The Alabama House of Representatives has passed HB202, known as the Back the Blue Protection Act. This legislation aims to repeal the existing peace-officer immunity law and replace it with expanded civil liability protections for law enforcement officers. WZDX TV reports that under the new law, officers would be protected from lawsuits unless they were acting “recklessly without law enforcement justification” or violating a person’s clearly established rights. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rex Reynolds (R- Huntsville) described the legislation as a way to improve recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers and to feel confident in the decisions they make. The Alabama Reflector notes that Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups objected to the measure, saying it would allow law enforcement officers to act with impunity.
Legislation to give Alabama teachers and state employees up to eight weeks of paid parental leave is moving quickly through the state legislature. Two bills were recently approved by House and Senate committees and now await a full vote in their respective chambers. The bipartisan legislation would give pregnant women eight weeks of paid leave and men up to two weeks of time off for the birth, stillbirth, miscarriage or adoption of a child. AL.com reports that some members disagreed on length of coverage for some scenarios and said they needed more information on the total cost of the program.
Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville is sponsoring a bill that would require a person seeking unemployment compensation to contact at least five prospective employers each week. AL.com notes that’s up from the current requirement to contact at least three prospective employers a week, which was established in a law passed in 2022. The increased requirement to five would not apply to people in counties with populations of less than 20,000.
Construction is beginning on Huntsville Hospital’s $150 million expansion of its Madison Street Tower. The Huntsville Hospital expansion includes adding 154,000 square feet of new clinical space. Most of the work will take place at the northeast corner of the hospital facing Madison Street and St. Clair Avenue. According to AL.com, construction is expected to take about two years.
The zoning for the new Crestwood freestanding emergency department in Madison was approved Thursday evening. WHNT TV reports the new 12,000-square-foot building will have 24/7 emergency services and all the services that are typically seen at an emergency department, such as a lab, x-ray, CT, ultrasound and MRI capabilities.
Elementary schools within the Huntsville City Schools district will soon see advanced weapon detection systems. Officials with Huntsville City Schools announced on Thursday the district will add the weapon detection systems to promote the safety of its students and staff. WAFF TV reports the weapon detection systems will be installed March 10-14. The new systems will begin operating the week of March 17 when students and staff return from spring break.
The Huntsville Museum of Art is now temporarily closed to install a state-of-the-art HVAC upgrade. The museum plans to reopen in June 2025. Pane E Vino will remain open. A post on the museum’s Facebook page says that paper membership cards, one-time admission passes, and guest passes will be accepted up to 3 months after their expiration date.