A2 THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS OANOW.COM FROM THE FRONT KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. Al- abama has placed new restric- tions on assistance with absen- tee ballot requests, making it il- legal to return another ballot application and making it a felony to pay someone to dis- tribute or collect applications. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday announced she had signed the bill into law a day af- ter it was given approval in the Alabama Legislature. in Alabama, we are com- mitted to ensuring our elections are free and Ivey said in a statement Wednesday.
my watch, there will be no funny business in Alabama Republicans in the Alabama Legislature had named the bill as a key priority for the year and aimed to get it in place before the November election. Republicans said it is needed to combat voter fraud through harvest- a term for the collection of multiple absentee ballots. Democrats argued that there is no proof that ballot harvesting exists and called it an attempt to suppress voting by absentee ballot. just another voter sup- pression. just a means of suppressing certain people from having the ability and right to access to the free of the Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said during de- bate Tuesday afternoon.
The absentee voting bill would make it a misdemeanor to dis- tribute a absentee ballot application to a voter. The bill also says that no one other than the voter applying for an absentee ballot can return the application to their absentee election manager. Ab- sentee ballot applications can be returned in person or by mail or commercial carrier. It would become a felony to give, or receive, a payment or a gift distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, complet- ing, obtaining, or de- livering a absentee ballot and fair elections are the foundation of our constitutional republic. The passage of SB1 signals to ballot harvesters that Alabama votes are not for Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said in a statement.
The new law lists an exemp- tion stating that voters who require assistance because of blindness, disability, or inabil- ity to read or write may be given assistance by an individual of the choice. A federal judge in June blocked a Mississippi law from taking effect that named a short list of people who can and an absentee ballot. The judge wrote that the Mis- sissippi law violates the Voting Rights Act, a federal law that says any voter who is blind, dis- abled or unable to read may re- ceive assistance a person of the Alabama enacts new restrictions on absentee ballot requests Bill From A1 on college campuses or wherever else for that matter to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their lib- eral political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians Ivey said in a statement. The measure was sharply criticized by op- ponents who said it was taking the state back- ward, instead of forward. regressive measure undermines the strides made in cultivating an inclu- sive society in Alabama by essential discussions and programs that are key to im- proving our Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels said.
Daniels said it tally impacts the educational experience of college students by removing programs in which they can receive sup- port, build communities, and learn how to be prosperous and inclusive The Alabama legislation would prohibit universities, K-12 school systems and state agencies from sponsoring DEI programs, under the bill as classes, training, programs and events where attendance is based on a race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation. The bill also says schools, universities and state agencies cannot require students, employees and contractors to attend classes and training sessions advocates for or requires to what the bill lists as eight The list of banned concepts includes that individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complic- ity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national The bill also would attempt to prohibit transgender people on college campuses from using multiple occupancy restrooms that cor- respond with their current gender identity. The legislation says colleges and univer- sities ensure that every multiple oc- cupancy restroom be designated for use by individuals on the sex that a person was assigned at birth. It is unclear how the requirement would be enforced. offers 177 guest rooms spanning as well as 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Considering the fact that the hotel is steps away from Corner, Weprin said the company have found a better lo- Graduate Auburn will also in- clude the Graduate sig- nature lobby study table, an in- door-outdoor rooftop bar and restaurant, and the Bo Beans. The coffee shop and bar was created in partnership with Heisman Trophy winner and Au- burn football legend Bo Jackson. Graduate Auburn stated that its drawn inspiration from the storied university town through many design elements. Expect a carved wooden statue of Bo Jack- son in the lobby bar; guest room sconces that nod to the AU song; orange and navy blue fur- nishings that allude to the school colors and much more. boasts a rich heritage and tradition, and woven subtle and not-so-subtle nods to that history throughout every nook and cranny of the Weprin said.
truly immerse yourself in the Auburn experi- ence, you must see it Graduate Auburn, AL will be the inaugural Graduate Hotel in Alabama and the sev- enth property in the Southeast- ern Conference markets. It joins Graduate Fayetteville, Graduate Athens, Graduate Columbia, Graduate Knoxville and Gradu- ate Oxford. Graduate Hotels is a collection of hotels residing exclusively in college towns across the U.S. and U.K. with the opening of Graduate Auburn closing the 10th year.
Anyone interested in booking their stay at Graduate Auburn, AL can do so at www.graduatehotels. Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. In January 2023, Lee County District Judge Russell Bush revoked his bond following a parole violation where Taylor allegedly tested positive for marijuana. Following the completion of his sentence, Taylor will have to serve six years of super- vised probation and register as a sex offender, according to the Sex Offender Registration and Act (SORNA). legal team applied for youthful offender status, but he was denied in July 2023.
Youthful offender status is an Alabama law that gives young people charged with crimes an opportunity avoid the negative consequences and stigma of having a crim- inal record. Someone facing a criminal charge can seek youthful offender status if they were younger than 21 years old at the time of the crime. Being granted this status can mean that the individual receives a reduction in penalties. Youthful offender cases are sealed and the outcomes are not released to the public. Taylor was 18 years old when he was charged as an adult in the May 2019 crash that killed the legendary Auburn Univer- sity sports broadcaster and his wife.
He was granted youthful offender status in the reck- less manslaughter case. In 2021, Taylor was sentenced on the manslaughter charges. According to court records, the report from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agen- Traffic Homicide Unit indicated vehicle was going 89 to 91 mph and that he did not brake before the crash. The posted speed limit for the section of Shug Jordan Parkway where the crash occurred was 55 mph. Taylor was 16 at the time of the crash.
Tommy Spina, one of his defense attor- neys for the case, said sentence was between a slap on the wrist and exacting a pound of Hotel From A1 Taylor From A1 SARA PALCZEWSKI, In this 2022 photo, Johnston Edward Taylor appeared in court to face two counts of manslaughter-reckless in the 2019 crash that killed Auburn announcer Rod Bramblett and his wife Paula. He was granted youthful offender status in this case, but he was recently denied the status in an ongoing child p*rnography case. DAMIAN J. TROISE AND STAN CHOE Associated Press NEW YORK U.S. stocks rallied to records Wednesday after the Federal Reserve indi- cated likely to deliver the cuts to interest rates this year that Wall Street craves, despite some discouragingly high in- reports.
The 500 jumped 46.11 points, or 0.9%, to 5,224.62 and set an all- time high for a second straight day. already run up 9.5% so far in this young year, which is a bit better than the average for a full year over the last two decades. The Dow Jones In- dustrial Average jumped 401.37 points, or to 39,512.13, and the Nas- daq composite roared 202.62 points higher, or 1.3%, to 16,369.41. Both also hit records. The Fed released a survey of its policy- makers that showed the median still expects the central bank to deliver three cuts to interest rates in 2024.
Expecta- tions for the relief that such cuts would pro- vide are a big reason U.S. stock prices set records. The fear on Wall Street was that the Fed may trim the number of forecast cuts because of a string of recent re- ports that showed in- remaining hot- ter than expected. The Fed has been keeping its main interest rate at its highest level since 2001 to grind down in- High rates slow the overall economy by making borrowing more expensive and by hurt- ing prices for invest- ments. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the last two worse-than- expected reports really changed the overall story, which is that of mov- ing down gradually on a sometimes bumpy road towards He again said the Fed is likely to make a cut sometime this year but needs more tion is moving toward its target of Cutting rates too early risks allowing to reaccelerate, but cut- ting too late could lead to widespread job losses and recession.
Fed officials upgraded their forecasts for the U.S. growth this year, while indi- cating they may end up keeping its main inter- est rate higher in 2025 and 2026 than earlier thought. In the bond market, Treasury yields had a mixed reaction. The two-year Trea- sury yield, which closely tracks expectations for Fed action, initially jumped before quickly giving up the gain. It eventually fell back to 4.61%, down from 4.69% late Tuesday, as traders built bets for the Federal Reserve to begin cutting rates in June.
The yield on the 10- year Treasury, which takes into account lon- ger-term economic growth and initially tumbled after the announcement but then swiveled. It was later sitting at 4.28%, down from 4.30% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Mex- ican food chain Chipo- tle rose 3.5% after an- nouncing its stock split in history. Abroad, indexes Eu- rope and Asia were mixed. Wall Street rallies after Fed meeting CRAIG RUTTLE, ASSOCIATED PRESS A trader works Wednesday on the of the New York Stock Exchange as U.S.
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