Ivey Signs Bill to Regulate City Occupational Taxes
Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday signed a bill that gives the state power to oversee occupational taxes. Last month, the Montgomery City Council approved a 1% occupational tax ordinance by a vote of 5 to 3. The vote came after a Senate committee voted 8 to 2 in favor of a bill that would require Alabama’s cities to ask permission from state lawmakers before enacting occupational taxes. – AL NewsNet
Joe Biden wins the Alabama Democratic primary
Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the Alabama Democratic primary — and in yet another state, his investment in the South appears to be paying off. Biden struggled through the presidential primary’s first few races but promised he would perform to supporters’ expectations once voting moved to states with more diverse populations. – Vox
Jeff Sessions faces runoff to regain Senate seat
Jeff Sessions, the former senator from Alabama who stepped down to become President Donald Trump’s attorney general, will face a runoff election for his old seat after falling short of clinching a majority in Tuesday’s Republican primary. Sessions and former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville took the top two spots among the crowded GOP field of seven candidates who likely splintered the vote and will compete in a March 31 runoff for the Republican nomination. – AP
German manufacturer to expand Auburn plant
Auburn city officials announced Tuesday that Borbet Alabama is expanding its local operation, investing $23.9 million and creating 25 new jobs over the next two years. The German company manufactures light metal alloy wheels for the auto industry. It has over $1 billion in annual sales with nine global operations. Borbet’s plant in the Auburn Technology Park North has a vertically integrated production process that includes melting, casting, flow forming, x-raying, heat treating, machining and painting processes. – OA Now
Alabama voters keep power to appoint their own state school board
Alabama voters decided Tuesday to strike down Amendment One in Tuesday’s primary election. The motion failed by a wide margin, with 75 percent of voters casting ballots against the change. The proposed amendment to the Alabama Constitution would have done away with electing eight members of the Alabama Board of Education. In its place would have been a nine-member commission appointed by the governor. – WHNT
Sanders Trust breaks ground on Massachusetts project
Birmingham’s The Sanders Trust has broken ground on the expansion of a health care center near Boston. The healthcare real estate investment company said Serenity at Summit New England will add 20 more beds as part of the renovation of an adjacent building, increasing capacity for both inpatient and outpatient programs. – AL.com
Ford, Fiat Chrysler ban non-essential domestic and international travel
Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler have banned all non-essential international and domestic business travel for employees due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ford said Tuesday the increased travel restrictions will be in effect until March 27, while a spokesman for Fiat Chrysler said the company will continue to actively monitor the situation. – CNBC
