Bentley Calls For Tough Budget Cuts
Gov. Robert Bentley warned government would have to make tough choices in light of budget shortfalls Tuesday night as he delivered a State of the State address focused on the creation of jobs, education and a healthier lifestyle for all Alabamians. Citing a 25 percent shortfall in the general fund, the governor said it is important to prioritize that money, using it first to support the most critical state services. He vowed not to raise taxes while also promising to maintain funding for public safety, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Resources.
"Unfortunately government always expands to meet the amount of money we have," Bentley said. "We must make sure the opposite occurs. We must reduce the size and scope of government, and we have already begun this process."
Bentley's proposed budget calls for cutting state agencies 10-24 percent and includes zero funding for some programs and departments. His budget proposal reduces the Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Alabama Forestry Commission budgets by 10 percent. Meanwhile, the Farmers Market Authority was not funded in the governor's budget, nor was the Rural Medical Scholars Program or National Poultry Technology Center at Auburn University.
The governor's proposed budget included a new appropriation of $4 million for Career Tech Operations and Maintenance. His budget included $2.2 million for the Career Tech Initiative which had requested $5 million. The governor's proposed FY13 budget included $120,000 for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) registration fees. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) requested $315,000 for CAFO registration fees plus an additional $175,000 to offset 2012 registration fees.
Reflecting on the past year, the governor noted Alabama's unemployment rate has shrunk faster than other states. Since this time last year, there are 41,000 more Alabamians in the workforce, Bentley said.
He pledged his administration will continue to invest in workforce development by supporting job training and career tech programs.
Alabama Farmers Federation Assistant Director of Governmental and Agricultural Programs Brian Hardin said he was pleased to hear the governor's support of career tech programs.
"The Career Tech Initiative is extremely important to agriculture and the rural community because it focuses on giving high school students a passion for something, whether it's farming or another mechanical or technical trade," Hardin said. "Career tech prepares students to be leaders in their homes, businesses and communities."
As part of his plan to create jobs and support economic development, Bentley proposed making improvements to roads and bridges as soon as possible.
"Trucks, school buses and farm equipment must now be diverted in parts of our rural areas due to bridges that need repair. We have an obligation to preserve the roads we now have and fix our bridges," Bentley said.
The Federation supports making improvements to roads and bridges to enhance safety and reduce fuel and transportation costs for farmers. The Federation is studying the governor's proposal, which would fund the improvements through bonds, as well as other proposals to determine how best to fund the improvements.
Regarding education, the governor promised charter school legislation will pass and shared plans to form a teacher cabinet to hear directly from educators. The cabinet will include Alabama Teacher of the Year Dr. Gay Barnes, who was awarded the use of a car by Alfa Insurance and the Federation last spring.
"We cannot reform education by ignoring educators," Bentley said.
Bentley addressed health concerns in the state saying it was unacceptable for Alabama to rank so low in numerous health categories including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and infant mortality. He plans to develop a health alliance to bring different entities together to set goals for the state.
In closing, Bentley reflected on Alabama's reaction to the devastating tornadoes of April 27 and called on the legislature to come together to accomplish the difficult tasks at hand.
"Let's pull together in the face of adversity, do our jobs to the best of our ability, and let's serve the people who sent us here," he said.
Absent in the address was any mention of revising the immigration law passed last session. |