AlabamaWorks business survey shows pandemic’s impact
Nearly 1,800 business owners across the state participated in the Alabama COVID-19 Workforce Response Survey. Developed by AlabamaWorks, the survey results provide an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on Alabama’s employers and will, ultimately, help determine how private industry and state government together can best support the economy and get people back to work. More than half, 53.4 percent of businesses, reported that their current business climate is “bad,” but 49.6 percent of businesses expected their climate to improve in the next 6 months. Read all the survey results here. – AL Political Reporter
State lawmakers develop pared-down budgets in Montgomery
Alabama lawmakers advanced pared down state budgets on Tuesday amid uncertain revenue projections because of the coronavirus outbreak. The House Ways and Means Education Committee advanced a $7.2 billion education budget that skips a 3% pay raise lawmakers had hoped to give teachers and public school employees. – AP
Florida music fest announces acts for Labor Day weekend
Bucking the trend of major concert events looking to 2021 for a reboot, organizers of the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam announced Tuesday that Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley will headline the Labor Day Weekend event in Panama City Beach, Fla. Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady and COO Mark Sheldon were extremely bullish on their expectation that the COVID-19 epidemic would not hinder the event, on the weekend of Sept. 4-6. – AL.com
Bill moving in Senate to forgive Covid loans, checks from income tax
The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee gave a favorable report to a bill Monday that would make stimulus checks under the federal CARES Act to individuals as well as Payroll Protection Program forgiven loans exempt from the state income tax. Senate Bill 250 is sponsored by Senator Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook). – AL Political Reporter
State’s biggest mall reopens but many stores within remain closed
Alabama’s largest shopping mall reopened for the first time in weeks on Tuesday and demonstrators protested in favor of further accelerating the state’s economy, even as cases of the coronavirus continue to rise. Shoppers returning to the Riverchase Galleria in suburban Birmingham found most of its roughly 150 stores still closed. – AP
Sock manufacturer makes, donates 40,000 masks in north Alabama
A northeast Alabama sock manufacturer switched gears and came up with a darned good idea to help out during the coronavirus pandemic, producing face coverings for medical personnel. So far, Bur-Tex Hosiery in Fyffe has donated 40,000 masks in the past week. The company donated 30,000 masks to Marshall Medical Centers and 10,000 to Shepherd’s Cove Hospice on Friday. – Fox13 Memphis
Business group estimates just 7 percent of state’s small business got PPP
Funding from the federal Payroll Protection Program is only supporting a small percentage of small businesses in Alabama, according to data collected by business.org. Of small businesses in Alabama, only 7% were awarded PPP loans from the first round of federal funding, which is higher than the national average 5.7%. – WVTM
