Ivey’s Final State of the State Offers Familiar Promises, Few Answers on Affordability

Montgomery, AL (BuzzReport) — In her ninth and final State of the State address, Gov. Kay Ivey struck a confident, valedictory tone Tuesday inside the Old House Chambers of the Alabama State Capitol. But beneath the applause lines and self-congratulation, the speech left a glaring omission: no meaningful plan to confront the rising cost of living squeezing Alabama families, educators, and state employees.

Instead, Ivey doubled down on long-standing priorities of her administration—expanding private school vouchers, increasing use of the death penalty, and touting incremental pay raises—while remaining silent on the looming affordability crisis tied to health insurance costs for public workers.

With 2026 marking an election year and the opening of a new legislative session, the governor framed her address as a victory lap, highlighting education spending increases and public safety initiatives. Yet critics say the speech reflected a continuation of an extreme right-wing agenda that fails to address the everyday economic pressures facing Alabamians.

Pay Raises Without Cost-of-Living Relief

Ivey proposed a 2% pay raise for teachers in her fiscal year 2027 budget and expressed support for a similar raise for all state employees, including state troopers. Legislative leaders from both chambers suggested those raises are likely to be included in the final budgets.

“They deserve the pay raise, since the cost of living has gone up,” said House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville.

But Democratic leaders warned that the modest raises could be wiped out by soaring health insurance costs—an issue the governor did not mention.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said the increase falls short. “I wish they were higher,” Singleton said. “We’re just going to have to work through that to make sure that that’s going to be a real 2% to both state and teachers employees.”

The omission was especially notable as both major state insurance programs—the Public Education Employee Health Insurance Program (PEEHIP) and the State Employees Insurance Board (SEIB)—prepare to request significant funding increases. PEEHIP alone is expected to seek an additional $380 million for fiscal year 2027, a request that would directly impact the Education Trust Fund.

Education Spending—and Vouchers—Take Center Stage

Ivey emphasized education as a hallmark of her tenure, noting gains in fourth-grade math and reading scores since she took office in 2017. She also promised that her final Education Trust Fund proposal would be the largest in state history, though she declined to provide specific figures. The current ETF stands at $9.9 billion.

“Our teachers are earning high marks,” Ivey said. “And we added 500,000 more credentialed men and women to our workforce.”

Yet the governor also called for a major expansion of the CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s voucher-like program that provides tax credits for private school tuition and other non-public education expenses. Ivey urged lawmakers to increase funding for the program from $180 million to $250 million, predicting demand would continue to grow as the program becomes fully universal.

House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, acknowledged progress in math and reading but said the state must invest more aggressively in science education. “That’s an area that is extremely critical to not just the defense of our nation, but the progress of our future,” Daniels said.

Renewed Push to Expand the Death Penalty

Perhaps the most controversial portion of the speech was Ivey’s full-throated support for legislation that would expand the death penalty to individuals convicted of raping or sodomizing a child. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, directly challenges a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed such punishment unconstitutional for crimes not resulting in death.

“I was proud to quickly offer my full and total support,” Ivey said, urging lawmakers to pass the bill so she can sign it into law.

Supporters argue the measure is necessary in light of recent child sex trafficking arrests in Bibb County. Critics, however, note that the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Louisiana cited concerns that the death penalty could incentivize perpetrators to kill victims or further traumatize survivors during prolonged legal proceedings.

Simpson said the growing number of states passing similar laws could help overturn the precedent. “We’re trying to show that this is not unusual,” he said.

Public Safety, Health Care, and Rural Investment

Ivey also highlighted a scaled-down public safety package for 2026, building on last year’s “Safe Alabama” legislation. She celebrated Alabama’s $203 million in first-year funding from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, intended to offset future Medicaid cuts.

“We have laid the groundwork for success,” Ivey said, calling on lawmakers and health care leaders to “think outside-the-box” to improve access across the state.

Additional proposals included a statewide flood notification system, inspired by deadly floods in Texas that claimed the lives of young Alabama campers, and legislation to limit screen time for children under five.

A Farewell Framed as Progress

As she closed her final State of the State address, Ivey thanked her cabinet, legislative leaders, and Alabamians, calling herself “a governor of all the people.”

But for many watching, the speech underscored a growing disconnect between the governor’s priorities and the realities facing working families. With health care costs rising, wages lagging behind inflation, and public resources increasingly diverted to private interests, Ivey’s final address offered reflection—but few solutions—for an Alabama struggling to afford the future she says is brighter than ever.