Speaker’s Press ClipsFriday, January 16, 2015

Cullman Times: Cullman County delegation assigned House committees Clanton Advertiser: Local lawmakers appointed to committees Montgomery Advertiser: Bentley: State resources to fight gambling are limited Trussville Tribune: Danny Garrett: Tough choices await lawmakers when session begins Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa residents invited to meet their legislators Al.com: Alabama Senate to weigh rule changes during break, as Democrats stew Al.com: Economist: Alabama to add 30,000 to 35,000 jobs in 2015 WAKA: Rally Held Asking For Alabama Charter Schools Birmingham Business Journal: UAB football supporters plan to lobby state legislators,

protest on capitol steps Al.com: UA trustees express 'full support and appreciation' for UAB President Ray Watts

after no confidence votes AP: More oil spilled in 2010 Gulf disaster than BP estimated, judge says AP: Alabama, Peru to sign trade memo AP: Alabama EMA director heads earthquake consortium ABC3340: Alabama ranks as one of the top states in the nation for domestic violence Montgomery Advertiser: Oprah, Common among starts to march in Selma on Sunday New York Times: Head of Medicare and Medicaid Is Stepping Down

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Cullman County delegation assigned House committeesCullman TimesJanuary 14, 2015Zach Winslett

Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope) took his oath of office at the Cullman County Courthouse last November. With the legislative session on the horizon, Harbison has been appointed to three different House committees, along with Cullman County's two other House members.

Cullman County's local Alabama House of Representatives members were assigned to committees earlier this week.

In those specialized committees, each member of the local delegation will turn his attention to a specific area of legislation, as opposed to the broader nature of the entire House convening. In a word, they can be considered miniature legislatures.

In addition to serving on assigned committees, each legislator is also placed in sub-committees.

Cullman County's local House members include Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope), Rep. Ed Henry (R-Decatur) and Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview).

Harbison, the newest Cullman County member and the youngest member of the House, was assigned to the following committees:

Boards, agencies and commissions. Constitution, campaigns and elections. Economic development and tourism.

Henry, who is entering his second term, was assigned to the following committees: Education policy. State government. Ways and means education.

Shedd, who won a special election in 2013 to serve his first term, is also entering his second term. He was assigned to the following committees:

Children and senior advocacy. Financial services. Local legislation.

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Local lawmakers appointed to committeesClanton AdvertiserJanuary 15, 2015

The Alabama Senate completed its Organizational Session, and newly elected Sen. Clyde Chambliss landed key committee appointments for District 30.

Senate District 30 includes all or parts of Chilton, Autauga, Coosa, Elmore and Tallapoosa Counties.

The committees Chambliss will serve on include Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry; County and Municipal Government; Business, Economic Development, and Fiscal Responsibility; Finance and Taxation General Fund; and Transportation and Energy.

“I am very pleased with my committee assignments,” Chambliss said in a release. ”I made committee requests in the areas that I thought would be most helpful for serving the citizens of District 30. I look forward to working through these committees to develop and implement solutions that will make District 30 and the state of Alabama a better place for us all to live and work.”

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) announced Wednesday the individuals from across the state that have been selected for leadership positions during the 2014 – 2018 quadrennium.

Alabama State Rep. Mark Tuggle (R-Alexander City) who serves Chilton County, was named chairman of the State Government Committee.

“We’ve made tremendous strides over the past four years towards improving education, growing the economy, and protecting the rights and values that Alabamians hold dear. I am confident that this group of legislators will continue to lead our fight and move Alabama forward,” Hubbard said in a release. “The backgrounds, talents, and proven leadership of each of these individuals makes them uniquely qualified to fill these posts, and I look forward to working with them over the next four years.”

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Bentley: State resources to fight gambling are limitedMontgomery AdvertiserJanuary 15, 2015Brian Lyman

Gov. Robert Bentley told Attorney General Luther Strange this week that state resources for gambling enforcement are limited.

The governor, responding to a Jan. 7 memo Strange sent to district attorneys around the state, also suggested that if the attorney general was dissatisfied with local enforcement of gambling laws, he should consider impeachment proceedings against district attorneys or law enforcement responsible.

In his memo, Strange – who has sought to shut down electronic bingo operations in the state since taking office in 2011 -- urged local law enforcement to continue pursuing illegal gambling. The memo, which was quiet about the office’s future role in gambling enforcement, suggested that local law enforcement seeking logistical support on gambling issues should turn to the newly-formed Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

In a Jan. 13 letter to the attorney general, obtained by the Advertiser, Bentley tells Strange he appreciates “the information and guidance” on gambling issues, and calls local law enforcement and district attorneys “the front line in enforcing Alabama’s gambling laws.”

However, Bentley goes on to say that the ALEA’s resources are “limited” and that “local law enforcement holds the primary duty to investigate and enforce these laws.”

The governor goes on to note that the Alabama Constitution provides for the impeachment of judges, solicitors and sheriffs for, among other items, “willful neglect of duty,” and notes that

Alabama law gives the responsibility for initiating impeachment proceedings to the attorney general.

“Please keep this responsibility in mind as a way to ensure the proper enforcement of our laws,” the governor wrote.

The letter was copied to the state’s district attorneys and sheriffs; the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association, and the Alabama District Attorneys’ Association. Jennifer Ardis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bentley, said Thursday the letter was intended to clarify the role of ALEA in future investigations.

“ALEA will absolutely assist in illegal gambling investigations or any other investigations where local law enforcement needs assistance,” she said. “They just cannot be the primary lead on these investigations.”

The impeachment portion, Ardis said, was “an option to consider” on the gambling issue.

In a statement, Strange said his office “stood ready to assist” local law enforcement on gambling matters.

“The governor's and my statement each underscore to local law enforcement that Alabama's laws against illegal gambling are settled,” the statement said. “Furthermore, we both expect that local law enforcement will vigorously enforce Alabama's gambling laws just as they enforce the laws against other illegal activities.”

As the letter notes, Bentley’s first act as governor was to disband former Gov. Bob Riley’s task force on illegal gambling, which conducted raids on gaming facilities throughout the state in 2009 and 2010. Bentley’s Executive Order No. 1 returned those enforcement duties to the attorney general’s office.

Strange has pursued electronic bingo aggressively, obtaining warrants to shut down VictoryLand – which supporters argue is protected by a Macon County constitutional amendment – and launching lawsuits against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians over the presence of electronic bingo in their casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka. The Poarch Band, the only federally recognized tribe in the state, argue that the machines are protected under U.S. law; a federal court heard arguments in the case this week.

At least one district attorney last week read Strange’s memo as a sign that that office was moving on from the gambling fight, though a spokesman for Strange said they did not know what future role the attorney general might have.

Bentley is personally opposed to gambling, but has struck a more neutral tone on the issue as a matter of public policy, saying he would not oppose a statewide vote on gambling. Such a vote would have to come via a constitutional amendment approved by the Legislature; the governor has no official role in the amendment process.

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Alabama Senate to weigh rule changes during break, as Democrats stewAl.comJanuary 15, 2015Jim Stinson MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama Senate approved its rules on Wednesday, adjourning until the Legislature meets in March.

But the rules vote didn't settle the matter. The rules for debate and cloture -- ending the debate on bills -- will likely remain as contentious as it was on Wednesday, especially as they can be changed any time in the next four years.

And Democrats want them changed.

The Senate Democrats, in a minority of Senate seats not seen since the 1870s, fear the rules could be used to stifle debate by the Republican supermajority.

While debating the rules on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, state Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, blasted a change in the rules that would further manage debate on bills and amendments.

"You just want to shut some of us up," said Figures.

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, defended the rules as one Democrat after another came up to pick apart the procedural rules for the next four years.

State Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said he has been in office for 32 years. After the Republicans took the Legislature in 2010, for the first time since Reconstruction, they began using cloture to end debate on bills and to force a vote.

Sanders said it was rare that the Senate moved to use cloture to force a vote.

"We were proud (the Senate) was called a deliberative body," said Sanders. "It's no longer called a deliberative body."

After the Senate adjourned after its two-day Organizational meeting, the Democrats' minority leader, state Sen.Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, said Democrats would like one hour to debate after a petition to end debate is filed.

The Senate rules will cut that to 20 minutes.

The Senate Democrats are adjusting to life in a small Senate minority. In the 2010 elections, they lost their majority. In the 2014 elections, the Democrats were further consigned to only 8 Senate seats out of 35. The GOP has 26 seats and there is one independent.

Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, the president pro tempore, said after adjournment that "it was a wonderful two days," and that Democrats had told him throughout the days that they had nothing but praise for how the Organizational days were run.

Marsh also said Democrats were happy with their committee assignments.

Republicans said the rules could be adjusted when the Legislature returns in March for its 2015 session.

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Danny Garrett: Tough choices await lawmakers when session beginsTrussville TribuneJanuary 13, 2015

Happy New Year. By the time you read this article, the State Legislature will have held its organizational session Jan. 13-14. When my fellow lawmakers and I gather in Montgomery for the 2015 regular legislative session that convenes in March, we will be greeted by one of the most severe budget shortfalls in the history of the state. And because the Alabama Constitution requires each year’s budget to be balanced, we will have to find a way to fill the deficit without violating the conservative policy principles and no-new-taxes beliefs that many of us in the Republican Party hold dear.

During the decades that Democrats controlled Montgomery, Alabama’s general fund budget, which funds all non-education state agencies, was held together with bailing wire, duct tape and prayers. Unfortunately, the day of reckoning is now here — all the financial tricks and fiscal shell games have been exhausted.

As a businessman with a background in finance, I look forward to solving the challenge with a healthy dose of fiscal discipline and by making some hard choices.

Throughout the recent election, budget analysts and members of the media estimated that the shortfall in the general fund spending plan that we will draft next year would range between $230 and $250 million. Gov. Robert Bentley, however, recently said that new funding demands by state agencies have grown the shortfall to at least $265 million and perhaps higher.

Even worse, it’s estimated that the budget could face a long-term deficit of about $700 million as a result of stagnant general fund revenues, years of failing to confront serious problems within state agencies, and a decades-long practice of taking money from one state pot in order to help fill another.

Among the immediate increases demanding funding:

Medicaid is expected to need an additional $100 million to $115 million just to keep current services at their current levels. In addition, the Medicaid expansion that some special interest groups are pushing would exponentially grow that need in the long term as well.

The Department of Corrections, which is under threat of a federal court order mandating facility improvements, will need an additional $40 million.

The state must repay $160 million that was borrowed from the Rainy Day Fund.

As the result of a miscalculation, the state must repay $72 million to the federal government for Medicaid overpayments dating back to 2007 and another $53 million for overpayments to another program.

In addition, the state must reimburse $63 million in gasoline taxes that was diverted from highway maintenance to other general fund needs. Another $187 million that was taken from the Education Trust Fund in order to buoy general fund programs should be returned, as well, according to a briefing that Bentley provided to reporters after his re-election.

The governor said he’s working with the legislative leadership to find funding sources for both the short-term and long-term deficits that loom, and added that new taxes would be a last resort.

Among the proposed fiscal “fixes” that have been discussed in other newspaper reports – many of which are opposed by the majority of Alabamians — are the un-earmarking of currently earmarked dollars unrelated to education, a state lottery, and a possible gaming compact that would allow Indian casinos in Alabama to expand the forms of gambling they offer in return for their agreement to pay state taxes on the proceeds.

None of the problems before us offers easy remedies, and none of the solutions are especially palatable, especially to conservatives like me who abhor taxes and believe in small, lean and efficient government.

In my opinion, we must continue to secure savings by attacking waste, fraud and abuse in state government and stopping it wherever it exists. We must also look at every program in every agency and ensure that taxpayers are getting a healthy return in services for the dollars they invest.

And then we must do what every family is forced to do at the kitchen table each month — take out a pad, pencil, and calculator and figure out how Alabama can best live within its means with the dollars it has.

Danny Garrett represents District 44 in the Alabama House of Representatives, which includes Trussville, Clay and portions of Pinson. He can be reached by phone at 205-410-4637 or by email at dannygarrett44@gmail.com. You may also follow his Facebook page, “Representative Danny Garrett.”

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Tuscaloosa residents invited to meet their legislatorsTuscaloosa News

January 15, 2015

Residents will have the opportunity hear from members of the Tuscaloosa delegation of the Alabama Legislature on Feb. 2.

A “Meet Your Legislators Night” will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Central High School auditorium, 905 15th St. in Tuscaloosa. The event is free and open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Tuscaloosa, along with co-sponsors the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the University of Alabama Retirees Association and the Tuscaloosa alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Each legislator will discuss what he thinks the key issues will be for the legislative session, which begins March 3. Afterward, the League of Women Voters’ moderator will ask each lawmaker prepared questions. Written questions from the audience will be asked as time permits.

“With the 2015 Alabama Legislature convening soon, we feel it is important that our local legislative delegation and their constituents meet face-to-face to share their respective views on key issues that may be considered during the coming year,” said Shari Augins, a League of Women Voters spokeswoman.

State Sen. Gerald Allen of District 21, Rep. Christopher England of District 70, Rep. A.J. McCampbell of District 71, Rep. Bill Poole of District 63, Rep. Alan Harper of District 61, Sen. Greg Reed of District 3, Rep. Rich Wingo of District 62, Sen. Bobby Singleton of District 24 and Rep. Kyle South of District 16 have been invited to attend.

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Economist: Alabama to add 30,000 to 35,000 jobs in 2015Al.comJanuary 15, 2015Kelly Poe

Alabama is projected to add between 30,000 and 35,000 jobs in 2015, economist Ahmad Ijaz said at the Economic Outlook Conference in Montgomery Thursday.

Ijaz, the associate director of economic forecasting at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, warned that an in increase in jobs hasn't led to the same increase in tax revenues - and won't, necessarily.

In 2013, 9.43 percent of jobs were in leisure and hospitality - jobs that are typically low-wage and part-time, like food service workers.

In the same year, that sector only accounted for 2.86 percent of the state's GDP.

"(Alabama is) adding jobs in a sector that doesn't pay good wages; it's not a high value-added sector," Ijaz said. "One of the reasons the tax revenues are not growing is because we're adding low value-added jobs."

That's one reason the state has spent resources into bioscience industries recently, Ijaz said - The average wage for someone in the drugs and pharmaceuticals industry in Alabama was $73,583 in 2012. There were 1,284 such jobs in the state that year.

But the story has some silver linings, he said: Alabama is one of very few states in the nation that's still adding manufacturing jobs. Alabama's manufacturing has shifted drastically in the last two decades, Ijaz said - particularly from non-durable goods, like clothing, to durable goods, like cars.

Alabama had about 120,000 textile workers 20 years ago, Ijaz said - today, it only has around 10,000.

"You can see the structure, how it has changed from non-durable good to durable goods," Ijaz said.

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Rally Held Asking For Alabama Charter SchoolsWAKAJanuary 15, 2015Sarah Cantey

Alabama is one of only eight states with no charter school legislation. Dozens of ASU students marched to the statehouse, pushing to change that. It was part of a march and rally organized by the Black Alliance for Educational Options. They gathered one thousand signatures in favor of charter schools. Supporters feel they will give low-income and working class families, who don't have the financial means to move, with better public education options. The Alabama Education Association claims they take away money from already under funded existing schools. Duncan Kirkwood, State Director Black Alliance for Educational Options said, "We know that charter schools are not the magic answer they are not going to fix all our problems. But, they are a tool in the tool belt. They are the step in the right direction. To give families choices to the school that fits that family's needs." Asking for charter bill legislation may not be such a long shot, some legislators have talked about reintroducing legislation when the session starts in March.

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UAB football supporters plan to lobby state legislators, protest on capitol stepsBirmingham Business JournalJanuary 16, 2015Ryan Phillips

UAB alumni, along with other supporters, recently discussed plans to protest at the state capitol and lobby legislators in an effort to save the different athletic programs cut by the administration.

The UAB football supporters held an organizational meeting on Thursday in Vestavia Hills, where the plans were discussed to lobby state lawmakers about bills being pushed by State Rep. Jack Williams, according to a report for Fox 6. The legislation would shift the authority of the UA system board of trustees and restore the football program, the report said.

"We don't have a choice," Kris Findlay, an organizer, said. "We would prefer to work with Dr. Watts to bring football back to UAB but, we're going to go to Montgomery. Representative Williams will be introducing legislation on our behalf and we have a growing army of volunteers that will fight this thing."

The group said it plans to take to the steps of the state house on March 10th to protest and are expected to be in the state capitol to meet with legislators when the next session starts on March 3rd.

The report also said other supporters of the cancelled programs met on the UAB campus Thursday to plan a strategy. Despite the vote of no confidence in Ray Watts passed by two student government organizations and the faculty senate, the group spoke out against the board of trustees and their support of Watts.

"The board of trustees let a statement out today saying they don't care what we think," said student and former player Timothy Alexander. "They don't care what the faculty/staff think. They still somehow have confidence in the president. And what we're doing is we're trying to make them aware saying when they come we have to go out there and make our voices heard."

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UA trustees express 'full support and appreciation' for UAB President Ray Watts after no confidence votesAl.comJanuary 15, 2015Kelsey Stein

Leaders of the University of Alabama system Board of Trustees have come out in full support of UAB President Ray Watts after faculty and students expressed a lack of confidence in his leadership.

President Pro Tem Karen Brooks and Chancellor Robert Witt released statements Thursday morning, after the UAB Faculty Senate passed a resolution of no confidence.

"I have great personal and professional respect for Ray Watts and the leadership he is providing," Witt said in the prepared statement. "I look forward to working with him as he continues to chart UAB's future course."

Witt also said that Watts has a proven track record of success at UAB, including improving undergraduate programs, reaching record enrollment, reversing previously declining national research rankings and ensuring the excellence of the medical school and the UAB Health System. That success, he said, is a direct result of the strategic planning process that Watts developed with the involvement of faculty, staff, students and alumni.

The Undergraduate Student Government this week passed its own resolution of no confidence in Watts and, on behalf of the undergraduate student body released a report that criticized the decision-making process and laid out ways the administration could address their concerns.

The Graduate Student Government last week passed two resolutions - one expressing no confidence in Watts' leadership and another in support of athletics.

"As a former faculty member and a longtime dean, I respect the process of shared governance that is reflected in today's vote by the 35 members of the UAB Faculty Senate as well as the students and UAB alumni," Witt said. "All of these groups have made their voices and opinions heard."

Brooks' statements in support of Watts echo those of the chancellor, lauding the caliber of his leadership and his personal integrity."On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want express to Dr. Watts our full support and our appreciation for his hard work and continued leadership," Brooks said in a prepared statement. "These last several weeks have been an enormously difficult time for everyone who loves UAB - regardless of anyone's individual opinion about some of the hard decisions Dr. Watts has made."

While Brooks said the board appreciates the passion for UAB demonstrated by everyone involved, two facts have been overlooked.

First of all, she said, higher education is facing historic challenges, and Watts must determine UAB's priorities and decide how to best invest in academic programs, classrooms, dorms and laboratories.

And secondly, the Board of Trustees is committed to UAB and "fully supports the university's role and mission."

"The $100 million in new student facilities under construction on campus today is among dozens of major projects that have been reviewed and approved by the Board as a result of the university's recommendations, along with new academic programs, faculty chairs, scholarships and capital improvements," Brooks said. "UAB's best days are in front of us."

Watts also responded to the Faculty Senate's vote, saying he is disappointed but plans to move forward by finding common ground.

"We have a great university," Watts said in a prepared statement. "We have thousands of talented people who are making world-changing breakthroughs right here in Birmingham at UAB. My focus moving forward is to work with our community to carry out our mission. As President I am totally committed to the future of UAB and the many great things we are doing here."

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More oil spilled in 2010 Gulf disaster than BP estimated, judge saysThe Associated PressJanuary 15, 2015

A federal judge has determined that 3.19 million barrels of oil was discharged into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 as a result of a rig explosion at BP's Macondo well. This is less than government estimates of about 4.2 million, but more than the 2.4 million barrel figure BP had argued for.

Thursday's finding by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier sets the stage for next week's trial to determine BP's Clean Water Act penalties. The government has argued that the oil giant should pay as much as $4,300 per barrel spilled, which could mean in excess of $13 billion in penalties. BP argues that the per-barrel penalty should be less.

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Alabama, Peru to sign trade memoThe Associated PressJanuary 16, 2015

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's governor and Peru's ambassador to the United States are scheduled to sign a memorandum to strengthen ties and promote cooperation between the state and the South American country.

The Alabama Department of Commerce announced that Gov. Robert Bentley and Ambassador Harold Forysth will meet Friday morning in Montgomery to sign a memorandum of understanding. It calls for collaboration on trade, investment, agriculture, education, cultural affairs and other mattes.

The meeting follows a trade mission that Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield led to Peru in June. Eight Alabama businesses participated.

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Alabama EMA director heads earthquake consortium

The Associated PressJanuary 16, 2015

CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Emergency Management Director Art Faulkner is the new chairman of the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium.

Faulkner says the consortium focuses on reducing deaths, injuries, property damage and economic loss from earthquakes in the central United States. He says Alabama had at least three earthquakes last year with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher.

Faulkner has served as a board member of the consortium since 2011. His term as chairman is for two years.

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Alabama ranks as one of the top states in the nation for domestic violenceABC3340January 15, 2015Sarah Snyder

JEFFERSON COUNTY - AL - Former Birmingham Police Chief Annetta Nunn says a domestic violence call is the most dangerous call a police officer will make. Alabama ranks as one of the top states in the nation for domestic violence related deaths.

"For 3 out of 5 years, Alabama was in the top ten and at one point we ranked number two in the nation as far as women who were killed by their partners," Annetta Nunn, Former Birmingham Police Chief said.

Just days ago, a two year old died at Children's of Alabama. His mother's boyfriend is charged with his murder. The same week, Victoria Morrow died at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. Just two days before, Hoover Police responded to a domestic violence call between the two.

"Before she could even get something done, something was done to her," Mya Morrow, the victim's daughter said.

Former Police Chief Annetta Nunn who now works with domestic violence victims at the YWCA says - as a law enforcement veteran - a domestic violence call is the most dangerous. Multiple officers respond - but a heated argument can easily turn back on the officer.

In fact, just Thursday, body camera video was released after an Arizona police officer was killed in the line of duty. Officer Tyler Stewart was responding to a domestic violence call when retaliation turned on him.

"You mind if I pat down your pockets really quick?" Stewart said to the suspect in the video. "You don't have anything in here?" Then the video shows the suspect shooting and killing the officer. He was shot by the suspect in the head and back - who then turned the gun on himself.

"The sickest, saddest thing," A neighbor said.

Programs like the YWCA are helping women identify the signs before it's too late.

"They're 75% more likely to be killed once they leave that relationship," Nunn said. "They need to have a plan in place - even if they're not ready to leave they need to know they need to have documents in a secure area so they don't have to return back to that residence to get them. Someone they trust - they need to tell them about what's going on and have a signal in case they can't make a phone call or give a full conversation so that person knows they're in danger."

Here is a link to more resources:

http://www.ywcabham.org/end-domestic-violence

http://www.ywcabham.org/safety-planning

Stats: (source: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, YWCA)

-Nationally, four women lose their lives each day at the hands of an intimate partner.

-One in 10 calls to police about domestic violence is made by a child in the home.

In Alabama:

-Last year in Jefferson County, 5,279 people were assaulted, raped or killed by someone who claimed to love them. In Alabama, 35,701 were victims of the same crimes.

-Last year, 79% of domestic violence victims in Alabama were females and 21% were males.

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Oprah, Common among starts to march in Selma on SundayMontgomery AdvertiserJanuary 16, 2015Rick Harmon

The stars of the film "Selma," including Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Common and director Ava DuVernay, return to Selma on Sunday for a variety of events to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including a march with Selma residents across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

"I'm honored that Paramount Pictures and the cast has put Selma to the forefront of the nation again during MLK weekend," Mayor George Evans said. "The dream marches on."

The film about the Selma-to-Montgomery march was nominated for a best-picture Oscar earlier this week, and has already won a Golden Globe for best original song – "Glory" by John Legend and Common.

Joining Winfrey will be the film's other producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner

Sunday's celebration begins with a Q&A with select filmmakers and cast that will be moderated by Congresswoman Terri Sewell. The event will be at Selma High School for local high school students and teachers.

At 4:20 p.m., Selma mayor George Evans will address the community at Selma City Hall. The Rev. Dion Culliver of Tabernacle Baptist Church and the Rev. Leodis Strong of Brown AME Chapel will welcome attendees with a prayer.

Immediately following at 4:45 p.m., the filmmakers and cast will proceed with a commemorative march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The day's events will culminate with a special screening at the Selma Walton Theater for Alabama state officials and the film's local cast and crew.

While the events with the cast end Sunday, the celebration of King and the film that honors him does not.

On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Paramount Pictures will host two free screenings of "Selma" for the general public at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Selma Walton Theater.

These showings are just some of the many free screenings Paramount has held in Selma throughout January. Tickets will be available at the box office on a first come, first served basis.

"Selma" is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.

The film also stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as Annie Lee Cooper.

The film has already been nominated for four Golden Globes, including for best picture, best actor, best director and best song ("Glory" by Common and John Legend).

The Southeastern Film Critics Association awarded "Selma" the Wyatt Award, given annually to the film that best captures the spirit of the South.

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Head of Medicare and Medicaid Is Stepping DownNew York TimesJanuary 16, 2015Robert Pear

WASHINGTON — Marilyn B. Tavenner, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who helped preside over the rollout of sweeping changes in the nation’s health care system, said Friday that she was resigning.

“February will be my last month serving as the administrator for C.M.S.,” Ms. Tavenner said in an email to agency employees.

Ms. Tavenner, who was at the center of the disastrous debut of the federal insurance marketplace in October 2013, had given no public indications that she would be stepping down. She joined the administration in February 2010, a few weeks before President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act.

Ms. Tavenner was a senior official at the Medicare agency for several years before she was confirmed by the Senate in May 2013 as administrator. The agency insures one in three Americans and has an annual budget of more than $800 billion.

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of health and human services, accepted the resignation in a statement filled with effusive praise of Ms. Tavenner.

“Marilyn will be remembered for her leadership in opening the health insurance marketplace,” Ms. Burwell said. “In so doing, she worked day and night so that millions of Americans could finally obtain the security and peace of mind of quality health insurance at a price they could afford.”

“It’s a measure of her tenacity and dedication that after the tough initial rollout of HealthCare.gov, she helped right the ship,” Ms. Burwell added.

The online exchange, a centerpiece of the health law that lets people shop for health insurance policies, was nearly unusable for several weeks after it opened in the fall of 2013.