MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey gave her annual State of the State Address on Tuesday, outlining her priorities for the 2025 legislative session and how her administration can move the state forward.
Lawmakers, members of the Alabama Supreme Court, cabinet members, and other guests crowded into the old state house chambers in the capitol building on Tuesday evening to hear the speech.
Ivey's public safety initiatives stood out as one of the more significant legislative promises, with the governor calling it her "number one priority." She announced an eight-bill package to drop on Wednesday to bolster public safety.
"Bolstering public safety is my number one priority this session, and I am proud to partner with Speaker Ledbetter and a bipartisan group of legislators in putting forward a package of bills that will back the blue and combat inner-city gun violence," Ivey said. "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.
"We will support long-serving law enforcement families through dependent scholarships. Y'all, our men and women in blue put everything on the line. They need to know: Alabama has their backs."
Although the bills are not currently filed or available for viewing, Ivey stated they would expand Aniah's law, which allows judges to deny bail in certain circumstances. The package will also expand the state's Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, which assists struggling areas by giving state resources to combat crime. The governor also backed a Democratic-led bill to ban so-called Glock switches, which convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic ones.
Ivey also supported "common sense" legislation allowing a review process for non-violent inmates for possible release.
Ivey addressed combatting illegal immigration, which has been at the forefront of political discussions at the federal and state levels. In expected form, Ivey also gave a nod to President Donald Trump's recent executive order by jovially referring to the state's ocean connection as "the Gulf of America."
"Securing the Southern Border is securing Alabama's border," Ivey said. "And today is a new day in America with President Trump at the helm. He has wasted no time in leading on this very important issue."
She continued, "Here in Alabama, we are supporting President Trump in his mission. I have directed my cabinet agencies – including the Alabama National Guard and ALEA – to continue standing ready to lend assistance where needed."
Ivey tackled other hot-button cultural issues during her speech, including allowing the Ten Commandments in state schools and codifying gender and sex definitions into Alabama law.
Ivey praised the state's improvement in education performance, specifically national math and reading performance. She also advocated for a bill that would ban cell phone use in Alabama classrooms while praising the participation in the state's only-year-old school choice program, the CHOOSE Act.
"We were proud to celebrate the passage of the CHOOSE Act – Alabama's education savings account program," Ivey continued. "Beginning next school year, these ESAs will give more Alabama families greater flexibility in choosing an education that suits their child's individual needs. Importantly, we are funding students, not systems."
"Already in the first month of the application period, we have an outstanding 18,000 student applicants, and we have received them from every single county. The number of applications will only grow in the next two years as program eligibility becomes fully universal. Clearly, taxpaying Alabama families want school choice! And thanks to your work, they are getting just that."
Capping off a months-long feud between Ivey and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA), the governor also announced plans to incorporate ADVA into her cabinet.
In October last year, then-Commissioner Kent Davis was removed by Ivey, who, after the board voted twice to keep Davis and not accept his forced resignation, exercised her "supreme executive power" to remove him from office for allegedly mishandling American Rescue Plan Act funds.
"We will also restructure our Board so that our veterans – of all eras across every military branch – are best represented," Ivey said. "The goal is to have a Board that is a team player within the executive branch and can fiercely and effectively advocate for the unique needs of veterans of every generation – and their families. Our veterans are not only part of the fabric of our great nation. They are our fellow Alabamians. They are our neighbors, our colleagues, family and friends."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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