Birmingham Council Goes Virtual, Mayor Still Hospitalized
On Tuesday, for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Birmingham City Council opted for an all-virtual council meeting — though, at least initially, that format kept them from accomplishing much.
Council President William Parker initially floated the idea of teleconferenced meetings during the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, but the council, instead, continued to gather in its chambers with masks and spaced seating. The recent spike in cases — along with Mayor Randall Woodfin’s recent COVID diagnosis and hospitalization — finally pushed the councilors fully online.
But there they were reminded by city attorney Nicole King that they could perform only “essential functions of the city,” which on Tuesday mostly consisted of declaring 19 dilapidated buildings to be public nuisances, approving payment for city vehicle repairs and allocating small neighborhood expenditures.
Half the items on Tuesday’s agenda, mostly noxious weed abatements, were delayed because they required the opportunity for public comment, which was not an option in the teleconference format.
During the 10-minute meeting, Woodfin chief of staff Cedric Sparks did provide the council with a brief update on the mayor’s condition. The city announced Monday night that he had been hospitalized with COVID-related pneumonia. Sparks said Tuesday morning that Woodfin “is in very great spirits” and that city business would continue in his absence.
“Just know that the team is ready to assist, and we’re going to keep moving forward,” Sparks said.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
