Birmingham City Council Strikes Back Over Minimum Wage Bill
Birmingham City Hall.
The Birmingham City Council is once again trying move up the effective date of its minimum wage increase. This is in response to the fast tracked steps the State Legislature is taking to block this action.
The council could vote to move up the effective date from March 1 to Wednesday, February 24.
Republican Representative David Faulkner of Mountain Brook introduced legislation that would essentially block cities in Alabama from making changes to their minimum wage. The bill has already passed the House and could come up for a vote in the Senate this week.
“The legislators are taking a stance in front of the door to livable wages in Alabama the same way that George Wallace took a stance in the school house door for education,” says Birmingham City Council President Johnathan Austin.
Rather than implementing incremental increases to eventually reach a minimum wage of $10.10 and hour by 2017, the city council could also vote to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour effective Wednesday.
Alabama does not have a state minimum wage and uses instead the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
Poland’s Iga Świątek thrashes American Amanda Anisimova in Wimbledon women’s final
The Polish player emerged victorious after less than an hour of gameplay.
Israeli settlers beat U.S. citizen to death in West Bank
A 21-year-old Florida man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while visiting family in the West Bank.
FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show
Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain.
In Myanmar, a rush for rare earth metals is causing a regional environmental disaster
A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.
No playing Spanish-language music: Many immigrants say they have new rules for driving
As the Trump administration's crackdown continues, traffic stops have become increasingly important tools of enforcement. It has led many immigrants to take alternate modes of transportation.
In the Texas flood zone, volunteers help reunite lost pets with their owners
Hundreds of pets have been reported missing after the devastating floods in central Texas. Volunteers have been combing through debris to help reunite them with their owners.
