2/15/2013 Group Watch: State of the State
Governor Robert Bentley delivered the State of the State address on Tuesday evening. Governor Bentley outlined his agenda, vowing to repay money borrowed from the Alabama Trust Fund, defend gun rights and push for legislation to give local school boards flexibility in dealing with state laws. The governor also called for additional funding for the state’s pre-kindergarten program and a 2.5 percent pay raise for teachers and support workers. The 2.5 percent pay raise for teachers and support workers will cost an estimated $92.5 million, and Republican legislators held out hopes that money would be available to fund a 1-2 percent raise for education employees after they repay money to the Rainy Day Account and the Alabama Trust Fund. The governor also touted bills to consolidate state law enforcement agencies and information technology functions within state government to achieve efficiencies. Read the full address here.
