norm.”
Muñoz and Ted Mitchell, undersecretary of education, discussed the plan Thursday evening in a
conference call with reporters, saying it would be included in Obama’s State of the Union
address and his budget.
The officials declined to provide an estimate of the cost to the federal government, but they said
states would be expected to share about a quarter of the overall expense.
In scale, the proposal’s cost appeared likely to range into tens of billions of dollars over a
decade. New federal spending, especially of this magnitude, are likely to face stiff resistance by
the Republican-controlled Congress.
“Nothing this large has ever been proposed at the federal level for community colleges,” said
David S. Baime, a senior vice president at the American Association of Community Colleges.
“It’s a staggering sum of money. It’s a very bold proposal that targets federal investment in the
right students at the right institutions.”
The nation’s 1,100 community colleges are the most affordable sector of higher education, with
tuition and fees for full-time, in-state students typically less than the maximum federal Pell Grant
award of $5,730 a year. Those grants help students in financial need. But there are often other
expenses — including housing, books and transportation — that can make the total annual cost
far higher.
Under the White House’s plan, students would be eligible for free tuition if they attend at least
half-time, maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.5 and make steady progress.
Community colleges would be expected to offer high-quality programs, with credits transferrable
to four-year colleges. Participating states would share the cost and commit to various steps to
improve educational systems.
Obama will unveil the idea Friday in a trip to Knoxville, Tenn. There, he will call attention to an
access program enacted last year under Gov. Bill Haslam (R). Using state lottery funds, the
Tennessee Promise offers to cover whatever tuition bills at community colleges can’t be paid
through other public grants.
The program, estimated to cost $14 million in its first year, will take effect for qualified students
who start at one of Tennessee’s 13 community colleges in the fall. Mike Krause, its executive
director, said interest among high school seniors is huge: More than 57,000 have applied for the
program.
Krause added that that might translate to between 12,000 and 16,000 participants by the fall. Of
those, he said, at least a few thousand might otherwise not have considered attending college.
“The catalyzing effect” of the lure of free tuition, he said, “is extremely important.”
+++
Arne Duncan to call for No Child Left Behind revamp
Politico
January 8, 2015
Caitlin Emma
Education Secretary Arne Duncan will call for repealing and replacing the nation’s landmark
federal education law, No Child Left Behind, joining Republicans in Congress in pushing what
could be the most significant rewrite of federal education law in 14 years.
In a speech Monday, Duncan will lay out his principles for rewriting the education law, sources
familiar with the event confirmed. But he is not expected to back down from his insistence that a
rewritten law retain the federal mandate that all students be tested in math and reading every year
from third through eighth grade.
The speech signals true momentum for legislation that has been stalled for nearly a decade in
Washington. No Child Left Behind, a bipartisan bill signed into law by former President George
W. Bush in 2002, has been due for reauthorization since 2007.
Key congressional Republicans have suggested they will consider paring back the federal testing
requirements. Teachers unions and parent groups have also called for cutbacks. The Obama
administration has expressed sympathy with concerns about overtesting but has insisted that
annual standardized exams are needed to assess student progress and hold schools and teachers
accountable.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander has made rewriting the law one of his priorities; he has
scheduled a hearing on the testing mandate for later this month — on the same day President
Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union. The House is also likely to move quickly. Rep.
John Kline, chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said Thursday that
he plans to have a bill on the House floor “before the end of March.”
Some sources familiar with Duncan’s upcoming speech said they were surprised the Education
Department had tossed around the word “repeal” in connection with No Child Left Behind. In
recent years, it’s been Republicans who have made “repeal and replace” their mantra with regard
to Obamacare.
As a practical matter, however, passing a new version of federal elementary and secondary
education law would essentially repeal No Child Left Behind. “It might not be the best choice of
words politically, but from a policy standpoint, it’s absolutely correct,” a former administration
official said.
Jonathan Schorr, acting assistant secretary for communications and outreach, said Duncan’s use
of the word “repeal” isn’t unusual.
“It’s an intentionally strong word, but he’s been intentionally strong about this for a long time,”
he said.
Duncan has previously said that the law must be replaced, that it has “significant flaws,” that it’s
“fundamentally broken” and that it has served as a “barrier to reform.” In August 2013, he said
the law “is outmoded and constrains state and district efforts for innovation and reform.”
The Obama administration began granting states waivers from the law in September 2011.
Without a waiver, states must ensure that all their students are reading and performing math at
grade level. If they can’t meet that bar, their flexibility for spending federal money is limited.
Sanctions built into No Child Left Behind require states to pay for tutoring services and
transportation to another school when families decide to transfer their children out of failing
schools.
+++
House Fires Shot at Health Care Law, Seeking to Alter Critical Coverage Rule
New York Times
January 8, 2015
Jonathan Weisman
WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday easily passed legislation that would redefine a fulltime worker under the Affordable Care Act, brushing aside qualms from conservatives and
liberals who fear the bill would prompt employers to cut worker hours to avoid being forced to
offer them health insurance.
The Save American Workers Act, which passed the House by 252 to 172 in the face of a
presidential veto threat, would change the definition of a full-time worker under the health law
from one who works 30 hours a week to one who works 40 hours. A dozen Democrats joined all
Republicans in support of the bill.
The measure has become a symbol for Republican efforts to chip away at the health care law, the
president’s signature domestic achievement.
Under the health law’s mandate for employers, businesses with 50 or more employees will be
required to offer health insurance to any employee who works at least 30 hours, or pay a penalty.
That mandate began phasing in this month.
By adjusting that threshold to 40 hours, Republicans — strongly backed by a number of business
groups — said that they would re-establish the traditional 40-hour workweek and prevent
businesses cutting costs from radically trimming worker hours to avoid mandatory insurance
coverage. They contend that the most vulnerable workers are low-skilled and underpaid, working
30 to 35 hours a week, and now facing cuts to 29 hours so their employers do not have to insure
them.
With passage of the law, those workers would not have to get employer-sponsored health care,
and their workweek would remain intact.
The legislation now goes to the Senate, where it has some Democratic support, possibly even
enough to muster 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. Senators Joe Donnelly of
Indiana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, both Democrats, are co-sponsors of the measure,
which will be one of the first tests of Democratic unity for a party that is in the minority in the
Senate for the first time since 2007.
The bill has little chance of becoming law, however. An official at the White House said this
week that President Obama would veto it if it reached him. Representative Nancy Pelosi of
California, the House minority leader, vowed to sustain the president’s veto.
“Mr. President, you say you care about those who have fallen on hard times. Show it, and sign
this bill,” said Representative Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California. “You care about lowincome workers, about working women, and about small businesses. Then show it, and sign this
bill.”
But many economists, including Congress’s official scorekeeper, see it differently. This week,
the Congressional Budget Office said the legislation would prompt 1 million people to be
dropped from employer coverage, pushing from 500,000 to 1 million people onto government
insurance and increasing the number with no insurance by hundreds of thousands. That would
raise federal spending by $53.2 billion over the next decade.
Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat, mocked Republicans for
suggesting they were watching out for the working poor by ensuring they would not receive
mandated health coverage unless they worked 40 hours a week.
“I’m sure every American worker is saying: thank God the Republicans are going to have me
work 10 more hours before I can get health insurance. Aren’t you generous?” Mr. Hoyer said.
At issue is how far employers would go to avoid mandated coverage. More than half of all
workers maintain at least a 40-hour workweek. Far fewer work only 30 hours a week. Budget
office experts and other economists say that in a strengthening labor market, few employers
would cut worker hours from 40 a week to 29, but many would be willing to cut them to 39 from
40. That means raising the definition of a full-time worker under the health care law would put
far more workers at risk.
House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio on Thursday pointed to Democratic support for the
measure and accused the president of obstructing bipartisanship.
Democrats called the measure a misguided effort to undermine a health care law that has steeply
lowered the number of uninsured in the country and has helped slow the growth of health care
costs.