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Alabama House committee approves bill allowing governor, AG to appoint local police chiefs • Alabama Reflector
Alabama House committee approves bill allowing governor, AG to appoint local police chiefs
by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
February 12, 2025
An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would allow state officials to appoint the leaders of local police departments.
HB 14, sponsored by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, would allow the governor and attorney general to appoint a local police chief if they determine there is an ongoing public safety risk.
“It was a fair, valid question about ‘Why don’t we just do both to give it a little more meat and to make sure that everybody’s on the same page?’” Ingram said.
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The legislation has drawn opposition from city officials and legislators, who say it is government overreach that would allow chiefs appointed under the law to operate without local oversight.
The bill requires the governor’s office and attorney general’s office to review crime statistics relevant to the area and consult with the local district attorney’s office, the sheriff’s office and crime victims before declaring an emergency. Staffing at a local police department must also be 30% off average staffing levels over the prior ten years. Many police departments in the state are dealing with staffing issues and struggling to attract recruits.
The legislation was amended after a public hearing in Tuesday’s committee meeting to limit the intervention to six months, with the possibility of returning after another six-month period. The amendment also requires the governor and the attorney general to agree to intervention. As originally filed, the bill only required one of the two officials to decide to intervene.
“Six months they’re out. They can’t come back in for another six months,” Ingram said.
But opponents of the legislation said they remained wary of political influence.
“I just still have concerns that there’s no criteria, and it could be an arbitrary use of power at the executive level,” said Rep. Kelvin Datcher, D-Birmingham.
Reed said that this bill is a temporary way to address violence and that Gov. Kay Ivey’s office is working on another bill that would provide a more permanent solution, including funding for a permanent task force.
“This was just a temporary fix, since we had so much problems here, along with the city, the county and the state, that worked on that,” he said, though he did not specify the local governments.
The bill now heads to the full House for further consideration.
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Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.
The post Alabama House committee approves bill allowing governor, AG to appoint local police chiefs • Alabama Reflector appeared first on alabamareflector.com
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Alabama’s weekend weather forecast features standard summer heat and storms.
SUMMARY: Alabama’s weekend weather features typical summer heat and scattered storms. Early morning fog affects parts of central and east Alabama but will clear by mid-morning. Daytime temperatures reach the upper 90s with heat indices nearing triple digits, though no heat advisories are expected. Afternoon thunderstorms have about a 30% chance each day, possibly producing gusty winds but no widespread severe weather. High pressure builds next week, reducing rain chances and increasing temperatures. A 20–40% chance of tropical development exists in the northern Gulf later next week, but no organized system is currently present.
Alabama’s weekend weather forecast features standard summer heat and storms.
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News from the South - Alabama News Feed
Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang resigns
by Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector
July 11, 2025
Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang has resigned from the nonprofit after serving in the role for five years.
SPLC announced Huang’s resignation in a statement on Thursday. The release from the civil rights organization said Huang planned to focus more on her family.
“Margaret has led SPLC with deep care, clarity and conviction, guiding us through moments of growth and moments of challenge,” said Karen Baynes-Dunning, the current chair of the SPLC Board of Directors, in a statement. “Her legacy is woven into the fabric of this organization, and we are well positioned in part because of her leadership.”
Bryan Fair, a former board chair and constitutional scholar at the University of Alabama, will succeed Huang as the leader of the organization on an interim basis.
“The board is confident that he will provide steady, familiar and thoughtful leadership throughout the transition and as a national search for a new leader is conducted. With his guidance, the center remains grounded in its values and prepared to meet the future with strength and purpose,” Baynes-Dunning said in the statement.
A message was sent to SPLC on Friday seeking additional comment.
Huang, previously executive director of Amnesty International USA, took the reins of the organization in 2020 after a year of turmoil. The organization ousted co-founder Morris Dees in 2019 amid questions about racial and gender equity in the SPLC. Dees’ ouster was followed by the resignation of several top SPLC executives.
As CEO, Huang tried to steer SPLC to include community organizing in its mission, particularly as an increasingly conservative judiciary made its litigation strategies more difficult. As part of that effort, it has hosted training sessions for individuals and organizations to train them on how to advocate and organize.
But SPLC announced in June 2024 that it would lay off employees in what the organization characterized as “streamlining operations.” SPLC’s employee union indicated that at least 60 people had lost their jobs due to$13 million deficit.
That September, the union overwhelmingly approved a no-confidence motion regarding Huang’s leadership.
A message was sent to the SPLC Union Friday seeking comment.
Fair, the interim CEO, will take leave from the University of Alabama while serving in the role. He has taught constitutional law for 34 years at the law school while also previously serving as a member of several other nonprofits, from the Equal Justice Initiative to Alabama Appleseed.
According to SPLC’s most recent 990 filing, the organization had $129 million in revenue between Nov. 1, 2023 and Oct. 31, 2024, down from $169.8 million in revenue the previous year. It reported expenses of $128.9 million for the period, and total assets of $786.7 million on Oct. 31, 2024.
Huang’s reported compensation from the organization that year was just under $467,000, with another $55,806 listed as “other compensation from the organization and related organizations.”
Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.
The post Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang resigns appeared first on alabamareflector.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning
This article reports on leadership changes at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a well-known civil rights nonprofit typically associated with progressive and left-leaning causes. The tone is largely neutral and factual, outlining organizational challenges, financial details, and leadership transitions without overt editorializing. However, the focus on civil rights, social justice efforts, and the framing of SPLC’s mission to include community organizing reflects values generally aligned with left-leaning perspectives. The absence of criticism or partisan framing maintains journalistic balance, though the subject matter itself is rooted in progressive advocacy.
News from the South - Alabama News Feed
You could be the new owner of the old St. Clair Co. jail
SUMMARY: Saint Clair County officials are putting the old St. Clair County jail up for sale after it has been vacant for nearly two years. The original 1939 building, with a major addition from 1992, is described as a fixer-upper but with good structural “bones.” The jail is costly to maintain, with some leaks estimated to require about $50,000 in repairs, though it features a useful heating, air conditioning system, and a large generator. The minimum bid started at $60,000 after the county moved operations in October 2023. Any sale will depend on the buyer’s intended use, ensuring it aligns with the community’s historic character.
St. Clair county leaders hoping to sell old jail
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