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March is Women's History Month!

WVAS Local News

The Alabama Board of Education is meeting today to discuss and consider various matters.  

The session includes conducting interviews with four of the eight candidates vying to become Chancellor of Alabama's Community College System.  Governor Robert Bentley said he will participate in the interview process and is seeking an individual who understands the need to strengthen the relationship between two-year colleges and K-12 schools. 

Disaster Preparedness

Governor Robert Bentley is announcing new initiatives to increase statewide disaster preparedness in Alabama.  The initiatives are part of the state's Ready Alabama program, which encourages Alabama residents and leaders to plan ahead for disasters.  The governor's announcement comes as he and other state officials keep an eye on Tropical Storm Isaac, which could affect Alabama and other southeastern states next week. 

Democratic Nominee

The new Democratic nominee for chief justice, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bob Vance, says he's hitting the road to introduce himself to voters across the state.  Vance admitted it will be difficult having only slightly more than two months to campaign against the well-known Republican nominee, Roy Moore.  The state Democratic Party's executive committee ousted its original nominee, Pelham attorney Harry Lyon, last week.

Alabama PACT

State treasury officials say Alabama's prepaid college tuition plan will pay full tuition for the fall semester while it waits for a court to rule on whether it can reduce payments.  The program hit financial trouble amid new tuition hikes and lower-than-expected returns on investments. 

Lawsuit Filed

A former State senator has filed a lawsuit in circuit court in Montgomery claiming that legislators violated the Alabama Constitution earlier this year by passing a 2013 budget that was not balanced.  The 2013 General Fund Budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1st, relies on a transfer of about $467 million dollars from the Alabama Trust Fund into state coffers over the next three years.  Voters must approve the transfer in a constitutional amendment on the ballot Sept. 18th. 

Middle Class

The news continues to be bad for the American middle class, with its total income declining to its smallest share in decades.  A Pew Research Center study finds that three years after the recession technically ended, most middle class Americans say they have been forced to reduce spending in the past year.