Rounding out his tour of the state, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley stood before a room of local business leaders and outlined a number of initiatives he hopes will make it through the state legislature in the coming weeks.

First, Bentley detailed his plan to would tweak the methods used to offer companies incentives. In the atrium of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, his audience applauded the plan.

"I don't see a lot of opposition to it in the legislature," Bentley said, "it's just a matter of getting it through." One bill, allowing localities more flexibility with abatements, has been signed already, he said. "I wish we didn't have to give incentives, but we do."

The second subject, however, might be a little harder for some to digest. Last month, the governor proposed a number of ways to raise revenue for the state's cash-strapped general fund. His plan would hike taxes on a number of items and services that would affect consumers, like tobacco products and car sales.

In Mobile, by some accounts, many seemed to be receptive to the idea of alleviating the budget shortfall, if not, still reviewing the potential impact of the methods. The plan, he said, also targets tax breaks for insurance companies and municipal utilities.

Ginny Russell, the Mobile Chamber's vice president for community and governmental affairs, said the organizations still has "a lot to learn about" about the tax reform package, but that the plan seemed pretty clear cut.

"We're always concerned about having a positive environment for business in this community, Russell said. "That would be our first question...we would like to see any studies that the governor's staff has done on the impact that those taxes could have on the economy, local and state."

Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile) listens as Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley speaks at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday March 27, 2015, in Mobile, Ala. (Sharon Steinmann/ssteinmann@al.com)

The budget gap is something Bentley said "a lot of people would like to sweep under the rug." There's now about a $700 million deficit in the budget used to fund core government functions. Raising taxes would raise about $541 million.

Bentley said he wasn't "married" to the entire package. "If the legislature has some other ideas -- other than gambling," Bentley said. "I don't mind people voting on gambling but we shouldn't shore up our budget based on gambling because, first of all, it's going to be 2017 before we get any of that money. We need this in 2016."

Support and misgivings

State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, said the governor's decision to pursue more taxes was a show of "leadership." Figures, speaking publicly to everyone in the room, said she would support the governor "in whatever way that I can to make sure that you find the money that we need."

"I have been in the legislature for 18 years now and we've been kicking that can down the road for all those years and we've been pulling rabbits out of a hat, going into special sessions trying to find extra money and extra rabbits."

The idea of increasing taxes could be more difficult for Republican lawmakers, said state Sen. Bill Hightower, R-Theodore, who was also in attendance. It gets really dicey for those who have signed tax pledges, a promise to do what Bentley has proposed, Hightower said.

"My constituents have not been supportive of the general idea of raising taxes," Hightower said. "How do you keep true to a promise and do this?"

Hightower said he is not particularly fond of the idea of raising taxes and that government should "shrink if we don't have the money." Though, he did extend credit to Bentley."He lays out a very logical argument as to why this is a least painful plan," Hightower said.

"But how that's worked out on the legislative floor is a different matter. Where you might think it's a logical argument, it may not be so logical in Montgomery -- because, as the governor pointed out the special interests there have a tremendous influence on some legislators."

Update: This report was updated to include comments from state Sens. Vivian Davis Figures and Bill Hightower on March 27, 2015 at 3:45 p.m.