Alabama § 41-10-21 - Legislative Findings of Fact and Declaration of Intent; Construction of Article.

§ 41-10-21. Legislative Findings of Fact and Declaration of Intent; Construction of Article.

The Legislature hereby makes the following findings of fact and declares its intent to be as follows: In recent years changes have taken place in the economy of this state which have had a far-reaching effect on the welfare of its citizens. The agrarian economy which once prevailed in this state and provided the principal means of livelihood for most of the citizens of the state has proven inadequate to provide employment for the state’s growing population. The advent of mechanized and scientific farming methods has reduced greatly the number of persons required to obtain increased yields of agricultural products from land under cultivation. There has been a correspondingly greater dependence upon industrial development as the bulwark of the economy of this state. It is appropriate and necessary that measures be taken to secure to the citizens of this state the benefits of a strengthened economy resulting from increased industrial development. Among these benefits are diversification of available job opportunities, higher salaries, better working conditions, lower consumer prices for industrial products, conservation and efficient use of natural resources, and maximum utilization of technical skills possessed by the citizens of this state. The police power of the state casts upon the Legislature the peculiar function of ascertaining and determining when the welfare of the people needs its exercise. The public interest lies in the promotion of industry, and the welfare of the people is so inextricably tied up with industry and industrial development as to make its well-being a matter of governmental concern.

It is the intention of the Legislature by the passage of this article to exercise its police power to authorize the formation of an independent public corporation which shall have as its general purpose the promotion of industrial development in this state and which shall have power to issue bonds payable solely from the proceeds of a special state tax set aside by this article for the purpose of retiring the said bonds. It is the further intention of the Legislature that the public corporation authorized by this article shall have discretion as to the manner of expending funds at its disposal for the purpose of promoting industrial development in this state, subject to the limitations more particularly detailed in this article.

This article shall be liberally construed in accordance with the foregoing findings of fact and declaration of intent.