More than 670 teachers, librarians and counselors each received a portion of the money in the form of $100 gift cards to purchase classroom supplies. Additional disbursements included: $10,000, Jackson County school nurses; $50,000, Earnest Pruett Center of Technology; $35,000, the Accelerated Reading Program; and $3,000, Scottsboro City school nurses.

“We will continue to do everything we can to alleviate some of the financial problems in our education system that have resulted from this economic downturn,” Barron said. “Nothing is more important than making sure our educators have the financial resources and tools necessary to teach our children. Helping support the city and county school systems is a priority of this delegation.”

Funds for teachers’ school supplies were removed from the state education budget due to the decrease in tax revenue brought on by the national economic crisis. Barron said that “out of kindness and compassion” many teachers end up buying classroom supplies out of their own pockets.

Rep. Butch Taylor, who is a member of the budget-setting House Education Appropriations Committee, explained that lawmakers were forced to make cuts in every area possible in order to avoid the layoff of thousands of teachers across the state.

“During our recent legislative session, our number one priority in setting forth the education budget was saving jobs,” Taylor said. “We did an excellent job of that. However, to do so we had to tighten the belt significantly. Unfortunately that left less money for teachers to purchase supplies in the classroom. Hopefully this money will help ensure that our teachers and students have the tools they need to be successful.”

Rep. John Robinson appropriated an additional $100,000 to Jackson County schools from community service grant money, as well as an additional $61,000 to Scottsboro City schools for technology software. Robinson explained that he had been saving community grant money, knowing there would be a need for it in this difficult economy.

“I had saved that money for some time,” Robinson said. “I was glad to be able to make it available to Jackson County Schools and Scottsboro City Schools. We will continue to do everything we can to provide funding for education in Jackson County.”

Barron presented $3,000 to every fire department in DeKalb County. Volunteer rescue squads were given $1,000.

The added funds came at a time when many volunteer services have been struggling from a lack of equipment and resources. Barron warned the crowd that financial difficulties were not over.  “Make no mistake: these are tough times,” said Barron. “The next 18 months are going to test our mettle. But we will deal with these times as we have before. We will get through this together.”

The senator explained that the state government was also affected by the recession. “In Montgomery we have to do what everyone in this room has already learned,” said Barron. “We have to tighten our belts and make better use of our money.”

The meeting was held at the newly opened Jacksonville State University Little River Canyon Center. “This is a very special meeting,” said Barron. “We’re meeting here because I want everyone to see the field school and enjoy the beauty of this area.” Barron said he knows the Little River Canyon Center is going to be important for tourism and business in DeKalb County.

The senator ended the meeting by giving thanks to the volunteers for their service to the community.

“Thank you for what you do. It’s invaluable” said Sen. Barron. “I am privileged to be able to see you all face to face, and thank you for your sacrifice. As the Bible says, man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. That’s exactly what the people in this room do every day.”

The highly traveled road was in serious need of repairs and had been considered unsafe by many in the community for years.

The city of Rainsville committed to pay the $100,000 to pave the 1-mile section of County Road 180, also known as Lingerfelt Road, that is within its city limits. Alabama Sen. Lowell Barron secured $300,000 for DeKalb County to pave the remaining three miles of the dangerously deteriorated County Road 180, also known as Lingerfelt Road.

“This is a great day in DeKalb County,” Sen. Barron said. “I had a small part in going to Montgomery with members of the DeKalb County Commission to request the money for this project. We were very fortunate to get the money and resurface the road with asphalt. DeKalb County Commission President Sid Holcomb, DeKalb County Commissioner Dewitt Jackson, and the mayor and council of Rainsville were also very instrumental in this project. By all of us working together, we were all able to make this a reality.”

Tony Newsome, a resident who lives along the recently repaved County Road 180, said he is very thankful that the road was made safer.

“There were a lot of potholes and rough areas and the road is narrow and hilly with bad visibility,” said Newsome. “It was just very dangerous and we are appreciative of the widening. It makes it so much safer. We thank all involved — the Sen. and Dewitt Jackson — just all the many people involved who made this happen.”

DeKalb County Commissioner Dewitt Jackson shared Barron’s sentiment that the project was a concerted effort between city, county and state government.

“The city of Rainsville was actually patient enough to postpone their portion of the project for two years so that we could try to pull the money together and complete the project all at once,” Jackson said. “And Sen. Barron really came through for us to get the $300,000 our county needed to finish the project. This would not have been possible without his efforts because the county’s revenues have been down for more than two years. We are all very thankful to Sen. Barron for his help. He’s been good to DeKalb County. I know the folks on this road will see that and can all appreciate what he’s done.”

Fort Payne, Ala. — The Big Wills Arts Council (BWAC) is proud to announce that the “Jackson Highway” Reunion Concert for Arts in Education has been successful in raising some $4000 for the arts in education program.

“The community awareness of the arts program’s need for funding has risen substantially due to the exposure that the local media gave the concert and the cause. We appreciate them very much.” said Russell Gulley, Director of the BWAC. “The Reunion Concert was well attended and the evening’s total for contributions was enhanced greatly by a contribution of $2500 presented by Senator Lowell Barron to the BWAC for the program.”

Senator Barron joined Russell on stage to express his support for the Big Wills Arts Council and expressed his “thanks” for the organization’s “important work” by “partnering with local schools so that our students may be exposed to culturally enriching experiences.”

“Membership and community support for the arts council has begun to rise during the month since the concert.Contributions are still coming in,” continued Gulley, “and I’m very thankful to all that have joined or pledged support.”

Fundraising efforts by the BWAC will continue with several other events including this summer’s DeKalb County Fiddler’s Convention on August 7. “Although we are off to a good start, there’s still a ways to go to reach our goal of $30,000, the annual cost of the arts in education program”. Gulley will continue to seek grant support, as well as corporate support for the program.

For more info contact the BWAC at 256-845-2224 or by e-mail at bwac@russellgulley.com.

Sen. Lowell Barron joined other state and local officials today to welcome a new automotive supplier to DeKalb County.

Plasman Corp., a Canadian company that manufactures exterior plastic parts for the automobile industry, announced today that it would build a 170,000-square-foot plant in Fort Payne.

"This $16 million investment is incredible news for our region," says Sen. Barron. "In a tough economic climate, DeKalb County is making economic progress. That says a lot for the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the process."

Barron applauded the combined efforts of Fort Payne Mayor Bill Jordan and the City Council, the DeKalb County Commission, the DeKalb County Economic Development Authority board and its Executive Director Jimmy Durham, the Fort Payne Industrial Development Board, other economic development agencies across the region and Gov. Bob Riley's office.

Sen. Lowell Barron announced that recent legislation returning more TVA in-lieu-of-taxes funding to north Alabama will result in some $700,000 coming back to Jackson County. 

To add to this funding, Barron told the crowd that the Jackson County Legislative Delegation will put an additional $300,000 with this amount to bring the total to $1 million. This is in addition to the legislative delegation’s $1 million direct annual allocation of local funds, divided according to a formula: 40 percent to education, 30 percent to the county commission, and 30 percent to cities based upon population. 

“Today we’re here to announce that we’re going to give another $1 million to our schools, county and cities,” said Sen. Barron. 

The additional money, however, did not come without a fight. In 2009, the legislature passed a bill to return the remainder of the TVA money still going to the state general fund to be spent in areas outside the Tennessee Valley where it is generated. Gov. Bob Riley vetoed the measure with no time left in the session for an override vote. Legislators passed the bill earlier in this year’s session. 

“We had to override his veto each time,” Barron said, “with him saying it would take money out of the general fund. He’s absolutely right. This is money that never should have been in the general fund.” 

The legislative delegation consists of Barron, House District 23 Representative John Robinson and House District 22 Representative Butch Taylor. Rep. Taylor said the work to bring the funding back to North Alabama was a bipartisan effort.

“The most important thing that came out of this, other than the money coming back here and helping the people of Jackson County, is that we had legislators on both sides, Republicans and Democrats, that teamed up to do the right thing for this state and this county,” he said. “We were determined to get this money back,” Taylor added. “It’s great for our education system, great for the county commission, and all the cities and towns because, as Senator Barron said, we are in a very difficult time.” 

“Folks, I’ve got one thing to say — South Alabama is no longer in charge of this state,” said Rep. Robinson. “In my legislative career, I have enjoyed working and doing this more than anything I’ve ever done. This was a non-partisan thing. You know, I’m sick of this ‘Democrat, Republican, Independent’ business. We are all Americans, folks. We’re all Alabamians. When we work together, this shows what we can do.” 

Educators, along with representatives of county and city governments, were pleased to learn of the additional funding, which comes at a time when most budgets have been squeezed by the economic downturn. 

“This is the greatest news that we could possibly have received today,” said Dr. Judith Berry, Scottsboro City Schools Superintendent. “I want to tell Senator Barron, and Representatives Robinson and Taylor what this means to me and my school system. Because of the economic situation, this past year from last January to this past January, through no fault of anybody’s, we have had to cut over three million dollars from our school system. I didn’t even worry about materials and supplies and library books that there was zero money for, I worried about keeping teachers. This is the first bright spot that I’ve seen.” 

Jackson County Schools Superintendent Ken Harding said that the announcement made the first day of Spring feel more like Christmas. 

 “We’re struggling and there are a lot of days and evenings that we worry about how we’re going to make it happen; how we’re going to fund it; how we’re going to keep what we’ve got,” Harding said. “We are a personnel-over-program group. We believe in personnel first. This is great news for our citizens, our schools, our kids and our teachers. I appreciate our delegation. We have many needs and lots of projects and they always answer the call. We’ve got great representation in Montgomery and I appreciate them. We appreciate them.”

 Chair of the Jackson County Commission, Sadie Bias, said she is pleased that part of the money will help fund education in Jackson County. “Most of the time you ask for a little,” Bias said. “This is the first time we’ve asked for $709,000 and we ended up with $1 million. I was so happy when I saw that check and it had schools written first, because those children are very near and dear to our hearts. All these little cities and towns that are hurting—this money is really going to help them out. I know in my heart that we have the best delegation of any state in the union and I appreciate Sen. Barron and Rep. Robinson and Rep. Taylor for all of their hard work.” 

Jackson County Commissioners Jack Allen and Gaylen Stone also expressed their gratitude to the Jackson County Legislative Delegation for their help with county projects. 

 “This announcement is a great blessing that made this sunny day even more special,” Allen said. “On behalf of the state association of county commissioners I want to thank the delegation for passing this bill. I also represent the state of Alabama on the rural transportation and I want to thank Sen. Barron for the road and bridge bill he passed. Both are great bills for this county and for the state of Alabama.” 

“On behalf of the Jackson County Commission I want to thank our delegation,” Stone said. “What they’ve done for us is a big shot in the arm, and we definitely needed it.” 

Councilman Matthew Hodges, from the City of Scottsboro, spoke on behalf of Scottsboro Mayor Nelson Potter. 

 “On behalf of the City of Scottsboro, I thank the delegation for all they’ve done in getting this money to come back home to Jackson County,” Hodges said. “Scottsboro has done decent through this economic downturn, but we look at the numbers every day and hope that we’re not going to have to make changes. This money assures us that those changes will not have to be made.” 

Rick Roden, President of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, commented on the importance of working together for progress and economic development. 

 “There’s no question that we’ve got a delegation that fights for us,” Roden said. “And this time they won a 50-year fight for us. It made no sense that this money was not staying in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley, and I think it shows us just how hard they do fight for our county. We certainly appreciate the partnership that we have with our delegation for economic development. We are all in this together, and on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, I want to thank the delegation for their partnership, for their friendship and for fighting for Jackson County."

Mayor Bubba Hughes of Bridgeport said he was very thankful for the help given to his city over the years. “I’d just like to thank our delegation for fighting for us the way they do in Montgomery,” Hughes said. “I can’t think of a better bunch to fight for Jackson County than this bunch here. From the bottom of Bridgeport’s heart we want to thank our delegation.” 

Northeast Alabama Community College President Dr. David Campbell said he was thankful for the delegation’s support of the college through the years. 

 “Any time that we have a special need or request at Northeast, the delegation is always there to help us out in any way that they can,” Campbell said. “I know that it wasn’t an easy battle getting this legislation through, and I know it took a long time and a lot of hard work. Their skills are very much admired for staying the course and accomplishing this. I am also representing the Economic Development Authority here today, and I will say that the money that the EDA gets from this will be put to good use and will be applied toward creating more jobs and more economic growth for Jackson County.”

“We have some exciting news for the people of Jackson County,” says Sen. Lowell Barron. “This has been a productive session. First we passed a bill that, if approved by voters in November, will create some 30,000 jobs over the next ten years while improving our highways, bridges and railroads in order to boost our economic development efforts. 

“Then we worked to pass a bill to return all monies paid by TVA back to the counties in which that money is generated,” Barron continues. “The governor vetoed the measure, but the Senate and House worked together to override his veto and stop the money that is rightfully ours from going to South Alabama.”

This is a major victory for Jackson and its neighboring counties. Because TVA owns so much property in Jackson County, the additional money returning to the area will be significant. 

“Jackson County will receive several hundred thousand dollars more per year,” says Barron. “And that is only part of the exciting news we have to share on Saturday.” 

Barron, along with Rep. John Robinson and Rep. Butch Taylor, will be joined by other elected officials from throughout the county for Saturday’s announcement. The public is invited to attend. 

“In an economy that is struggling, this is the best news we’ve had in a long time,” Barron adds. “We look forward to sharing this with the people of Jackson County.”

Senate Bill 121, sponsored by Sen. Lowell Barron, passed the Alabama Senate Thursday by a vote of 25 to 10. The legislation would invest $1 billion dollars in statewide road, bridge and railroad construction over a period of 10 years. The plan would divide $100 million per year from the state’s rainy day Alabama Trust Fund among every county and city in the state.

“I am excited that we were able to pass this bill today with support from both sides of the aisle,” Barron said. “This bill is an investment in Alabama’s future that will benefit our citizens for decades to come. It will create tens of thousands of jobs and provide funding for much needed improvements to Alabama’s infrastructure. This bill represents non-partisan progress that Democrats and Republicans alike can stand behind. I am thankful that we could put our differences aside and pass legislation for the benefit of all Alabamians.”

The bill would create approximately 30,000 new jobs statewide and provide badly needed funds to improve roads, bridges and railroads throughout the state. 

Barron says the legislation will benefit all areas of the state. Of the $100 million withdrawn each year, counties and cities would divide $25 million based partly on population. The state Transportation Department would spend $75 million, with $35 million split evenly among the seven congressional districts, $1 million to repair short-line railroads, and $39 million for state or local highways, roads and bridges in the 67 counties. Of that $39 million, $21.45 million would be divided by population, while $17.55 million would be split equally between counties 67 ways. Cities would get 10 percent of the amount each county receives, and divide the money based on city populations. 

The bill now goes to the State House of Representatives for debate. Passage there will put the bill to a vote of the people as a constitutional amendment on the November 2 General Election ballot.

DEKALB COUNTY — More than 100 DeKalb County citizens braved the snow and slick roads Monday night to meet with their state senator and discuss the current legislative session.

Sen. Lowell Barron began the evening at 5:30 p.m. with a Community Chat in Ider, where some 60 citizens gathered at the community senior center. Barron opened the meeting by presenting a check for $1,000 to Ider High School Principal Steven Street in support of the school’s athletic program. House of Representatives member Todd Greeson was also on hand to present a $1,000 check for the same cause.

At 7 p.m., Barron met with a crowd of more than 40 citizens in at the Henagar Fire Department. There he presented Mayor Winston Jenkins with a check for $2,000 to help fund improvements to the city’s public park.

At both meetings, Barron discussed some of the key legislation that has been addressed during the current legislative session, which began last month. This included the bill Barron introduced to create a job-creating road and bridge improvement program. “This bill would take $100 million a year for ten years out of the Alabama Trust Fund,” Barron explained. “This is our rainy day fund, and I believe with the economy that we’re in right now, this is a rainy day.”

Barron explained that a vote was recently taken to end debate on the bill, but the measure fell one vote short. He said he plans to bring it back up for debate within the next two weeks.

Accountability was also on Barron’s mind, as he discussed the bill passed last week by the Alabama State Senate to ban no-bid contracts. He explained that some $2.6 billion worth of contracts had been let by Gov. Bob Riley without being bid, including a recent $13 million contract for computer services to a Virginia-based company without a phone number, address or Alabama business license. “There are companies in Alabama who could have performed that work, and it would have created about 100 jobs,” Barron said.

Other legislative issues Barron discussed with the crowds included:

• a bill to fix the state’s ailing pre-paid college tuition program — the Senate passed the bill and it now goes to the House for debate
• a bill to return all funds TVA pays in lieu of taxes back to the counties served by TVA —  the House passed the bill and it will be brought up in the Senate this week
• the Education and General Fund budgets — Barron said cuts will be necessary because of the sharp decline in state revenues, but that he was committed to protecting vital services such as the state’s Pre-K program and Alabama Reading Initiative, as well as the Senior RX prescription program, Meals on Wheels and Medicaid.

“One thing we’re not going to do, and that is raise your taxes,” Barron said. “Alabama citizens pay the lowest state and local taxes of anyone in the nation, and now is certainly not the time to talking about raising taxes.”
Barron thanked the citizens for placing their trust in him for 27 years as their State Senator so he can focus on goals such as keeping taxes low and working on economic development issues.

“As we prepared for the 2010 legislative session to begin, lawmakers across the state heard the same message from our constituents — something must be done about jobs. That is why one of my first actions this year was to introduce a bill that would create jobs and enable economic growth in Alabama.

“Since then, several days of this session have been spent debating the $1 Billion Road and Bridge Bill I introduced. While an overwhelming majority of senators supported the bill and understood that it was truly a jobs bill, several chose to debate for days as a delay tactic. Opponents of the bill had ample time to deliberate its merits, and their filibustering had taken too many of our limited meeting days. We therefore brought up a vote to end debate and move toward passage of the bill.

“An overwhelming majority of Alabama’s state senators agreed with me that Alabama needs jobs, and that Alabama needs to invest in its future by improving its infrastructure to attract and recruit even more jobs. When the vote to end debate was taken, 20 senators voted to move forward, while 11 senators voted against ending debate. A total of 21 votes was needed for this vote to pass.

“I want to personally thank the 20 senators who voted to stop wasting time and move Alabama forward with new jobs and infrastructure improvement. To those 11 senators who voted against the measure, the people of Alabama now look to you. In the worst economy we have seen in decades, with sky-high unemployment, you voted against creating new jobs. You voted against investing in new roads and bridges to strengthen our infrastructure. You voted against taking positive action today that would benefit Alabama citizens for years to come.

“I hope their constituents realize that these 11 senators also voted against the millions of dollars that would have been invested — from Alabama’s own Trust Fund — into roads and bridges within their own districts. Worse yet, they voted against allowing the people of Alabama to cast their vote in the November General Election regarding this investment in jobs. That, to me, is inexcusable.

“I can only hope that the opposition has a better plan. To date, the only alternative we have seen is a bill introduced by Sen. Del Marsh that would allow people to vote county by county on raising their gasoline taxes by five cents. This is not a solution, it is an embarrassment. When we need jobs, the opposition says ‘let’s raise taxes.’ When we need comprehensive solutions, the opposition offers a piecemeal idea that would depend on individual county votes to raise taxes in an already strapped economy — while doing little to create jobs or build infrastructure.

“As chairman of the Rules Committee, I have decided to take the bill off the calendar. The future of this jobs bill is now uncertain in the 2010 session. It is the legislature’s responsibility to take action that will create the opportunity for job growth, and I can only hope the 11 senators who voted ‘no’ yesterday will now step up to the plate and tell struggling families what their plans are for creating jobs in Alabama.”

Sen. Lowell Barron released a statement today regarding progress of the Road and Bridge bill in the Alabama State Senate:

"Debate continued in the Alabama Senate this week on the $1 Billion Road and Bridge bill I introduced earlier this session. I had hoped to bring it to a vote yesterday, but those opposed to the bill continue to filibuster and delay any action.

“An amendment was added to the bill this week that would limit construction projects awarded under the bill to Alabama companies and Alabama workers. The entire Senate voted for this amendment. Because similar measures have been deemed unconstitutional in the past, we will ask for an opinion from the Alabama Supreme Court. It is my hope that the courts will allow the amendment to stand.

“The recent release of the latest unemployment figures further underlines the fact that Alabama desperately needs this Road and Bridge Bill. Our statewide unemployment rate has hit 11%. Close to home, it is even worse, with DeKalb County’s unemployment at 13.8% and Jackson County’s rate at 11.9%. We need to be creating jobs in Alabama, and this bill does that. Not only will it directly create approximately 29,000 new jobs statewide, it will also prepare our infrastructure to attract more jobs in the future.

“As we look forward to a new week in this legislative session, it is my hope that all Senate members can put aside partisan differences and work together to pass this critical piece of legislation. Ultimately, it is the voters of this state who will decide if they want to invest $100 million per year from the Alabama Trust Fund for the next 10 years into creating jobs and developing our infrastructure in Alabama. In this tough economy, I think the voters will overwhelmingly say they believe this is a wise investment indeed.”

Click here to read coverage in the Times-Journal.

Click here to read coverage in the Daily Sentinel.

Click here to read coverage in the Huntsville Times.

Click here to see Sen. Barron being interviewed by WHNT 19 News.

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate debated this week a $1 billion road and bridge bill that would create approximately 29,000 new jobs statewide and provide badly needed funds to improve roads and bridges throughout the state.

Senate Bill 121, sponsored by Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe, would invest $1 billion dollars in statewide road and bridge construction over a period of 10 years. The plan would divide $100 million per year from the state’s rainy day Alabama Trust Fund among every county and city in the state.

Sen. Lowell Barron said his road and bridge legislation is an investment Alabama needs to make in its citizens. Barron said the bill, in a struggling economy, would create jobs throughout Alabama.

"This bill does not create an expense, it creates an investment in Alabama's future," Barron said. "We have hundreds of unsafe bridges, and miles of roads that are in need of repair and expansion, all across this state. My bill will provide the funding to make much-needed improvements to Alabama's infrastructure.

"These investments will benefit Alabama citizens for decades to come," Barron added. "Not only will it make transportation safer and more efficient, but it will help Alabama compete for new jobs that depend on a reliable transportation system.”

Barron says the legislation will benefit all areas of the state. "Counties and cities will receive $25 million of the funds each year," he explained. "The remaining $75 million will be invested in every corner of the state by the Department of Transportation." The DOT will be required to invest at least $5 million annually in each of Alabama's seven congressional districts.

Opposition to the bill has been raised this week by senate Republicans, who are hesitant to take money from the Alabama Trust Fund.

"This fund is Alabama's rainy day account," Barron said. "With experts telling us that our current economic condition is as close to the Great Depression as we've seen in our life time, I would say it is definitely raining. It is time to use that money and use it wisely to help put Alabamians back to work and strengthen our economic development efforts."

An alternative bill that has been offered by senate Republicans would allow counties to raise gasoline taxes to help fund road construction. "This is certainly no time to be raising taxes," Barron said. "I will not support any measure that would raise taxes on the backs of our citizens at a time when more than ten percent or workforce is unemployed. My bill brings a real solution to the table using the money Alabama has set aside to help with economic hard times."
An amendment to Barron's bill that is being discussed would effectively add a 'floor' to the Alabama Trust Fund. "The Senate leadership plans to amend this bill to read that if the Trust Fund dips below a balance of $2 billion, the road and bridge program will be suspended until the balance rises above that amount again," Barron explains. "This is really just a safeguard to keep the Trust Fund from getting too low. The current balance is $2.6 billion, and in a typical year it is replenished by interest plus some $150 million to $200 million from oil and gas revenue.

"If the fund holds true to the past," Barron continues, "we should never have to implement this safeguard."

If approved by both legislative bodies and signed by the governor, the road and bridge bill will go before voters in the November 2 General Election for final approval.