The ethics case of Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard is now in the hands of the jury. APR’s MacKenzie Bates reports from the TK Davis Justice Center in Opelika…
Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker handed the case to the jury just before two o’clock this afternoon. They’re trying to determine if Mike Hubbard used his positions as House Speaker and former state party chair to make money and obtain business and investment for his companies.
Acting Attorney General Van Davis told jurors in closing arguments that Hubbard was all about greed. Davis asked the jury to send a message that the House Speaker is not above the Law.
Hubbard has maintained his innocence. He will be removed from office if he is convicted on any of the 23 felony counts.
Environmental groups have released a map and study about the fifty most needed road improvements in the state. The study released by Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center does not include the Northern Beltline on the list. Nelson Brooke is the Black Warrior Riverkeeper. He says that project is politically influenced.
“It’s a boondoggle. It’s not needed for transportation, or for safety, or for traffic. Uh, it’s simply a political pet project that’s been given undue priority over a bunch of other projects in the state, and we feel compelled to put that out there.”
The report ranks the 50 most-needed statewide highway projects and maintains that the combined cost of these projects would be four-point-six billion dollars. This is in comparison to the five-point-three billion dollar cost associated with the Northern Beltway. Brooke says the Northern Beltline also severely impacts the Black Warrior River watershed area.
Emergency workers are running out of bottled water in two north Alabama counties where a utility has told people not to drink their tap water because of chemical contamination.
Morgan County's emergency management director says some locations handed out all their water on the first two days of distribution.
The Decatur Daily reports workers will distribute the remaining water Friday and as long as supplies last.
The water is for customers of the West Morgan-East Lawrence water system. The general manager warned residents last week not to consume the water because it contains two chemicals.
Decatur Utilities says it will supply as much as 2.8 million gallons of water a day to help the neighboring system. Officials are hoping that will help ease the demand for bottled water.