A bill, sponsored by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Cherokee County, that will streamline the adoption process in the state was passed in the House last week on a 105-0 vote. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said the move resulted in a “good day for children in Alabama.” Read more here.
Global Resources International and its subsidiary Advanced Product Solutions (GRI-APS) plan to create 30 jobs in the Houston County community of Columbia through a $1.6 million expansion project at a facility. GRI-APS will utilize a former 40,750-square-foot Russell Corp. building in Columbia to manufacture operating room procedure kits for both animal and human use, according to the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. A company representative said the company will begin the hiring process for these 30 jobs in the fourth quarter, with hopes to have the new location operational by the first quarter of 2024. Founded in 2000, Global Resources International Inc. is a privately held U.S. corporation and a leading provider of comprehensive contract manufacturing services, medical devices, industrial products and protective solutions. It is based Flowery Branch, Georgia, in the Metropolitan Atlanta area.
The Alabama Department of Commerce’s “Made in Alabama” brand is marking its 10thanniversary, a significant milestone for a long-lasting state marketing campaign that helped propel a robust period of economic development. Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield launched the “Made in Alabama” brand at a press event on the steps of the Capitol on March 19, 2013. Since that time, Alabama’s economic development efforts have yielded more than $60 billion in new capital investment and almost 130,000 jobs in key industries, and “Made in Alabama” has been there every step of the way to tell the story. The branding and marketing initiative resulted from a set of recommendations included in Accelerate Alabama, the state’s comprehensive strategic economic development plan adopted in 2012.
March 12 marked the fourth anniversary of Rebuild Alabama, possibly the most monumental legislation ever passed in Alabama’s history. Since its enactment, Rebuild Alabama has accounted for record investment across the state. These investments are represented in 234 projects in all 67 counties, 400 miles of resurfaced roadways, and more than $170 million in state transportation funding awarded to cities and counties. Four years after its enactment, it is clear that Rebuild Alabama’s overall impact extends beyond roads and bridges. Driver safety, commercial efficiency and economic productivity are aspects of the enhanced quality of life being delivered by Rebuild Alabama. It also tells the world Alabama is open for business.
The Alabama Senate unanimously passed legislation to protect visitation requirements for healthcare facilities. The bill will ensure residents, clients or patients of a healthcare facility are afforded the right to visit with anyone during visiting hours. It would also give essential caregivers a minimum of two hours a day for visitation. The bill goes on to require that any safety-related policies or procedures may not be more stringent than those established for the healthcare facility’s staff, and it prohibits a healthcare facility from requiring visitors to show proof of vaccination or from prohibiting consensual physical contact between a visitor and a resident, client or patient. The legislation will require healthcare facilities to provide visitation policies and procedures to the Department of Public Health when applying for licensing, renewal, or change of ownership.
The Alabama unemployment rate for February tied an all-time low, according to figures released by the governor’s office. The state’s seasonally adjusted February rate is 2.5 percent, tying the record low and down from January’s rate of 2.6 percent. According to the Alabama Department of Labor, wage and salary employment, totaling 2,133,500 in February, increased 15,900 over the month. Monthly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+3,800), the government sector (+3,500), the leisure and hospitality sector (+3,400), the private-education and health-services sector (+3,200), the manufacturing sector (+1,100), the construction sector (+700) and the information sector (+300), among others. Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood and Madison at 1.5 percent, Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.6 percent, and Alabaster, Hoover and Northport all at 1.7 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.5 percent, Pritchard at 4.3 percent and Bessemer at 3.8 percent.
The Alabama Legislature’s special session came to a close last week. The work done resulted in a concensus on how and where to spend the state’s ARPA funds and the governor signing the plans into law. This week, the 2023 regular session resumes.
In other news, prison-building projects are moving forward, there’s talk of a new plan to stop taxing groceries, and multiple Alabama leaders assured residents that our state’s banks are stable and strong amid the fears threatening to rock the national banking system.
Read more on these topics and other #alpolitics happenings below.
The House and Senate return on Tuesday March 21
at 1 PM and 3:30 PM respectively for 2nd day of the regular session.
@thebloomgroup
March 16
The Bloom Group, doing what we can to help prevent forest fires.
On Tuesday (4th day of the special session):
On Thursday (5th and final day the special session):
State Senator Arthur Orr has drafted legislation that would gradually eliminate the sales tax on groceries. The proposed bill would take one cent off the tax every year on certain foods covered by the Women Infants and Children (WIC) federal program. Orr, who is chair of the Senate Education Budget committee, said the bill would eliminate the sales taxes over time on the healthy foods included in WIC. While this would cost the education budget revenue, Orr said his bill includes “stop-gap” measures that would kick in if the tax cut results in too much revenue loss. Orr describes his proposal as a good compromise between those who want to cut sales taxes on food and those who are worried about depleting the budget.
