Alabama’s Chief Justice Roy Moore is once again suggesting that gay marriage is illegal in Alabama, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Moore issued an administrative order yesterday advising probate judges not to issue licenses to same-sex couples. He says the state Supreme Court never lifted its directive from March advising judges to abide by the Alabama constitution.
Some probate judges had stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling; after yesterday’s order, several more have announced they will stop issuing licenses.
ACLU of Alabama President Susan Watson called the order “silly”, and legal director Randall Marshall says probate judges who refuse to issue licenses could be found in contempt of court.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has updated an ethics complaint against Moore, saying the Chief Justice has failed to respect and comply with the law.
A state delegation is meeting near Tuscaloosa to talk about roads and bridges.
The state legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee will be holding a public meeting later this morning at Northport’s city hall to discuss infrastructure funding. The committee is looking for public input as lawmakers consider raising Alabama's gasoline tax for the first time since 1992.
Jim Page is the president and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. He's on the newly-formed Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure. Page says the way Alabama’s government currently funds infrastructure doesn’t make a lot of sense.
“That formula just doesn’t work. You’ve got increased costs, increased wear and tear on our roads and bridges, yet the primary method by which we fund roads and bridges -- that revenue’s declining because of cars becoming more fuel-efficient.”
Page adds that now might be a better time than any to raise the state’s gas tax. That's because the price of gasoline is at a historic low. The Joint Transportation Committee will hold similar meetings throughout the state this month.
The Crimson Tide football team is gearing up to play top seeded and undefeated Clemson in the National Championship this coming Monday. Coach Nick Saban says he’s pleased with the way Alabama's practiced this week to get ready for the Tigers.
Saban says preparations have been a little different, given this is the fifteenth game this season for the Tide.
“The players have got to understand this isn’t a bowl game. We don’t go out there and practice for a week. We’re in game week. We’ve got to get ready to play the game here. We’ve got to travel. We’ll get to practice out there once and kind of go from there.”
Saban says Clemson averages about 80 plays a game and his team needs to be well-conditioned before they take the field Monday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 from University of Phoenix Stadium.