The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is grateful to the members of the Madison County Legislative Delegation, Gov. Ivey, and the other leaders in State Government for their continued support of this region. A healthy PAGE 3 K-12 Education Workforce Development Support Alabama Economic Development Effort PAGE 4 Broadband Childcare Alabama Community College System Invest in Higher Education: Supporting the Region’s Advanced Workforce Support Appointed Superintendent and Boards of Education PAGE 5 Expanding Alabama’s Excellence in Cybersecurity Biosciences Health Insurance Coverage Expansion Infrastructure-Roads PAGE 6 Reform Alabama’s ABC Laws Stop Predatory Lending COVID Relief for Impacted Sectors of the Economy PAGE 7 Social /Civil Justice Support for the Huntsville International Airport Exploration Park
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partnership with the State is critical to our region’s continued success. Support for the items listed in this agenda will help ensure the continued growth of north Alabama and the Tennessee Valley region.
K–12 Education The impacts of COVID-19 and the pandemic continue to highlight the challenges and relationship between thriving public schools and a thriving business community and economy. The safety of students, teachers, and educational staff continues to force schools in every district to be nimble to make needed but hard decisions – go remote, go virtual, use a staggered schedule, or a combination – as the health crisis in the state and the U.S. changes. Thousands of students are continuing to experience technical difficulties and interruptions in their educational, emotional, and social development. While accountability and assessment are critical to achievement, in this third pandemic- and post-pandemic year the focus should be on meeting students where they are and supporting teachers as they make up for lost time and learning loss. The Chamber urges the Legislature to “do no harm” with regard to report cards and funding based on the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years. We continue to support the efforts to use an average of the past two years to determine attendance, to account for virtual and traditional students at the same rate, and to fund fast-growing systems to accommodate new students rather than in arrears. Pre-K We recommend that Pre-K be fully funded in all school systems. Pre-K learning is essential to preparing students for success in kindergarten and beyond. K-12 We support adding additional days of leave to the current teacher contracts along with a 6 to 8 percent raise, or Tier 2. School systems need this salary raise to attract new teachers and fight current levels of teacher attrition due to COVID-related job stress and added responsibilities in the classroom, retirement, and the lure of higher-paying STEM jobs in the corporate sector. Raising teacher salaries to be more commensurate with other respected professions would also help with teacher and school morale and help counter a pervasive loss of respect for the teaching profession. Additional leave days will allow much needed time for professional development for teachers, who like all professionals, need a vehicle for growth, learning new industry methods, and networking opportunities amongst peers. To help with teacher recruitment and retention, we support allowing retirees to come back into the teaching profession without compromising their retirement income. We support lowering the divisors in classrooms for grades 6 through 8 to no more than 20 students. We realize that students in middle school have additional learning challenges due to new pressures from changes in class structure and students facing additional demands to perform at a higher level in these grades. The need to prepare students prior to high school is also critical at this stage, and smaller class sizes would allow for more individualized time with students. To address specific shortages with teacher recruitment efforts, we support creative solutions such as signing bonuses for hard-to-fill positions and the use of adjunct teachers, who can bolster the regular profession with their subject-matter expertise, especially in STEM subjects. To help with teacher recruitment and retention, we support allowing retirees to come back into the teaching profession without compromising their retirement income. ■ We recognize that an effective teacher is the most significant factor in a student’s classroom experience, and we support incentives for teachers to seek National Board Certification, including receiving scholarships for certification and recognizing the certification in the salary matrix. ■ We support teacher recruitment initiatives including scholarships, student loan forgiveness, and bonuses for students pursuing hard-to-fill positions in math and science. We understand that the number of teachers leaving the classroom exceeds the number of teachers entering the profession. Students in colleges of education are at dangerously low numbers. ■ We appreciate the intent of the Literacy Act and support fully funded interventions with additional resources to remediate from COVID. Examples include summer school
for all students not reading on grade level, before- and after-school tutoring, and reading specialists. ■ We support increased funding for school-based gifted and robotics programs. We recognize that science, technology, engineering, and math are critical to our future workforce and our economy. ■ We strongly support local control for school calendars, including start and end dates and breaks that meet the required number of school days. ■ We support having fully funded nurses in every school, as current levels are not sufficient to meet increased needs grown out of the COVID crisis. ■ We support increased funding for special education teachers to meet existing needs. ■ We support additional mental health services for students, including a fully funded mental health counselor, to combat the negative effects, which the pandemic and ongoing COVID health crisis has had and is having on students’ emotional wellbeing and their ability to learn. Current funding is insufficient, and mental health in our schools will be a long-term issue that we cannot ignore or leave untreated. ■ We support increased funding to hire professionally trained staff to support technology in the schools. Current funding levels do not allow school systems to be competitive in hiring and to support existing technology systems. ■ We support state funds being distributed in advance of the school year. ■ We support researching and implementing creative solutions to secure and retain substitute teachers. Currently there is a shortage and difficulty in finding substitutes for teachers when they need to be out of the school. We are seeing additional reduction in teacher numbers due to substitutes being hired as teachers for much-needed, open teacher positions. ■ We support revisiting the allocation and division of the online sales tax, or simplified sellers use tax (SSUT), funds. The growth of the SSUT has exceeded expectations and has resulted in a drop in local sales tax, negatively affecting local school revenue. ■ We support increased funding levels for transportation. ■ We support a more efficient and faster response time to plan approval of construction and needed building renovations.
Workforce Development Career Awareness / Workforce Development Enhancement A skilled, available workforce is critical to the ongoing success of the north Alabama region. The Chamber will seek additional support for proven strategies to attract students into high-growth, high-demand careers, upskill and engage displaced workers, and increase the labor participation rate across the region. Workforce Recruitment Recruiting talent from across the country continues to be a high priority for the Chamber to meet the current and future workforce needs of regional employers. The Chamber’s ASmartPlace campaign will be expanded in 2022 with local funds, and the Chamber will seek State support to complement the local and regional recruitment activities.
Support Alabama Economic Development Effort Alabama’s economic development incentives are “pay as you go” and are required to be net revenue positive to the State. Therefore, there is no need for the current cap of $300 million on incentive funding. We encourage the legislature to move quickly in this session to restore Alabama’s ability to offer reasonable incentives to industries considering Alabama. 2022 STATE AGENDA 3
Broadband Broadband, both wired and wireless, is an important component of our infrastructure and critical to growing and diversifying our economy. The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber supports broadband policies that promote: (1) increased access to affordable broadband for all Alabamians, (2) the efficient deployment of advanced technologies, including small cells and 5G while also recognizing local authority to manage the rights of way consistent with local character and existing law, (3) continued investment and innovation to enhance deployment across Alabama, and (4) competition and choice for Alabama’s businesses and residents.
Childcare When COVID hit, childcare programs shut down or reduced capacity dramatically, leaving working parents with hard choices and employers without reliable staff. Affordable, quality childcare is an issue across the state, with demand exceeding supply by nearly 50 percent in north Alabama. We support the efforts of the Alabama Childcare Coalition to promote and enhance a star-based quality system while providing subsidies and support for childcare centers to make the necessary improvements to meet the higher standards. We also support tax credits for parents, childcare programs and staff, and tax credits for businesses that provide childcare benefits to their employees.
Alabama Community College System The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) supports our community and business and industry partners through the development of education and workforce development programs that closely align with regional workforce development needs. The ACCS is a key cog in Governor Ivey’s “Strong Start, Strong Finish” education and workforce development initiative to produce 500,000 newly credentialed individuals into Alabama’s workforce by 2025. In order to meet this goal, ACCS is requesting funding specifically for the development of customized, short-term workforce training programs at local community colleges (Calhoun and Drake State), which result in industry-recognized certifications and credentials and lead to employment in high wage, high demand careers. To better assist our students, including those in workforce development, our traditional academic transfer programs, and our Adult Education programs, we are requesting increased funding for new training equipment, expansion of career coaches, dual enrollment scholarships, and expansion of career pathways in Adult Education. We also request funding to upgrade training facilities and technology to continue providing quality state-of-the-art instruction and workforce training at Alabama’s community colleges. Calhoun and Drake State are moving forward with capital improvement projects as part of the ACCS ASPIRE 2030 initiative, which the Chamber actively participated in for both institutions. Calhoun and Drake State’s ASPIRE plans seek to expand both colleges’ capabilities for workforce development in north Alabama, examples of which include enhanced offerings and facilities dedicated to manufacturing training, healthcare, cybersecurity, construction, aerospace and aviation, and other high-wage, high-demand fields. In addition, both Calhoun and Drake State have focused on creating more apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities into their career tech programs, which provide students with the opportunity to “earn-and learn” at the same time. Drake State Community and Technical College Infrastructure Improvements to Support Region’s Workforce Demands Drake State requests that the State of Alabama provide support with equipment and operational costs to expand and improve its Health Sciences facility. The Healthcare sector is one of the fasting growing sectors of the economy and the demand for Healthcare workers is projected to continue to grow significantly in north Alabama. Renovation of an existing building will allow Drake State to expand its programming and increase the overall number of students admitted to the programs. 4 2022 STATE AGENDA
Invest in Higher Education: Supporting the Region’s Advanced Workforce Huntsville and Madison County’s workforce is a critical national asset, and the success of our knowledge-based economy is highly dependent on advanced workforce development. Research universities are crucial to the region’s growth. To better meet the advanced workforce needs of the Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park, and their surrounding region, we respectfully request increased state appropriations for The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and Alabama A&M University (AAMU). UAH IT Infrastructure Enhancement UAH requests the State of Alabama’s continued support to build and develop the IT infrastructure on campus. Improved big data and IT infrastructure would provide advanced research capabilities and enhance UAH collaboration with the U.S. Army, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Cummings Research Park. The development of UAH’s IT and cybersecurity capabilities are a top priority. UAH Advanced Workforce Programs to Support Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park Strategic investments and direct support of programs would help students fill critical jobs in Huntsville upon graduating. We should expend revenues to expand and enhance our capabilities through the use of effective university tools, and to create or grow critical mass in specific areas of importance to the future mission needs of Redstone Arsenal. In addition to offering innovative research to federal agencies to overcome technological challenges, such an investment would provide additional benefits to the future Redstone workforce as a result of UAH students gaining experience, and clearances with federal agencies at Redstone Arsenal. This is crucial for Huntsville’s advance workforce pipeline and retention for Redstone’s aging workforce, particularly engineers. AAMU Legislative Agenda Priorities for FY2022/2023 Alabama A&M is requesting that the State meet its obligation for matching Federal Land Grant research funds Over the past few years, the State match has consistently fallen short nearly $500,000. The amount in arrears should be included in this year’s budget, as well as the increase needed to match the upcoming fiscal year Federal moneys. In addition, the University is asking for an additional equitable increase above the across the board higher education percent increase in order to compensate for continued lack of equity in funding since the last round of proration. AAMU-Auburn Cooperative Extension The Cooperative Extension program has been mired in inequitable funding despite the KnightSims consent decree. An increase of at least 10 percent is called for to begin addressing the inequities and to allow ACES to continue delivering services to the citizens of Alabama.
Support Appointed Superintendent and Boards of Education Only 78 out of 15,000 Superintendents of Education are elected to their position. All 14,900+ other school systems select their Superintendents by appointment by their School Boards. Nearly half - 37 of these 78 elected superintendents - are in Alabama. Only 22 local Boards of Education are elected in Alabama. Examples of elected superintendents and elected school board members working at cross-purposes is not hard to find. Electing both School Boards and Superintendents presents a dysfunctional governance model to the detriment of the school system. The board must set the policy and have the authority to effectively manage the superintendent to carry out those policy decisions. The Chamber supports legislation that will require all K12 superintendents to be appointed by the locally elected or appointed school board. Additionally the Chamber supports local decision making about appointing or electing their boards of education. This allows for a broader selection process that is not restricted to a local constituency, and positions the appointed superintendent, to work for, and be responsible to the board.
Expanding Alabama’s Excellence in Cybersecurity Recent ransomware and other cyber-attacks on several northern Alabama local governments and schools highlight the need to continue outreach and support efforts to non-Defense organizations that our vital to our community’s success. The creation of a state supported, centralized cyber monitoring and incident response center could standardize and enhance cybersecurity across organizations such as our school systems, the financial industry, consumer utility providers and other critical infrastructure assets throughout the state. Furthermore, successful implementation of a comprehensive cyber strategy would be enhanced through the creation and support of a State level policy forum. Requested Actions: ■ Provide continued operating funding to The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Cyber Camp to continue cybersecurity education and outreach efforts to disadvantaged/underserved communities ■ Fund ASCTE at a level commensurate with funding received by other state magnet schools ■ Provide tax-exempt status to the ASCTE Foundation ■ Continue the Governor’s Advisory Council for Excellence in STEM ■ Expand the State’s Workforce Development Program to develop cyber internship/ apprenticeship programs
Biosciences Growing the bioscience industry is a priority for the State of Alabama, for which the Chamber is immensely grateful. According to BIO Alabama, the state’s bioscience industry generates $7.3B in economic activity each year. Within the state, the north Alabama region plays a vital part of the bioscience ecosystem with HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology leading the way with a $750M economic impact to the state over 2019-2020 and a cumulative economic impact of $3.2B since 2006. With a proven record of success, the area of bioscience provides high quality jobs, diversifies the region’s economy, and advances human health, and sustainable agriculture. In the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the men and women working in north Alabama’s bioscience arena have made invaluable contributions to the region, state, and nation. These scientific and economic contributions from academia and industry were made possible in large part due to the dedicated support from our state’s elected and community leaders. The Chamber supports direct investment into research, infrastructure, as well as robust policy for the bioscience industry. The Chamber applauds and encourages further inventive approaches to entrepreneur- and recruitment-based economic development like the Growing Alabama Tax Credit Program, which prioritizes innovative industries and quality, high-paying jobs. Additionally, the Chamber supports legislation such as the Alabama Innovation Act, which created the Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund, encouraging collaborative approaches to research and development leading to increased opportunities for employment and products. Through the state’s continued interest, forward-looking policy making, and targeted investments, the bioscience industry can continue to grow and flourish in Alabama. With this approach, new jobs and capital investment will follow. These results are in addition to the outcomes that are driven by biosciences’ discoveries and applications, improving health care and agriculture in Alabama and beyond.
nation’s healthcare safety net – the provider of last resort for patients who cannot pay for their healthcare – and these closures consolidate uncompensated care. In order to remain viable, hospitals pass along the burden of this uncompensated care to commercially insured patients, raising healthcare costs for employers and individuals who purchase their own coverage. Medicaid expansion offers Alabama the opportunity to provide basic health insurance to more than 300,000 individuals, most of who are currently working but cannot afford insurance. The Federal government covers 90 percent of the cost of expansion, with the State’s share limited to 10 percent. This represents a $28 billion boost for Alabama’s economy and is estimated to create 30,000 jobs statewide. The economic stimulus from the new Federal spending more than covers the State’s 10 percent share of the cost. The newly covered population can receive care in a lower cost environment (a doctor’s office as opposed to an emergency department) and the burden of shifting uncompensated care to the commercially insured population declines. Many patients with mental health and substance abuse issues would be able to receive care before landing in an emergency department. States that have already expanded have generated a significant body of research demonstrating the positive impact on health outcomes (lower infant mortality, better cancer diagnosis). Medicaid provides health insurance for low-income children, pregnant women, the elderly and the disabled. Alabama has one of the most restrictive eligibility thresholds in the country, with zero non-disabled, childless adults enrolled in Alabama Medicaid. Adults in a family of three earning more than $312 per month cannot qualify. The health insurance provided by Alabama Medicaid covers a bare minimum of services. The cost per enrollee is the third lowest in the country and administrative costs are less than 3 percent. Alabama Medicaid is funded with approximately 30 percent state dollars and 70 percent federal matching dollars. Of that 30 percent, only 10 percent comes from the General Fund, with the remaining 20 percent coming from healthcare provider assessments and other funding sources. Alabama’s Medicaid budget has grown at a slower rate than the national rate of medical inflation.
Infrastructure-Roads All infrastructure road projects on this list are considered high-priority roads. They are not listed in ranking order. All listed projects are listed on the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). ■ Additional Lanes on I-565 – The MPO thanks the State for its efforts to facilitate additional lanes on I-565 from County Line Road to I-65. This has been a top priority for the community as new jobs and investment continue to come to the region. We are grateful for the recent completion of six lanes on I-565 between I-65 and County Line Road. We understand that the next segment between County Line Road and Wall Triana Highway is currently under design. We are seeking a continued commitment to move this project towards construction to complete all six lanes along I-565 through our growing community.
Health Insurance Coverage Expansion
■ U.S. 72 East (Corridor V) – This project will provide an extension of I-565 to include service roads and new interchanges at Moores Mill Road and Shields Road which will add approximately 2.3 miles along I-565 through a congested area which continues to grow. In 2015 one additional lane westbound from Shields Road and one additional turn lane at Moores Mill Road were added as a temporary fix for the congestion, however very little benefit was had since the area continues to outgrow the previous temporary improvements. To date, new residential and commercial developments as well as new job centers continue to be established within the eastern side of our region. The extension of I-565 through this area would significantly improve traffic flow along U.S Hwy 72 from adjacent regions.
Rural hospitals in Alabama are experiencing a funding crisis. Unable to absorb the burden of uncompensated care in their communities and recovering from the unprecedented impact of the COVID pandemic, six hospitals have closed since 2011. These closures eliminate jobs and force patients to travel to urban areas for care. Hospital emergency departments function as the
■ I-565 Interchange with Highway 231 – This is the only interchange in our region in which an Interstate and U.S Highway intersects directly within our urban core. The current interchange serves approx. 190,000 vehicles per day through the center of the region. A corridor study has been completed showing all turning movements are at 2022 STATE AGENDA 5
functional failure due to continued growth and the interchange not capable to safely and efficiently handing current traffic volumes. We are seeking funding in moving this project forward to design and construction. ■ Northern Bypass (SR 255) Extension from U.S. Highway 231/431 to Winchester Road (CR-65) – Project would provide extension of Northern Bypass (SR 255) for approximately three miles consisting of a new four lane divided limited access highway between Memorial Parkway (U.S. Highway 231/431) to Winchester Road (CR 65). This is an extension of SR255 that currently connects commuters from north Alabama and southern Tennessee directly to I-565 and Redstone Arsenal. An environmental document has been underway since 2011. Due to the extensive amount of time that has lapsed as a result of the process and funding, multiple residential and commercial developments continue to conflict with proposed route. Our focus is on completing the EA so we can separate the project into phases to move forward on the next phase of the project that will connect the Northern Bypass (SR 255) to Winchester Road (CR 65) which is currently being widened to a five-lane roadway. Upon completion of this next phase, full connectivity via a bypass will be provided to the northern half of the City consisting of 18 miles of limited access highway between the eastern and western side of our region. ■ Redstone Arsenal East Connector – This roadway will provide direct access from I-565 to Redstone Arsenal Gate 10 at Patton Road which consists of 2.5 miles of new four-lane divided limited access highway. This project is needed to divert Interstate traffic directly to the eastern side of Redstone Arsenal for direct access to new jobs and buildings that are associated with existing and proposed employment centers for infrastructure on base. The corridor study is currently underway, and we are seeking funding to move the project towards design and construction. ■ U.S. Highway 72 West from Providence Main to County Line Road – This widening project improves overall traffic flow and provides critical capacity and safety improvements along this urban principal east-west arterial with average daily traffic volumes ranging near 50,000 vehicles per day. Highway 72 has become a major throughput and safety concern for the greater Huntsville community. ■ Madison Boulevard – Widen Madison Boulevard from four to six lanes from County Line Road east to Madison/Huntsville City limit, including drainage and landscape improvements and adding sidewalk. ■ I-565 Interchange near Zierdt Road, Hughes Road Extension and Auxiliary Lanes on I-565 – A 2015 Federal Interstate Justification Study showed that the proposed interchange would reduce traffic load at the Wall Triana Interchange by hundreds of cars per hour. Additionally, this locally funded new interchange will provide immediate and improved access to Zierdt Road from I-565 into Redstone Arsenal, which will allow the newly widened Zierdt Road to become a second major artery from I-565 into Redstone Arsenal’s Gate 7. The first phase of the interchange has been completed. ■ Resolute Way Interchange at I-565 – This new interchange would improve safety and efficiency directly west of the existing I-565 and Research Park Boulevard (SR 255) interchange that leads directly into Redstone Arsenal at Gate 9. This is a heavily traveled roadway with 75,000 vehicles per day connecting Redstone Arsenal to the Northern Bypass. A new interchange is needed to reduce congestion and improve safety at this location. An environmental assessment is currently being performed by Redstone Arsenal and we are seeking funds to move this project forward into design and construction to benefit the region. ■ Widening of Wall Triana Highway from Capshaw Road to Highway 72 West – This section of road is located within the city limits of Huntsville, Madison and the unincorporated area of Madison County and is a major north to south corridor. ■ Widening of Old Monrovia Road from the Huntsville City limits west to Jeff Road. ■ Widening of Jeff Road from Douglass Road north to Highway 53. 6 2022 STATE AGENDA
■ Widening of Slaughter Road from Madison Boulevard to Highway 72 – Slaughter Road is a major north-south corridor that traverses three jurisdictions: Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County. This road provides access from north Madison County to Madison, Huntsville, and Cummings Research Park. ■ Highway 53 Widening to the Tennessee State Line –This project has been on the ALDOT books for 25+ years. As growth in Northwest Madison County has continued, this road is becoming increasingly dangerous. What was once a sleepy agriculture community is now filled with vibrant subdivisions and retail. ■ Huntsville–Browns Ferry Road – Widen Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road from two to four lanes from Mooresville Road to County Line Road, including sidewalk/multi-use path on at least one side.
Reform Alabama’s ABC Laws Allow Small Manufacturers to Sell Other Alcohol at Retail Alabama’s craft breweries are not only producing world-class beer. Their tasting rooms have also become community centers and destinations for visitors. Many craft brewers have on-site restaurants, offer tours of the production area, and host events for local organizations. However, current law only allows them to serve their guests alcohol that was produced on-site. To maximize how these businesses can operate and serve their guests, the state should allow small manufacturers to hold retail-class licenses to purchase beer and wine from licensed wholesalers, and liquor from the ABC Board, for resale to the public. In 2014, Alabama was unable to compete for a $74 million facility for Stone Brewing Co’s Eastern US site in part because Alabama lacks the ability for craft manufacturers to do these types of operations. Reform the Alabama Brewpub Act Reform the Alabama Brewpub Act and allow brewpubs to grow by removing the cap on brewpub production (at 10,000 barrels a year) and the restrictions on the sale of cans and bottles.
Stop Predatory Lending The Chamber supports meaningful reform of Alabama laws regulating predatory lending practices that include, but are not limited to payday and title loans. Predatory lenders in Alabama are legally allowed to charge extremely high interest rates and fees on short-term, small dollar loans, creating a cycle of debt that hurts Alabama families and drives more citizens into a downward spiral of poverty. We advocate for fair and equitable access to credit for Alabamians and we strongly support legislation to curb predatory practices that cause economic hardship for working families and drain resources from communities.
COVID Relief for Impacted Sectors of the Economy In Huntsville, Madison and Madison County, the largest market segment for the hospitality industry has direct ties with the federal government. Redstone Arsenal, is home to over 70 federal agencies and commands and provides employment for nearly 45,000 on-base employees. The federal government employee travel restrictions enacted due to COVID-19 are still drastically impacting the visitation to our community. The impact of COVID on the travel and tourism industry has been staggering. The devastating impact of the pandemic can been seen in the data contrasting 2019 industry performance against 2020: ■ The number of visitors was down by 847,084 – a 23.2 percent decrease ■ The average Hotel room rate dropped by 12 percent
■ Hotel average occupancy rates dropped by 24.4 percent ■ Travel related earnings dropped 22.6 percent - a loss of $116 Million in revenue ■ Travel related employment dropped 22.4 percent - with 4,257 Jobs Lost The hospitality industry in Huntsville and Madison County rebounded modestly in 2021, with occupancy levels in local hotels and room rates up. However, additional costs of doing business, including higher wages and enhanced personal protective and cleaning measures, have kept industry performance well below pre-pandemic levels. Federal government travel is still severely curtailed and businesses in the hospitality and service industries are hard pressed to find adequate workforce to fill available positions. The ARPA legislation made special provisions for the hard-hit travel, tourism, and venue industry. Alabama should provide some of its ARPA funding to the regional enterprises impacted by COVID, including the Space and Rocket Center, which was devastated by the pandemic. Grants, special appropriations and a concerted push for increased workforce development are needed to support the hospitality industry, which accounts for an estimated economic impact in Madison County alone in excess of $1.2 billion.
Social/Civil Justice Alabama’s 1901 Constitution was drafted with the expressed intent of suppressing minority engagement in the political process and codifying racial segregation. The slogan promoting the Constitutional Convention declared “white supremacy, suffrage reform and purity in elections.” Alabama should capitalize on the current momentum for racial justice reforms. The Legislature passed a proposed constitutional amendment in 2019, without a dissenting vote, to repeal this language and the voters overwhelming ratified Amendment 4 in the election in November of 2020. It now falls to the legislature to adopt legislation to draft and adopt reforms to the state constitution to remove the racist language; remove language that is repeated or no longer applies; combine language related to economic development, and combine language that relates to the same county. We encourage quick action on this. We would also request a “whole of government look” at the cost of legislation that disproportionately impacts people based on race and socio-economic conditions.
Support for the Huntsville International Airport Support the Legislation Creating the “Alabama Airport Economic and Infrastructure Program” Airports are one of the most fundamental components of business and community infrastructure because they facilitate continuous economic growth for contiguous economic regions. Airports also provide monumental economic benefits and economic impacts for their respective regions within the state of Alabama. Recent economic impact assessments show a total impact of $4.9 billion statewide annual economic activity. In addition, the one study details that Alabama Airports contribute a combined $267.6 million annually to state and local tax revenues. Of that amount approximately $55 million is going directly into the General Fund for the state of Alabama. Investments in airports have a tremendous return on investment. One recent study indicated that a $1 investment in airport core business, from any funding source, can generate $5 in additional income for the community. Over the past ten years all Alabama airports combined have received between $45 million and $70 million annually from the federal government, but over half of that has been discretionary funding. With discretionary funding less likely moving forward, ALDOT Aeronautics Bureau states that there is $59.3 million in airport pavement funding needed annually just to maintain the current pavement at Alabama airports. Over the past five years and prior to the pandemic the state grant funds for airports in Alabama has ranged from $2.4 to $3.7 million. Other states have programs that fund their airports’
continued infrastructure needs at higher levels, including Mississippi ($5 million annually) and North Carolina ($105 million annually, $30 million for general aviation airports and $75 million for commercial service airports). In summary, Alabama’s surrounding states (FL, GA, MS, TN) have programs that fund their airport’s continued infrastructure needs varying from $5 million (Mississippi) to +$300 million (Florida), and at least one other state (WY) has a program specifically dedicated to funding commercial air service development efforts. Requested Actions: ■ Supplement the ALDOT Aeronautics Bureau’s Airport Improvement Program by creating the “Alabama Airport Economic and Infrastructure Program,” which would allow Alabama airports the funding needed to meet infrastructure demands. The proposed legislation would provide Alabama airports $25 million each fiscal year. $15 million of this would be allocated for commercial service airports based on each airport’s pro rata share of entitlement funds received by the airport under the federal Airport Improvement Program for the preceding fiscal year and $10 million would be disbursed to general aviation airports as determined by ALDOT. Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing Legislation Peer-to-peer car sharing companies (“P2Ps”) operate online platforms that enable car owners to rent their personally owned cars to third parties. P2Ps are currently operating throughout the State of Alabama, with vehicles listed as available for rental at most air carrier airports. Airport Authorities regulate traditional rental car companies that operate at the airport by requiring concession agreements, which require payment of concession fees to the Airport Authority, payment of applicable taxes, and compliance with other Airport Authority rules and regulations. Although P2Ps are engaged in the business of renting cars, unlike their traditional rental car counterparts, they have refused to enter into concession agreements with Airport Authorities or abide by Airport rules and regulations governing rental car companies. P2Ps do not pay rental taxes on car sharing transactions, they do not pay concession fees for enabling car sharing at airports, and they do not comply with other rules and regulations applicable to traditional rental car companies. Because P2Ps are not playing by the same rules, traditional rental car companies are at a competitive disadvantage. Many states have already passed legislation requiring P2Ps to enter into agreements with airport authorities in order to operate at airports, including Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Maine, Indiana, and Maryland. Following passage of this legislation several states reached agreements with the entities that operate in affected regional airports. These agreements require Turo to pay certain fees to the airports for the privilege of conducting business there, in keeping with the requirements that are typically imposed on traditional off-site rental car companies. We ask the legislature to pass legislation endorsed by Aviation Council of Alabama governing Peer to Peer car sharing companies so that traditional rental car companies will not be at a competitive disadvantage.
Exploration Park The Chamber requests that the State of Alabama endorse and support the ongoing public/ public partnership initiative between Redstone Arsenal and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center to develop Exploration Park, currently an area of undeveloped land directly adjacent to the U. S. Space & Rocket Center. The project’s primary mission is to further enhance the morale, welfare and recreation of Team Redstone’s workforce, and to development additional public quality of life enhancement for the community and growth of USSRC educational programs. Exploration Park will provide a signature quality of life feature and create a magnet for a talented workforce to continue Team Redstone’s critical contributions to our Nation’s national defense and exceptionalism in technology and engineering.
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ALABAMA STATE GOVERNMENT Governor Kay Ivey (R) Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R) ALABAMA SENATE (Madison County Legislative Delegation) Tim Melson (R), District 1 Tom Butler (R), District 2 Arthur Orr (R), District 3 Sam Givhan (R), District 7 Steve Livingston (R), District 8 Clay Scofield (R), District 9
ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (Madison County Legislative Delegation) Mac McCutcheon (R), District 25 SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Anthony Daniels (D), District 53 MINORITY LEADER Andy Whitt (R), District 6 Mike Ball (R), District 10 Laura Hall (D), District 19 Howard Sanderford (R), District 20 Rex Reynolds (R), District 21 Ritchie Whorton (R), District 22
Madison County Legislative Office 726 Madison Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone: 256-539-5441 | fax: 256-539-5444 | madcoleg@knology.net
For more about the Chamber, visit us at hsvchamber.org.