Gov. Kay Ivey delivered the annual State of the State address on Tuesday night, laying out legislative priorities focused on public safety, education, and social policy, which are issues lawmakers will debate in the coming weeks.
She declared public safety her “top priority” for the 2025 legislative session.
“A safe Alabama is a secure future for Alabama, and a secured future is our goal,” Ivey said.
Ivey backed a bill banning firearm conversion devices — such as trigger activators, also known as Glock switches — while supporting legislation to impose automatic sentence enhancements for felons convicted of certain gun crimes.
“We will crack down on inner-city violence by enhancing penalties for dangerous felons with guns,” she said. “We will expand Aniah’s Law, boost our successful Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, ban Glock switches, and we will enhance supervision of high-risk juveniles. Working together, we will create a safer Alabama.”
The proposal follows a string of mass shootings that shook Alabama, including a September incident outside a Birmingham nightclub that left four dead and 17 injured. Law enforcement officials have warned that Glock switches make firearms unpredictable, unleashing uncontrolled bursts of bullets that increase the risk of casualties, both intended and unintended.
To strengthen law enforcement, Ivey proposed the “Back the Blue Legal Protections” bill, which would shield officers from legal repercussions in use-of-force cases.
She also supported sentencing reform, backing a bill to allow nonviolent offenders to challenge the lengthy sentences imposed under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act, calling it a “common sense reform.”
Ivey highlighted Alabama’s progress in education, pointing to Danville-Neel Elementary in Morgan County, where fourth graders saw significant improvement in math.
“These students made the highest math gains in the state last year, jumping up a whopping 35 percentage points,” she said.
This success is part of a broader trend, as Alabama has seen significant improvements in education during her tenure. When Ivey took office, the state ranked 49th in reading and 52nd in math in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Today, Alabama has risen to 34th in reading and 32nd in math, reflecting a positive shift in the state’s educational outcomes.
While the address celebrated student achievement, Ivey’s stance on classroom technology took a more critical turn. In a press release issued the same day, she backed a proposed smartphone ban during instructional hours in Alabama public schools.
“Cell phones and other smart devices often dominate children’s free time and not surprisingly follow them into the classroom, lowering student achievement and contributing to discipline problems,” she said. “I share the view of most Alabama teachers and parents that cell phones should be banned in the classroom.”
The bill, introduced by state Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, and state Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, would establish a statewide ban on cell phone use in public schools during instructional hours, with exceptions determined by local education boards.
The legislation also requires local boards to implement internet safety policies for school-owned devices and mandates social media safety training for students before eighth grade, addressing concerns over cyberbullying and mental health risks.
Ivey didn’t shy away from hot-button issues, particularly gender identity. As debates over gender laws continue nationwide, she clarified her position: “There are only two genders: male and female.”
She also reaffirmed her support for the “What is a Woman?” bill, which would establish legal definitions of man and woman based on reproductive organs, not gender identity. While the bill did not pass last year, she expressed confidence that lawmakers would deliver it to her desk this year.
Her remarks come as President Donald Trump, on Jan. 20, signed executive orders mandating that the U.S. government recognize only two sexes, male and female, while ending “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within federal agencies.
Another policy amid ongoing debates is border security.
Ivey discussed how securing the southern border directly impacts Alabama, affirming her support for Trump’s immigration policies.
“Securing the southern border is securing Alabama’s border,” she said.
She outlined recent legislative efforts, calling for the completion of the border wall and the elimination of federal benefits for undocumented immigrants.
Ivey pointed to recent immigration legislation, including the Laken Riley Act, which mandates federal detention for undocumented immigrants accused of crimes such as theft, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or any offense causing death or serious injury.
She also backed Sen. Katie Britt’s WALL Act, which seeks to complete the U.S. border wall by cutting taxpayer-funded entitlement benefits for undocumented immigrants, aiming to deter illegal migration.
Ivey further emphasized Alabama’s support for Trump’s mission, revealing that she has directed state agencies, including the Alabama National Guard and ALEA, to remain ready to assist border security efforts.
At 80 years old, Ivey is well aware of the chatter about her age. She leaned into it on Tuesday, embracing her “MeMaw” label, and has said she intends to finish her four-year term.
“In Alabama politics, we don’t exactly follow the rule of never asking a lady her age, and that’s OK,” she said. “So, while we are on my age, I will share one of its many benefits: MeMaw will tell you exactly like it is!”
