Governor Kay Ivey provided $598,000 for intensive drug treatment programs at eight Alabama prisons to help inmates overcome addiction and reduce future crimes.
A native of Madison County and longtime farm operator, Vaughn succeeded retiring Chairman Mac McCutcheon following his appointment by Governor Kay Ivey.
The Alabama School Nutrition Association named Commissioner Rick Pate its Friend of the Year for helping provide students with millions of locally grown meals.
The new legislation advanced by the committee expanded the state's false-name statute and created a misdemeanor for knowingly withholding identifying information.
The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee approved measures streamlining voting rights restoration for felons and increasing penalties for reckless endangerment and illegal handicap parking.
The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act passed unanimously, limiting screen time for children 5 and younger in publicly funded learning centers.
The competitive federal funding will strengthen and align the state's early childhood education system, focusing on rural regions and underserved communities.