Alabama's governor to lead Southern governors
Associated Press
08/20/09 6:10 PM EDT
MONTGOMERY, ALA. — Alabama Gov. Bob Riley replaces Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as chairman of the Southern Governors' Association when the group meets this weekend in Williamsburg, Va.
Riley said Thursday he will encourage the governors to work together in China, India and Korea to advertise and brand the South as a particular part of the United States that offers great advantages to anyone who might want to come. He said people in those countries often think of the United States as Washington, Los Angeles or Chicago.
Riley says the governors will also be discussing how federal issues, such as cap-and-trade energy legislation, will affect the region. He says southern companies have relatively cheap energy and cap-and-trade legislation could raise their costs 40 percent.
