Gov. Bob Riley has called the Alabama Legislature into a special session to begin Feb. 26 to approve multimillion-dollar incentive measures to lure industries to Mobile County and other areas of the state.Riley said Friday the special session is necessary to help the state land the new industries, which he said could bring thousands of jobs to the state.
"If we fail to take action immediately, we run the risk of losing these jobs to other states," Riley said.
Local legislators said Friday they don’t mind being called to Montgomery early if the issue is as time-sensitive as the governor claims. The Legislature is scheduled to begin its 2007 regular session eight days later on March 6.
A press release from Riley’s office announcing the special session stated his proposals are too important to risk getting bogged down among other issues in the regular session.
“A special session before the regular session begins is necessary because the governor’s proposals require amendments to the state constitution,” the release said. “… By approving the proposals in a special session ending on March 2, the people will get to vote on them in June. If there is no special session and the measures aren’t passed until the regular session, they won’t come before the voters until mid-September at the earliest because the regular session doesn’t end until June 18. By then, Alabama likely will no longer be in contention for these economic development projects and the thousands of new jobs they would bring to our state.”
Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, said Riley is calling a special session to keep his proposals from getting lost in the shuffle of other legislation. During a special session, legislative rules make it more difficult to debate anything other than the governor’s agenda.
“I understand what the governor is trying to do is isolate this legislation and bring people together so it wouldn’t wind up with a filibuster,” Preuitt said.
Preuitt said he’s not committed to supporting or opposing any of the governor’s proposals, but remains open-minded.
“I have not seen the amount he’s talking about, but as long as it’s something we can do to enhance jobs and we’re not paying an arm and a leg for it … if it’s something reasonable, that’s certainly something I would be for,” Preuitt said. “I’m not saying I’ll vote for anything, I have not seen a bill, but it’s certainly something I’ll look at, and if I feel it’s good for the people of Alabama, I’ll support it.”
In the special session, Riley will ask the Legislature to increase the state's bond-issuing capacity from $350 million to $750 million. Riley's communications director, Jeff Emerson, has said Alabama needs the extra bonding authority to offer industrial incentives to 10 plants the state is recruiting, including the 2,700-employee ThyssenKrupp steel plant for Mobile County, a plant for the Montgomery area that would employ 500 to 1,000 people, and a plant for the Shoals area in northwest Alabama that would employ 1,500.
Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, whose district includes part of St. Clair County, said he supports the governor’s decision to avoid the “tensions” common to a regular session.
“There’s a lot of discussion about rule changes and some other things that could slow the session down,” Marsh said. “I think this is a good thing. I can tell you the Republicans in the Senate will work in any way we can to make this happen, cooperating with the Democrats to do it.”
Democrats currently hold a 23-12 majority in the Senate.
Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Sylacauga, contacted hours before Riley announced the session Friday afternoon, said he would defer to the governor’s judgment on whether a special session was necessary.
“I don’t know what the governor knows about the trip to Germany and what the chances are with the German company,” Johnson said. “… I’d hate to miss out on 2,700 jobs we could get.”
Reps. Steve Hurst, D-Munford, and Randy Wood, R-Anniston, also contacted before the special session was announced, both said they supported the idea.
“I’ve got a feeling in the regular session, there’s going to be a lot of bogging down,” Wood said. “I feel we need to go ahead and get it out of the way. It kind of seems like Alabama is on a roll (in economic development) and I’d really like to keep it that way.”
Hurst agreed.
“If we don’t go down quickly and it causes us to lose this project we’re working on, that would bother me,” Hurst said. “If we need to move before the regular session to make sure this project is locked in, I don’t have a problem with it. … I’d like to see us not have to spend the money for a special session, but if it’s necessary, I’ll support it. I just hope it all goes through.”
Riley said he expects the special session to end on March 2, which means it would be completed in five days, the minimum time required for a bill to become law.
The announcement of the special session comes just days after Riley returned from an industry-hunting trip to Europe with House Speaker Seth Hammett and Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom. Hammett and Folsom, both Democrats, said Friday they agree with the Republican governor that there is a need to move quickly to attract new business to the state.
"To win these economic development projects, the Alabama Legislature must move quickly to approve a financial incentive package that will allow our state to compete for these good paying jobs our people need and deserve," Hammett said in a statement.
But the speaker cautioned Riley to seek input and support from as many lawmakers as possible before the start of the special session.
The Democratic Party Caucus in the Senate had asked Riley to wait and either deal with the bills in the regular session or call a special session during the regular session. In a letter to Riley, the senators said it would save the state money to wait and debate the bills after the start of the regular session.
One of those senators, Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, said Friday Riley needs to explain his industry hunting efforts to Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature before the start of the special session.
"I think before we start moving these bills in the Senate we are going to want to know what are the needs for these projects and will we be successful if we go forward and give the governor this authority. We are not interested in giving him a blank check," Bedford said.
He suggested the governor might consider calling the special session earlier to give lawmakers more time to pass the bills before the start of the regular session.
Alabama Retirement Systems chief executive officer David Bronner said Friday it's important for lawmakers to pass the bills before the start of the regular session.
"I can't overemphasize how long it has taken to get these projects down to where we are the final two or three locations. To lose them now would be just frightful," Bronner said.
Several of the bills are constitutional amendments and must be approved by the voters.
A special session this month would allow a referendum to be held in June. If the bills were approved in the regular session, the vote could not be held until September, which state officials say could be too late to lure the new industries.
Legislators said they hope to put aside political differences during the special session.
"It is a good idea for us to increase incentives to lure business for economic development," said Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, who represents the Shoals area of northwest Alabama which hopes to lure one of the new businesses.
House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard said he supports the governor's decision to call the special session.
"This is too important to leave to chance and hope that we can get it done in the regular session," said Hubbard, R-Auburn.
— Home staff writer David Mackey contributed to this report
