We’ll see if it’s enough

White House, under fire for overtime proposal, revises rules - Apr. 20, 2004

If you’ll recall, the Bush Administration had previously announced revisions to the overtime rules which would have removed overtime eligibility from as many as eight million white-collar workers.

The shift does allow “first responders” — police, firefighters, and various other emergency workers — to keep their eligibility. And it “allows” workers who make up to $100,000 a year to earn overtime. Except that it appears — from my reading — that it’s only actually guaranteed for those at $23,660 or under, and employers can still classify people who are actually rank-and-file workers as “administrators, professionals or executives” — and thus ineligible for overtime — which was I thought the main point of argument. You have a secretary you share with five other people and who doesn’t know your last name? You’re an “executive”. You have a college kid who does errands for you ten hours a week? That makes you an “administrator”. A terminal degree? Congratulations, you’re a “professional”.

Guess what!

Statement by Lee Crockett, Executive Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

If you kill a fish species (or anything) faster than it can reproduce, and also destroy its habitat, you’ll wind up endangering the species. Amazingly, even the Bush Administration now recognizes this. (Though I don’t know if they asked Gail the Nature Hater about it.) The U.S. Ocean Commission has recommended that oil and gas royalties be used to set up a federal oceans trust fund.

(Great big PDF report here.)

Where’s Roy?

Amnews.com - Former judge Roy Moore to speak at Foundations Festival

Meanwhile, Roy’s been taking some time off, resting up for whatever comes next. Still no word on the Special Supreme Court decision on his appeal. I now suspect they indeed are dragging this out to cut off his options in the upcoming elections.

Roy will be speaking in Kentucky. Or did. It’s not exactly clear, but I think it was last night. No report on what he said, but I assume the usual.

Only the BCA can save us now

Former Roy Moore aide tops all court candidates in fund raising

Given that (under the current arrangement) we’re going to be stuck with Republicans all over the Alabama Supreme Court, we have two choices: the handpicked candidates of the Business Council of Alabama, and the Roy Moore Fan Club candidates. Normally, the BCA candidates at least have the advantage of money, but Moore lieutenant Tom Parker (a little Elvis humor there) has the fundraising lead so far against incumbent BCAite Jean Brown. So far, he’s spent $660. That’s another thing: the Moore people have lots of volunteers, while it’s hard to get worked up enough to work for free for business interests.

Oh, there is a Democrat running. One Democrat for each seat. It’s a strategy.

Krazy Kelly Kontinues

Disqualified candidate sues Republican Party

Wow, Kelly McGinley is suing someone. That never happens. Which for a given value of “never” (as in, “quite often, but not actually constantly) is true. Kelly, the “Christian Talk Radio Host”, was the plaintiff in one of the ridiculous pro-Roy Moore suits. Now she wants to run in the Republican primary for a state school board seat even though she isn’t, technically, a Republican but a Constitution Party supporter. She was disqualified for this reason. This gives the Republican incumbent a free pass, since he has no challengers in the primary and no Democrat is running. (Maybe the Libertarians have someone. They routinely run somebody in these unopposed races to get the votes from Yellow-Dog Democrats like me.)

Kristopher’s feeling is that “[I]f you’re going to run as a Republican, the Republicans do have the right of refusal for your place on the ballot.” I see his point, but taken to its logical extreme you wind up ripping the heart out of the primary process by giving the party elders the right to essentially appoint all their nominees. But I think Marty Connors is ultimately right for once: she should at least pretend to be a Republican.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Senator aims for changes

A Democratic state senator wants to have the state’s Supreme Court associate justices elected in districts, rather than at large. (The chief justice would still be elected that way, assuming the position is ever filled.) It’s only sensible, so it will never happen. The Republicans, who dominate the court, have come out against it.

The situation is thus: there are eight Republicans (including St. Roy) on the court, and one Democrat. This is completely out of line with a state government that’s pretty closely divided. Democrats control both houses of the legislature. The governor’s a Republican, but the lieutenant governor’s a Democrat. The attorney general’s a Republican, but the secretary of state is a Democrat. Only in the supreme court are the Republicans dominant, and that’s largely because the Business Council of Alabama has been able to throw large amounts of money to win small majorities in every election. With district voting, the money would be less but the electorates would be different. It’s hard to see how at least a couple more Democrats wouldn’t win. Which is why the GOP will move heaven and earth to stop it.

Personally, I think judicial elections should be nonpartisan.

So much to be jealous of

Holding noses, but not tongues

Marty Wootten says that the people who complain about the horrible stench of his hog farm are “just jealous”. Then he makes veiled threats. ALFA, meanwhile, is trying to get a law passed protecting farms from what it calls “nuisance suits”.