Alabama

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 »

June 19, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - After an appeal by Alabama Governor Bob Riley, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance to individuals has been made available to residents of Autauga, Elmore, and Montgomery counties affected by recent flooding.

The announcement is a reversal of FEMA’s original decision denying Alabama’s request for assistance for individuals, and was announced just hours after an appeal was filed by Governor Riley on Friday, June 19.    » read more »

Says Positive Attitude Abounds for Tanker Contest

June 18, 2009 -- PARIS, FRANCE - Alabama Governor Bob Riley today wrapped up the first leg of his Economic Development and Jobs Mission in France, where he attended the Paris Air Show, the world’s premiere aerospace and aviation exposition.

Among the top priorities for the Governor, and perhaps the hottest topic of the air show, was the ongoing competition between Northup-Grumman/EADS and Boeing to build the next generation of aircraft refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force last year selected the Northrop tanker over the alternative offered by Boeing, but the deal was jettisoned by Defense Secretary Robert Gates after federal auditors found technical errors in the selection process.    » read more »

June 08, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley is going to three continents over 13 days this month on an economic development mission designed to attract new jobs and expand Alabama’s trade opportunities.

Joined by Dennis Richardson, the Australian ambassador to the U.S., at a news conference today Governor Riley announced he will be leading a delegation of Alabama business and government leaders to France, Singapore and Australia from June 12-24.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and straight-line winds during the period of May 6-8, 2009.

Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, and straight-line winds in the counties of Autauga, Bullock, Elmore, and Montgomery.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.    » read more »