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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Gov. Robert Bentley speaks at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Lyn Cook, Eric Kelly and Kat Gannon at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Scott Russel, Scott Hinkle and Rich Klimpt at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Scott Horne and Arcadia Washington at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Steve Meadows, Scott Sutton and Joshua Carnes at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Rachel Thomas and Kim Robinson at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Paul Howard, Mark Sappington and Gregg Wadsworth at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Rep. David Faulkner introduces Gov. Robert Bentley at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Gov. Robert Bentley speaks at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Brian Massey, Greg Neil, Meghan Burtis, Dr. Grayce Arnold, Terry Knight and Dana Mcginniss at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Angela Nolan, Duncan Blackston, Mary Alice Kline and Tiffany Abel at the Dec. 16 Homewood Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
Gov. Robert Bentley hopes to earn a salary before he leaves office.
When Bentley took office in 2011, he said he would not take a salary until the then 9.3 percent unemployment rate was brought down to 5.4 percent.
“To date, Gov. Bentley has never accepted a salary — he is our free governor,” said Rep. David Faulkner, who introduced Bentley at Wednesday’s Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Bentley said he believes they will reach their goal of 5.4 percent unemployment, which is considered full employment, by the end of his current term.
“We want everyone who wants a job in Alabama to be able to get a job,” Bentley said. “That’s full employment.”
During the chamber’s December luncheon at The Club, Bentley explained the steps he has taken as governor, as well as his future plans, to encourage business growth in the state.
Building up business in Alabama, Bentley said, takes recruiting new businesses, retaining companies in the state and feats of innovation and entrepreneurship.
He said an important first step is education, and that needs to start at an early level.
“Education of the people of this state is extremely important,” Bentley said. “Now that’s a long-term process. It’s not something you do overnight, but you have to start with a strong foundation.”
That foundation is why he has supported a pre-kindergarten program throughout the state, he said. One audience member asked if he would consider making the now-optional pre-K mandatory to ensure more children receive a solid foundation. Bentley responded by saying people are not typically open to things being mandatory.
“In Alabama, people don’t like mandatory things, so sometimes you have to think about how you can get things done and do them in a politically acceptable way,” Bentley said.
Sometimes having an option means that those who need that educational foundation are not sent to pre-kindergarten, but most children likely will enroll if it is offered, he said.
Education also extends to workforce preparation, Bentley said. He hopes to build a workforce that can take on the jobs that are available, he said. Through a workforce task force, Bentley said the goal is to combine business and industry with education.
“Education wants to educate, but they have to know how to educate,” Bentley said. “They have to know what’s needed.”
Another factor in business growth is infrastructure, Bentley said. At this time, there are 1,122 infrastructure projects going on in the state.
“When we’re finished, the roads and bridges in this state will be in much better condition than they were when we took office,” Bentley said.
The state, however, is reaching a point where there is concern about future infrastructure development, Bentley said. That concern is one reason he supports a gasoline tax to help fund development.
“I think most of the people of Alabama really want that,” Bentley said. “They want a good infrastructure in the state.”
Bentley also took questions from the audience, where he addressed the state's security.
Bentley, who was the first governor to say he would stop refugees from entering his state, said he still stands by that comment. He said taking in refugees was not worth the risk of a potential terror attack.
“We’re going to be as safe as we possibly can in the state of Alabama,” Bentley said.
