Gov. Kay Ivey points to education gains, economic growth in State of the State address

Yahoo

05-02-2025

Gov. Kay Ivey delivers the State of the State address in the Old House Chamber in the Alabama State Capitol on Feb. 4, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Will McClelland for Alabama Reflector)
Gov. Kay Ivey touted Alabama's improvements in education, infrastructure and economic development in her 2025 State of the State address Tuesday while outlining legislative priorities focused on public safety and workforce participation.
Speaking before lawmakers in the Alabama State Capitol, Ivey pointed to education policy changes that may have helped Alabama students improve in national academic rankings, and said 'we are, in fact, not just a football state—Alabama is an education state.'
'When I took office, Alabama ranked 49th in reading. Today, we are 34th. In math, we were 52nd—now, we are 32nd,' she said, crediting initiatives such as the Alabama Literacy Act and Numeracy Act in helping Alabama climb in national rankings for reading and math proficiency.
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While Alabama made significant gains in math and improved overall proficiency in reading, it was largely due to stagnant national scores. Reading scores for 4th graders remained unchanged from 2022, while 8th grade reading and math scores remained flat.
Democratic leadership seemed generally pleased with Ivey's State of the State address. Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said he did not think that bragging about being 37th and 32nd ranks in fourth grade math was deserved.
'I think the governor wanted to expand on education and make sure that our students are growing. We want to do that some more,' he said. 'But to brag on our scores at 37 and 32, we got to get a little bit higher.'
The governor also said expanding using tax dollars to pay for private education and homeschooling is a key driver of progress, pointing to the CHOOSE Act, a voucher-like program which provides families up to $7,000 per qualifying child for non-public education expenditures, including private school tuition. Currently capped at 300% of the federal poverty line, or around $75,000 for a family of three, the program will eventually be open to all families in Alabama with no cap on expenditure.
House Minority Leader Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, said the speech lacked specificity, especially regarding the governor's praise of the CHOOSE Act.
'When we talk about the CHOOSE Act, I'm trying to understand, we've not seen any results,' he said. 'So, we're promoting something that has yet to tell us exactly what the benefits of it, if any?'
Ivey also endorsed a new legislative effort to ban cell phones in schools, saying that social media use is negatively impacting student focus and well-being.
'We have to know the time, the place, and how to use these tools,' she said, calling on lawmakers to pass a bill requiring internet safety policies and social media training for students.
On the economy, Ivey said that since taking office, Alabama has secured over $55 billion in new business investments and created 93,000 jobs but said there is 'still a lot of work' to be done to increase workforce participation.
Public safety was another theme in Ivey's address, with the governor pledging to crack down on violent crime and illegal firearm modifications. She endorsed a legislative package aimed at increasing penalties for felons caught with firearms; expanding the list of offenses covered by Aniah's Law, allowing judges to deny bond to those arrested for violent offenses,and banning Glock switches, which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons.
'To back the blue, we will provide law enforcement with enhanced legal protections that allow them to carry out their duties courageously and effectively without fear of Monday morning quarterbacking in the courts,' Ivey said.
Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, has sponsored bills in the last two legislative sessions to ban Glock switches. The bill passed the House late in the 2024 session with some Republican support but did not emerge from the Senate. Ensler is bringing the bill for the third time this year.
'I'm really glad that she announced that,' Ensler said after the speech. 'It's not a Democrat or Republican issue, it's a human issue. I know people in my district, you know, and a lot of the big cities have really been calling for that.'
Singleton and Daniels said they need to see details of the crime package. Singleton said he wants communities to be safer.
'I want protection in my community, just like anyone else. But I want to make sure that what's in that package is going to be something that we can live with in our communities,' he said.
Daniels said he has a lot of questions about the package and needs to know what these bills would mean.
'One of the things that really got me alarmed is the immunity, the legal protections. I have to understand exactly, 'What do you mean by that?'' he said. 'You know, you hear rumors about immunity. You hear rumors about tort police, tort reform for law enforcement. I want to know what that means. I guess I need more specificity on those particular items as well.'
Ensler said he wished Ivey had mentioned mental health in her speech and he believes that should be a priority of the legislature.
'I think that, you know, that's a huge issue,' he said. 'Look, the state has made some good progress on it, but I think we have to continue to focus on that, and that has to be a priority.'
Ivey also announced support for the Second Chance Act, a criminal justice reform measure designed to ensure state prison space is used for the most serious offenders. House Republicans killed a bill in the 2024 legislative session by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, in a procedural vote.
Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, said after the speech this is an 'opportunity' to have 'common sense approach when it comes to criminal justice.'
'These are a group of offenders who, if they were sentenced today, would never get anything even close to the sentence they got back then,' Bedsole said.
Alabama lawmakers plan to prioritize crime and immigration in 2025 legislative session
The governor also said immigration is 'top security concern of every American,' aligning with former President Donald Trump, adding that 'securing the southern border is securing Alabama's border.'
Daniels urged caution regarding immigration bills this session. He made the point that artificial intelligence cannot do the work in the construction and hospitality industries that migrants do.
'I think we've got to be very cautious about how it impacts our construction industry, how it impacts our hospitality industry,' he said. 'And so understanding the impact of this and our economy, how that's going to work impact workforce participation.'
Ivey also endorsed legislation to provide education and state employees with parental leave. Two pieces of legislation, one by Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, for education employees, and another by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, for state employees, gained momentum in the 2024 legislative session but failed after lawmakers said they wanted the bills to be in line with one another.
Shaver said she's excited to have Ivey's support and thinks the bill can pass this year.
'This will give mothers time to properly bond their children, and that'll give us more very well-adjusted children, stronger families and better employees,' Shaver said.
Amy Marlowe, executive director of the Alabama Education Association (AEA), said in a statement that is a 'step forward for Alabama's educators, their families, and, most importantly, their students.'
'Ensuring educators have the opportunity to care for and bond with their children without the fear of financial hardship is not just the right thing to do—it's an investment in the long-term success of our schools and communities,' she said in the statement.
Ivey also backed the 'What is a Woman' bill, which defines gender as strictly male or female. She also called for legislation allowing the Ten Commandments and other historical documents to be displayed in classrooms, a law that Louisiana passed in 2024 and is currently on hold after U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles blocked the law as 'unconstitutional on its face.'
In closing, Ivey called for 'responsible budgets that do not grow government' and continued investment in job creation.
'The people of Alabama deserve our very best,' she said. 'Future generations of Alabamians deserve our hardest work today. This is our opportunity—so let's not waste a moment.'
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