Governor Kay Ivey officially kicked off the 2026 Legislative Session Tuesday evening with the final State of the State address of her historic 10-year tenure.
“And y’all, I’d say we haven’t aged a day—right, Jabo,” Ivey asked playfully, referencing longtime State Senator Jabo Wagoner, R-Vestavia Hills, who turned 89 last week.
Ivey reflected on the accomplishments made over that last decade while setting priorities for this final year under her leadership that ranged from public safety to education to rural healthcare.
State employees and public school teachers can both expect another 2 percent pay raise, which has been a regular feature of Ivey’s leadership and a change from her predecessors.
Ivey also urged lawmakers to expand funding for the CHOOSE Act, which diverts taxpayer funds to private schools and homeschooling parents, to $250 million as the program enters its second year.
“Our education savings account program, the CHOOSE Act, is already supporting more than 23,000 students,” Ivey said. “That number will only grow as more folks learn about the program, as student athletes feel more confident in the rules and when it becomes fully universal in year three.”
The jab about student athletes references a battle between the state and the Alabama High School Athletic Association, which is looking to bar CHOOSE Act athletes from competing in AHSAA athletics.
Ivey delved further into her opposition to the AHSAA, announcing her support for the “Let the Kids Play Act” by State Representative Danny Garrett, R-Trussvillle, and State Senator Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, to override the AHSAA.
Education has been a longstanding priority of Ivey’s, and she touted the state’s improvement in math and reading under her governorship.
“We are now 32nd in math and 34th in reading. We ranked first in the nation in math recovery and third in reading,” Ivey said. “We significantly increased our pre-k classrooms. We are a top five state for computer science. We doubled the specialty schools with the addition of the Cyber Technology and Engineering School and the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences. We have our highest ever College and Career Readiness rate. We are tied for the lowest percentage of chronic absenteeism. Our teachers are earning high marks. And we added 500,000 more credentialed men and women to our workforce.
“Truly, the tides are turning when it comes to education in Alabama.”
In the area of public safety, Ivey announced her support for a bill by State Representative Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, and State Senator April Weaver, R-Alabaster, that would establish the death penalty for the rape or sodomy of a child.
A more surprising announcement from the governor, Ivey asked lawmakers to fund a flood notification system in the wake of the tragedy last summer at a Texas girls camp.
“Looking only at last year, our country experienced devastating weather events, including the horrific flooding in Texas that claimed the lives of fellow Alabamians, the youngest being Sarah Marsh, who was away at summer camp,” Ivey said. “Unfortunately, Alabama is no stranger to the wrath of Mother Nature. We are also home to many of our own camps. And y’all, as a former counselor myself, ensuring safety in these spaces is very personal to me.”
The speech mostly stayed clear of national or cultural issues that have stolen focus in past sessions, although some of those bills have already been filed once again for the upcoming year.
State Representative Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, delivered the response for the Alabama Democratic Caucus, emphasizing the unaffordability in the state.
“However, we believe it’s time to put aside partisan political talking points and to speak plainly, the state of the state is rapidly becoming unaffordable,” Clarke said. “I say this because over the last year, I have listened to people from all walks of life every corner of Alabama, and they have one overwhelming concern, and that concern is affordability.”
Clarke criticized Republicans for allowing a tax emption on overrate hours to expire, and for expanding the CHOOSE Act and sending more public money to “private schools that lack accountability and keep raising tuition to increase their profits.”
The Democrats plan to focus on increasing funding for public schools, expanding health care access and defending voting rights
