Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth on Thursday announced that the Alabama Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force has formed a subcommittee on reopening the state’s economy and plans to present a plan to Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris by April 17.
“Reopening Alabama’s economy and getting businesses back to work will not be like flipping a light switch, but it will more likely be accomplished in stages once the COVID-19 pandemic begins to ease,” Ainsworth said. “The purpose of this subcommittee is to provide a roadmap to reopening the economy that balances the public’s health and safety with the need for small business owners and employees to resume operations.”
The subcommittee will consider issues like how to best ease restrictions on restaurant and store capacity guidelines and how to incorporate social distancing needs with increased commerce once officials decree that the worst of the COVID-19 threat has passed.
State Rep. Danny Garrett (R – Trussville) will serve as chairman of the subcommittee, and the other members include:
- Senator Chris Elliott (R – Fairhope)
- Senator Garlan Gudger (R – Cullman)
- Representative Joe Lovvorn (R – Auburn)
- Rosemary Elebash – National Federation of Independent Business, Alabama State Chair
- Mindy Hanan – Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association, Executive Director
- Katie Britt – Business Council of Alabama, CEO
- Rick Brown – Alabama Retail Association, President
- Tony Cochran of CK Business Solutions in Albertville
- Stephen McNair of McNair Historic Preservation in Mobile
The 22-member commission is statutorily tasked with formulating “policies encouraging innovation of small businesses in the state” and advising the Department of Commerce in promoting small businesses within Alabama. The state legislature placed the Alabama Small Business Commission under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office in 2018.
