Governor Kay Ivey used her final State of the State address to highlight Alabama’s economic momentum, pointing to major business investments, infrastructure improvements and workforce gains, including several with direct ties to North Alabama.
“Our state, however, looks different today than it did when I was sworn in April 10th, 2017.” Ivey remarked, reflecting on her near decade serving as Governor.
Speaking before a joint session of the Alabama Legislature, Ivey said the state has secured $69 billion in new investment and created more than 100,000 jobs since she took office in 2017, crediting a focus on workforce development, infrastructure and site readiness.
One of the most significant announcements referenced in the address was the long-anticipated decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters in Huntsville, a move Ivey said followed years of work by state leaders after the command was established in 2019.
“We immediately got to work promoting Huntsville to become its home,” Ivey said. “Now, finally, it’s official: Space Command Headquarters is coming to Sweet Home Alabama.”
Ivey also cited Eli Lilly’s pharmaceutical expansion in Limestone County, alongside Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, as examples of Alabama’s evolving economic landscape and growing presence in advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
“But y’all, you can’t have Lilly Medicine, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, First Solar, Meta, Novelis or even Space Command without a strong plan,” Ivey said, pointing to infrastructure investments made possible through the Rebuild Alabama Act.
Since 2019, Ivey said the state has generated more than $2 billion for road and bridge projects, funding more than 500 projects across all 67 counties. She also highlighted progress in broadband access, noting Alabama has moved from near the bottom nationally to 24th in connectivity, with a goal of 100% access.
The governor pointed to workforce reforms, including the creation of the Department of Workforce, which she said helped bring 25,000 people back into the labor force in its first year.
Ivey also emphasized Alabama’s growing role in national defense, describing the state as “the defense capital of the United States.”
“Y’all, freedom rings all the way from the Rocket City to the Port City,” she said.
Education improvements were another major focus of the address. Ivey said Alabama has made significant gains in student achievement since 2017, moving from last in the nation in fourth-grade math and 49th in fourth-grade reading to 32nd in math and 34th in reading, with the state ranking first nationally in math recovery and third in reading recovery. She pointed to expanded pre-K classrooms, Alabama’s rise as a top-five state for computer science, and the creation of new specialty schools, including the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering and the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences.
Ivey also highlighted the state’s highest-ever College and Career Readiness rate, a sharp drop in chronic absenteeism, and the addition of 500,000 credentialed workers to the workforce.
As part of her final Education Trust Fund proposal, Ivey said the budget includes another two percent pay raise for teachers, which she called the largest education budget in state history. Ivey also proposed an increase funding for the CHOOSE Act to $250 million dollars.
“This will help even more families receive the education that best suits their child,” she said.
A highlight of her address was honoring Rodney Smith Jr., who was in attendance and received a standing ovation.
The Huntsville native and Alabama A&M University alumnus, was recognized for his national “Raising Men Lawn Care Service” initiative that began while he was a student and has since expanded to all 50 states.
Ivey said Smith embodies Alabama’s spirit of service and patriotism as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
Looking ahead, Ivey urged lawmakers to act on public safety legislation, disaster preparedness measures, education funding increases, and healthcare initiatives, while emphasizing fiscal discipline and conservative budgeting as they begin the regular legislative session this week.
“The state of our state is strong,” Ivey said, “and our future is even stronger.”
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