Area bills gain final approval

MONTGOMERY -- Gov. Bob Riley said Thursday he will sign the two economic development bills for the Shoals that gained final approval in the House earlier in the day.

There was no opposition to the bills that were sponsored by state Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals, who passed them in the Senate.

Riley previously signed a third bill creating a Shoals industrial development committee that will handle money from new sales taxes the Legislature authorized to back up a local economic incentive plan to attract a major industry to the Shoals.

Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson said a signing ceremony for the two tax bills has not been scheduled but Riley will sign the two bills.

The bills are considered crucial in helping the Shoals put together an incentive package needed to attract a major industry to Colbert County.

The bills passed Thursday give the Colbert and Lauderdale county commissions the authority to levy additional half-cent sales taxes to support the local incentive package.

Local economic development officials are working the state in an effort to lure a railroad boxcar plant to Barton Riverfront Industrial Park. The company involves expect to create between 1,500 and 1,800 workers.

Local government officials backed the half-cent sales tax proposals to meet financial requirements to compete for the project known as Project Tiger.

Money from the sales tax also can be used to develop additional industrial parks, improve existing parks and for other recruiting initiatives.

The bills were sponsored by Denton.

The bills were delayed for months in the Senate because of a filibuster over unrelated issues. Once passed by the Senate and sent to the House, they were approved with no discussion.

The Colbert County bill passed the House 29-0, with 58 abstentions, and the Lauderdale County bill passed 20-0, with 68 abstentions. Legislators routinely abstain from voting on tax bills even if they're purely local bills outside their districts.

"It's a real relief,'' said Denton, who was under pressure to pass the bills and was even criticized for the Senate's stalling tactics that kept the bills tied up until near the end of the legislative session.

"The primary significance is the bills are supposed to create hundreds of jobs for the local communities and also they will create spin-off jobs,'' Denton said.

Denton was praised by Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom and others for persistence in getting the bills passed.

Shoals Economic Development Authority President Forrest Wright said he was pleased the legislation passed, calling it "an important piece of legislation for northwest Alabama.''

Project Tiger is the largest known, currently unsecured industrial project in the state.

Dana Beyerle can be reached at (334) 264-6605 or dtb12345aol.com.