2005 State Agenda

Bob Riley, Governor of Alabama ...................................................... (334) 242-7100 Lucy Baxley, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama ............................................ (334) 242-7900 Seth Hammett, Speaker of the House ...................................................... (334) 242-7668

Madison County Delegation Senate Lowell Barron, President Pro Tempore........................................................(334) 242-7858 Tom Butler ..............................................................................................(334) 242-7854 Jeff Enfinger ............................................................................................(334) 242-7885 Hinton Mitchem ....................................................................................(334) 242-7876 Tommy Ed Roberts ................................................................................(334) 242-7874

House of Representatives Mike Ball .............................................................................................. (334) 242-7683 Ray Gardner .......................................................................................... (334) 242-7731 Albert Hall ............................................................................................ (334) 242-7727 Laura Hall ............................................................................................ (334) 242-7688 Randy Hinshaw .................................................................................... (334) 242-7733 Howard Sanderford .............................................................................. (334) 242-4368 Sue Schmitz .......................................................................................... (334) 242-7704

Huntsville/Madison County Legislative Office .......................... (256) 539-5441

Montgomery Information Senate .................................................................................................. (334) 242-7800 House of Representatives ................................................................ (334) 242-7600

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY • 225 CHURCH STREET HUNTSVILLE, AL 35801 • 256-535-2000 • WWW.HUNTSVILLEALABAMAUSA.COM

T

he State of Alabama is an essential partner in the Chamber’s efforts to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth. There are many important opportunities and threats facing our region requiring State support and leadership.

Action on these top-priority State issues will directly impact the economic development of the Huntsville/Madison County area.

Infrastructure Continue investment roads and other infrastructure needs required to support North Alabama’s emergence as the technology center of the South: n

Issue RFPs and move to award contracts for the Southern Bypass

n

Accelerate widening of Highway 53 to four lanes

n

Widen Winchester Road to five lanes, without the requirement for matching funds

n n

Defense and Space Industry Support n

n

Provide support for preparation of a Strategic Plan for development of State’s defense and space industry, leveraging North Alabama’s critical mass of resources now in place, as well as those that may be added as a consequence of NASA’s U.S. Space Transportation Policy (announced 1/6/2005) and DoD’s BRAC process now underway.

Create an Office of Innovation and Technology reporting to the Governor to focus state resources upon deploying current and future technological assets and to stimulate development of a technology-driven economy across the state.

n

n

Continue the State’s direct support of the Tennessee Valley Base Realignment and Closure (TV BRAC) Committee’s efforts to protect and to grow Redstone, as the military’s transformation process is enacted under BRAC 05.

Ensure that means are available for the TV BRAC Committee to expedite access to the State’s executive, legislative and regulatory resources, when needed, as BRAC ’05 decisions are reached in 2005.

Restart implementation of the planned interchange on Highway 72 at the Moores Mill/Shields Road intersection, and initiate planning of its eventual extension to Athens

Local R&D Universities Support and fund new initiatives by local R&D universities that expand the region’s critical presence as a center of Defense and Space technology for the nation: n

n

BRAC ’05

Extend Research Park Boulevard to Highway 431/231 to service the Toyota project as part of the planned Northern Bypass

n

Establish a Technology Integration and Application Facility at Alabama A&M University, including an enterprise incubator to nurture commercialization of related technology Establish a Research and Test Center of Excellence for Unmanned Vehicles at the University of Alabama in Huntsville Provide appropriate funding for the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), a partnership between NASA, the State of Alabama and seven state research universities

T

he State of Alabama is an essential partner in the Chamber’s efforts to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth. There are many important opportunities and threats facing our region requiring State support and leadership.

Action on these top-priority State issues will directly impact the economic development of the Huntsville/Madison County area.

Infrastructure Continue investment roads and other infrastructure needs required to support North Alabama’s emergence as the technology center of the South: n

Issue RFPs and move to award contracts for the Southern Bypass

n

Accelerate widening of Highway 53 to four lanes

n

Widen Winchester Road to five lanes, without the requirement for matching funds

n n

Defense and Space Industry Support n

n

Provide support for preparation of a Strategic Plan for development of State’s defense and space industry, leveraging North Alabama’s critical mass of resources now in place, as well as those that may be added as a consequence of NASA’s U.S. Space Transportation Policy (announced 1/6/2005) and DoD’s BRAC process now underway.

Create an Office of Innovation and Technology reporting to the Governor to focus state resources upon deploying current and future technological assets and to stimulate development of a technology-driven economy across the state.

n

n

Continue the State’s direct support of the Tennessee Valley Base Realignment and Closure (TV BRAC) Committee’s efforts to protect and to grow Redstone, as the military’s transformation process is enacted under BRAC 05.

Ensure that means are available for the TV BRAC Committee to expedite access to the State’s executive, legislative and regulatory resources, when needed, as BRAC ’05 decisions are reached in 2005.

Restart implementation of the planned interchange on Highway 72 at the Moores Mill/Shields Road intersection, and initiate planning of its eventual extension to Athens

Local R&D Universities Support and fund new initiatives by local R&D universities that expand the region’s critical presence as a center of Defense and Space technology for the nation: n

n

BRAC ’05

Extend Research Park Boulevard to Highway 431/231 to service the Toyota project as part of the planned Northern Bypass

n

Establish a Technology Integration and Application Facility at Alabama A&M University, including an enterprise incubator to nurture commercialization of related technology Establish a Research and Test Center of Excellence for Unmanned Vehicles at the University of Alabama in Huntsville Provide appropriate funding for the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), a partnership between NASA, the State of Alabama and seven state research universities

Bob Riley, Governor of Alabama ...................................................... (334) 242-7100 Lucy Baxley, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama ............................................ (334) 242-7900 Seth Hammett, Speaker of the House ...................................................... (334) 242-7668

Madison County Delegation Senate Lowell Barron, President Pro Tempore........................................................(334) 242-7858 Tom Butler ..............................................................................................(334) 242-7854 Jeff Enfinger ............................................................................................(334) 242-7885 Hinton Mitchem ....................................................................................(334) 242-7876 Tommy Ed Roberts ................................................................................(334) 242-7874

House of Representatives Mike Ball .............................................................................................. (334) 242-7683 Ray Gardner .......................................................................................... (334) 242-7731 Albert Hall ............................................................................................ (334) 242-7727 Laura Hall ............................................................................................ (334) 242-7688 Randy Hinshaw .................................................................................... (334) 242-7733 Howard Sanderford .............................................................................. (334) 242-4368 Sue Schmitz .......................................................................................... (334) 242-7704

Huntsville/Madison County Legislative Office .......................... (256) 539-5441

Montgomery Information Senate .................................................................................................. (334) 242-7800 House of Representatives ................................................................ (334) 242-7600

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY • 225 CHURCH STREET HUNTSVILLE, AL 35801 • 256-535-2000 • WWW.HUNTSVILLEALABAMAUSA.COM