1 SJR58
2 211437-4
3 By Senators Orr, Melson, Price, Williams, Gudger, Waggoner,
4 Barfoot, Chesteen, Elliott, Stutts, Roberts, Sessions,
5 Albritton, Marsh, Jones and Whatley
6 RFD:
7 First Read: 09-MAR-21
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 SJR58
1 SJR58
2
3
4 ENROLLED, SJR58,
5 OPPOSING PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STANDARDS FOR
6 DELINEATING METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS.
7
8 WHEREAS, in August 2019, the United States Office of
9 Management and Budget first released a draft of the "Report
10 and Recommendations from the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
11 Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office of
12 Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2010 Standards
13 for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical
14 Areas"; and
15 WHEREAS, the recommendations within the report would
16 double the population threshold between a metropolitan
17 statistical area and a micropolitan statistical area, from
18 50,000 to 100,000, based only on the doubling of the national
19 population since the threshold was initially formed, without
20 regard to the changing densities of urban and rural
21 populations or the qualities of the affected population
22 centers themselves; and
23 WHEREAS, that draft report projected that the new
24 standards would be implemented in 2023 if adopted by the
25 Office of Management and Budget; on January 19, 2021, the
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1 Office of Management and Budget issued a notice seeking public
2 commentary on the proposed new standards, due within 60 days
3 of that date; and
4 WHEREAS, among those 144 population centers
5 nationwide that would change from metropolitan statistical
6 areas to micropolitan statistical areas under the new
7 standards, seven Alabama population centers would be affected;
8 this disproportionate effect makes it incumbent upon this body
9 to comment on the proposed new standards; and
10 WHEREAS, a change in designation from a metropolitan
11 statistical area to a micropolitan statistical area may
12 negatively impact recruitment of businesses and expansion of
13 jobs within some of Alabama's largest population centers; if
14 the new standards usher in a substantive distinction between
15 metropolitan and micropolitan areas in the context of federal
16 aid, Alabama communities could be further negatively impacted;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, any negative impact suffered by a
19 statistical area due to a change in designation from
20 metropolitan to micropolitan would be undeserved and would
21 have no correlation to the suitability of the area to host
22 businesses; this is evidenced by the Decatur and
23 Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Statistical Areas, among numerous
24 others; in 2020, Site Selection magazine named the Decatur
25 Metropolitan Statistical Area the second best of its class in
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1 the nation for total projects and the fourth best of its class
2 for projects per capita, and the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan
3 Statistical Area the sixth best Metropolitan Statistical Area
4 of its class in the nation for total projects and the ninth
5 best of its class for projects per capita; under the new
6 standards, both the Decatur and the Auburn-Opelika
7 Metropolitan Statistical Areas would become micropolitan
8 statistical areas, despite outperforming almost all
9 metropolitan statistical areas in terms of suitability for
10 businesses; and
11 WHEREAS, in addition to the Decatur and
12 Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the
13 Metropolitan Statistical Areas of Anniston-Oxford,
14 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Dothan, Florence-Muscle Shoals, and
15 Gadsden would all be adversely affected by the report and
16 recommendations of the review committee; now therefore,
17 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
18 HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That this body hereby strongly
19 opposes the new standards proposed by the United States Office
20 of Management and Budget, relating to a change in the
21 threshold between metropolitan and micropolitan statistical
22 areas.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
24 memorandum be delivered to the Office of the President of the
25 United States and the Director of the United States Office of
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1 Management and Budget, so that the strong sentiments of this
2 body on the proposed new standards may be known and may be
3 recorded by the Office of Management and Budget as an official
4 comment on the proposal.
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 SJR58
1
2
3
4 President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
5
6 Speaker of the House of Representatives
7 SJR58
8 Senate 09-MAR-21
9 I hereby certify that the within Senate Joint Resolution
10 originated in and was adopted by the Senate.
11
12 Patrick Harris,
13 Secretary.
14
15
16
17 House of Representatives
18 Adopted: 18-MAR-21
19
20
21 By: Senator Orr
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