From today’s podcast:

Legislative finale

There’s one day left in the 2023 Alabama state legislative session. That day will be Tuesday.

Late last week we saw Gov. Kay Ivey signing the education and general-fund budgets as well as a measure that gives motorist who owe fines a little more breathing room.

And we saw the state legislature give final passage to a bill increasing prison sentences for crimes related to a “criminal enterprise” (they moved away from the word “gang” in that one).

They also sent to the governor a capped version of the bill to exempt overtime pay from the state income tax, and the bill that would gradually cut the state’s tax on groceries in half to 2 percent. (Note that your local taxes on food will still apply.)

So what’s left?

AL.com’s Mike Cason reports that you might look for some movement on HB209, which would make it a crime to request, obtain, deliver or prefile an absentee ballot application for somebody else.

There are exceptions in the bill, including for family members helping fill out the applications.

Republicans say it’ll help prevent voter fraud, and Democrats say there are voters who need and count on such assistance.

Big win in the wee hours

It took until almost 1 a.m. this morning, but the University of Alabama baseball team is back in the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010, reports AL.com’s Michael Casagrande.

The Tide beat Boston College 8-0 in a final that had a rain delay for over an hour and a half.

Alabama scored four runs in the first inning, and that was already enough behind Tide starter Jacob McNairy, who gave up three hits and struck out 11 over 7 2/3 innings.

In the Super Regionals, Alabama will face No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest in Winston Salem. That’ll be a best-of-3 beginning Friday.

Boston College, incidentally, got to the Regional finals in Tuscaloosa by beating Troy 4-1 earlier Sunday.

Elsewhere, Auburn was eliminated in two games in the regional it hosted, and the Alabama softball team went two-and-out in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Evolving reports

A New York Times spokesperson said it is correcting a previous report related to the Tuscaloosa killing of Jamea Harris, a case that has involved the arrest of former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles.

Miles, who is accused of supplying a gun to alleged shooter Michael Lynn Davis, has pled not guilty.

Tuscaloosa police investigators testified that Tide players Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley were at the scene of the shooting. Neither have been charged with anything related to that night’s events.

Later, The New York Times reported that another player, Kai Spears, was also in Miller’s car, citing an anonymous source.

Spears has denied he was there and has filed a lawsuit against the news outlet seeking $75,000 in emotional and physical-distress damages.

Now, AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz reports that student manager Cooper Lee has said it was he, and not Spears, who got into Miller’s car just a few minutes before the shooting.A New York Times spokesperson said the report would be corrected. Quote, “We believe our original story was not accurate and plan to append an editor’s note to the story.”

Quote of the Day

“Being shot and in a hospital bed is a great place to talk about change.”

Carmone Owens of the Offender Alumni Association, which is trying to reach gunshot victims in Birmingham as they’re recovering.

More Alabama news

On This Date

Born in 1850, wild west lawman Pat Garrett.

That’s right: The man who killed Billy the Kid was born in Chambers County, Alabama.

You probably recall Patrick Wayne playing him in the original “Young Guns” movie. Or, if you have a little more gray over your ears, you might land on James Coburn in “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.”

The podcast

The “Down in Alabama” podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for “Down in Alabama” on the device of your choosing.

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: