After serving two successful terms as the committee vice-chair, Alabama House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter (R – Rainsville) was recently elected chair of the Economic Development, Transportation, and Cultural Affairs Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC).
Established in 1947 as the Southern Office of The Council of State Governments’ legislative association, the SLC is a member-driven organization and serves as the premier public policy forum for Southern state legislatures. The 15 states comprising the SLC include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. SLC’s programs seek to provide policymakers diverse opportunities to interact with policy experts and share their knowledge with colleagues.
The committee has addressed a myriad of policy issues, including the economic impact of the American Rescue Plan on Southern states, utilizing workshare programs during economic downturns, leveraging Opportunity Zones for economic development, and unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to today’s press release, “The mission of the SLC is to promote and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation among its 15 member states. As chair of the Economic Development, Transportation & Cultural Affairs Committee, which comprises members from each of the 15 states represented by the SLC, Representative Ledbetter will guide the committee’s policy focus and projects. He also will serve as an ex-officio member of the SLC Executive Committee.”
