Kay Ivey to hand out tourism industry awards on Monday
Gov. Kay Ivey will present tourism industry awards on Monday. Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell said more than 250 industry professionals are expected to attend in Montgomery from Sunday through Tuesday. Sixteen tourisms awards will be presented. Honorees include Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner and singer-songwriter Jason Isbell. Bronner led the development of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and related resort hotels. The Grammy-winning Isbell is an Alabama native. William E. Barrick, the executive director of Bellingrath Gardens and Home, will be inducted into the Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame. State officials are also expected to give updates on plans for the state’s bicentennial celebration and the opening of a new hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama State Parks earn 17 TripAdvisor Awards for 2017
TripAdvisor, an industry leader in online travel reservation services and user reviews, has presented 17 Certificate of Excellence awards to 11 Alabama State Parks for 2017. The 17 awards are the most ever for Alabama’s State Parks, tying last year’s number of honors from the world’s largest travel site. Gulf State Park earned four awards, and Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge earned its first Certificate of Excellence mention. DeSoto State Park was awarded a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor for its mountains, nature and wildlife areas, such as the splendid DeSoto Falls, along with one for the overall park. (Photo / Mike Perrin) Gulf State Park was honored for its overall park, its piers and boardwalks, its campground and for the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trail. Lake Guntersville State Park, DeSoto State Park and Joe Wheeler State Park received two awards each. Along with its first award for lodging at Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge, the park also was honored for the overall park experience. Gulf State Park was awarded four Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor for 2017, including one for the Gulf State Park Pier. The pier offers 2,448 feet of fishing space along its rails. (Photo / Lynn Jordan) “We all know how important Joe Wheeler is in attracting tourists to North Alabama,” said Tami Reist, president and chief executive officer of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. “The park is such a wonderful place to spend time in the outdoors in Alabama, and we are so pleased that TripAdvisor’s users recognized it this year.” DeSoto State Park was mentioned for its mountains, nature and wildlife areas, along with an overall park certificate. Guntersville picked up a lodging award for the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge and an overall award for the park. In 2016, Lake Guntersville State Park was ranked No. 1 on TripAdvisor’s “25 Travel Destinations with Skyrocketing Vacation Rental Interest” list. TripAdvisor, which has more than 500 million reviews and opinions posted online, is a major driver of tourists to new destinations across the country. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trails were singled out for an award from TripAdvisor. The trails are part of the Gulf State Park. (Photo / Alabama State Parks) “We’re thrilled that TripAdvisor users love our parks as much as we do,” said Greg Lein, Alabama State Parks director. “Our staff works hard to make sure visitors have first-class experiences enjoying our beautiful state, and it’s nice to be recognized. Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge earned a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award for 2017. (Alabama State Parks photo) “Services like TripAdvisor are important to get the word out about our parks to people who love the outdoors, but may have not considered visiting Alabama. We have a great track record with repeat visitors, proof that when you come to an Alabama State Park you’ll enjoy your experience. There’s something for everyone at our parks.” Every park in the Alabama State Parks System is benefiting from the passage of Amendment 2 in last November’s election, which by prohibiting parks’ funds from being transferred allows for renewed maintenance projects. Regular maintenance and other improvements help influence visitors to make Alabama State Parks their outdoors recreation destination. The other awards from TripAdvisor were for best parks. Those honorees are Cathedral Caverns, Monte Sano, Oak Mountain, Wind Creek, Cheaha, Lakepoint and Chewacla. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama business roundup: Headlines from across state – 9/16/16 edition
Which Alabama company is on a space mission to Mars? What happened to the lawsuit against Gov. Robert Bentley and the beachfront hotel plans? Who’s been elected to develop economic groups? Answers to all of these questions and more in today’s business roundup: Alabama NewsCenter: Alabama-made Atlas V rockets to lift NASA to asteroid, Mars Alabama-made Atlas V rockets will launch a NASA spacecraft on a dramatic mission to rendezvous with an asteroid and later send Mars 2020, the space agency’s next-generation robotic rover, to the Red Planet. First up is the lift-off of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, scheduled for Sept. 8 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V, assembled in Decatur, will boost the explorer on its way to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft will travel to the asteroid, survey it to produce 3-D maps and bring back a sample of surface material for study. NASA says the mission – the first involving a round-trip to an asteroid — will help scientists investigate how planets formed and life began. “This mission exemplifies our nation’s quest to boldly go and study our solar system and beyond to better understand the universe and our place in it,” said Geoff Yoder, a NASA administrator in Washington, D.C. The spacecraft should reach Bennu in 2018 and return the sample via a detachable capsule in 2023. This week, the OSIRIS-REx was bolted onto the Alabama-made Atlas V on Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral in preparation for lift-off. NASA said the launch should not be affected by Thursday’s SpaceX rocket explosion on a nearby pad. Mission to Mars On Aug. 25, NASA’s Launch Services Program announced that ULA’s Atlas V will launch Mars 2020 on its mission to the Red Planet. Lift-off is planned for July 2020 from Cape Canaveral, and the spacecraft should reach Mars in 2021. The Mars 2020 rover will conduct geological assessments of its landing site and determine the habitability of the environment. It will also search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers. ULA’s Alabama assembly facility is the sole production site for Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, which launch payloads for NASA and other government agencies. The 1.6 million-square-foot Decatur factory employs around 1,000 people.“Our launch vehicles have a rich heritage with Mars, supporting 17 successful missions over more than 50 years,” said Laura Maginnis, ULA’s vice president of Custom Services. “ULA and our heritage rockets have launched every U.S. spacecraft to the Red Planet, including Mars Science Lab, as well as the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.” Versions of the Atlas V can stand 205 feet tall, rising to almost 19 stories. An Alabama-made Atlas V will launch NASA’s next Mars lander, called inSight, in 2018. The surface explorer aims to provide understanding of the processes that shaped the planets of the inner solar system, including Earth. There’s another Alabama connection to two of these missions. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. InSight is part of NASA’s Discovery program, also managed by Marshall. Birmingham Business Journal: Judge tosses lawsuit against Alabama’s beachfront hotel plans Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin on Thursday moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed in opposition to the state’s plans to bring a new hotel and conference center to Gulf State Park using funds from the BP oil spill settlement. The suit, filed by State Auditor Jim Zeigler and state Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, claimed the state couldn’t spend the money from the settlement without legislative approval. On Thursday, Griffin dismissed the case, arguing Zeigler had no authority to file the suit in his official capacity and that since the state wasn’t spending taxpayer dollars, no legislative approval was necessary. “Today’s decision reiterates that the Gulf State Park project is proceeding within legal means,” Bentley said in a statement. “The redevelopment of the Gulf State Park will benefit Alabama as well as all state parks throughout the state.” Alabama NewsCenter: Alabama firms seek foothold with Latin America trade mission Latin America is the latest target for Alabama trade leaders seeking growth markets for state businesses. Representatives of a dozen companies are participating in a trade mission this week that started Sunday in Mexico and continues Wednesday in Chile. It’s being held in conjunction with the U.S. Commercial Service’s Trade Winds program, which includes regional and industry-specific conferences, as well as prearranged consultations with senior diplomats. For Gadsden’s Back Forty Beer Co., the trade mission is an opportunity to expand a new focus on international sales. Back Forty, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of craft beer in Alabama, exports several of its beer varieties — including Naked Pig, Truck Stop Honey and Freckle Belly – to China and Canada. The international sales started last year, and the company has been ramping up the endeavor since January. “In the U.S., craft beer has been around for a while, and it’s fairly well understood,” said Vince Schaeffer, Back Forty’s director of international sales. “But in countries like China and Mexico, we’re really on the leading edge, so we want to establish our brand there and become partners with important people.” Mexico is the most immediate growth target, he continued, but Chile, along with Australia, is on the list for next year. The company is expanding its global effort in a deliberate fashion, so it fully understands customers in each market before moving on to the next one, Schaeffer added. “Exporting just makes so much sense to us. It creates U.S. jobs and profits for U.S. companies, and we just see it as a natural way to grow,” he said. Click here to read the rest. Birmginham Business Journal: BBA leaders elected to economic development groups Two leaders at the Birmingham Business Alliance have been appointed to serve with groups to improve economic development statewide. Victor Brown, vice president of business development at the BBA, was appointed by Gov. Robert Bentley to the Renewal of Alabama
Judge hears arguments in lawsuit against Robert Bentley over oil spill funds for beach hotel
Lawyers for Alabama officials are asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the use of oil spill settlement funds to build a beach hotel. Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin heard arguments Tuesday in the request to dismiss the case. The state auditor and a legislator sued Gov. Robert Bentley, saying the money is being allocated without legislative approval. Tabor Novak, an attorney representing Bentley and the other defendants, said the case is nearly identical to one previously dismissed by the court. Bill Baxley, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told the judge the state is trying to build a “Taj Mahal” hotel at a state park. The state is seeking to build a 350-room hotel and conference center on the beach at Gulf State Park. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
State Auditor Jim Zeigler files lawsuit against Gov. Robert Bentley over BP settlement spending
Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler returned to court Tuesday attempting to halt Gov. Robert Bentley from using BP oil spill settlement funds to build a four-star beachfront hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park. Joined by Red Bay Democratic state Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, Zeigler filed the civil suit Tuesday in Montgomery court challenging what they call “unconstitutional and illegal disbursements and expenditures of state funds without required approval by the Alabama State Legislature” on the hotel and conference center as the spending was not authorized by state lawmakers as required. According to court documents, only “project revenues, National Resource Damage Assessment funds or Restore Act Funds” may be expended on projects at Gulf State Park under state law. They deem the use of BP block grant funds for the project “impermissible and illegal” in the lawsuit. The suit comes four days after Montgomery County Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs dismissed a similar suit filed by former state Conservation Commissioner Charles Grimsley. Zeigler claims the new lawsuit is different because the plaintiffs are different. This is the second lawsuit Zeigler has filed within a week against Bentley’s administration. Last week he filed a lawsuit to try to void the contract for the state’s “failed” $47 million accounting software. The governor’s office declined comment on the latest lawsuit.
Judge: Ex-official lacks standing to proceed with lawsuit against Gulf State Park
A judge has ruled that the former commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources doesn’t have standing to continue his lawsuit against Gov. Robert Bentley and others over funding for a new hotel and upgrades at Gulf State Park. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs issued the ruling Tuesday, saying Charles Grimsley lacks standing to proceed with the lawsuit because the funds came from BP, and not taxpayers. Grimsley’s lawsuit alleges that the BP funds for the project are not authorized to be used for the work under the 2013 legislation that initiated the project. Grimsley tells Al.com that he’s discussing his next move with his attorneys. Bentley says the 350-room lodge, trails and other improvements at Gulf State Park will be an asset for Alabama. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Kay Ivey: Exploring Alabama’s state parks
Summer is officially here— school’s out, graduations have wrapped up and the summer heat is in full swing. As you make summer travel plans for your family, consider exploring Alabama the beautiful. Alabama is home to over two dozen state parks reaching from the sugar-white beaches of the Gulf Coast to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The state parks have in total 48,000 acres of land and water. With over 75 years of service to our State, the state parks acquire and preserve natural areas to develop, furnish, operate and maintain recreational facilities, and extend the public’s knowledge of the State’s natural environment. No matter your age, the state parks have an activity or amenity for you to enjoy. With more than 2,500 modern campsites, cabins and six resorts, there is plenty of room for an overnight, weekend or week stay. The parks provide public access to waterways for boating, fishing, water skiing and wildlife viewing. Also, there are miles of trails for biking, horseback riding, backpacking, geocaching, running and walking. Many of the parks have an opportunity for a wonderful dining experience. When looking for a place to cool off, waterways can be found all across this State. Water recreation can be enjoyed at the Gulf State Park on the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico; Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort on the Mobile Delta; Lake Jackson RV State Park in Florala; Frank Jackson State Park in Opp; Blue Springs State Park in Clio, featuring a crystal clear underground spring; Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin; Lakepoint State Park on Lake Eufaula, known as the bass capital of the world; Lake Lurleen State Park in Coker; Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville offering golfing on Wheeler Lake; and, last but not least, Lake Guntersville, Alabama’s largest lake. Two Alabama State Parks offer the unique experience of cave tours. At Rickwood State Park in Warrior, the massive 260 million-year-old cave is a must see. The underground wonder is a cool activity to escape the sweltering summer heat. The Cathedral Caverns State Park in Woodville is named for its cathedral-like large opening to the cave. The cave tours are sure to be the best 90 minutes spent touring our State’s natural wonders. Miles of trails can provide a source of exercise while viewing Alabama’s beautiful nature at our State’s largest park, Oak Mountain State Park. Cheaha State Park in Delta and Desoto State Park in Fort Payne provide mountain-top retreats. Bucks Pocket State Park in Grove Oak in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville have serene mountain-setting experiences. The Chewacla State Park in Auburn provides trails for those looking for a challenging mountain bike trail. Our state parks in Alabama have recently faced critical budget issues and many devastating closures. This past Legislative Session, state Sen. Clay Scofield made a bold move for the sake of Alabama’s State Parks. SB260 is a constitutional amendment to permanently protect Alabama’s State Parks funding from being transferred to any other agency. The Constitutional Amendment will appear on the General Election Ballot in November for the people of Alabama to make a permanent decision in favor of the State Parks in our State. A vote for state parks is a vote for our future generation’s wildlife experiences. Each state park in Alabama provides a unique experience with a variety of amenities to enjoy. I encourage you to support our State and enjoy Alabama this summer. • • • Kay Ivey is the lieutenant governor of Alabama. Elected in 2010, she was the first Republican woman in Alabama’s history to hold the office.
Judge blocks state from using oil spill money to build hotel
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Alabama from using early oil spill restoration funds to build a 350-room beachfront hotel and conference center. U.S. District Judge Charles Butler ruled that state and federal trustees failed to comply with legal requirements to examine alternative uses for the money meant to address damage to natural resources. Butler blocked the state from using the money for the hotel development until the analysis is completed. Gulf Restoration Network sued state and federal trustees over Alabama’s plans to use $58.5 million in early restoration funds — a $1 billion pot of money set up by BP to begin addressing injuries to natural resources — to build a hotel and conference center at Gulf State Park. The environmental group argued that a hotel development isn’t proper use of money meant to restore coastal damage after the largest oil spill in U.S history. Cynthia Sarthou, executive director of Gulf Restoration Network, said in a statement that the ruling shows that the Natural Resources Damages Assessment trustees “cannot merely give lip service to compliance with environmental law.” “We are hopeful that today’s ruling will ensure that all future BP-disaster related funding flows to the best possible restoration projects,” she said. The judge’s decision does not block the state from proceeding with the project, only from using this particular pot of money for the project. “However, based on the administrative record before it, and the narrow issue presented by the pleadings, the court cannot enjoin the Commissioner or the State from building the lodge/conference center with funds other than early restoration funds,” Butler wrote. Cooper Shattuck, executive director of the Gulf State Park Project, said the ruling will not stop the lodge project. “While we are disappointed with Judge Butler’s decision, it will not impede our progress at the park. There are other funds available for the continued work on the lodge that do not include tax payer dollars,” Shattuck said in a statement. Gov. Robert Bentley has said the state plans to use another $50 million from BP’s direct payments to the state for the project. Alabama is planning to construct a 350-room hotel and conference center that can handle gatherings of up to 1,500 people. The facility would be built on the site of an old lodge at the park that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion dumped 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The state argued that the hotel project will help bring people back to the coast after recreation use plummeted during the 2010 oil spill and cleanup. Bentley has said he hoped to have the hotel open by 2018. Jordan Macha, senior policy analyst with the Gulf Restoration Network said the early restoration money was set aside to repair the coast and could be used for projects such as restoring wetlands or protecting habitats. “We have very few natural areas that aren’t developed on the Alabama coast as it is,” Macha said. The state also plans to use part of the restoration funds for dune restoration and walking and biking trails and other projects at Gulf State Park. Those projects were not challenged by the lawsuit. Shattuck said those projects will continue unaffected. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Greg Lein: Alabama parks face an uncertain future, for now all parks are open to enjoy
In the wake of the announcement to close five state parks and cut services and hours at other parks around the state, there have been many questions asked about the future of our state parks and what citizens can do to help. The best way to support the parks is to get out and visit them! ALL of Alabama’s State Parks are still open to guests and we hope citizens will get out and visit them as our peak fall foliage viewing time arrives over the next few weeks around the state. This week will be one of the last opportunities for many to visit these parks before they close. On October 15 the following parks will close their gates: Bladon Springs, Chickasaw, Paul Grist, Roland Cooper and Florala. I want to be clear with the public that currently all parks are open. We are working diligently to formulate a plan for the future of the state parks system. Finding a long-term solution is difficult as the parks system is faced with an unprecedented situation. Over the past five years $15 million has been transferred from the parks’ budget to the general fund budget. There is difficulty in creating long- and short-term plans for the parks because there is so much uncertainty about the future of the parks’ funding. The future of the parks becomes a philosophical question of value: Do Alabamians believe the state should operate and manage a parks system affordable to all? Or will financial constraints force the parks system to move to a model where only affluent citizens can afford a day hike at their local park? In the future, if the Legislature continually transfers funds from the state parks system’s coffers, our parks will continue to be forced to adjust services accordingly. Our parks system has tightened its belt since 2012 when these transfers began. Despite seeing our money siphoned to other areas of government, we’ve been successful in helping our entire system thrive. For the first time in nearly two decades all facilities at the parks are operational, and we were able to have one of our best peak seasons ever this summer. Unfortunately, we’re now seeing nearly all of the revenue made off this record season transferred to the general fund. The state parks system is just that, a system. Some parks, like Lake Guntersville and Gulf State, gross more than tenfold what smaller parks gross each year. All parks have benefitted from money spent at each and every park. The money goes to a fund shared by all parks, and the larger parks absorb the costs associated with parks slated to close across the state. With our funds depleted again, we’re not able to sustain this model and these smaller parks no longer have the necessary funding to operate. Our parks have entered into many concessionaire agreements, where private businesses operate attractions at the parks, with the parks system receiving a portion of those revenues. Attracting and maintaining these concessionaire agreements will be difficult for the parks in the future, as no business wants to make a risky investment at a park that could close in a year, two years, maybe five years. These concessionaires have been important in growing our parks system by helping to attract guests. These attractions were a reason the parks had such a successful summer season. As the leaves change and fall colors paint the state, I encourage you to visit your parks. Consider hosting a Thanksgiving picnic at one of our parks or braving the trails at one of the Halloween attractions offered at numerous parks. The future of the state parks system depends on the people who love the parks getting out and visiting them. We hope you’ll join us this fall at one of our beautiful state parks. Greg Lein is the director of the Alabama State Parks.
Environmental groups, Alabama face off over hotel for Gulf State Park
Two of Alabama’s premier state parks could soon get their own hotels — if they can overcome legal battles, budget cuts and public dissent. Gulf State Park, on the coast, and Oak Mountain State Park, just south of Birmingham, are both planning major upgrades accompanied by multimillion-dollar lodging complexes. Staying in a full-service suite might not be everyone’s version of a night in the great outdoors, but officials say hotels are needed to attract new visitors and new revenue. The Gulf State Park project, the larger of the two, has existed in various forms since Hurricane Ivan damaged the 6,150-acre park in 2004. The storm ruined a convention center that two Alabama governors have now spent a decade trying to rebuild. On April 20, 2010, the park and its treasured white sand beaches faced another catastrophe with the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, when millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Along with a new full-service hotel, a master plan for the $85 million project — managed by the University of Alabama — includes restored ecological areas and new educational facilities. The goal is to finally replace the former hotel with a modern facility for an environmentally conscious generation, Alabama State Parks Director Greg Lein said. “You don’t just put it back,” Lein said. “Why do you rebuild a building that was built in the 1970s? You need to think about the present and the future.” But a lawsuit from an environmental group threatens to strip more than half of the project’s funding. The Gulf Restoration Network in October sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and several other federal agencies over their decision to allow Alabama to use $58.5 million of the state’s allotted $100 million recovery funds from the 2010 BP oil spill. This month, a federal judge agreed to move the lawsuit from Washington, D.C., to the southern federal district in Alabama. Jordan Macha, a policy analyst for the Gulf Restoration Network, said Alabama is missing an opportunity to repair and restore wetlands and other habitats damaged by the oil spill. “When you look at recreational loss of use and the criteria for what constitutes loss of use, hotel and convention center does not fall into that category,” Macha said. “There were no oiled convention centers during the BP disaster.” Focus groups with a wide range of interested parties — including residents, business owners, scientists and developers — are being conducted to understand what the park needs, said Nisa Miranda, director of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development. “We’re living in a more modern age,” she said. “People are more conscious and interested in being respectful and taking into consideration natural resources, so the vision and the mindset for this project is very forward-thinking.” This is the second time Alabama’s attempts to build a new conference center at the park has drawn litigation. A court blocked an earlier plan to build a 350-room hotel and let Auburn University lease it to a private management company. At Oak Mountain State Park, a recent feasibility study recommended a “lodge”-like facility with 175 rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The $35 million project is estimated to have an annual economic boost of $18.4 million. Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock said plans are still in the preliminary stage. He said it would be an amenity that’s not already in the park or in Shelby County. “When you add in all the wonderful outdoor recreational options that the park provides, it would be an impressive array of offerings that visitors could appreciate,” Dudchock said. Yet some want Alabama’s largest state park to maintain its rustic feel. Keep Oak Mountain Wild, a nonprofit formed to fight the development, mentions a number of criticisms on its website. An online petition urges readers to oppose the project. Despite plans for growth, the entire park system is preparing for massive cuts. The system could be forced to close 15 of 22 parks, as the Alabama Legislature and Gov. Robert Bentley look to solve a looming budget crisis over a shortfall in the 2016 general fund. Bentley and lawmakers have been at odds about where to make cuts and where to raise taxes to keep Alabama afloat. According to park system officials, lawmakers could remove millions from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources budget for 2016. About $10.4 million of the $11.4 million in possible cuts would come from the State Parks System. In an interview this month, Lein said it’s tough to plan long-term growth for the park system when it’s faced with short-term uncertainty. “How do I keep the park system attractive when there’s all this gloom and doom about the budget? How do you deal with that?” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
State parks on block for budget cuts
A plan by state lawmakers to trim Alabama’s budget would affect state parks. State Rep. Joe Faust told WKRG-TV that parks should be on the top of the list when budget cuts are required. He said state officials should be looking for ways to make the parks self-sustaining. Park Director Lisa Larraway said the budget cuts would not close Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. It is one of five facilities in the 22-park system that make a profit. But Larraway said the deep financial cuts would still be felt. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has threatened to veto any budget that contains massive cuts. He has said Alabama needs to raise taxes instead. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
