The fight over same sex marriage in Alabama has resulted in an ethics complaint against the state’s Chief Justice. The Southern Poverty Law Center is objecting to Roy Moore’s criticism of a federal judge's ruling in favor of a Mobile couple in a same-sex marriage. Moore called the ruling judicial tyranny, The SPLC says Moore’s behavior is similar to when he refused to follow a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the lobby of the state judicial building. He was removed from office, but re-elected. .
This week is National School Choice Week and Alabama saw what was billed as the largest rally ever on that subject in Montgomery. An estimated two thousand people showed up for the rally in Alabama’s capitol city. Sonya DiCarlo is the Director of Communications for the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund. She says the event is being held to talk about education options.
“The rally is all about supporting the idea of school choice. It’s not meant to be controversial it’s not meant to be partisan. We are not going to be speaking about specific bills. It’s talking about options. It’s talking about the fact that Alabama has now jumped into the fray of the school choice dialog across the country.”
The Alabama Accountability Act was passed last year and is now in its second semester. DiCarlo says three thousand scholarships have been awarded to children grades k-12 across the state of Alabama. There are still over two thousand families on the waiting list.
Alabamians got the opportunity to save dollars and bargain hunt today. The Alabama Surplus Property Division of the Department of Economic and Community Affairs held a state surplus property auction. The auction featured items ranging from laptop computers to cars and other vehicles. The sale featured items the state and federal agencies aren’t using anymore. There are also items abandoned at airports throughout the Southeast. Shane Bailey is the Division Chief of the Surplus Property Division. He says that the auction not only benefits the wallets of those who attend, but also the state of Alabama.
“It gives an opportunity to purchase property that the state no longer has a use for, so we are benefiting them. They can take it back and use it or resell it for profit. It also generates about $500,000 for the state in one day, so it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Organizers expected bidders from as far away as Texas and California to participate.
The civil rights attorney who defended Rosa Parks will be honored in Montgomery next week. Officials say a historic marker will be unveiled on February fourth at the spot where Fred Gray's law office once stood. The site is now home to the state judicial building. The ceremony is scheduled on Park’s birthday. Gray represented Parks when she was arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white passenger. Her arrest prompted the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. The marker honoring Gray is sponsored by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Tuskegee History Center.
