The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) is releasing its legislative priorities for the upcoming year, a strategic plan formulated to guide the organization’s advocacy efforts in the upcoming Alabama legislative session, which starts February 6.
“To boost the overall competitiveness and quality of life of our region, it’s essential to guide economic development efforts with a well-planned public policy strategy,” said Jim Proctor, BBA’s Vice Chair of Public Policy and Senior Vice President, Legal and External Affairs at McWane, Inc. “We’re building off of last year’s legislative wins by advocating for developments that positively advance both the Greater Birmingham Region and Alabama’s economic vitality.”
BBA's legislative agenda encompasses a range of priorities at the local, state and federal levels, with an emphasis on enhancing site and infrastructure development. This year’s lead priority issues include:
“To boost the overall competitiveness and quality of life of our region, it’s essential to guide economic development efforts with a well-planned public policy strategy.”
• Office of Emergency Services: BBA supports legislation that allows any county or group of counties to establish an Office of Emergency Services (OES) for the provision of emergency services including, E911 Operations, emergency management agencies and related services and operations.
• The Site Evaluation and Economic Development (SEED) Strategy Act: BBA supports legislation that will create funding mechanisms and sources for the SEED Act. The SEED Act allows the State Industrial Development Authority to accelerate the development of industry-ready sites due to a scarcity of available sites within the state.
• Investing in Innovation Districts: BBA supports legislation that will give cities and counties the authority to establish innovation districts that will allow for tax and other incentives to companies focused on research and innovation that will lead to the creation of jobs in those sectors.
• Birmingham-Southern College: BBA is acutely aware of the position that Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) holds in nurturing and educating our future leaders. BBA wholeheartedly supports BSC in its efforts to solidify and seek funding from the State Legislature, including clarification of the funding legislation passed in 2023 and other fundraising efforts of the institution. We understand the significance of BSC, and should the institution be forced to close, it will be a loss not only to the City of Birmingham but also to the entire state.
BBA's legislative priorities are shaped by the contributions of its Public Policy Committee and its Governmental Affairs Committee. Made up of the organization’s contributing investors, these committees meet throughout the year to discuss the region's most pressing issues. Based on their insights, BBA’s public policy committee then finalizes the annual agenda.
“It’s critical to the Birmingham region’s continued success to advance towards the opportunities ahead of us with a unified voice,” said Steve Ammons, President & CEO of BBA. “Our team is proud to represent the Birmingham business community in this upcoming legislative session, and we will continue to drive efforts that foster economic growth in our backyards and across the state.”
BBA’s full legislative agenda for 2024, including support and long-term priorities, is available to view online. To see the agenda and learn more about the BBA’s public policy efforts, visit www.birminghambusinessalliance.com/public-policy.