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March is Women's History Month!

Accountability Act Lawsuit Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Alabama Accountability Act.  Federal Judge Keith Watkins issued a ruling Tuesday siding with state officials who were sued by attorneys for eight public schools students.  The judge rejected the students' equal protection argument.  The Alabama Accountability Act was passed by the Legislature in 2013.  It provides tax credits to parents who move their children from failing public schools to private or public schools.  A separate lawsuit challenging the law is still pending in Montgomery County Circuit Court.  That suit was filed by the Alabama Education Association. 

Alabama Adoptive Families

A group of adoptive parents, including a Wetumpka family, are speaking out against state Representative Alvin Holmes of Montgomery and his claim that white parents do not adopt black or biracial children.  The parents have organized a Facebook group called Faces of Families in Alabama.  Beverly Owings of Wetumpka said the statement by Representatives Holmes is offensive and false. 

Crowd Funding

Alabamians are being given a new way to raise money to start a small business.  Governor Bentley signed the legislation Tuesday.  The new law allows someone trying to start a small business in Alabama to use social media and advertising to find small investors who live in the state.  The so-called "crowd funding" is limited to raising $1 million dollars, and it is restricted to Alabama businesses. 

IRS Extension

The Internal Revenue Service predicts about 142,000 Alabamians will request an extension on filing their tax returns by the April 15th deadline.  The IRS says it expects more than 2 million tax returns from Alabamians and about 420,000 of those will be filed this month.  IRS spokesman Dan Boone says anyone who can't file their income tax form on time or can't pay their taxes on time can go online to the IRS website to submit a filing extension or request payment options.