From our statehouse studio in Montgomery. I'm Todd Stacey, welcome to Capitol Journal. Today was the ninth day of the Alabama Legislature's 2025 regular session. Our coverage starts in the Senate, where legislation aimed to reduce crime was on the floor. Senate Bill 116 from State Senator Wil Barfoot would ban so-called Glock switches under state law.
The devices can essentially turn a regular handgun into a machine gun that sprays bullets rapidly, making them especially dangerous in mass shootings. Machine gun conversion devices are already illegal under federal law, but state leaders say a state ban is needed to allow local law enforcement to crack down on the weapons.
Certainly, law enforcement under, you know, has the ability now to prosecute those individuals who have those conversion machine gun conversion devices, as you mentioned, commonly referred to as a Glock switch. But under federal law, the head that ability. But when you have a state resources, law enforcement, police officers and sheriffs, they don't have the ability to prosecute those cases to arrest those folks under federal law, which is already illegal.
This gives them that tool, so that, you know, during a detainment or stop, if they're in possession of that, they can, confiscate that item, hold it. And until the cases have it's been a collaborative effort. Law enforcement, the governor's office, both the House and Senate and across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats. From that standpoint, we've done a good day's work. And we'll send it to the house, and obviously it's going down there, and hopefully we'll get final passage soon.
That bill passed unanimously, and as he said, now goes to the House. The Senate also took up legislation expanding the impact of a nine year law. That's the constitutional amendment that passed four years ago, allowing judges to deny bail to those charged with violent crimes. Senate bills 118 and 119 would expand the list of offenses in which bail can be denied, to include the illegal possession of a firearm and shooting into a house or vehicle.
The constitutional amendment passed, but lawmakers carried over the enabling legislation to allow time to make sure the language is just right. It's extremely important to balance the constitutional rights of those individuals who have been charged, right? They haven't been convicted. So balancing those constitutional rights, make sure we don't infringe on those.
But still at the same time, giving the courts the ability to hear that evidence in a timely fashion is put on by the district Attorney's association or district attorney's office and the defense counsel for those individuals. So there's some procedural changes that we're working through on how that applies law. Actually, the hearing itself works and the time frame for that.
The enabling partner, SB 119 would also include the fact that if that individual who was out on bond for one of those types of felony offenses actually is in possession of a firearm, that there could be a new charge that could be put on them for possession that far. It's important to realize that the underlying charge itself is vacated, dismissed. They found not guilty. It was nol frost that that additional charge goes away.
So we won't want to we do not want to make people, you know, felons for violating that provision if the underlying charge itself has gone away. Legislation related to crime was also considered in the House. House Bill 287 from State Representative Wanda longer than would require municipal police departments to report to the state on the number of officers they have on the books. Given said it's meant to allow state law enforcement to see more accurately where shortages exist before you members.
Is HB 287. That will require a municipality to report on an annual basis to excuse me, to report on an annual basis the number of sworn law enforcement, a post certified officers to the, excuse me, to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency and Attorney General, this piece of legislation, if enacted, would mandate this requirement. It shall be it shall be a shall and not a must.
They are also penalties that will be imposed against any municipality who fails to support to submit this information in a timely manner. This bill, if enacted, will require the first reporting to take place no later than 60 days after it has been. Excuse me after signing signing up after the signing by the governor's office, that bill passed without objection and now goes to the Senate.
Today, the Joint Legislative Advisory Committee on Economic Incentives met to hear from Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair on how the Alabama Jobs Act and other incentive programs are impacting job growth. McNair said the state's job incentives more than pay for themselves. Today, we reported on the success of our Jobs Act, incentives for new and expanding industries. Over the last ten years of the program, we've had over 224 companies participate with incentives.
And all of those 149 are now reporting their results. And the results are just fabulous. The estimate was about 50% return on investment to the state, but our actual numbers now are way well over 100% return on investment to our state. We've been reporting on legislation revamping the governance structure of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. It developed in the wake of the messy interagency dispute last year that led to the dismissal of VA Commissioner Kent Davis.
Senate Bill 67 would elevate that commissioner position to be a part of the governor's cabinet and part of that chain of command. It would also make the state Board of Veterans Affairs made up of appointments of various veterans groups and advisory. One rather than administrative. That bill passed the Senate last week after several amendments were added at the request of veterans organizations. But not everyone is satisfied.
Dozens rallied against the bill on the statehouse steps today, saying the bill should be scrapped and that the department doesn't need reform. Among the speakers were Becky Gerritsen of Eagle Forum and Kent Davis himself. We are told that it's important to have this, a cabinet level position, so that the department won't be in the ear of the governor. Well, let me remind you, the governor is the head of the board. She should be at those meetings.
Who can get more in the ear of the governor than the governor's own ear? This makes no sense. There are about 400,000 veterans in this state. When you add in their family members, you're talking about a quarter of the state of Alabama, probably the largest voting block in this state. Why is that important? It's important for this bill, but it's important for all of our rights.
These are men and women who have served their country, sometimes at great risk, sometimes giving their life for this country. I would urge you to exercise that right that you earned. If anybody has earned the right to have your voice heard and to talk to your elected officials. It's those veterans and their family members who have borne the battle for this country. So please talk to your elected official. You earned that right under the First Amendment. And do not step down from that.
And I would say it's an obligation. Despite today's rally, most veteran service organizations remain in support of that bill. That includes the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and American veterans known as AmVets. Those groups sent out a statement through the governor's office today urging the legislature to pass Senate Bill 67. They also called on their fellow veterans to make sure they are reading the amended version of the bill.
I also caught up with State Representative Ed Oliver, chairman of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. He said he appreciates the input of all veterans, and looks forward to advancing a quality bill to the House floor soon. It was Space Day here at the state House. The annual event shines a spotlight on the state's critical role in space exploration and the aerospace industry. State lawmakers also recognized Alabama's contributions to space exploration.
With official proclamations on the floor of both the House and Senate honoring Marshall, Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Today, we're celebrating Alabama Space Day, which is a celebration of, all of, the activities going on within Alabama, both, at an at a U.S. government level, as well as, industry partners and academic partners. It's been amazing today. It's, big turnout from different schools and industry partners.
Just a way to celebrate everything that we've been doing over the last 65 years here in the state and making sure that we're inspiring the next generation of, students. And, to, to get into science and engineering as well as, business majors and things like that. We need we need a combined effort across the entire state, to achieve not only, NASA's goals, but the. But America's goals in space. Today was also advocacy day for those wanting to expand Medicaid in Alabama.
Coming up after the break, I'll sit down with David Silverstein from Birmingham to hear the case he and other advocates are making to the legislature. Stay with us. You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online at Video adaptive.org. Capital Journal episodes are also available on AP TV's free mobile app. You can also connect with Capital Journal and link to past episodes on Capital Journals Facebook page, and you can listen to past episodes of Capital Journal.
When you're driving or on the go with Capital Journal podcast. Keep up with what's happening with Capital Journal. There is a shortage in the electrical trade and we didn't see the talent coming in. So we decided that the best thing to do would train our own. I'm Stephen Cooper, and I'm an electrical apprentice. I was an eighth grade, electrical trade, had my attention, went to school every day, learn as much as I can. And then I had the opportunity to apply for this job.
That's how I ended up here today. Stephen's a great kid. Comes in your office first thing. Smiling, shaking your hand. We started the apprenticeship program so that we would, be able to train, our own employees rather than hire from outside their earning wages because their actual employee. That's working in the fields during the daytime and going to class at night. Stephen's in his second year of apprenticeship. He's doing great. He's even serious in the classroom.
He does what it takes in order to learn every aspect of the trade, because I know it will make him back on my feet. I think this job is important because not everyone has the skills to interpret blueprints and understand the scope. It's a four year apprenticeship program. We have class one night a week and preparing to, pass your journey. So Stephen is paired with a journeyman electrician that he would work with in order to be mentored and trained to be able to perform electrical work.
My mentors are Alan Johnson and Corey Rasmussen. Say I do serve. I do it sometimes the wrong way, but they show me the proper way to do it when I hold myself. It increases the staff loyalty because they feel like you're investing in them. When someone feels like you're investing in them, they perform better. The Alabama Office of Apprenticeship will come to your office, walk you through the paperwork, and help you step by step on becoming an apprenticeship program.
Born in Fairfield, Alabama. Willie Mays is one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game in 22 major league seasons, mostly with the New York and later San Francisco Giants. Mays had a 302 lifetime batting average and amassed 3283 hits, 660 home runs, and an untouchable total of 7095 career putouts from the outfield. Mays was the National League Rookie of the year in 1951, and played a significant role in the New York Giants World Series victory in 1954.
The most memorable moment and Mays. His career occurred in the first game of that series, when he made a running over the shoulder catch at the warning track, popularly known as The Catch. Mays earned two MVP awards, was awarded 12 Gold Gloves, made 24 All-Star game appearances, and was a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1979. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Mays a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Welcome back to Capitol Journal. Joining me next is David Silverstein of the five Stone
Group. David, thanks for coming on the show. Nice to be with you. You were part of the advocacy day for expanding Medicaid. You had a group here talking to lawmakers, making the case. Let me ask you, as a business owner from Birmingham, what is the case that you're making in terms of why the state should expand Medicaid? Well, there for me, two issues. Certainly there's the moral issue.
And that we have, continue to ignore close to 300,000 people that would otherwise have health care insurance if we expanded Medicaid. To me, that alone is significant enough to have our state move forward with it. But there's also the economic impact side for failing to, expand is and the economic impact. If we were to expand, at the press conference today that we had, there were two ladies that spoke about their the impact that that they had because they could not qualify for Medicaid.
They made over $4,500 a year, but yet they couldn't afford the private health care market. And it was tragic for them. And I apologize to them personally and for the state that we haven't addressed this issue since 20. Well. It was part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. But for the last decade or more, we have failed to address the issue and have had such negative impact on our population. It sounds like they kind of personify the coverage gap that we hear about.
So the coverage don't qualify for Medicaid, don't have health insurance through work, but can't afford the private. That's that's the that's the gap okay. So I find it almost shameful that it's taken this state this long to address this issue. And we're one of ten states. Think about that. One of ten states that have not expanded Medicaid and growing up in here in Alabama and have a business in Birmingham. My family's here and grandkids, 14 grandkids.
You know, I want this state to be where they love being part of if they want to stay and raise a family and have good jobs. But I see us having a crisis that we are not addressing, and I have really no explanation for it. I really don't, because the, various economic impact studies that have been conducted by nonpartisan groups reflect that. We have left billions of dollars on the table.
We will continue to leave billions, billions of dollars of, funding on the table that if we expanded Medicaid, we could create almost $2 billion of annual positive economic impact and create maybe close to 20,000 jobs annually. I don't get it. I don't see why we don't take the next step and so I'm just here as an advocate. And I think our state needs to think about this. I I'll stop and let you ask me a question. Well, I have some, but go ahead. Think about this.
Your federal income taxes and my federal income taxes that we pay to Washington are utilized to help Arkansas expand Medicaid. Kentucky. Why wouldn't we use our federal income taxes so that it could come back and benefit our state? When Arkansas did, have an interesting model for expansion that a lot of people here have been experimenting with. There's been a lot of panel discussions, conversations with the governor's office.
When I talked to the governor's office, they and the governor herself, they always come back to cost, long term costs, understanding that maybe for the next eight, ten years we'd be fine. But long term after that, because it is a general fund thing. But I wanted to get get at this too. There had been, I would say, I think it's fair to say there had been some momentum. I'm going to mention the Arkansas plan here. You had the all health discussions and all that.
Maybe that wasn't the silver bullet, but there's been there's been some momentum, some talks about Medicaid expansion, I would say over the last couple of years. But now after this election, with Trump in office, but especially Republicans in Congress, they're talking about more cuts to Medicaid that might not make that expansion thing possible. So where are we coming up on some tough timing in terms of what what federal match dollars could be available? Possibly.
Don't let the future scare us, though. I do believe that, Medicaid and Medicare are those, items that will not be drastically changed. I think the pendulum will swing back to the middle, as it always does on those critical issues for our society. There's no time like the present to deal with the issue. Nothing is risk free. I know if we don't do anything, we're going to continue to get the results that we've been getting.
And that is people will have little access to health care under the criteria to qualify for Medicaid in this state. And hospitals are being closed in the rural counties left and right. I'm not sure I follow the legislators who represent rural counties aren't screaming for expansion so that we can ensure that if they have a constituent who's trying to have a baby going to have a baby in their rural hospitals close, they're driving 70 miles. I say, come on and say, come on.
You got to keep pushing for in the world in which I live. Business world, nothing is risk free. But you have to invest in yourself. I want us as a state to invest in ourself, and we're not doing that. We are not doing that. You mentioned lawmakers. I'm curious what the feedback has been from them. When you're in your conversations, whether it's your local delegation or when you come down here to the state House and have those conversations. What's the feedback from them? What do they talk about?
I've been preaching it now for quite some time. On the one end of the spectrum. Oh, I don't you know, the answer is I'm not sure I really understand it. And I say, well, that's not why we elected you to come to Montgomery. We elect you to come to Montgomery. Dig into it, understand it, and make an informed decision. And then there's the other end of the spectrum where we can't afford it, and they hide behind this, you know, how can we meet the match? And I say to you, look at the evidence.
Look at the data. Look at the economic impact studies. Enough's enough. And so, I'm not going away. At some point, we will meet this challenge. We must. We'll be following it. I do want to ask you about one thing. Health care has been maybe not expansion of Medicaid, but health care has been a big topic this session between pharmacy bills.
And now there's a bill that would allow for or, you know, Farm bureaus, but Alpha specifically to get into the health plan industry and offer their members health plans. Would that help at all in terms of closing the coverage gap? What's your take on that? Well, from what I do know, your term is accurate. It's a health plan. It's not a health insurance plan. And those with preexisting conditions may well not be covered.
I think it's a I think it's a tool that will try to solve the issue, but don't even come close to really putting forth a insurance plan that our residents, our citizens, need. On this issue, it's a stopgap. It's a Band-Aid. And I'm not in favor of a health plan that doesn't that's not regulated, that doesn't cover preexisting conditions. Why should we go back? Why should we go back to the way the world was, you know, before preexisting conditions now are mandated to be covered. So we shall see.
We shall. And I really appreciate you coming on the show to give your perspective. As you know, like I said, a businessman, you know, volunteering, advocating, not paid to do this or anything that's refreshing for our audience. So I really appreciate it. We're out of time. I hope to have you back. Thank you for what you do. It's a pleasure to be with you. Thank you. All right. We'll be right back.
You can watch past episodes of Capital Journal online any time at Alabama Public Television's website. Appy tv.org. Click on the online video tab on the main page. You can also connect with Capital Journal and link to past episodes on Capital Journal's Facebook page. Alabama Public Television is your place for quality educational services.
Free professional development for educators and childcare providers with access to free, curriculum aligned videos, lesson plans and instructional resources with PBS Learning Media and all the PBS kids programs, parents know and trust. Learn something new every day with Alabama Public Television. Visit us at AP tv.org/education to learn more. The World War Two era Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots in U.S. military service.
Because Tuskegee was the only training facility for black pilots in the United States during World War II. Potential pilots came from all over the country. The first African-American flying unit was the 99th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in the spring of 1943. The 99th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation, flying missions against enemy targets over Italy. The second flying unit, the 332nd fighter Group, flew several successful bomber escort missions throughout the war.
Its P-51 fighters had distinctively painted red tails, earning the unit and its planes the nickname Red tails. In 1948, President Truman issued an executive order mandating the racial integration of all military services. The way was paved by the Tuskegee Airmen of World War Two, and in 2007, President Bush collectively awarded them a Congressional Gold Medal. You're watching Alabama public television. Broaden your horizons. That's our show for tonight. Thanks for watching.
We'll be back tomorrow night at the same time, right here on Alabama Public Television for our Capital Journal team. I'm Todd Stacey. We'll see you next time. You.