March 20, 2023 Group Watch: Innovate Alabama Launches HBCU Innovation Experience

Innovate Alabama is hosting a tech brunch to launch its HBCU Innovation Experience. The new program will encourage inclusive talent attraction and retention within the state, which is home to the most Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country. HBCU academic leaders will be able to network with peers, founders and program leadership to learn about internships, jobs and investment opportunities related to tech skills and entrepreneurial product development. As the state looks to strengthen its innovation ecosystem, a focus on minorities and HBCU engagement is being pursued to achieve a more diverse and inclusive tech and entrepreneurial landscape.

March 20, 2023 Group Watch: Details of ARPA $ Allocations

Last Thursday, Governor Ivey signed into law the bill approved by the legislature that allocates Alabama’s ARPA funds. In her State of the State address, Ivey called a special session specifically for this work, and the legislature got it done. Read more about the water and sewer projects that got funded and that many law makers claim with “transform the state” as well as details on healthcare funding here.

March 20, 2023 Group Watch: AL Agency Gets Creative, Gets Attention

The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Natural Resources often uses facebook to notify the public of prescribed burns, which are conducted as part of the Agency’s habitat protection measures. But last week, their post about a planned burn was flagged by the social media giant as an attempt to “coordinate harm and promote a crime.” The agency put on its thinking cap and came up with an alternate way to announce the burn, swapping out multiple works and in the funniest instance, being forced to call fire “bright hotness” to avoid further blocking of its posts. Agency heads took it in stride and said they were glad if the glitch helped draw attention to the important work they do. Read more here.

March 20, 2023 Group Watch: Sunbelt Solomon Locating Transformer Repair Operation in Elba

Sunbelt Solomon Services, one of the world’s largest providers of commercial and industrial electrical distribution equipment, plans to open a facility in Coffee County to repair and recycle electrical transformers. Sunbelt Solomon will invest more than $5 million in the facility, located in Elba, and create 50 jobs initially, with more to come as operations grow. The company will base its operation in an existing building in Elba, where it will install manufacturing equipment and outfit its office. The new facility will open its doors for business in June. Employment opportunities will range in pay from $18 per hour to $37 per hour, which will be 45 percent higher than the annual salary for manufacturing roles in Coffee County.

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

The Alabama Legislature was gaveled into session on Tuesday, March 7 for the start of the 2023 regular session. Governor Ivey addressed a joint session to review the state of the State and predictably, immediately called them into a special session starting the following day. After recognizing several guests, which included Mrs. Terry Saban, the wife of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban, the governor laid out her priorities for the 2023 regular and special sessions.

Keep reading to learn more on these topics and other #alpolitics activity and news.

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: Tweet of the Week

@GovernorKayIvey
March 8
It was a pleasure to join leaders from our cities and towns today at the
@AL_League’s Advocacy Day Luncheon! The success of our state truly begins within our communities, and I appreciate all that these leaders do to move Alabama forward. #alpolitics

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: Governor’s Regular & Special Sessions Priorities

Regular Session

• Provide a one-time tax rebate of $400 for working individuals and $800 for working families.
• Cut by 25 percent over the next two years red tape affecting businesses. This will be done by executive order.
• Invest more into locally owned businesses through a $200 million grant program known as our Main Street Program.
• Prioritize funding for Pre-K classrooms in the most challenged areas of our state.
• Require all children to complete kindergarten before entering the first grade.
• Increased funding for more reading and math coaches in K-12.
• Double the funding for computer science education in Alabama.
• A two percent pay raise for K-12 teachers.
• Provide startup funds for Charter Schools and reform the governance of the Charter School Commission.
• Establish a new healthcare high school in Demopolis, offering an innovative curriculum for 9th through 12th graders, exposing them to a diversity of STEM and healthcare opportunities.
• Direct state law enforcement to make traffickers of fentanyl their top priority.

Special Session

The Special Session is dedicated to allocating Alabama’s remaining ARPA funds. In her state of the State speech, Governor Ivey called for Alabama lawmakers to “invest these federal monies to overcome some of our biggest challenges while also paying off our debts,” The largest categories for the money are $339 million for healthcare related to the pandemic, $260 million for expansion of broadband internet access, and $400 million for improving access to clean water through water sewer infrastructure projects. The healthcare cost breakdown is as follows:

• $100 million to reimburse hospitals for eligible expenses.
• $100 million to reimburse nursing homes for eligible expenses.
• $5 million to reimburse state veterans homes for eligible expenses.
• $40 million to reimburse the Public Education Employees Health Insurance    Board for eligible expenses.
• $25 million to support mental health services.
• $9 million to facilitate the expansion and use of telemedicine.
• $20 million for a voluntary clinical trial and healthcare research program to enable greater access to personalized medicine.
• $175,000 to reimburse expenses related to coronavirus voucher programs for public university students.

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

Last Thursday, the second day of the special session, the House General Fund budget committee approved the bills outlining the state’s plan to spend $1 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act on a voice vote after a brief discussion. The committee’s action put the bills in line for a vote by the full House of Representatives this week.

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: State Magnet School Proposal “Game Changer”

Another element of Governor Ivey’s state of the State address was her proposed establishment of a magnet high school for the state, the School of Healthcare Sciences to be located in Demopolis. Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins is excited about the concept and describes it as a game changer for the state’s Black Belt region. Wilson said the school would be located adjacent to Whitfield Regional Hospital, which is undergoing a $20 million renovation. The hospital is also a part of the UAB Health System.

March 13, 2023 Group Watch: Senator Shelby Honored for Years of Service 

In a joint session of the Alabama Legislature last Thursday, now-retired Senator Richard Shelby was honored. Governor Kay Ivey, State Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) and State Senator Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) spoke and praised Shelby for his tireless work on behalf of Alabama during his 53 years serving in both the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Senate. Fond recollections and laugh-out-loud funny stories joined the expressions of gratitude shared. Read more here.