Riley: Shoals project 'off table' if bills fail

Legislation that could help land a 1,500-plus employee operation for the Shoals remained hostage Tuesday to a Senate filibuster that has all but shut down the legislative session.

There was brief hope Tuesday that bills creating a half-cent sales tax in Colbert and Lauderdale counties for economic development incentives would move forward. That hope, which was created by a controversial ruling by Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom that ended a filibuster, faded nearly as quickly as it arrived.

Senators, who didn't like Folsom's ruling, started a five-hour filibuster, a maneuver that threatens the incentive bills and dozens of others that have been stalled by the Senate's inability to work together. The general fund and education budgets are also involved in the standoff between senators.

At stake for the Shoals is the boxcar manufacturing company that has been eyeing the area for at least eight months. The company, which is expected to employ 1,500 to 1,800 people, has been looking at the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park in Colbert County for the potential site.

Without the half-cent sales tax, local economic development and government officials say the Shoals cannot deliver the incentives the company is demanding.

If the sales tax bill is not approved in the Senate by Tuesday, which will be the 28th of 30 legislative days this session, it cannot pass this session.

Gov. Bob Riley, during a visit to the Shoals on Tuesday, did not offer much hope. He did not even mention "Project Tiger," the name assigned to the boxcar operation, during a talk to those who attended the Shoals Chamber of Commerce function.

"They need to get it out of this session," Riley said when asked by a reporter about "Project Tiger."

When pressed about the issue, Riley responded with alarming news.

"If they don't get a budget (passed during the regular session), they're coming back (in a special session) anyway, and they can do it then," Riley said, referring to the half-cent sales tax legislation. "But if not, it would be a year, and that's too long.

"I don't think it would put (Project Tiger) back a year; I think it would pretty well take it off the table."

"We do have some critical issues," said Humphrey Lee, chairman of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. "We have an interest in getting this log jam broken."

In his speech, Riley mentioned two pieces of legislation that have passed that included a legislative pay raise of more than 60 percent and a $400 million bond expansion for industrial development, which will go to statewide vote June 5.

Riley argued that in order to attract companies, Alabama "would have to build an education system here that'll compete not only with anyone in the South (but) anyone in this country."

Riley said that some of the interest generated from the proposed $1 billion school bond would pay for work force training, such as welding training for Project Tiger, a potential rail boxcar plant that could bring 1,500 jobs into the Shoals.

"Alabama truly is on the cusp of doing some things I don't think we could have dreamed of just a few years ago," Riley said.

"When you have a proposal that basically takes 50 percent of this state and they have no influence in it that's not democracy, that basically becomes a dictatorship."

Staff Writer Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@timesdaily.com.