January 12, 2010

Governor Riley Outlines Agenda of Jobs, Charter Schools and Accountability During State of the State Speech

MONTGOMERY - Governor Bob Riley called on legislators to pass incentives to jumpstart new job creation, allow public charter schools and enact reforms that make state government more accountable and transparent during his annual State of the State Address Tuesday night.

The Governor also outlined his budget proposal as one that provides state agencies with level funding and education with a $400 million increase.

“No cuts for state agencies and more funding for our schools without raising anybody’s taxes. That does not sound like we have a crisis. But it does sound like we have a great opportunity,” Governor Riley said.

That opportunity allows the state to invest more in education programs that have improved academic performance, such as the Alabama Reading Initiative, the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, First Class Pre-K and ACCESS Distance Learning.

Funding for those and other education programs could increase even more if lawmakers give parents the freedom to choose public charter schools for their children, Governor Riley said. Alabama is one of only 11 states that prohibit public charter schools, and that prohibition hurts the state’s ability to win some of the $4 billion in education funds being offered by the federal government through the national “Race to the Top” initiative.

Charter schools are innovative public schools that operate under a written contract, or charter, with either a local board of education or the state board of education. As public schools, they must follow all state education laws related to accountability, student testing, health and safety, but they are free from many of the bureaucratic rules that govern other public schools.

The Governor spent several minutes of his speech addressing opponents of charter schools, refuting their criticisms.

“If anyone says charter schools will take money away from public schools, they’re not telling you the truth,” Governor Riley said. “The truth is, with a charter school law, we can get increased funding for public schools. For the first time, Alabama will be eligible for charter school grants, and the federal funds we’re competing for won’t be just for charter schools. They can be used to expand the education reforms in our state that are making such a huge difference.”

His message to the legislative leadership: “Get charter schools on the floor for debate. Don’t kill it in committee. Let every lawmaker have a vote -- yes or no. It will either succeed or fail. But if we don’t try, then our failure is guaranteed.”

Governor Riley also reached out to the Democratic majority and challenged legislators to pass reforms that were part of the political parties’ campaign platforms during the 2006 election.

Those reforms promised by both parties include bans on PAC-to-PAC transfers and spending on pork projects, and disclosure of lobbyist spending on elected and appointed officials.

The Governor also, once again, urged the Legislature to approve more comprehensive accountability reforms such as limits on the acceptance of gifts, subpoena power for the Ethics Commission, and disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.

Jim Sumner, the Director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, told a legislative committee during the 2009 session that Governor Riley’s proposal was the “gold standard” when it comes to ethics reform.

“How many times have we said that when it comes to economic development, there are no party lines…So why can’t we work together when it comes to ethics reform? We should because accountability is not a partisan issue,” Governor Riley said in his address to lawmakers. “So tonight I ask the majority party -- the party that controls the agenda, that controls the committees -- to work with me and your Republican colleagues to keep these promises.”

“The people deserve action, not excuses. So I ask my friends in the majority to stop making excuses, stop playing political games, and let these reforms come up for a vote. Ladies and gentlemen, what are you waiting for? All I’m asking is for you to do what you promised,” the Governor said about ethics reform.

In addition to education and ethics, Governor Riley discussed Alabama’s economy, saying legislators need to take “real action, right now” on proposals to help create new jobs. The Governor said his economic recovery plan includes a tax credit of up to $1,500 for every new job an employer creates and fills by hiring an unemployed Alabamian, and a $1,500 tax credit for employers who create jobs in the 25 counties with the highest unemployment levels.

“I urge you to pass them quickly because nothing is more important than returning Alabamians to the workforce and restoring their hope and their economic security,” Governor Riley said during his speech. “These proposals will create jobs immediately, not next year or in five or 10 years from now, but right now. Right now, when jobs are needed the most and where they are needed the most.”

Governor Riley also addressed other topics during his address, including the state’s prepaid college tuition plan (PACT), illegal gambling and some recent accomplishments of state agencies.

On PACT, Governor Riley asked legislators to work on legislation to help the program: “I believe this state made a promise to families who enrolled in our pre-paid tuition program. Let’s work together during this session to make sure that promise is kept.”

The Governor said lawmakers should oppose attempts to legalize slot machine gambling in Alabama, saying the problems that accompany gambling hurt families and communities and ultimately cost the taxpayers.

“The…increased crime, addictions, domestic violence, bankruptcies, suicides, family breakdown and much more are undeniable and well documented by the National Gambling Impact Commission. Now I ask you: who ultimately pays for all these problems? The casino operators? Not a chance. They’re making money hand over fist off this misery. It’s the taxpayers who are the ultimate losers. In states with casinos, for every one dollar casinos contribute in taxes, they cost taxpayers at least three dollars in additional government services to deal with the devastation the casinos leave behind.”

Governor Riley also said in his speech that even though the national recession has forced state government to operate with less money and fewer employees, state agencies made important progress during the past year.

“Cooperation between the departments of Public Safety, Transportation and ADECA has made Alabama’s roads the safest they’ve been in decades. Our Medicaid agency is receiving the largest performance bonus of any state in the nation because of the effectiveness of our program. Thanks to the work of our Finance Department, Alabama’s entire checkbook is now online so taxpayers can see where every dollar is being spent. And because of outstanding work done by our Department of Human Resources, more children were adopted in Alabama last year than ever before,” Governor Riley said.

“The results of what our agencies have accomplished are real and they are dramatic. Lives have been saved. More children now have permanent, loving homes. Tax dollars spent to assist our most vulnerable citizens are being spent more effectively. And state government is the most transparent and the most accountable it’s ever been. I want to thank all our state employees who made this progress possible, especially during this time of economic recession.”