By Alabama Public Radio
Washington DC – Governor Bob Riley was in Washington DC Tuesday to testify before a Senate committee about troubles still faced by Alabama shrimpers months after their industry was crippled by Hurricane Katrina. Governor Riley told the Senate Appropriations Committee that even though Alabama has mostly recovered from damage caused six month ago by Hurricane Katrina, some places are still a long way from normal. He cited the shrimping communities at Bayou Le Batre and Dauphin Island as among those still struggling. A number of shrimpers have yet to receive any assistance for the federal government or their insurance companies. Riley was among four Gulf Coast Governors called upon to give testimony about challenges that linger in the storms aftermath. The Governors of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas were summoned to talk about the extra 18 billion dollars in hurricane relief requested by President Bush last month.