Montgomery, AL – Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones addressed a crowd of at least 100 people at a Montgomery town hall on Tuesday, discussing his stances on education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Among his key proposals, Jones stated he wants to “phase out the CHOOSE Act,” Alabama’s effective school voucher program, and called for a moratorium on new data center construction across the state.
Jones expressed concerns that the CHOOSE Act, which is set to remove income caps on eligibility starting January 1, could significantly harm public education. He told attendees that the program, if not stopped, is "going to just cripple" public schools. Jones cited preliminary figures from Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey, who noted during an Alabama State Board of Education meeting last week that 12,000 students were unenrolled from public schools. While Mackey said CHOOSE Act recipients contributed to some of this loss, he indicated the overall enrollment drop could not be attributed solely to the voucher program.
Jones clarified that his plan to phase out the program differs from earlier talks of eliminating school vouchers entirely. He explained that because students and their parents have already made decisions and benefited from the program, he intends to "let those kids graduate" while gradually ending the initiative.
On the topic of public education, Jones also committed to increasing teacher salaries, stating he is "committed to making sure teacher raises go up." He added that his focus would also include ensuring educators have access to healthcare, describing healthcare delivery in the state as a "challenge" and a "crisis." Jones attributed this situation to the high cost of health insurance and the state's decision not to expand Medicaid. The Public Education Employee Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) board is planning to request a $222 million increase in the fiscal year 2028 budget from the Legislature to cover rising healthcare costs.
A public school teacher questioned Jones about the display of the Ten Commandments in schools and its potential impact on non-Christian students. This concern follows Gov. Kay Ivey's signing of SB 99 this spring, which requires local school boards to display a poster of the Ten Commandments in fifth through 12th-grade classes and common areas. The bill went into effect on October 1. Jones responded by emphasizing the need for an attitude of respect and openness towards neighbors of all backgrounds, reflecting the values he learned from his own Christian upbringing.
Regarding support for struggling schools, a kindergarten teacher asked Jones about allocating funds from the Education Trust Fund to all schools and reinstating teacher's aides. Jones responded that the RAISE Act, which aims to create a needs-based funding model for K-12 schools, is moving in the right direction. He acknowledged that some school systems benefit from foundations supported by residents, but asserted these schools should not be denied state funding. Jones views the RAISE Act as a "real good start" for identifying schools in need and directing additional financial resources to them.
Beyond education, Jones repeated his call for a moratorium on new data center construction. He suggested a temporary halt would allow sufficient time to develop comprehensive plans for these facilities. Jones expressed belief that such a moratorium "would probably not even last a year" as stakeholders would come together to determine necessary actions. He cited the recent approval of Project Red Clay in Lowndes County, an 800-acre hyperscale data center near a residential area approved despite community opposition, as an example of why a moratorium is needed.
