Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Bennett last week assailed Alabama state lawmakers for not doing enough to help solve Jefferson County's fiscal woes and partly blamed legislators for the county's decision to close the inpatient care unit at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, the Birmingham News reported on Friday. Earlier this month, a federal judge pointedly warned two Jefferson County Commissioners during a contempt hearing that they would be met with "heavy feet" if they ever interfered with the personnel decisions at the County Courthouse. Soon, a circuit court judge could settle a fight between two halves of the county's legislative delegation over Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex board appointments.
To learn more about issues in chapter 9, be sure to pick up the latest ABI publication, Municipalities in Peril: The ABI Guide to Chapter 9, Second Edition, now up for pre-order in ABI's Bookstore.