The Bentley administration is considering a plan that would reopen 31 driver's license offices in rural counties. The media website Al.com reports Governor Robert Bentley is seeking input from legislators on a proposal called a bridge loan that would take money from the governor's emergency fund to pay for staffing at offices that were closed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The driver's licenses office closing have come under fire from black lawmakers who say 11 of the 31 offices targeted are located in Black Belt counties.
Deployed Voting
It's been a long time coming but in a trial run recently, two Alabama service members were able to vote electronically while deployed overseas. The legislation was passed two years ago setting up the new system, but the bill's sponsor, Representative Barry Moore says it has taken time to ensure the process is secure. The Republican from Enterprise says he is gratified to see the measure put into action. Alabama's Secretary of State John Merrill hopes to have the system in place for all 67 counties by next year's election. Alabama will become the first state in the country to offer fully electronic voting for service men and women deployed abroad.
MLK Monument
A proposal to erect a monument to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. atop Georgia's Stone Mountain is getting a chilly reception from some of the civil rights groups that King worked with. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King co-f0unded, and the Atlanta and DeKalb branches of the NAACP say they oppose placing a tribute to King near the figures of three Confederate leaders engraved on the mountain outside Atlanta. SCLC President Charles Steel said a reference to King doesn't belong near the carving of "three traitors." Officials with the groups say they will meet Wednesday with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to discuss the issue. A Confederate heritage group also has opposed the King monument at Stone Mountain.