September 2023 Group Watch: New Testing Standards Adopted for Alabama Third Graders

The Literacy Act, which became law in 2019, is focused on improving reading proficiency for K-3 students. One of its requirements is for third graders to demonstrate reading proficiency before entering the fourth grade. Last week, The Alabama State Board of Education voted to adopt a new testing standard for advancing third graders. This new benchmark could cause as many as 12,000 students to repeat third grade next year. Read more here.  

September 2023 Group Watch: Department of Ed Discusses Need for Increased Reading Funding

On the heels of new standards related to The Literacy Act and the loss of federal emergency relief funds, The Alabama State Department of Education recently discussed asking the Alabama Legislature for additional funding in the coming year to support students above third grade who need help with reading. Read more here.

September 2023 Group Watch: Bill To Require National Anthem in Schools Filed

A bill requiring Alabama’s K-12 public schools to play or allow for a performance of the National Anthem at least once a week has been filed for the 2024 session of the Alabama Legislature by Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa). Read more here.  

August 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

August 2023

As summer draws to a close, economic initiatives in Alabama are still heating up, with funding flowing from both the federal and state level to multiple projects, including expanded high-speed internet access, the installation of more electric car charging stations and support for military functions and families across Alabama.

In addition, economic development announcements keep coming, and a recently released report shows the role international investment in Alabama is playing in job growth.  Plus, the work on gambling legislation continues.

Find more details on all this and other key #alpolitics topics belo

August 2023 Group Watch: Tweet of the Month

@AL_League
Aug 16

This afternoon,@RepJerryCarl shared a federal update with League members and special guests at our second congressional luncheon. We appreciate Rep. Carl for taking the time to meet with our local leaders. #alpolitics

August 2023 Group Watch: “Be Linked Alabama” is Bringing Broadband to More Alabamians

Alabama currently ranks 24th in the country for states with the best and worst internet. But Governor Kay Ivey and the Department of Economic and Community Affairs are working to improve that ranking, announcing more than $400 million in federal funding and $1.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) will be used to expand access to high-speed internet across Alabama. The efforts to bring broadband connectivity to more Alabamians are being promoted under the name Be Linked Alabama and include the state’s new Anchor Institution/Middle Mile (AIMM) program, which will be funded with the second round of American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated during the 2023 Legislative Session. More than $200 million will support this effort, which will potentially serve 500 anchor facilities. These facilities  include institutions such as colleges and universities, rural hospitals and government facilities that are inadequately served. “Middle-mile” deployment that will provide the infrastructure to help facilitate last-mile deployment by internet service providers will also be funded.

August 2023 Group Watch: Alabama Funds More EV Charging Stations 

Governor Kay Ivey has awarded grants of more than $1.2 million to get the state ready as more electric vehicles are purchased and travel Alabama highways. Funds for the projects came from appropriations under the state Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Program. The grants target well-traveled highway systems away from the interstates or busy locations. Most of the latest awards are in locations along Alabama’s highway system on the state’s eastern corridor. The Montgomery County Commission was awarded $461,700 to install eight charging stations at the recently completed Whitewater Park on Maxwell Boulevard.

August 2023 Group Watch: Work on Gambling Legislation Continues

A small group of legislators is working to bring gambling legislation (again) in the next session of the Alabama Legislature. Noting that legal or not, gambling is already happening in multiple areas around the state, these lawmakers stress the importance of passing a bill (or bills) that will allow the state to regulate and tax the activity. The main goal is a lottery constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot. Read more here.

August 2023 Group Watch: International Investment Boosting Job Growth in AL

Job growth tied to international investment in Alabama has been rapidly outpacing the state’s general employment growth rate, according to a report that tracks the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) across the U.S. The Global Business Alliance analysis says employment in Alabama tied to FDI surged 12 percent between 2015 and 2020, compared to overall employment growth of just 1 percent during the same period. Almost 700 international companies have operations in Alabama, and nearly 117,000 jobs in the state stem from international investment. In the past decade, international investment in Alabama has surpassed $25 billion, generating more than 38,000 job commitments in key industries including automotive, aviation and metals manufacturing. Last year, FDI pouring into Alabama topped $5.5 billion, representing more than half the annual total, a record $10.1 billion. These investments come from companies based in India, South Korea, France and Japan.

August 2023 Group Watch: Senator Britt Secures AL Defense Appropriations Priorities

U.S. Senator Katie Britt shared she’s secured nearly $1.1 billion in defense and military funding for Alabama as a member of the Committee on Appropriations. Britt joined her colleagues in advancing the FY2024 Defense Appropriations Act, which provides a total of $831.3 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Defense. According to her office, the funding priorities will supercharge military readiness, combat illegal drug trafficking, modernize the defense industrial base, advance munitions procurement and support service members and their families. The Alabama priorities she promoted include $645 million in funding that directly supports the defense communities in every corner of the state, from research and development in hypersonic to direct energy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The funds also include hundreds of millions of dollars for Abrams’ tank restoration at Anniston Army Depot.

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