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March is Women's History Month!

Various Issues Covered During State of the State Address

Tax reform, more money for prisons, expanding Pre-Kindergarten, business development, revamping Medicaid and strengthening protection for victims of domestic violence are among the issues singled out Tuesday night by Governor Robert Bentley.  It was the governor's fifth State of the State address.  

Issuing Licenses

Alabama's probate judges must again decide whether to issue wedding licenses to gay couples.  A six-member majority of the nine member Alabama Supreme Court ruled late Tuesday that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is legal despite a federal court's decision to the contrary.  The all-Republican court sided with two conservative groups and ordered the state's 67 probate judges to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.  It is not clear what effect the court's ruling will have, or what probate judges will do after opening their doors today.  

Hyundai Record

The Hyundai car brand continues to attract buyers, Hyundai Motor America set another sales record in February.  The South Korean-based automaker said sales rose 7 percent last month despite a succession of winter storms across the nation.  Hyundai officials said the jump in February sales were led by sales of the Sonata and Elantra cars built in Montgomery.  It was a mixed result for the other major automakers, General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Nissan recorded gains, but Ford and Volkswagen sales declined in February.  

Beating Death

The sheriff of Elmore County says investigators have made an arrest in connection with the beating death of an Ecletic man.  Sheriff Bill Franklin said 57-year-old Thomas Martin of Upper River Road has been charged with murder.  Martin is accused of killing 63-year-old Stanley Thornton at his home on Cheney Creek Road.  The victim was found in the backyard of his residence on February 18th.  Martin is being held on a $50,000 bond in the Elmore County Jail.  

State GOP Opposition

Six of Alabama's Republicans in the U.S. House voted against the bill that restores funding to the Department of Homeland Security.  Democrat Terri Sewell of Birmingham supported the measure to approve a spending bill that will fund Homeland Security through the rest of the fiscal year.  It does not contain language stopping President Obama's executive orders on immigration.