Congressional visit

Chattanooga's small-business owners gathered this week for a visit with U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves, and apparently there were plenty of complaints about financial and health reforms' impacts on hiring and lending. The TFP reports. Other VNC coverage.

Alabama seeks to lure financial companies

Alabama has passed into law a new tax-credit incentive to help lure financial institutions to headquarter in the state, but some economic-development advocates say it's too little, too late. The Birmingham Business Journal reports. Alabama has had some success in other sectors with incentives, including life sciences.