Toll bridge increase

A disagreement between owners of an Orange Beach toll bridge and Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper already resulted in a rejected lawsuit. Now, reports AL.com’s John Sharp, it’s being blamed for a sharp rise in the toll.

The Baldwin County Bridge Company owns and operates the two-lane Beach Express Bridge adjacent to The Wharf in Orange Beach.

It sued DOT Director John Cooper, claiming he pursued a nearby bridge project over the Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores in order to put it out of business. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Cooper was immune from such a lawsuit, so the bridge project in Gulf Shores can move forward.

The Baldwin County Bridge Company issued a statement that said, in part, “BCBC had proposed to build a new span and provide a four-lane bridge for the citizens of Baldwin County to use for free, but (Cooper) refused to even consider that proposal. Now, as a result of the actions taken by Director Cooper, BCBC has been forced to increase the toll rates on the Beach Express Bridge.”

The bottom line for travelers is this: If you take the Orange Beach bridge and pay your toll with cash or debit card, your rate will rise from $2.75 to $5.

Abortion travel

Alabama’s Attorney General has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him over what he’s said about organizations that might help women travel out of state for abortions, reports AL.com’s Amy Yurkanin.

The lawsuit argued that Steve Marshall violated free-speech rights by saying that people who organize abortion travel could be charged with conspiracy.

In the motion, however, Marshall argues that the First Amendment doesn’t protect speech that’s being used to break the law. That could mean, according to the AG, that the state can prosecute someone for helping women travel out of state for an abortion.

There will be a hearing next week to consider the motion to dismiss.

Tough times for shrimpers

Imported shrimp has hit the Bayou La Batre shrimping industry so hard, according to the city, that Mayor Henry Barnes sent a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey requesting assistance, reports The Mobile Lede’s Margaret Kates.

Also, the Bayou La Batre City Council passed a resolution to declare the situation a disaster.

Barnes said the local industry wants protection, tariffs or subsidies, to help prevent the dumping of cheap, foreign, farm-raised shrimp that tank prices and squeeze local shrimpers.

By the Numbers

45%: According to a WPA Intelligence poll, that’s the portion of Alabama voters who agree with Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military promotions because of the Defense Department’s abortion policies.

A third of the poll’s respondents said the hold is damaging military readiness, 11 percent said they didn’t approve of either side, and 10 percent said they didn’t know how or refused to answer.

The weekly poll

Let’s see where we are on the issue in “By the numbers” above.

Do you agree with Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military promotions? Take the poll and we’ll publish the results tomorrow.

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Born on this date

In 1944, Earnie Shavers of Garland, a pro boxer who passed away one year ago tomorrow. During his career he had title fights against Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.

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