Alabama

November 17, 2009 -- AUBURN - After touring a recycling center in Auburn, Alabama Governor Bob Riley announced that eight local governments have received more than $1 million under a new grant program designed to encourage recycling.

Governor Riley signed the Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act into law in 2008. The law created the Alabama Recycling Fund, which provides grants to cities, counties and non-profit organizations to start new recycling programs or expand existing programs at the local level. During its first year, eight local governments have received $1,161,552 from the fund.    » read more »

November 16, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - With an Alabama Supreme Court ruling defining bingo in hand, Alabama Governor Bob Riley has contacted gambling commissions throughout the country notifying them of the court’s decision and urging the commissions to make sure the gambling machine manufacturers they regulate cease all illegal activity in Alabama.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling is crystal clear. All these so-called electronic bingo machines are illegal in Alabama and it’s time for them to go,” said Governor Riley. “We warned the gambling commissions and the slot machine manufacturers almost a year ago that these machines are illegal, so the Supreme Court’s ruling can’t be a surprise to them. It certainly isn’t to us.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley today commented on the Alabama Supreme Court White Hall casino ruling.

“This ruling from the Supreme Court makes clear all these so-called electronic bingo machines in Alabama are illegal and it’s time for them to go,” said Governor Riley.    » read more »

November 09, 2009 -- MOBILE - Alabama Governor Bob Riley on Monday declared an official state of emergency in Alabama due to the imminent threat posed by Tropical Storm Ida. The emergency declaration enables the Governor to invoke various emergency preparedness measures.

During a press briefing at shipbuilder Austal USA in Mobile, Governor Riley urged Alabama residents to take the threat seriously and to follow the direction of local emergency managers for storm preparation.    » read more »

November 05, 2009
MONTGOMERY - Alabama is reaping rewards from Kia’s decision to build its first U.S. assembly plant just a few miles across the state line in Georgia.

The Alabama Development Office reports Kia is responsible for more than 3,600 new jobs at automotive supplier plants located in Alabama. Those workers are employed at 34 different plants in Alabama, including 12 new suppliers that located in the state since Kia announced its decision in March 2006.

Twenty-five of those 34 plants supply both Alabama’s Hyundai plant and the Kia plant in Georgia.    » read more »

November 02, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley today announced the special election dates for House District 40, which became vacant with the death of Representative Lea Fite last month.

The deadline for candidate qualification with the two major political parties is Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. Party primaries will be held on Tuesday, January 5. Primary runoffs, if necessary, will take place on Tuesday, February 16. If no runoffs are necessary the general election will be held on Tuesday, February 16. In the event of a runoff, the general election will be held on Tuesday, March 30.

The Governor’s Office has communicated the schedule to the two major political parties and the probate judges of all in House District 40.

Source: Alabama Governor

October 14, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama met the first deadline set by Congress for states to report their use of federal stimulus dollars, Alabama Governor Bob Riley said today.

State agencies reported their use of stimulus dollars and the number of jobs “created or retained” to the federal government over the weekend. It is the first of what will be quarterly updates on how Alabama spends its allotment of stimulus funds.

The federal government will post complete stimulus reports from all states on the Internet on October 30, but Alabama’s stimulus report is already available online at www.stimulus.alabama.gov, Governor Riley said.

Using formulas from the federal government, the stimulus is credited with creating or retaining 4,505 jobs so far.    » read more »

Warns counties and communities about getting involved with organized gambling

September 28, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - “The federal judge’s ruling could not be clearer, and it echoes exactly what we have been saying about the illegality of so-called ‘bingo’ machines in Alabama. Machines that look and act like slot machines constitute illegal slot machines, no matter what they’re called.”    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley’s office today commented on Georgia’s decision to appeal a definitive federal court ruling that water withdrawals from Lake Lanier to provide water supply to the Atlanta area are illegal under federal law.

Governor Riley’s Press Secretary Todd Stacy made the following statement:    » read more »

August 21, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama's State General Fund agencies are being told to revise their operating plans for Fiscal Year 2010 because of declines in available revenue.

“Due to the ongoing recession, tax revenues have declined and so state agencies will have to slow down their anticipated spending from the General Fund,” said Acting Director of Finance Bill Newton.

Newton sent a memorandum to General Fund agencies on Friday saying they will have to submit a revised FY2010 operations plan. The adjusted plans will need to reflect quarterly allotments to agencies from the General Fund of 22 percent in the first three quarters of the new fiscal year and 34 percent in the last quarter. State agencies normally receive allotments of 25 percent each quarter.    » read more »

Expansion brings 240 new jobs to North Alabama

August 21, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley today commented on news that Toyota plans to expand its Huntsville engine production facility, investing an additional $147 million and adding at least 240 new jobs. The expansion will bring total investment at Toyota’s Alabama plant to $637 million and the total number of jobs to more than 1000.

Governor Riley made the following statement:    » read more »

ERLANGER, Ky. (August 21, 2009) -- Toyota will add capacity at its engine plant in Huntsville, Ala., to increase North American production of four-cylinder engines. The expansion will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL) to produce 216,000 four-cylinder engines annually. Production will begin by summer 2011.

The plant currently builds both V8 and V6 engines. The expansion will bring its annual engine capacity to 577,000.

At least 240 new employees will be hired, raising total employment at TMMAL to more than 1,000. New investment will be $147 million, bringing the total to $637 million.    » read more »

Back-to-School savings, sales more critical than ever for families, businesses and government

August 04, 2009 -- HUNTSVILLE - As the 2009-2010 school year approaches, families in need of back-to-school clothing and supplies will again be able to take advantage of exceptional savings thanks to Alabama’s fourth annual Sales Tax Holiday.

From 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 7 until 12:00 midnight on Sunday, August 9, the state’s four percent sales tax will be waived for certain purchases such as clothing, school supplies, computer equipment and books. In addition to the state removing its sales tax, this year 253 cities and counties throughout the state will waive their local sales taxes, offering consumers even greater savings at the check-out aisle.    » read more »

July 3, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that she will not seek a second term as Governor of the State of Alaska and will relegate the power of governor to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell in order to serve Alaska’s best interests. Lieutenant General Craig Campbell will move into Parnell’s current role.

“People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing's more important to me than our beloved Alaska,” said Governor Palin. “Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine.”

“I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,” said Governor Palin after the announcement.    » read more »

July 06, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY – Currently, Alabama has 216 highway and bridge, 83 transit and 10 aviation projects being funded from the federal stimulus with more to be added in the future, Governor Bob Riley said Monday.

Alabama is receiving a total of $513.7 million for highway infrastructure projects, $46.4 million for transit projects and $12.2 million for airport projects from the stimulus. To date, 48 contracts totaling $131 million have been let to contract for highway and bridge projects receiving stimulus funding. By March 2010, state and federal officials will have obligated the remainder of the over $572 million stimulus allocation.    » read more »