As chairman of economic development in the State Senate, Sen Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) said he has been asked to carry the Enhancing Transparency Act, one of the four bills proposed in Gov. Kay Ivey’s so-called “Game Plan.”
Grudger said Wednesday on "Capitol Journal" the act would require the Department of Commerce to reveal 10 different items for transparency while still withholding some information to remain competitive with other states.
"We haven't had that [transparency] in the past, and if you're going to be spending half a billion dollars on economic incentives throughout the state for large industries, for bringing in jobs to Alabama, the taxpayers should be able to have some point that they can go onto a website and see what incentives is this particular company getting and are we following what we said we're going to do and are we giving them too much or too less," Gudger said. "You have a public outcry that would like to see that along with the legislators that would like to see that."
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"This is what we need that we can show so we can still stay competitive with other jobs and other states that we compete against for economic development, but it is something that we're able to show and say this is where the money is going," he said. "Anytime you can have transparency in the public arena, I think is a positive."
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