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A spirit that is not afraid

Gov. Kay Ivey: 'The state of the state is strong'

Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her first State of the State Address as Alabama's 54th governor

Gov. Kay Ivey, less than a year into her job as Alabama's 54th governor, declared the State of the State strong and the future bright in her first annual address since taking office, reflecting on a year of tumult that both eroded confidence in Alabama's government and began to restore it.

Ivey took office in April after then-Gov. Robert Bentley, entangled in a spiraling sex scandal, stepped down from his post under pressure of impeachment in the Legislature. Bentley announced his resignation in the same room Ivey delivered her address Tuesday.

In the months leading to Ivey's succession, then-Chief Justice Roy Moore was effectively removed from atop the Supreme Court and House Speaker Mike Hubbard was convicted on 12 felony ethics charges. The changes marked a total turnover in the top three positions in Alabama's government.

When Ivey took office in April, she promised to "steady the ship of state" — a promise she says she kept.

"Over the past nine months, together, we have proven Alabamians seek progress, not stagnation," Ivey said to a crowd of legislators, officials and citizens gathered in the Capitol Tuesday night. "I declare that the state of the state is strong and our future is as bright as the sun over the Gulf."

Ivey's speech before a joint session of the Alabama Legislature served as an opportunity not only for Ivey to review the last year but to highlight her agenda for the remainder of her term, which will end next year. She laid out a broad agenda that focuses on education, pay raises for state employees, prison improvements and economic development.

The agenda, while broad, is not particularly ambitious. Most of it focuses around her general fund and education budgets, the Legislature's only constitutional duty. Legislators in Montgomery this year are expected to focus mainly on the budgets as they head into an election year.

The Alabama Legislature, which opened their 2018 Legislative Session Tuesday morning across the street in the State House, will face several challenges this session including uncertainty about federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and the dilapidated, overcrowded state of Alabama's prison system.

But Ivey remained positive, noting that the state budget, commonly cash-strapped, is expected to see an increase in revenue this year while the state Medicaid Agency, the largest recipient of appropriations, is believed to need less money than expected this year as fewer Alabamians are eligible for benefits.

"Our improved economy, allows us to not just fund state programs, but to expand the ones making a positive difference," Ivey said. "It is tempting, when times aren’t as tight as before, to spend generously. We must resist that temptation."

Ivey's proposed general fund budget, which must be approved by the Legislature, calls for some modest increases though including a cost-of-living raise for state employees — the first since 2008. Her education budget also calls for a raise for teachers.

"Every day, we depend on state employees," Ivey said. "Whether it’s a state trooper patrolling our highways, a teacher staying late to help a struggling student, or a social worker rescuing an abused child, quality state employees are essential to good government. It is long-past time for us to honor their service with better pay."

Ivey said her budget will also allow for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to put more troopers on the roads. ALEA has repeatedly said it doesn't have enough troopers to keep drivers safe.

"We will put more state troopers on our roads and add more corrections officers, all in an effort to serve and protect Alabama families," Ivey said.

Over the late summer, the new governor embarked on a Listen, Learn, Help and Lead tour, in which she visited communities, including Auburn, to hold round-table discussions and visit local businesses in school. Ivey said she wanted to listen to everyday people.

After the tour, Ivey announced her Strong Start, Strong Finish initiative, which would increase funding to the state pre-K program by $23 million, increase funding for higher education by $50 and provide funding for a graduates' jobs program and scholarships for math and science teachers.

"These additional dollars are investments in our children and young people, and thus are investments in our future," Ivey said.

She also announced the creation of the Alabama School of Cyber-Technology and Engineering, which will be based in Huntsville. The school will join the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile and the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham as special-focus schools.

"With this budget, we will improve educational opportunities for all Alabamians," Ivey said.

The education budget Ivey submitted, which is funded largely be Use Tax revenue that grows relatively continuously as the economy grows, will be the largest investment in the state education budget in 10 years, Ivey said.

Alabama's prison system, made up largely of decades-old prisons built to hold far less than their current occupation, has struggled in recent years as federal investigations and court litigation have forced the state's hand.

Last year in his address, Bentley pushed his Prison Transformation Initiative, a plan that would have led to the construction of four mega-prisons to reduce Alabama's overcrowding issues and crumbling infrastructure. That legislation ultimately died in the final days of the session.

Ivey is taking a different path, proposing budget increases for the Alabama Department of Corrections that she says will allow the department and its commissioner, Jeff Dunn, to hire more corrections officers and make court-ordered changes to the way ADOC handles health care and mental health care, while also developing a prison infrastructure master plan to improve the system.

Only nine months into her term, Ivey already faces the prospect of re-election. She qualified Monday to run for her first full term at the head of the state executive branch. The legislature, which will return to session Thursday, also faces election.

Ivey challenged lawmakers to consider a higher power as they navigate through this year's session.

"Why do you serve? Why did you swear an oath to support this nation and our great state at all costs?" Ivey asked. "I say we can make our state better, if our purpose is the same – to serve for the Glory of God and the good of mankind."


Chip Brownlee | Editor-in-chief

Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.


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