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Shelby announces $733,150 ARC POWER Grant for Opportunity Alabama

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, R-Ala., Wednesday announced that Opportunity Alabama, Inc., a nonprofit initiative in Birmingham, Alabama, is the recipient of a $733,150 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER grant.  This grant will fund the Creating Opportunity for Alabama (COAL) Initiative. “ARC’s decision to award this funding to Opportunity Alabama will help significantly boost private investment … Continued
February 13, 2020

State Sen. Andrew Jones files bill to eliminate grocery tax

State Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Jones’ bill, Senate Bill 144, is different from other recent efforts to eliminate the grocery tax in that his proposal would be revenue neutral and also neutral to the State Education Trust Fund.  In other words, … Continued
February 11, 2020

Sen. Shelby secures $274.3 million to complete Port of Mobile project

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby on Monday announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $274,300,000 for the Port of Mobile in its Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) Work Plan, officially providing the resources to dredge Alabama’s premier port. The funding – which accounts for the full federal share of the project cost – will … Continued
February 11, 2020

Lieutenant Governor’s commission on 21st Century workforce releases comprehensive report

Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth on Monday released a comprehensive report that provides specific recommendations for improving the state’s workforce development efforts and maintaining Alabama’s ability to compete for economic investments. “This detailed report is Alabama’s blueprint for preparing its citizens to fill long-lasting, well-paying, 21st Century jobs,” Ainsworth said.  “If our efforts prove successful, Alabama … Continued
February 11, 2020

U.S. economy adds 225,000 jobs in January

Many economists had been expecting an economic slowdown in 2020 after an extremely prosperous 2019. January, however, vastly exceeded expectations. The U.S. added 225,000 jobs in January. Trade tensions were greatly eased after President Donald J. Trump (R) formally signed the United States Mexico Trade Agreement (USMCA) into law and reached a Phase One trade … Continued
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February 10, 2020

Orr wants more Sanders/Warren-style regulations

Once again, Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, will join forces with left-leaning organizations to impose more regulations on payday lending in the upcoming legislative session. While the Trump Administration over the last three years has taken giant steps toward rolling back Obama-era regulations, Orr is taking a page from Democrat senators and presidential hopefuls, Bernie Sanders … Continued
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February 3, 2020

Byrne: Alabama’s economy will take off with signing of USMCA

Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump (R) signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law. U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Bradley Byrne, R-Montrose, said that the signing of the USMCA is a “cause for celebration” and that the “Alabama economy is primed to explode.” “Alabamians have cause for celebration with the passage of a new trade deal … Continued
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January 30, 2020

Jones introduces bill to promote workforce development for in-demand industries

Yesterday, Senator Doug Jones, D-Alabama, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, introduced legislation to promote education and training for Alabama workers in high-demand industries.  The bill, named the Working On Rewarding and Keeping Employees Resilient (WORKER) Act, is aimed at ensuring employees have access to and are prepared for well-paid, skilled jobs in Alabama and … Continued
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January 29, 2020

Report: Better collaboration, alignment needed to meet state workforce needs

A new report warns that a gap is widening between Alabama’s workforce development system and expected workforce needs. It calls for increased collaboration and alignment between business, education, and career and technical training programs to better define what skills and credentials a highly skilled worker in Alabama needs. The Business Education Alliance of Alabama included … Continued
January 29, 2020
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Study | Alabama’s Economy: Progress and Prospects

A key issue facing businesses and citizens alike is how will our state capitalize on the current economic boom to prepare workers for 21st century jobs. Before analyzing Bureau of Labor Statistics data and their implications for policymakers, we begin by noting there is much good news: From November 2018 to November 2019, Alabama led … Continued
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January 29, 2020