Legislation allowing the establishment of “research and development corridors” in Alabama was approved by the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee on Tuesday.
The controversial series of innovation district bills, a late addition to Alabama leadership’s “Working for Alabama” workforce package, are likely dead in the legislature after lawmakers raged against the proposal.
An innovation district is a concentrated geographic area where businesses and academia collaborate toward a common economic goal. While that might sound good on paper, in practice, it could have dire consequences, particularly when the government gets involved.
Bills that would establish self-governing innovation districts within cities and counties stalled in the Senate on Tuesday over concerns about their taxing and eminent domain powers.