Alabama House passes Aniah's Law expansion
The Alabama House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment Tuesday that would expand the number of crimes where a judge may deny bond under Aniah's Law.
SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, expands the list of crimes that will not be eligible for bond to solicitation, attempt and conspiracy to commit murder; and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling. Alabama voters approved the original law in 2022.
'This is up to the judge to make the determination, it is not automatic,' said Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, who carried the legislation in the House.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Prior to approval of Aniah's Law, judges could only deny bond to individuals charged with capital murder. The amendment expanded that to include other serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping and rape.
The amendment was named after Aniah Blanchard, a Southern Union Community College student who went missing in October 2019 and whose body was found a month later. Ibraheem Yazeed, who was charged with capital murder in Blanchard's death, had been charged with several violent crimes but released on bail months before Blanchard was killed. Yazeed is still awaiting trial.
Aniah's Law allows prosecutors to request a hearing to determine if a defendant should be denied bond for committing a violent Class A felony such as rape and murder. But judges may still grant bond after hearing prosecution's claims.
The bill passed 87-0 with 16 abstentions. The constitutional amendment must be approved by Alabama voters.
The House also passed SB 119, also sponsored by Barfoot, that makes discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling a Class A felony, up from a Class B felony. That is punishable by 10-99 years in prison and fines up to $60,000.
Simpson said that most of those crimes come from people using a firearm modified with a Glock switch, which the Legislature banned earlier this session.
'You can't control what it does. You can maybe have a grasp over the first bullet that comes out, but the gun just goes off,' Simpson said.
The bill passed 66-0 with 37 abstentions. It will go to voters for approval.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Texas Democrats prevent state redistricting by leaving the state
Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state's House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map sought by President Donald Trump to shore up Republicans' 2026 midterm prospects as his political standing falters. After dozens of Democrats left the state, the Republican-dominated House was unable to establish the quorum of lawmakers required to do business. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made threats about removing members who are absent from their seats. Democrats counter that Abbott is using 'smoke and mirrors' to assert legal authority he doesn't have. In California, Democrats encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsom are considering new political maps that could slash five Republican-held House seats in the liberal-leaning state while bolstering Democratic incumbents in other battleground districts. The move is intended to undercut any GOP gains in Texas, potentially swinging House control and giving Democrats a counterweight to Trump on Capitol Hill. In rejecting jobs report, Trump follows his own playbook of discrediting unfavorable data When the coronavirus surged during Trump's first term, he called for a simple fix: Limit the amount of testing so the deadly outbreak looked less severe. When he lost the 2020 election, he had a ready-made reason: The vote count was fraudulent. And on Friday, when the July jobs report revisions showed a distressed economy, Trump had an answer: He fired the official in charge of the data and called the report of a sharp slowdown in hiring 'phony.' Trump has a go-to playbook if the numbers reveal uncomfortable realities, and that's to discredit or conceal the figures and to attack the messenger — all of which can hurt the president's efforts to convince the world that America is getting stronger. 'Our democratic system and the strength of our private economy depend on the honest flow of information about our economy, our government and our society,' said Douglas Elmendorf, a Harvard University professor who was formerly director of the Congressional Budget Office. 'The Trump administration is trying to suppress honest analysis.' Defending Texas GOP's mid-decade redistricting, Trump says 'We are entitled to five more seats' President Trump defended Texas Republicans' decision to redraw the state's congressional map mid-decade, pointing to Democratic-led states where he says Republicans are underrepresented. 'They did it to us,' Trump said in a TV interview Tuesday. But in many of the states Trump referenced — including California — partisan lawmakers are not in charge of drawing district lines. During the same interview, Trump also lashed out at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who welcomed Texas Democrats to his state after they left to block a vote on the new map. Trump called Pritzker 'probably the dumbest of all governors.' Trump says 'I'd like to run' for president again Touting his 2024 win and 'the best poll numbers,' Trump told CNBC that 'I'd like to run again.' But asked by the hosts if he will, Trump replied, 'Probably not.' The back-and-forth came as Trump heralded his 2024 win in Texas, a record he said 'they say won't be beaten unless I run again.' And Trump threatens to raise tariffs on India within 24 hours Trump said on CNBC that higher tariffs could be coming for India. Last week, Trump said the U.S. said it would impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil. 'I think I'm going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours because they're buying Russian oil, they're fueling the war machine,' Trump said Tuesday. 'And if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy.' The 25% tariffs were part of a flurry of trade activity that included a series of executive actions regarding Brazil, copper and shipments of goods worth less than $800, as well as a reduced 15% tax on imports from South Korea, including its autos. Trump threatens eventual 200% tariffs on pharma The U.S. president said imported pharmaceutical drugs could eventually face tariffs as high as 200%. 'We want pharmaceuticals made in our country,' Trump said in the CNBC interview. Trump said tariffs on pharmaceuticals will be 'initially small,' but that he would hike it to 150% or 200% over the subsequent year and a half. The president also said he would announce tariffs on semiconductors and computer chips. Trump says EU will pay 35% tariffs if $600B investments don't come through Trump told CNBC hosts that 35% tariffs will kick in with the European Union if they don't make good on promised investments in U.S. goods. The president was asked what 'teeth' were in deals to force European officials to make good on their pledges. Trump initially said the EU was paying $650 billion but then rounded the figure down to $600 billion. 'We're a rich country again,' Trump said, adding that the $600 billion investment can go in 'anything I want.' Trump floats 'Kevin and Kevin' for Fed chair The president said he was considering four people for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's replacement. Among the top on his list are his current economics director, Kevin Hassett, and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh. 'I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins are very good,' Trump said during an interview on CNBC Tuesday morning. He said two other people were in consideration. Not one of them: current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has indicated to Trump that he wants to stay where he is. 'It'll be one of four people,' he said. 'We're going to make a decision soon.'
The Hill
5 minutes ago
- The Hill
The Democrats' motion to subpoena the Epstein file has legal and historical basis
A subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee made big news at the end of July when it approved a Democratic motion to compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to turn over the Justice Department's complete file on child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Some may wonder how this surprising turn of events came about, especially after Republican leaders killed similar efforts on the House floor and closed up shop early for the summer. But it was a rare example of a successful motion from a member of the minority party, fortified by congressional rules and precedent. The Constitution authorizes each house of Congress to establish its own rules. The House voted in January to adopt rules for this session that continued the longstanding right of all members to make subpoena motions during hearings. This is the right that Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), the subcommittee's top Democrat, invoked to make her subpoena motion, which passed with a resounding bipartisan vote of eight to two. Many committee chairs now have authority to issue subpoenas without any debate or vote — a relatively recent practice. But the more traditional way to authorize subpoenas under House rules is through deliberation and voting. That chairs have their own unilateral authority to issue subpoenas does not invalidate the other method authorized by the House. In this case, although subcommittee chair Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) opposed the motion, he followed the voting process established by the House. The next requirement in House rules is that the chairman of the full committee, James Comer (R-Ky.), 'shall' sign and serve this subpoena on Bondi. His role is ministerial, and he has no discretion to disregard the subcommittee's vote, which Comer publicly confirmed. Sources indicate that Comer plans to sign off, which may happen any day. Once Comer serves the subpoena, it becomes compulsory, and Bondi has a legal duty to comply. Although there was a separate motion during the subcommittee's debate to give Bondi discretion to withhold documents she deemed not 'credible,' that motion failed. The only exception the subcommittee approved was to redact personal information about Epstein's victims. Could the Justice Department challenge the subpoena because it was proposed by a member of the minority? While it's true that successful subpoenas emanating from the minority are rare, there are several informative examples, also from the House Oversight Committee, in which chairs have issued subpoenas proposed by minorities of both parties and those subpoena recipients have fully complied. In 2009, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), then the committee's top Republican, was investigating allegations that Countrywide provided favorable loans to government officials through its 'VIP Program.' When it was reported that the committee's chairman, former Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), had received two Countrywide loans, Issa pressed to subpoena Bank of America, which had since acquired Countrywide. Towns agreed to sign the subpoena after two Democrats publicly indicated their support, and the committee obtained a wide range of documents. Five years earlier, when former Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was the top Democrat, Republicans were investigating how the United Nations had mismanaged Iraqi oil proceeds. Soon after the Iraq war, the Bush administration had taken over this function, and similar allegations of mismanagement began to arise. At a hearing chaired by former Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Waxman moved to subpoena the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which had information about the administration's actions, and Waxman had the numbers on that day to win the vote. Seeing the writing on the wall (and being a supporter of the Iraqi people), Shays agreed to issue the subpoena, and the committee obtained the documents. In both cases, the chairs signed and served these minority subpoenas without votes being necessary, and the subpoena recipients recognized they were bound to produce the documents. Despite their previous promises of full transparency relating to the Epstein file, it is possible that President Trump could assert executive privilege, or that Bondi could use other dilatory tactics to keep this information from Congress and the public. Although they could try to challenge Congress's legislative purpose, it appears to be valid, since the subcommittee is investigating the international trafficking and exploitation of minors. In addition, in this case, instead of a chairman issuing the subpoena unilaterally, the subcommittee went on the record with a vote that turned out to be a bipartisan rout. This might foreshadow the reaction Bondi could face if she defies the subpoena, including a slew of new motions and a steady stream of uncomfortable votes for Republicans. The bottom line is that the subcommittee's debate, its consideration of motions from members on both sides and its overwhelming approval of the subpoena are no less valid because the motion was offered by a member of the minority party. The subpoena has been duly authorized. House rules require Comer to serve it, and Bondi must produce the entire Epstein file to Congress.
Newsweek
6 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Texas High-Speed Update as Alternative Route Proposed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Dallas–Houston high-speed rail system is set to receive an update from local officials that could change the layout of the troubled construction project. The North Central Texas Council of Governments is set to present an examination of an alternative route for the project at a Regional Transportation Council meeting on Thursday. Why It Matters The Houston–Dallas bullet train has been pitched for more than a decade as a transformative infrastructure project that could cut travel time between the two major metros to about 90 minutes. However, it has faced consistent resistance from landowners, lawmakers and local officials over eminent domain use, environmental concerns and the project's viability. What To Know The Regional Transportation Council is scheduled to review progress on the Dallas–Fort Worth bullet train at its August 7 meeting. North Central Texas Council of Governments' staff members are expected to present updates, with an examination for a more westerly rail alignment near downtown Dallas. The alternative was considered after nearby landowners opposed the original elevated route, leading officials to begin exploring different options last August. Stock image: a Red Line light rail car in Houston, Texas, on April 5, 2024. Stock image: a Red Line light rail car in Houston, Texas, on April 5, 2024. Getty Images Officials will also discuss possible effects of the fiscal year 2026 House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which may prohibit federal funding for high-speed rail development in the region. The train project has previously lost $63.9 million in federal grant funding and the withdrawal of its operator. A separate Boston Consulting Group study commissioned by the city of Dallas forecast that a Dallas–Houston line would boost Dallas County's gross domestic product by $5 billion annually from 2029 through 2050 and create more than 28,300 new jobs. The study predicted the route could attract 3 million to 6.5 million riders within its first year of operations, which is expected as early as 2035 if planning is completed this year. What People Are Saying Republican state Representative Cody Harris, a long-standing critic of the project, previously told Newsweek: "We will not hand over Texas taxpayer money or land for a project the voters did not choose. In 2017, Texas Central Railroad asked cities and counties to agree to pay for maintenance on its proposed system, despite the fact they would not even pay property tax on land they acquired through eminent domain." Texas Central, the developer of the Dallas–Houston bullet train, told Newsweek in June: "No other state can match Texas' healthy, 'can-do' business environment—or better understands how to meet the needs of its people. The project will improve mobility and safety for Texans, create significant new jobs, and accelerate economic growth in the Lone Star State." What Happens Next The environmental and engineering review process for the Dallas–Fort Worth high-speed rail project is expected to continue through at least 2025, overseen by local and federal agencies.
