MONTGOMERY — Governor Kay Ivey today signed four economic growth bills that she
has coined as The Game Plan. The package of bills, designed to secure Alabama’s
economic future, received overwhelming approval from the Legislature.
At a ceremony yesterday afternoon, Governor Ivey thanked lawmakers for their bipartisan
support of The Game Plan, saying the strategic package will strengthen the state’s
competitiveness for job-creating projects that add economic vitality to families and
communities.
“The Game Plan will give Alabama’s team the tools needed to extend our winning
record in economic development and help us unleash a new wave of growth and
innovation across the state,” she said. “This is going to benefit every corner of Alabama,
from our rural areas to our big cities.”
The Game Plan includes four bills — or “plays” — that focus on economic development
issues such as incentives, site development, small business support and transparency.
- Play 1: The Enhancing Alabama’s Economic Progress Act renews the Alabama
Jobs Act and the Growing Alabama program and extends their sunset dates to 2028
while adding strategic enhancements to increase their effectiveness. The Jobs Act is
the state’s primary incentives platform while Growing Alabama primarily speeds
development of shovel-ready sites. - Play 2: The Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act (SEEDS) will
allow the State Industrial Development Authority to accelerate the development of
industry-ready sites at a time when available sites are scarce and other states are
expanding their site programs. - Play 3: The Innovation and Small Business Act aims to supercharge growth in
Alabama’s innovation economy and support underrepresented businesses and
enterprises in rural areas, transforming the state into a hub for technology and
innovation. - Play 4: The Enhancing Transparency Act Enhancing will amend the Jobs Act to
require the Alabama Department of Commerce to publish certain incentivized project
information on its web site. Transparency around important information related to
companies receiving incentives will serve a valid public service and increase confidence
in the process.
Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the package
will act to modernize the playbook the state has used to deliver major results in terms of
new investment and job creation during recent years.
“The Game Plan will serve as our next-generation strategic economic development
framework as we work to build a more dynamic economy for Alabama and its citizens,”
Secretary Canfield said. “Neighboring states are aggressively escalating their economic
development activities, and this will allow us to keep winning the projects that trigger
lasting impacts.”
Senate President Pro Temp Greg Reed (R-Jasper) hailed the passage of the package
as a victory for the state and its future.
“The Game Plan is a multi-pronged approach to strengthen Alabama’s economy from all
angles,” Reed said. “The four ‘plays’ are effective pieces of legislation that will help
Alabama’s local communities thrive by attracting high-quality employers, creating jobs,
and stimulating economic growth.”
Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) said the package will benefit
Alabamians by better positioning the state to compete for the best jobs in the country.
“Industries across the nation and globe are trying to come here because of our great
employees, our low taxes, and our unbeatable quality of life,” Ledbetter said. “We want
to make sure that, from a competition standpoint, we have the tools needed to bring
companies here and keep them here.”
Senator Garlan Gudger played a significant role in The Game Plan saying,
“I’m proud to see the successful passage of the Transparency in Incentives Act. Increasing and enhancing the transparency of the incentives program serves our citizens and increases their confidence in the process. We always want to ensure Alabamians that tax-payer dollars are used efficiently and effectively for the betterment of their community and state.”
