Economy

News / Economy / State

The closing of another rural hospital renews calls for Medicaid expansion

The announcement that Butler County’s Georgiana Medical Center will close on March 31 of this year has renewed calls for the state to expand Medicaid. Georgiana Medical Center will become the 13th Alabama hospital to close in eight years, the seventh rural hospital to close. Other rural hospitals that have closed include those in Florala … Continued

Chip Brownlee

February 13, 2019

Brooks credits Trump trade policies for U.S. Steel resuming work on furnace in Fairfield

U.S. Steel announced Monday that it was resuming work on the idled electric arc steel furnace at the historic Fairfield Works. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, credited President Donald Trump’s trade policies for the announcement that will create 150 steelworker jobs. “U.S. Steel reopening in Birmingham and adding 150 new jobs is a prime example of … Continued

Brandon Moseley

February 13, 2019

Jones bill would require Department of Defense to justify “national security tariffs”

A bill proposed by Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, and a group of bipartisan senators would require the Department of Defense, rather than the Commerce Department, to justify national security tariffs. Congress would also be able to kill the tariffs by passing a motion of disapproval. Jones is sponsoring the bill with Ohio Republican Sen. Rob … Continued

Chip Brownlee

February 7, 2019

Opinion

Economic developers seek expanded immunity from ethics law

Leaders of the state’s economic development community want a blanket exception to the state’s ethics laws that allow them to give and receive things of value to and from corporations — solicited tax dollars from state and local government all under a cloak of secrecy. Not only do they want this indiscriminate sanction for site … Continued

Bill Britt

February 5, 2019

Brooks applauds 304,000 new jobs in January

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama) praised the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics January jobs report on Friday. “On the plus side, the economy produced 304,000 new jobs in January and 2.2 million new jobs over the past year,” Brooks said in a statement. “Both are excellent numbers. Similarly, the monthly labor participation rate … Continued

Brandon Moseley

February 4, 2019

State needs to invest at least $600 million annually in infrastructure, study finds

A report from the University of Alabama’s Alabama Transportation Institute and Alabama Transportation Policy Research Center found that the state needs to invest between $600 million and $800 million annually for the next 20 years to meet infrastructure needs. The report — “Addressing Alabama’s Transporation Infrastructure: Roads and Bridges” — found that Alabama needs to … Continued

Chip Brownlee

February 1, 2019

CHIP program changes will cost Alabama an estimated $1 billion over the next decade

Recent changes to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) means that the state of Alabama is going to have to shoulder substantially more of the cost for the program. An estimated 220,000 children receive their health insurance through the CHIP program, which is managed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL) and marketed under … Continued

Brandon Moseley

January 31, 2019

Canfield: Alabama Jobs Act will help grow payroll by $10.7 billion over the next 10 years

Monday the Joint Legislative Advisory Committee on Economic Incentives met in Montgomery to hear the annual required report on the performance of economic incentives that the state has offered under the Alabama Jobs Act. The joint committee holds a minimum of two meeting a year. Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield reported that from July 2, … Continued

Brandon Moseley

January 30, 2019

Blue Origin breaks ground on rocket engine factory in Madison County

Gov. Kay Ivey attended the formal groundbreaking of the Blue Origin rocket engine production facility in Huntsville. “Blue Origin is a welcome addition to Alabama’s roster of world-class aerospace firms, and its new rocket engine facility in Huntsville will expand the state’s already robust capabilities in space flight,” Ivey said. “Blue Origin is making a … Continued

Brandon Moseley

January 28, 2019

Study: Nurses, truck drivers, retail are the most sought-after employees in Alabama

Nurses, truck drivers and retail workers are among the most highly sought-after employees in Alabama, a new report found. The study conducted by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor Market Information Division looked at online help-wanted ads placed during December 2018. The Help Wanted Online data compiled for the state of Alabama showed out of a … Continued

Mikayla Burns

January 24, 2019