Alabama Senate advances bill to allow small fraction of nonviolent offenders resentencing
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Updated: 4:30 PM CDT Mar 19, 2025
DOPPLER, AND WE’VE GOT IMPACT WEATHER TO TALK ABOUT AND REMEMBER, IMPACT WEATHER MEANS THE WEATHER COULD IMPACT YOUR NORMAL ROUTINE. WIND ADVISORY TODAY THROUGH 10 P.M., FOLLOWED BY A LINE OF STORMS DURING THE EVENING. THOSE EXIT EARLY TOMORROW, THEN ON FRIDAY MORNING, WE DO HAVE A FREEZE WATCH IN PLACE. THAT MEANS WE NEED TO PROTECT THOSE SENSITIVE PLANTS SO THE LINE OF STORMS IS GOING TO MOVE IN LATE THIS EVENING. IT’S A VERY LOW, SEVERE THREAT, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO WATCH THEM CAREFULLY. I WANT TO REITERATE, THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WE HAD OVER THE WEEKEND. AND THEN EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. WE DO HAVE A FREEZE WATCH NOW FOR MANY COUNTIES IN CENTRAL AND NORTH ALABAMA. WE’RE GOING TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU DAY BY DAY, STARTING WITH THE IMPACT WEATHER TODAY LASTING INTO THIS EVENING. THAT WIND ADVISORY IS GOING TO GO THROUGH 10 P.M. IT MEANS WINDS COULD GUST OVER 35MPH AT TIMES. IT MEANS YOU’RE GOING TO NOTICE THE BREEZE, ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A QUICK MOVING LINE OF STORMS ARRIVES THIS EVENING, BRINGING A VERY LIMITED, SEVERE RISK. AND THIS IS REALLY AT THE LOW END OF THE SCALE. IT’S A LEVEL ONE OUT OF FIVE. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER, INCLUDING COMMUNITIES LIKE GEIGER, EUTAW, TUSCALOOSA, FAYETTE, ARLEY, COLEMAN IN A LEVEL ONE MARGINAL RISK. MAIN THREATS LOOK TO BE A STORM OR TWO THAT COULD BRIEFLY TURN STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS OR HAIL. SO INTO THE AFTERNOON. STOPPING THE FUTURE RADAR HERE. 3 P.M. WINDS GUSTING UP TO OR OVER 30MPH. BUT MANY FOLKS ARE DRY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. LOW CHANCE FOR AN ISOLATED SHOWER WEST OF I-65. EARLY AFTERNOON, BUT MAIN CHANCE FOR MAYBE A STRONG STORM OR TWO COMES IN AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN. SO WE’RE TALKING A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE EVENING, 7 P.M. WINDS STILL GUSTING OVER 20MPH. AND IT’S THESE STORMS RIGHT HERE THAT WE’LL HAVE TO WATCH. THAT LOW POTENTIAL FOR SOME HAIL OR GUSTY WINDS. THAT WOULD MEAN THE POSSIBILITY OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING OR 2:09 P.M. THIS EVENING. STILL LOOKING VERY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED. BETTER CHANCE FOR A STORM IN THE BIRMINGHAM METRO THROUGH 10 P.M. OVERALL TREND IS THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE WEAKENING AS THEY CROSS EAST OF I-65. EXITING OUR STATE REALLY EARLY TOMORROW MORNING AND WE’RE DRY FOR THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE. HOWEVER, DURING THE DAY THURSDAY, WE’RE GOING TO BE MUCH COLDER AND BREEZY. WE’RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE THE 40S THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY. 8 A.M. AS YOU’RE HEADING INTO WORK OR SCHOOL, TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 40S AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS THROUGH THE LATE MORNING HOURS. POTENTIAL FOR A FEW FLURRIES OVER NORTH ALABAMA. NO IMPACTS FROM THAT. BUT REMEMBER, THURSDAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. SO KIND OF INTERESTING TO BRING IN SPRING WITH THE CHANCE FOR SOME FLURRIES OVER NORTH ALABAMA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. STRUGGLING TO REACH THROUGH THE 50S WITH THE BREEZE AROUND AND THE CLOUD COVER, IT DOES FEEL COLDER THAN THAT. HERE’S THE ZONE WHERE WE’RE MORE LIKELY TO SEE A QUICK FLURRY. ONCE AGAIN, NO IMPACT FROM THOSE, BUT WE’LL BE KIND OF A FUN SIGHT FOR A FEW FOLKS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH ALABAMA. THEN ON FRIDAY, WE’RE EXPECTING A MORNING FREEZE. THERE IS A FREEZE WATCH FOR ALL COMMUNITIES ALONG AND TO THE NORTH OF I-20. THAT IS WHERE WE EXPECT THOSE TEMPERATURES TO BRIEFLY DROP BELOW THE FREEZING MARK. I’VE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE HERE. THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE’VE GOT THAT MORNING LOW BELOW THE FREEZING MARK. AND THIS MEANS IF YOU’VE ALREADY BOUGHT SOME FLOWERS OR FERNS OR SENSITIVE PLANTS, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE EITHER PROTECTED OR YOU BRING THEM IN FOR THE NIGHT. THIS IS GOING TO BE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. SO ALSO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU’RE HEADED OUTDOORS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING, YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO BUNDLE UP. IT’S GOING TO BE PRETTY CHILLY TO GET THE DAY STARTED, BUT BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WE WARM INTO THE 60S. SATURDAY, BEAUTIFUL MUCH OF THE DAY. SUNDAY. ALSO LOOKING REALLY NICE, BUT WE DO HAVE A LINE OF STORMS THAT WILL ARRIVE LATE SUNDAY EVENING, LASTING INTO MONDAY MORNIN
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Alabama Senate advances bill to allow small fraction of nonviolent offenders resentencing
Video above: Wednesday weather forecastA Republican-led bill that would allow resentencing hearings for people serving life in prison for nonviolent offenses narrowly advanced in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday in a rare demonstration of bipartisanship as nationally both Democrats and Republicans push for tough-on-crime policies.The legislation, dubbed the “Second Chance Act,” passed 17-8 in the Republican-dominated chamber. It was endorsed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who called it a “common sense reform.” Similar legislation has been introduced in previous years but failed to advance.Republican Bill Barfoot, the measure’s sponsor, estimates it would affect just 200 of the approximately 20,000 people in Alabama state prisons who were sentenced decades ago under a 1977 habitual offender law that has since been revised.The bill only applies to those charged before 2000, when a law was passed to give judges more discretion in sentencing. In other words, the change would only affect those who have already served over 25 years in prison for an offense in which no one was physically injured. Barfoot said people sentenced before the reforms might have received a shorter sentence if they were charged with the same crime today.“We let individuals with much more heinous offenses out under current standards today,” Barfoot said.Opponents of the bill argued Tuesday that it would be a burden on the courts and give people who were formerly incarcerated the opportunity to reoffend.>> WVTM 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for freeBarfoot emphasized that the bill is “not a get out of jail free card.” District attorneys and any victims affected by the initial crime would be able to testify against resentencing during the trial.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. —
Video above: Wednesday weather forecast
A Republican-led bill that would allow resentencing hearings for people serving life in prison for nonviolent offenses narrowly advanced in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday in a rare demonstration of bipartisanship as nationally both Democrats and Republicans push for tough-on-crime policies.
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The legislation, dubbed the “Second Chance Act,” passed 17-8 in the Republican-dominated chamber. It was endorsed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who called it a “common sense reform.” Similar legislation has been introduced in previous years but failed to advance.
Republican Bill Barfoot, the measure’s sponsor, estimates it would affect just 200 of the approximately 20,000 people in Alabama state prisons who were sentenced decades ago under a 1977 habitual offender law that has since been revised.
The bill only applies to those charged before 2000, when a law was passed to give judges more discretion in sentencing. In other words, the change would only affect those who have already served over 25 years in prison for an offense in which no one was physically injured. Barfoot said people sentenced before the reforms might have received a shorter sentence if they were charged with the same crime today.
“We let individuals with much more heinous offenses out under current standards today,” Barfoot said.
Opponents of the bill argued Tuesday that it would be a burden on the courts and give people who were formerly incarcerated the opportunity to reoffend.
Barfoot emphasized that the bill is “not a get out of jail free card.” District attorneys and any victims affected by the initial crime would be able to testify against resentencing during the trial.