December 2013 Group Watch: Boeing Plant?

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says the state is working hard to secure a deal with Boeing for the production of the Boeing 777X. Bentley says Alabama was the first state Boeing met with and a cited history with the company going back over 50 years. He pointed out that engineers in Huntsville helped redesigned the 787 Dreamliner. South Carolina, Missouri and Washington are also in the running. Boeing is currently based in Washington.

December 2013 Group Watch: Happy Holidays!

Thanks for trusting us with your governmental affairs needs in 2013. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and that 2014 starts off on a happy and high note for everyone!

November 2013 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

This month brings two appointment announcements and some interesting education news.

• AL Governor to Chair National Committee: Governor Robert Bentley has been named chairman of the Economic Development and Commerce Committee of the National Governors Association for the 2013-2014 year. The National Governors Association Chair, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, recognized economic progress being made in Alabama and asked Governor Bentley to take the role. In his new position, the governor will meet with other governors at upcoming meetings to talk about economic development in Alabama. Governor Bentley said he plans to highlight Accelerate Alabama, the state’s long-term strategic job-growth plan, as well as the state’s workforce training program, AIDT.
• AL GOP’s New Minority Outreach Director: The Alabama Republican Party has named the co-owner of a Montgomery optical business as its director of minority outreach. Party officials said that Rochester, New York, native Troy Towns has been chosen to lead the party’s minority outreach efforts. Towns has lived in Alabama for more than 20 years and has served as vice chair of the Montgomery Minority GOP. Towns is also an active member of the Wetumpka Tea Party. According to Towns, Republican candidates are more closely aligned with the values of many minority voters. He challenges Alabama voters to support candidates based upon who supports their values instead of voting by party affiliation.
• AL’s Pre-K Works: The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) has reported that participation in Alabama’s state pre-k program improves performance for students in elementary school. PARCA compared test scores from students who attend the voluntary First Class Pre-K program with those who did not. The benefits extend until at least the sixth grade, according to an ongoing evaluation of the program. PARCA’s report says that students from low-income households show particularly strong academic benefits. Participation in the program narrows the gap in academic performance between students from lower income families and those from more affluent families by 25 percent. The National Institute for Early Education Research has recognized Alabama’s program for meeting all 10 of its benchmarks for quality.
• The End of Graduation Exams: The State Board of Education recently voted to do away with the exam that students had to pass for graduation. The termination of the exam applies to students who were ninth-graders in 2010-2011 and are seniors this school year. Students who were in the ninth grade before 2010-2011 and are one to two grade levels behind will still need to pass the exam to graduate. State Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice said the exam is no longer a good measurement of the school board’s goal of having every graduate ready for college or a career. Bice said the board is moving toward end-of-course exams for the major required courses. They are already in place for 10^th-grade English and Algebra 1, and so far, there is no score that students must make to successfully complete a course. The board also passed a resolution reaffirming that it controls all academic content standards for Alabama’s public schools. Board members said that they took this action to address concerns voiced by some parents who are upset that the Common Core standards are included in Alabama’s standards.

November 2013 Group Watch: Looking Back

Rep. Jack Williams recently relived an important moment in Alabama politics: the one where Senator Jeff Sessions decided to run for state Attorney General. Our own Allen Sanderson was a part of the late-night call that got that ball rolling. Read the whole story here.

November 2013 Group Watch: Saying Thanks

During this month when we remember and celebrate our blessings and the things we are thankful for, The Bloom Group would like to pause and say that we are thankful for all our clients and friends. We hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of food, family and fun.

October 2013 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

Two insurance giants join forces, while the state’s auto industry celebrates two decades of acceleration.

Big & Bigger: Two of the largest names in the Alabama insurance business are working together. Company officials from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the major provider of health insurance, and Alfa, the major provider of auto, home and life insurance, announced a new partnership that will allow Alfa agents to sign people up for health and dental policies including those on the federal insurance exchange. Blue Cross is the state’s largest health insurance company. It is also the only company to offer plans on the Alabama health insurance exchange in all 67 counties in the state. At this time, only three counties have a competing company offering individual plans on the exchanges. The health insurance exchanges opened for enrollment on October1 and coverage begins January 1, 2014.

Auto Industry Turns 20: Twenty years ago, Mercedes-Benz announced their intention to build vehicles in Vance, Alabama. That decision changed the business and employment landscape in the state. Since then, photographers and reporters have covered every aspect of Alabama’s automotive manufacturing boom. One reporter recalls following a Mercedes SUV from start to finish over three days at the Vance assembly plant in 2000. He described the experience, saying it was “amazing to watch a vehicle appear before your eyes.” He also pointed to the pride Mercedes employees felt about having someone document their part in building the vehicle. It is a trait that carries through the entire auto industry in Alabama. Workers who build Mercedes, Honda and Hyundai vehicles are proud of what they produce, as they should be. All of the state’s assembly plants have expanded over the years and hired more workers. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALABAMA AUTO INDUSTRY!

October 2013 Group Watch: T-Town Financially Safer Than Most

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said recently that despite many parts of the federal government shutting down because of the budget impasse in Washington, his city is well shielded financially. Strong reserves will enable the city to handle cash flow in the short term, but in the long-term, projects relating to recovery from the 2011 tornado could be delayed. Tuscaloosa was devastated by the storm that destroyed 12 percent of the city. Maddox attributes the city’s prosperity to healthy financial reserves and long-term planning. While most observers believe the budget impasse will be short lived, if it goes on for months, cities like Tuscaloosa as well as those on the east coast and in the Midwest will experience some effect from congressional inaction.

October 2013 Group Watch: Special Elections

The results of an October 8 special election leave Charlotte Meadows and Dimitri Polizos competing in a runoff on on November 19. The two Republican candidates are vying for House District 74, which was left vacant when Rep. Jay Love announced he was resigning from the legislature earlier this year. Meadows is the former president of the Montgomery Board of Education. Polizos is a member of the Montgomery County Commission. A second special election was held on October 15 to fill the seat left vacant by Rep. Jim Barton, who stepped down after serving House District 104 for 13 years to take another job. The race drew a Democrat candidate and multiple Republican candidates, so the October election served as a primary for the Republicans. After the votes were tallied, Susan Hightower had the most, but not enough to avoid a runoff with Margie Wilcox. The runoff will be held on December 3, and the winner will face Democrat Stephen Carr in January. Hightower is the wife of state Senator Bill Hightower. Wilcox owns Yellow Cab of Mobile as well as a pair of airport shuttle companies.

September 2013 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

This month brings good news for Alabama, including praise for cities across the state:

• Streamlining & Stimulating:In a recent speech in Hoover, Governor Robert Bentley delivered a message about streamlining state government and stimulating economic development. Speaking to a group of about 300 business leaders, the governor reflected on the state of government when he took office. He recounted that it came down to raising taxes or looking at the scope and size of government. He chose to not raise taxes and instead, achieve efficiencies by combining agencies and reducing the number of public employees through attrition and retirement. Bentley says the state’s economy is improving, as evidenced by the unemployment rate dropping from 9.3 percent to 6.3 percent. He says that sales tax receipts are up 7 percent from a year ago, and individual and corporate income taxes are up 10 percent. The governor lauds these indicators as proof we are going in the right direction and says his priorities are to continue workforce development initiatives, retain existing industry and stimulate job growth among existing companies.
• Alabama Cities Named “Top Places to Retire:” Fairhope has been named one of “America’s 100 Best Places to Retire.” The coastal city joins Auburn/Opelika, Florence/The Shoals and Huntsville as areas in the state recognized by “Where to Retire” magazine. Fairhope was named one of the 15 best low-cost towns for retirees, and Huntsville was profiled as a top retirement destination. The recognition considers taxes, climate, walkability, housing and health care.

September 2013 Group Watch: Governor Says No to Same-Sex Benefits for National Guard

Alabama’s governor clarified the state’s position on extending federal benefits to same-sex couples in the Alabama National Guard. The governor says that when the National Guard is under his command, they are subject to state law, which does not recognize same-sex unions. He pointed out when they are federalized, they are subject to federal law and regulation. After the United States Supreme Court struck down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, the Department of Defense took steps to make all federal benefits extend to same-sex couples who obtained their marriage licenses in a state where the practice is legal. Those benefits include health insurance, survivors’ payments and housing.