Ivey’s State of the State Is Tonight

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey delivers her eighth State of the State Address in the historic old Capitol House Chamber tonight at 6:00. The 80-year-old chief executive is expected to tell lawmakers at a joint legislative session that the state of the state is strong.

Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted December unemployment rate is 3.3%, up from November 2024’s rate of 3.1% but still lower than the national average and considered as full employment.

While emphasizing a need to improve, Ivey is also expected to point to Labor Force Participation Rate Increases to 57.7% in December as further proof of the state's strong economy.

During her address Ivey will lay out her legislative agenda for the 2025 session that began at noon today and runs through May 15th. It is highly anticipated that Ivey will reveal a package of bills naming public safety as one of her top priorities. That package will prioritize “backing the blue, combatting crime, and making smart on crime reforms.”

In a press release last Wednesday Ivey addressed the new session, “We are working hard to prepare for another productive legislative session. A safe Alabama is a secure future for Alabama, and this year, we will take bold steps to protect our communities, strengthen our future and ensure our state remains the best place to live, work and raise a family. I look forward to working with our Legislature to achieve these critical goals and create a better Alabama for all.”

A former teacher, Ivey is expected to continue to highlight the state's improvement in national rankings for fourth grade reading and math and to encourage further improvement in other areas as well.

Ivey will most likely tout the CHOOSE Act that passed the legislature last year. It provides up to $7,000 per student for families who choose to put their children in private schools and up to $2,000 for homeschool students (limited to two per family).

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library, the Literacy and Numeracy Act and her Turnaround Schools initiative will no doubt be addressed in her speech.

Miss America Abbie Stockard (a Hoover native, Miss Alabama and Auburn student) will attend the address as the governor's guest.

Ivey's address will be televised statewide by Alabama Public Television.