Oct 23, 2023

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I guess the worst thing about becoming speaker of the United States House of Representatives would be that you're suddenly everybody's target.

This next speaker is going to be a Republican, so Democrats will make you out to be the most mean-spirited soiler of the Constitution this side of Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, many of your fellow Republicans will have to make you into a sellout RINO as you try to, oh, get things passed instead of trying to Tweet things into existence.

But those negatives are tiny once you consider the up-side. Which is you get to hold that really big mallet. And with that kind of up-side it's no wonder that nine Republicans have officially announced their candidacy for House speaker since Jim Jordan failed to win the office.

Representing Alabama among the would-be gavel swingers is Gary Palmer of Hoover, who announced his candidacy over the weekend, reports AL.com's Cody D. Short. In his announcement, Palmer said he wants to unite Republicans behind "steady, conservative leadership."

The first bill has been filed for the 2024 Alabama legislative session, and its purpose is to tighten up the rules regarding absentee ballots, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

It's a Republican-backed measure that passed the house in May but didn't come up in the Senate.

It would make it a misdemeanor offense for people to provide an absentee-ballot application for another voter, with some notable acceptions. A voter's family members, people who share a household with the voter, or people helping a voter who is blind, disabled or cannot read and write, would be permitted to provide the absentee-ballot application.

What the bill is targeting, say its backers, are unsolicited applications provided by people who are paid by campaigns, activist organizations, or anyone doing it for political influence.

Another absentee-ballot issue you often hear about ballot harvesting. That's where third parties collect absentee ballots and mail them in for the voter or take them to the polls. That is already illegal in Alabama. Backers of this proposed bill say it will clarify that law.

Opponents say this bill could criminalize friends, neighbor, fellow church members and volunteers who help a voter obtain an absentee ballot.

It looks like the next Alabama state-record blue marlin will also be the Gulf of Mexico's record blue marlin, reports AL.com's Warren Kulo.

Houston's Scooter Anderson hooked up with the big billfish Thursday morning aboard Capt. Chris Mowad's "Best Trait" out of Orange Beach.

The fish was so big they had to get help from another boat to get it back to land. It weighed in at 1,145.6 pounds. That's just over 90 pounds heavier than the previous Gulf record blue and nearly 300 pounds more than the previous Alabama state record.

The fish will officially become the record-holder after it is certified.

“I was proud to support conservative leader Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House. ... I am and have always been strongly opposed to any attempt to form a coalition government with Democratic support."

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who had been criticized by fellow Republicans after telling reporters, “We’re still the majority part. We’re willing to work with them but they gotta tell us what they need.”

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