Alabama’s portion of the $790 billion federal economic stimulus package won’t quite cut it. At least that’s what members of the Senate Finance and Taxation-General Fund Committee said last week when they voted to provide $1 billion to Alabama roads and another $6 million to the housing market.

“This is the Alabama version of the stimulus package,” said Sen. Wendell Mitchell (D-Luverne), who voted in favor of the two bills. “I honestly believe states can do something to jump start the economy.”

Under the bill for the road departments, Mitchell said $100 million would be withdrawn from the Alabama Trust Fund each year, for a period of 10 years.

This he said would allot 75 percent of that money to the Alabama Department of Transportation, and the remaining percentage would be split between the 67 counties and municipalities. Mitchell said the way the bill is divvied is extremely fair, requiring a certain amount be equally split among each of the states congressional districts.