Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday launched her proposal for Alabama’s continued economic success, The Game Plan, a package of four economic development bills to strengthen the state’s competitiveness for job-creating projects.

Ivey was joined by leaders from the Alabama Legislature to signal bipartisan support for The Game Plan.

During a press briefing at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium, Ivey said implementing the package is vital to ensuring Alabama’s economic stability amid an uncertain future.

“The Game Plan will position Alabama for a new era of vigorous growth, allowing us to continue our record-breaking economic development success, while providing new levels of support for the state’s innovation economy,” she said. “This package will benefit all Alabamians, those living in both urban centers and rural areas, and ensure our citizens are ready for high-paying careers.”

Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield speaks in support of The Game Plan, a package of economic development bills unveiled at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium on Monday. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office)

Breaking down the bills

The Game Plan package includes four bills that will be introduced during the current session of the Legislature:

• 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.
• 2: The Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act (SEEDS) will allow the State Industrial Development Authority to accelerate development of industry-ready sites at a time when available ones are scarce and other states are expanding their site programs.
• 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.
• 4: The Transparency in Incentives Act will amend the Jobs Act to require the Alabama Department of Commerce to publish incentivized project information on its website. Transparency around important information related to companies receiving incentives will be a public service and increase confidence in the process, Ivey said.

State officials stand in a show of bipartisan support for legislation designed to update and augment the state’s economic development package. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office)

Bipartisan support

Also speaking in favor of The Game Plan were Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper), Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) and House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville).

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce since 2011 and the state’s top-ranking economic development official, expressed strong support for the package.

“The Game Plan represents the state’s next-generation strategic economic development framework, designed to future-proof Alabama’s economy and provide a blueprint for growth that lifts families and communities across the state,” Canfield said. “It will keep us competitive for high-impact projects as our neighboring states are aggressively escalating their economic development efforts.”

Since the Jobs Act took effect in July 2015, it has been utilized in economic development projects that have brought $22 billion in new capital investment and 40,000 jobs to the state, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce. About 6,000 of those jobs have landed in rural counties.

Jobs created by these projects will pay an average hourly wage of $23.42, a figure that is 31% higher than the state’s median wage, according to Department of Commerce data.

If the Jobs Act is not renewed by the Legislature, it will expire on July 31, as will the Growing Alabama tax credit program.

Monday’s event came days after Ivey revealed that economic development projects announced in 2022 will bring more than $10 billion in new capital investment to the state, setting a new annual record.

Alabama officials say a new package of legislation known as The Game Plan will position the state to continue setting records for economic development. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office)

Ensuring stability

The legislative leaders reinforced the importance of implementing The Game Plan package.

Ainsworth: “Our goal is simple — we want to have the best incentives not only in the Southeast, but in the nation as a whole. Reauthorizing these programs is going to be essential in attracting high-paying, long-lasting 21st century jobs.”

Reed: “When you look at the issues Alabamians care about, economic development and job creation are at the top of that list. States around our region are all competing to attract jobs and create economic growth. We need to make sure we are best positioned to attract these good-quality jobs to communities in our state.”

Ledbetter: “Industries across the country are trying to come here because of our great employees, our low taxes and because of our great quality of life. From a competitive standpoint, we want to make sure we have the tools necessary to bring them here and keep them here.”

Singleton: “Growing Alabama’s economy and creating good jobs for our citizens is something we can all agree on.”

Daniels: “We will continue to promote practical and meaningful legislation and policies that highlight our pro-growth, pro-innovation platform.”

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.