New Interstate Economic Development Partnership Announced

The states of Mississippi and Alabama, not only longstanding football rivals but also economic development competitors, have launched a new interstate partnership to spark economic development cooperation in landing opportunities to help impoverished rural areas in Eastern Mississippi and Western Alabama.

While the two states' governors did not identify any specific company that might be targeted by the alliance, they noted that the area is rapidly becoming an automotive corridor. Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrave said "One thing for sure, it will allow us to compete for major projects, such as an automotive manufacturing facility."

Interstate economic agreements and compacts have been tried in many regions over the years. In the 1980s, Great Lakes governors signed a no raiding compact, which promptly fell apart when a large Japanese automaker pitted the states against each other to spark an incentive bidding war. Can Mississippi and Alabama make their new interstate alliance work? Time will tell. I like the concept. It is very consistent with my thinking about innovative collaborative partnerships.

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