“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.”