SJR 74 Summary

• Honors and commends the Loving the Shoals movement, a community initiative to enhance quality of life for residents throughout the Shoals area.

• Movement is led by Jimmy Hayes (pastor of Christ Chapel in Florence), Joe VanDyke (preacher at Magnolia Church of Christ in Florence), and Mike Simon (owner of Simon Solutions software company), with strategic planning assistance from Ed Castile of Alabama Industrial Development Training.

• Specific initiatives include providing utilities aid for low-income households, assistance programs for senior citizens, creating or enhancing career and technical programs in schools, expanding dropout prevention programs, and establishing a grant-writing committee to secure community funding.

• Vision emphasizes building a well-connected community where citizens are better informed and actively engaged, with relationships spanning religious, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines to improve residents' health, prosperity, and quality of life.

• Senate adopted on April 12, 2011; House adopted on April 14, 2011.