by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
April 25, 2025

A bill significantly restructuring the governance of large municipal water systems sailed through the Alabama Senate Thursday.

SB 330, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, is broadly worded but effectively targets the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB). The legislation overcame potential resistance after last-minute changes that expanded the proposed regional board.

“I think we have the makings of a great water system here with what we’re doing … we’re after a board whose goal is to work together, to provide true, true loyalty to the customer base, not to anyone else,” Roberts said after the bill’s passage.

The bill applies to municipal water works boards that serve customers across four or more counties beyond the one where the authorizing city is located. It mandates converting such entities into regional boards; establishing new rules for board member appointments, qualifications and terms; implementing stricter ethics and financial reporting requirements and outlining specific board duties.

Roberts said the changes are necessary for competent management and to prevent operational failures.

“We’re losing 50% of the water that we pump that’s potable. That’s so far outside what is normative across the country. The replacement of pipes is probably responsible for some of this, but we’re spending money on so many other things than showing a fiduciary responsibility to the customer base,” Roberts said.

Changes to the BWWB have drawn strong opposition from Democrats in the Jefferson County delegation, who have filibustered similar pieces of legislation over the years over concerns that Birmingham and Jefferson County, the BWWB’s largest customers, would lose power over water decisions to suburban counties. Democrats have also noted that the changes would take power from Birmingham, which is 67% Black, and shift it to majority-white suburban counties.

Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, who has led opposition to BWWB changes, declined to comment after the bill passed, saying that he’ll “talk about it once the governor signs it.”

Roberts said the changes came “after hard negotiations for several hours yesterday until late last night, and then again this morning,” which led to adding two additional members. Roberts said he preferred a board of five members because it would be easier “to get them pulling in the same direction.”

“We sat down as a Jefferson County delegation and hammered it out in a back room of what it would take to get this bill to pass without creating lots of problems for the rest of our colleagues here in the Senate and the House,” Roberts said.

The first amendment expanded the proposed board from five members to seven, adding one director appointed by the Governor and another by the governing body of the authorizing municipality, which would be the Birmingham City Council. Both appointees would have to live in Jefferson County. The second amendment requires the new regional board to include the authorizing municipality’s name, Birmingham, in its official title.

The bill specifies that certain board positions require financial, engineering, or general business backgrounds and sets initial staggered terms before transitioning to five-year terms, with a limit of two full terms. Directors will receive $2,000 per month plus expenses.  

Frank E. Adams, a spokesperson for Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB), said in a statement that despite amendments adding local appointees, the board strongly opposes the bill and sees it as a “hostile takeover by outside interests.”

“BWWB’s daily focus is continuing to make improvements to our customer service, infrastructure and the overall operations of the system.  We have made significant improvement in those areas over the last few months and SB 330 limits that progress,” Adams said in the statement.

Board leaders previously indicated that operations are improving, according to al.com, and that monthly billing errors have been reduced to 500, down from 10,000.

The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said the legislation will be a priority in the last few days of session.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

The post Alabama Senate passes bill overhauling Birmingham Water Works Board appeared first on alabamareflector.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content discusses a recent legislative development in Alabama regarding municipal water governance, particularly focusing on a bill that restructures the Birmingham Water Works Board. The bill is sponsored by Republican Senator Dan Roberts and is framed in a positive light, emphasizing the goals of improved management and customer service. While the article does highlight opposition from Democratic lawmakers and their concerns regarding racial and regional equity, the overall tone appears to support the Republican-led initiative. The framing of the issues at hand suggests a predominance of conservative viewpoints surrounding the governance of public utilities, which aligns with Center-Right political perspectives.

by Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector
April 24, 2025

The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would ban drag performances in schools and public libraries. 

But it could also impact theater productions statewide.

HB 67, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, defines drag performances as “a performance in which a performer exhibits a sex identity that is different from the sex assigned to the performer at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers.”

According to the Alabama Educational Theatre Association (ALEdTA), with fewer boys participating in theater in high school, girls often play boys’ roles to fill the cast. The association said the legislation could impact school theater productions.

“We all know that in the current environment where boys are not participating as much in theatre; this will have a negative impact on educational theatre,” ALEdTA wrote in a Facebook post Monday.

Historically, the opposite was true. In Ancient Greece, women were considered inferior to men and unfit for the stage, so female roles were played by men. The same was true in the Elizabethan era for plays by William Shakespeare. Premature boys often played female roles because of women’s limited social status.

The association is calling on its members to advocate for an amendment to the legislation in the Alabama Senate that would exempt theater productions from the restriction on drag performances. The association provided a letter template on the post for its members to send to their senator.

“This bill without needed amendments will force teachers to provide less performance opportunities for students. It will also heavily reduce the plays and musicals that we can perform in Alabama,” the letter said.

Stadthagen said in an interview Wednesday the legislation was not meant to impact theater and that he is working on an amendment for the Senate to make that explicit.

“It does not pertain to that at all,” he said. “The intent is not to harm theater or anything like that. The intent, of course, is to eliminate drag.”

Huntsville High School this fall planned to stage “Peter and the Starcatcher,” a Tony-award winning play based on the backstory of Peter Pan but switched productions due to the possible implications of the legislation. 

“This change was made thoughtfully and early in the planning process before casting occurred to ensure the production aligns with any legal and logistical considerations that may arise,” Craig Williams, a spokesperson for the school system, wrote in an email Wednesday.

Stadthagen said in an interview Wednesday that he had not heard of any theater productions being cancelled and said that was not necessary.

“They don’t need to be cancelling anything at all,” he said. “They have nothing to worry about, I promise you.” 

The bill awaits consideration from the Senate Education Policy Committee, which did not have its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday. 

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

The post Proposed Alabama drag ban could impact high school theater productions appeared first on alabamareflector.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content presents a discussion surrounding a bill proposed by Alabama House Minority Leader Scott Stadthagen, a Republican. It focuses on legislation to ban drag performances in schools and libraries, which reflects current cultural and political debates often associated with conservative views, particularly around identity and expression. While the article reports factual information about the proposed bill, it also features concerns from organizations like the Alabama Educational Theatre Association, illustrating the potential negative impact on theater productions.

The use of terms like "to eliminate drag" and the emphasis on the implications of the legislation suggest a framing that aligns with conservative perspectives on gender and performance art. However, the inclusion of dissenting opinions, such as those from theater advocates, and the detail that Stadthagen is considering amendments to protect theater productions, adds a moderating voice, indicating a more nuanced center-right position rather than a rigid far-right stance. Overall, the content reflects the complexities of political discourse around cultural issues, with a lean towards conservative viewpoints.

SUMMARY: Heavy thunderstorms are expected in Alabama today, particularly during peak daytime heating hours. Scattered storms will persist through the afternoon and early evening, with no severe weather threats anticipated. Radars indicate developing storms across west-central Alabama, with significant rainfall but below severe limits. The rest of the workweek will see fewer storms, resembling a typical summer pattern with occasional afternoon rain. By the weekend, conditions trend drier, with above-average temperatures. Rainfall totals may range from half to one inch, with isolated heavier downpours possible. Early next week is expected to remain humid and increasingly warm.

Impact Weather Wednesday, Tracking heavy thunderstorms in the Alabama weather forecast Subscribe to WVTM on YouTube …

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