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Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington on Friday announced that the state maintained its record low unemployment rate last month, ending 2019 with a preliminary, seasonally adjusted December unemployment rate of 2.7%, unchanged from November, and far below December 2018s rate of 3.8%.

Multiple other economic records were again set last month, in addition to the record low unemployment rate holding steady.

In a statement, Governor Kay Ivey said,Im so proud to be able to close out this decade with record-breaking economic measures.

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Decembers unemployment rate, which ranked fifth-lowest in the nation, represented 2,204,740 employed people, a new record high, representing an increase of 83,971 from December 2018. Additionally, 61,458 people were counted as unemployed, another new record and a drop of 22,051 from last year. Moreover, the civilian labor force grew by 61,920 over the year to a new record high of 2,266,198.

All year long, weve had good news to share, and to be able to end the year, and the decade, on such a positive note is wonderful, the governor concluded. Earlier this year, Alabama had never reported an unemployment rate lower than 3.0%, and now weve had one for the last three months! Nearly 84,000 more people have jobs now than last year. Im excited about the path that Alabama is on, and the positive impacts this news has on our people.

Wage and salary employment grew over the year by 46,300. Yearly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+15,000), the leisure and hospitality sector (+7,800) and the government sector (+6,100), among others. Over the month, gains were seen in the trade, transportation and utilities sector (+4,000), the construction sector (+700) and the professional and business services sector (+200).

For the eleventh month in a row, our job growth has met or surpassed the nations, Washington stated. Weve gained over 46,000 jobs since last December, and we continue to see employers posting job ads.

Additionally, Alabamas job growth rate for December was 2.2%. It significantly surpassed the national job growth rate of 1.4%, marking the 11th month that Alabamas job growth rate matched or exceeded the national rate in 2019.

Average weekly wages showed significant growth this month, registering at an all-time high, Washington added. Additionally, we saw many sectors and subsectors reach all-time wage highs, including manufacturing, with a monthly wage increase of $25.57, and financial activities, with a monthly wage increase of $50.78.

Total private average weekly wages measured $875.44 in December, representing a monthly increase of $15.14.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates last month were: Shelby County at 1.8%; Marshall, Madison and Cullman Counties at 2.1%; and Tuscaloosa, St. Clair, Morgan, Limestone, Lee and Elmore Counties at 2.2%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox County at 6.8%, Clarke County at 5.5% and Greene and Lowndes Counties at 4.8%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates were: Vestavia Hills at 1.4%, Homewood at 1.6% and Hoover and Northport at 1.7%.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates were: Prichard at 5.0%, Selma at 4.9% and Bessemer at 3.7%.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

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Byrne: More important than ever to fight for the Second Amendment - Yellowhammer News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRIC) In a tweet posted Monday, hours after thousands rallied peacefully for gun rights in Virginia, President Donald Trump said he would never allow the Second Amendment to go unprotected.

I will NEVER allow our great Second Amendment to go unprotected, not even a little bit! President Trump wrote.

I will NEVER allow our great Second Amendment to go unprotected, not even a little bit!

The post comes hours after President Trump tweeted his disapproval with the Democratic party in Virginia for working hard to take away citizens constitutional right to bear arms in the United States.

The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights, President Trump tweeted Monday. This is just the beginning. Dont let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020!

The Democrat Party in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia are working hard to take away your 2nd Amendment rights. This is just the beginning. Dont let it happen, VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2020!

On Friday, President Trump tweeted that the Second Amendment was under very serious attack in Virginia.

Thats what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away, the president wrote. Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems!

Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. Thats what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away. Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems!

The tweet came after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northamdeclared a state of emergencyahead of Mondays pro-gun rights rally in Richmond as a result of credible, serious threats of violence.

8News has learned a Richmond woman with a bandanna covering her face was charged after the pro-gun rally. A man was cited for trying to climb up the fire escape of the 12-story Mutual Building at 909 E. Main Street, as well.

RELATED: President Trump: Second Amendment is under very serious attack in Virginia

President Trumps proclamation comes exactly three years after he was sworn into office. Trump declared, in a tweet, unemployment was the lowest in the history of the United States while adding his presidency had seen the best poverty, youth and employment numbers, ever.

It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great!

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President Trump: Second Amendment will never go unprotected - 8News

Two gun rights groups planning to host a rally of 130,000 supporters Monday at the Virginia state Capitol have sued to repeal Democratic Gov. Ralph Northams ban on guns, even for those with permits.

Governor Northam is behaving like the royal governors who long preceded him. He has arrogantly and brazenly tried to restrict the rights protected to Virginians by the First and Second Amendments, said Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America.

His group is joining the other rally organizer, Virginia Citizens Defense League, in pushing to win back gun rights on Capitol grounds for the Monday lobby day when members planned to press lawmakers to reject a wave of gun control legislation sailing through the Senate.

Gun Owners of America is joining VCDL in asking the courts to issue an emergency injunction forbidding the enforcement of the governors unlawful ban. The Lobby Day rally is held annually with thousands of participants and without incident. The only difference this year is that, in response to the Democrats attempt to eviscerate the Second Amendment, a much larger crowd is expected, said Pratt.

GOA is arguing that the governors actions violate the Virginia and U.S. Constitutions, as well as, a 2012 state law which strictly limits the governors ability to ban guns in a state of emergency, he added.

Earlier in the day, VCDL ripped the governors emergency decree and suggested that Democrats were hoping for violence at the rally so they could smear gun owners.

In that alert to some 38,000 supporters, VCDL said:

VCDL believes that this gun ban is illegal. Our legal team is looking at our options and we will keep you advised as soon as we have a definitive plan. As it stands now, you can carry on 9th Street, or other nearby streets, as long as you don't go into the fenced-in Capitol grounds area (or into any of the government buildings). There will be 17 magnetometers to speed up security for those wishing to be on the Capitol grounds, which puts you near the stage. You CAN have a knife with a blade LESS THAN 3 inches. Again, wait for final word on the Capitol grounds gun-ban situation over the weekend.

[Read more: Trump could be big beneficiary' in Virginia gun control battle, urged to get involved]

Link:
Virginia sued over Second Amendment rally gun ban - Washington Examiner

COAL GROVE, Ohio Joining other communities around the Tri-State, the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution declaring Lawrence County as a Second Amendment sanctuary.

Officials in Boyd, Greenup, Lawrence and Pike counties in Kentucky have adopted a similar, non-binding resolution and Cabell County is considering a similar measure after Putnam County became the first West Virginia county to pass such a resolution.

The non-binding, symbolic resolution says that the three Republican commissioners declared their intent to oppose any unlawful infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms using such legal means as may be expedient including, without limitation, court action.

The board was asked last week to consider the resolution by the local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

It is always the desire of this board to abide by Ohio law, ordinances or statutes, said Commission President DeAnna Holliday. As a member of the Wild Turkey Federation, Im honored to know that hundreds of members who believe in the rights of hunting individuals in our county and state join me in support of this resolution.

As a gun owner, I hope others will recognize this is not an attempt to legislate or dictate to you as to what we intend, Holliday said. We stand today to send a signal to all that we believe the 2nd Amendment gives us the constitutional right to own firearms without any impedance.

Finally, as a wife, mother and grandmother, I hereby declare that we have the right of self-protection, she said. As women, we do not necessarily have to turn to a man for protection. We have the constitutional right to protect ourselves and our family with a firearm.

Commissioners Colton Copley and Freddie Hayes Jr. also voted for the resolution.

It doesnt cost any money to do this, Hayes said. There is no cost to taxpayers.

The board also received and filed a request by Joseph Benning of the Symmes Creek Restoration Committee to seek state funding for signs at several locations in the county. The exact locations will be determined before the grant request is sent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Benning said.

In other action, the board:

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Lawrence County, Ohio, joins ranks of counties declaring themselves 'Second Amendment sanctuaries' - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Posted: Jan 20, 2020 / 06:20 AM EST / Updated: Jan 20, 2020 / 06:22 AM EST

FT. GAY, W.Va. (WOWK) On Friday, January 17, Ft. Gay, West Virginia became the first town in the state to declare itself a sanctuary for the Second Amendment.

Mayor Joetta Hatfield said, The members of the town council are proud to be the first municipality in West Virginia to adopt an ordinance that formally establishes Ft. Gay as a sanctuary against any attempt by legislators or members of Congress to infringe the Second Amendment rights of Ft. Gays citizens.

Mayor Hatfield also said that the council was motivated by the recent fall of the Commonwealth of Virginia, of which West Virginia was once a part, into the hands of those now rushing to strip away the constitutional right to bear arms.

Earlier in the week West Virginias Putnam County became a sanctuary county for the Second Amendment when its county commission voted to pass the measure.

Ft. Gay is located in Wayne County. Allen Whitt, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, attended the historic vote in Ft. Gay; which is located on the Kentucky border about 20 miles south of Huntington, West Virginia. Whitt said, Tonight was one of the many reasons Im proud to be a West Virginian.

The Ft. Gay council members made a bold statement that will defend their citizens constitutional rights to legally own firearms. Town council members said becoming a sanctuary city will protect against efforts by legislators pushing red flag gun laws.

Im running for the U.S. Senate because our current Senator Shelley Moore Capito says red flag gun laws make sense to her. Well they certainly shouldnt make sense to anyone who has vowed to support the U.S. Constitution, but on May 12th, a vote for Allen Whitt for U.S. Senate will make sense for gun owners and hunters.

Red flag laws strip gun owners from due process if someone calls and raises a red flag of concern about the owner. Their guns could be confiscated with no evidence of wrongdoing based on a fraudulent complaint.

Link:
Ft. Gay, West Virginia becomes first Second Amendment sanctuary town in the state - WVNS-TV