Public meetings on congressional redistricting announced
On Wednesday, State Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) and State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile), who serve as the joint chairs of the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment, announced a series of meetings and deadlines on the looming congressional redistricting. The first meeting will be on June 27 at 1:30 P.M. in the Alabama State House Room 200. This will be a meeting of the Joint Committee and a public hearing. People unable to attend can watch the proceedings online at the Legislature’s website. July 7 at 5:00 P.M. is the deadline for all plans to be submitted to the Reapportionment Committee. You can contact the committee directly by email at: district@alsenate.gov. The committee will meet again and hold a public hearing on July 13 at 1:30 P.M. in State House Room 200. On August 14, there will be a hearing at Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in Birmingham. The House members serving on the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment members include Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa); Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston); Jim Carns (R-Birmingham); Steve Clouse (R-Ozark); Corley Ellis (R-Columbiana); Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa; Laura Hall (D-Huntsville); Sam Jones (D-Mobile); Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn); and Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville). In 2022 a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Alabama’s 2021 congressional redistricting as being in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this month agreed. The three-judge panel has given the Legislature until the middle of next month to submit a new congressional redistricting plan to the federal court. The three-judge panel has ordered the Legislature to submit a new map with two majority-minority districts or something as close to that as possible. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is expected to call a special session no later than July 17 to attempt to comply with the court order. If the Legislature cannot reach an agreement on a redistricting plan by July 21, or the Court does not like the State’s plan, then the three-judge panel may appoint a special master to draw the districts for the State. Republicans currently control six of Alabama’s congressional seats, while Democrats control only the Seventh Congressional District. None of the seven congressional races were competitive during last year’s general election. The redistricting could make two of those districts winnable for Alabama Democrats. It could also cost Democrats a seat if they make it too competitive. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Nathaniel Ledbetter announces appointments to the Reapportionment Committee
On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter announced that he had appointed a number of House members to serve on the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment. The House members appointed are: Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa) Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston) Jim Carns (R-Birmingham) Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) Corley Ellis (R-Columbiana) Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) Laura Hall (D-Huntsville) Sam Jones (D-Mobile) Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn) Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville). Since this is a joint committee, it is also made up of members of the Senate. The appointment of 11 members from the House would indicate an expansion of the committee. According to the committee website, the joint committee has just six members: Sens. Steve Livingston, Dan Roberts, and Bobby Singleton, and Reps. Kyle South, Laura Hall, and Chris Pringle. South is leaving the Legislature at the end of the month to accept a position as President and CEO of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. Presumably, the Senate will now appoint another eight joint committee members. The Joint Committee on Reapportionment normally redistricts the congressional districts, the state board of education districts, and legislative districts every ten years following the decennial census. In 2022 a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Alabama’s 2021 congressional redistricting as being in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Alabama appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this month found that the lower court was correct in its interpretation and has restored the lower court’s ruling that the state is in violation of the Voting Rights Act. The three-judge panel has given the Legislature until the middle of next month to submit a new congressional redistricting of the state to the federal court. The three-judge panel has ordered the Legislature to submit a new map where there are two majority-minority districts or something as close to that as possible. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is expected to call a special session no later than July 17 to attempt to comply with the court order. If the Legislature cannot reach an agreement on a redistricting plan by July 21 or the Court does not like the State’s plan, then the three-judge panel may appoint a special master who will draw the districts for the state. Republicans currently control six of Alabama’s congressional seats, while Democrats control only the Seventh Congressional District. None of the seven congressional races were competitive in the general election last year. The redistricting could make two of those districts winnable for Alabama Democrats. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Alabama Congressional Districts
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 ruling, has rejected Alabama’s Congressional District map in the case of Milligan versus Merrill. The Supreme Court ruled that the 2021 Congressional redistricting map drawn by the Alabama Legislature likely violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. Alabama is 27% Black, and they vote overwhelmingly Democratic, but Alabama has just one Black Democrat – Terri Sewell (D-AL07) in its congressional delegation. The six other districts are represented by White Republican men. A three-judge panel of Judges in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled in 2022 that the 2021 redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act. That order was, however, stayed by the Supreme Court until they could review the case themselves. The Court, in Thursday’s decision, ruled that the eleventh circuit was, in fact, correct. This sends the case back to them for review. Alabama Today spoke with former State Senator Jim McClendon, who chaired the Joint Committee on Redistricting, and State Representative Chris Pringle (R-Mobile). “That kind of surprised me,” McClendon said. “We went out of our way to follow every ruling and decision that was made when we made that map.” McClendon explained that while redrawing the districts will make it more likely that there will be two Black members of the Alabama congressional delegation, it does not make that certain and could even potentially jeopardize the one Black incumbent – Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07). “Terri Sewell is at risk,” McClendon said. “We gave her 55% (minority voters).” McClendon was doubtful that in the 2 to 5 district split, it would be possible to have that high of a minority participation. To get two majority-minority or at least two districts with a high minority influence will mean splitting Mobile County to put Prichard and the Black parts of Mobile into a district with the Black Belt and Montgomery. That second district will likely run from Tuscaloosa to Bessemer to Birmingham and could run as far north as Huntsville. “I am sure not sure who is going to draw them (the Legislature or the courts),” McClendon said of the new zoning maps. The three-judge panel had ordered the Legislature to redraw the maps and warned if the state didn’t, then the Court would. The state ignored the Court and instead pressed ahead with its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the ruling meant that the 2022 election proceeded with that now-invalid congressional redistricting map. At least two of Alabama’s congressional incumbents will likely find themselves in the same district. If the three-judge panel allows the Legislature to do the Congressional redistricting, then there is likely to be a special session of the Alabama Legislature that will be needed sometime this fall. The plaintiffs presented two congressional redistricting maps to the Court. It is possible that the Court could simply order the state to adopt one of those two maps rather than preparing a fourth map. Whichever map ultimately is adopted, the 2024 congressional districts will not look much like the current districts. “There are a bunch of parasite lawyers” involved in redistricting litigation, McClendon said. “This will give them something to work on for two or three years.” Because Alabama lost the redistricting case, the state will have to pay for the legal fees of the plaintiffs’ lawyers. McClendon did not run for reelection in 2022, so he has been replaced as the Senate Chair on the redistricting committee by Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro). Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the Court’s three liberals in the majority. “As we explain below, we find Alabama’s new approach to §2 compelling neither in theory nor in practice. We accordingly decline to recast our §2 case law as Alabama requested,” Roberts wrote for the majority. Black Alabamians vote Democratic over 90% of the time, while Alabamians in recent elections vote Republican in excess of 80%. If those trends continue, the new redistricting will make two districts either lean Democrat or very competitive. The other five districts, however, will likely become much more White and likely even more conservative. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama legislators urge Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to support congressional investigation into Space Command decision
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of legislators in the Alabama House of Representatives sent a letter to U.S. Airforce Secretary Frank Kendall supporting the congressional investigation led by U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Congressman Dale Strong. The letter was signed by Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagan, and Speaker Pro Tem. Chris Pringle, as well as Reps. Joe Lovvorn, Danny Garrett, Wes Kitchens, Laura Hall, Parker Moore, David Cole, Rex Reynolds, Andy Whitt, James Lomax, Ritchie Whorton, and Phillip Rigsby. An NBC news report released on May 15 claimed that President Joe Biden will intervene to keep the Pentagon from moving Space Command from Colorado to Huntsville. The President’s objections to the state of Alabama are reportedly due to the state’s ban on abortion. Many speculate that the real reason could be political in that Colorado voted for Biden in 2020, while Alabama did not. Below is the text included in the attached letter: “Dear Secretary Kendall, “As members of the Huntsville and Madison delegations of the Alabama House of Representatives, and as House leadership, we are writing to you in support of the House Committee on Armed Services’ investigation into the delay in implementing the recommendation to place U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) Headquarters at Redstone Arsenal, which is being led by U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Congressman Dale Strong.” “As you are aware, it has been made clear through multiple U.S. Air Force recommendations that the most strategic location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters is Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The Government Accountability Office and Department of Defense Inspector General have both confirmed this recommendation was made through a sound process. Huntsville has the infrastructure, the workforce, the education system, engineering base, existing military and defense apparatus, and quality of life to be the ideal location for U.S. Space Command. This is why this site has received the unanimous number one recommendation from the U.S. Air Force.” “As representatives of the communities surrounding Redstone Arsenal in the Alabama House of Representatives, we felt the need to respectfully encourage you to support and comply with the congressional investigation into the delay of this critical national security decision. We are also concerned to learn the U.S. Department of Defense was not aware, and not involved, in this change. The people of Alabama and the United States of America need and deserve transparency on the apparently revised mission requirements of SPACECOM as it relates to its decision to locate its headquarters.” “A lengthy delay in making a decision this important to national security deserves Congressional oversight, and we are thankful that Congressmen Rogers and Strong recognized this need and are taking action by launching this investigation. We greatly appreciate your service to our nation and the role that the U.S. Air Force has in keeping our country, and the world, safe from threats, and we believe that you also appreciate the need for transparency and Congressional oversight.” On Friday, Fox News published a story detailing an announcement from Rogers that he is opening an investigation into the continued delays in the selection of a permanent base for the U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) Headquarters. “Today, I launched an investigation into the continued delays in the SPACECOM Headquarters basing decision,” said Chairman Rogers. “The fact is, the Air Force already made the correct decision well over two years ago. That decision was affirmed by the GAO and the DoD Inspector General over a year ago. This decision was based on multiple factors, and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was the clear winner in the Evaluation and Selection phase. I am deeply concerned that the continued delays in making this move final are politically motivated and damaging to our national security.” “I have requested that House Armed Services Committee Chairman, Mike Rogers, open a formal investigation into the Biden Administration’s failure to announce a permanent location for U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) Headquarters,” said Rep. Strong.“The Administration’s delay risks politicizing a process which must remain fact-based. Injecting politics into America’s basing decisions serves to do unprecedented harm to our national security. American men and women in uniform must be given the very best, not the third or fourth choice. Redstone Arsenal was chosen as the preferred location after a years-long process. The decision was later confirmed not just once, but twice with the results of the Government Accountability Office and Department of Defense Inspector General investigations. It is plain and simple: Redstone Arsenal is the best possible location to host U.S. Space Command headquarters. The Air Force’s basing process established this, and it was confirmed. I thank Chairman Rogers for agreeing to this investigation. The members of the House Armed Services Committee, and our service members awaiting a final basing decision, deserve answers and swift action from the Air Force.” The letter by the State Representatives followed the announcement of the investigation by Rogers. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House passes legislation so drug dealers can be charged with manslaughter in overdose deaths
On Thursday, the Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation allowing prosecutors to charge a drug dealer with manslaughter if they provide a controlled substance that causes someone to die. House Bill 82 (HB82) was sponsored by State Representative Chris Pringle. Pringle explained that he had friends in Mobile who mortgaged their house, mortgaged everything they had to pay for their son to get through rehab. His drug dealer stalked him. The drug dealer kept calling him, followed him to Narcan on meetings, and even lied to his mother to get his number. Finally, he broke him down. “The drug dealer talked her son into buying an oxycodone laced with fentanyl, and he died,” Pringle said. Pringle explained that with HB82, “If you give someone a controlled substance and you are not a doctor or a pharmacist, and you kill someone, you can be charged with manslaughter.” Juandalynn Givan expressed concerns that college students could get charged with manslaughter if they do drugs with their friends and one of their friends overdosed and died. “I have walked on college campuses, and some of them are walking around like zombies,” Givan said. “We all know how it is on gameday and sometimes at other times.” “Let’s talk about the transfer of the offense to a third party,” Givan said. “We have kids who play around and buy drugs, not knowing that that drug was laced with fentanyl. If their friend died, that person would then be charged with manslaughter.” “If you are dealing a controlled substance, and you are not licensed to distribute a controlled substance, and you kill somebody, you get charged with manslaughter. You killed your friend, and you will have to live with that,” Pringle said. “If you go to Atlanta and buy 2,000 oxycodone pills from your dealer, and you sell them in Birmingham, and people start dying, then you are guilty of killing them.” “Why do we not have anything in the bill about knowingly,” Givan said. “I want to make sure that there is not an unintended consequence with the bill. It is a good bill.” Pringle said, “This is the same exact bill that has passed out of this chamber before.” The bill has passed out of the House three years in a row but has stalled in the Alabama Senate. Givan said, “Folks are lacing marijuana with fentanyl and all kinds of things.” Rep. Allen Treadaway said, “I don’t think people realize just how bad things are. Over 100,000 people have died in this country in the last year due to drug overdoses. Jefferson County had a 400 percent increase in fentanyl deaths. Students that take Ritalin to stay up studying, and if they take a Ritalin laced with fentanyl and they are dying.” Rep. Jim Hill said, “I support the bill because it is a reasonable consequence of what we are trying to do. If you sell a controlled substance and if that substance leads to the death of a third person, you either knew or you should have known what the consequences are.” Rep. Laura Hall said, “We already know who the drug dealers are.” Pringle said, “We addressed that with Mr. [Matt] Simpson’s bill dealing with the trafficking of controlled substances.” “After my friend’s son died, another child took a fentanyl-laced oxycodone from that person and died,” Pringle said. “They are charging that person now.” “This clarifies that under the law, they can be charged with manslaughter,” Pringle said. “The district attorneys want clarification that they can charge the drug dealers that are killing our children with manslaughter.” “I am talking about putting them in jail for killing people,” Pringle explained. “I think the drug dealers should be put in jail for dealing drugs. I think the drug dealers that are killing people should be put in jail for killing people.” “I personally think there are a lot more fentanyl deaths occurring than are being reported,” Pringle continued. “That is why we are putting more money in forensic labs.” Rep. Kenyatta Hassell expressed concerns that the user could alter the drugs after they purchase them from the dealer. “If he alters that drug himself, he is going to be charged,” Hassell said. “It is a real concern that if the user modified the drug himself.” “We acknowledge that people give drugs to people all the time,” said Rep. Chris England. “Under this law, they could be prosecuted for manslaughter. This is one of those bills that probably has more unintended consequences than intended consequences.” Rep. John Rogers brought an amendment adding the word “knowingly” to the bill. “I consider this a friendly amendment and ask that members vote for it,” Pringle said. The amendment was adopted on a 104 to 0 vote. “The last place you want to put a person with an addiction problem is to put them in prison,” England said of two people who use drugs together, and one of them dies. “Your bill would make that person a murderer or convicted of manslaughter.” “You’re automatically assuming that a person who is using a controlled substance is a bad person,” England said, charging that HB82 was “overcriminalization.” HB82 passed the House with a bipartisan majority of 88 to 11. The bill now goes to the Senate for their consideration. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Twelve more bills to watch introduced in the legislative session
The 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session is almost half over. Tuesday will be legislative day 14. To this point, State Legislators have introduced 618 bills in the current legislative session. Alabama Today has been monitoring bills as they are introduced. Here are twelve of the most recently introduced bills to watch. House Bill 370 (HB370) is sponsored by Representative John Rogers. According to the synopsis, HB370 “would require the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to establish and maintain a database that includes a list of individuals with communication disabilities or disabilities that can impair communications, to be available to law enforcement officers. This bill would require the Alabama Department of Public Health to develop a form for individuals to voluntarily register for inclusion in the database.” Senate Bill 237 (SB237) is sponsored by Senator Tom Butler. According to the synopsis, “Under existing law, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 prohibits architecturally significant buildings, memorial buildings, memorial streets, and monuments that are located on public property and have been so situated for 40 or more years from being relocated, removed, altered, renamed, or otherwise disturbed unless the Committee on Alabama Monument Protection grants a waiver, and provides penalties for violations. This bill would require a controlling governmental entity that replaces a memorial building to maintain the original name or erect a marker memorializing the name. This bill would provide that a petition for waiver is deemed denied if the Committee on Alabama Monument Protection fails to act on an application for waiver within 90 days. This bill would revise the penalties for violations and would authorize the Attorney General to commence a civil action. This bill would also require the Alabama State Council on the Arts to oversee the design, construction, and installation of a replica of the Saturn 1B Rocket, previously located at the I-65 Ardmore Welcome Center in Elkmont, Alabama, at the most northern I-65 rest stop in the state.” House Bill 364 (HB364) is sponsored by State Rep. Steve Hurst. HB364 would require a public K-12 school or a local board of education to accept cash and any other form of payment of its choosing for admission to school-sponsored sporting events that are open to the public. Some venues have gone to credit card payments only during the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 354 (HB354) is sponsored by State Rep. Mack Butler. HB354 “would provide that classroom instruction or discussions related to gender identity or sexual orientation may not be provided to public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade or to public school students in a manner that is not age or developmentally appropriate. This bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt procedures for notifying a student’s parent if there is a change in the student’s services or monitoring relating to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health and would prohibit local boards of education from adopting policies to the contrary. This bill would require each local board of education, at the beginning of each school year, to notify parents of the health care services available to students and allow parents to opt their child out of any health care service.” Senate Bill 224 (SB224) is sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures. According to the synopsis, “Under existing law, the crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer is a Class B felony. This bill would clarify that for the purpose of this crime, a child is a person who is under 16 years of age. Under existing law, a person commits the crime of distributing a private image if he or she knowingly posts, emails, texts, transmits, or otherwise distributes a private image with the intent to harass, threaten, coerce, or intimidate the person depicted in certain circumstances. This bill would clarify that a criminal proceeding for a violation of distributing a private image could be brought in any county in which any part of the crime took place, in the county of residence of the victim, or any county where the image was received. Also, under existing law, a violation of incest is a Class C felony. This bill would provide that a violation of incest when the victim is under 16 years of age is a Class A felony. Also, under existing law, a person may not be convicted of the crime of incest or of an attempt to commit incest unless there is corroborated testimony. This bill would remove the requirement of corroborated testimony.” Senate Bill 234 (SB234) is a state constitutional amendment by Sen. Merika Coleman. SB234 would end the state’s four percent sales tax on groceries but would replace the lost revenue by ending the state’s allowing income taxpayers to deduct their federal income tax. A family of four who spends $110 a week on groceries would save $229 on the reduced sales tax on groceries. With a typical household taxable income of $54,062, they pay $4,726 in federal income taxes. Currently, they would deduct that from their state-taxable income. If SB234 passes and they lose that deduction, they would pay $281 in additional Alabama income taxes. In this example, that family would pay $52 more in taxes. A low-income family or a retired couple with no investment income would come out ahead by not having to pay the grocery tax. A high-income family will pay more taxes in this scenario if SB234 becomes law. Senate Bill 232 (SB232) is sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott. SB232 would authorize peer-to-peer car-sharing programs, which are business platforms that connect vehicle owners with drivers, to enable the sharing of vehicles for financial consideration in this state. House Bill 342 (HB342) is sponsored by Rep. Susan Dubose. The bill states, “Under existing law, the State Superintendent of Education is authorized to issue professional educator certificates to qualified individuals who complete an alternative teacher preparation program offered by an approved alternative teacher education preparation organization. This bill would provide additional requirements for programs to provide alternative certifications for educators.” House Bill 339 (HB339) is sponsored by Rep. Chris Pringle. The bill states, “Under existing law, the second or runoff
The ARPA Special Session begins
The Alabama Legislature met on Wednesday for the first day of the First 2023 Special Session. The session was called by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to appropriate just over one billion dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the state received and has not yet appropriated. The Alabama House of Representatives met at 1:00 p.m. to conduct business and allow for the introduction of bills in the special session. The pre-filed bills we have been discussing for weeks are for the 2023 Regular Legislative Session and cannot be addressed during the special session. The regular session will resume on Thursday, March 21. House Speaker Pro Tem Chris Pringle introduced, and the House passed, a resolution to formally announce to the Senate that the House is in special session. The House passed a resolution to appoint a committee to announce to the governor that the House is in a special session. The Alabama Senate gaveled in just after the House adjourned. The Senate appointed a committee to announce to the Governor that the Senate is in special session. They also passed a resolution to announce to the House of Representatives that the Senate is in session. Many of these rules and procedures may sound redundant, but in 1901 when the Alabama Constitution was written, no one had cell phones, the internet had not been invented, and most people in the state still did not have telephones or electricity. These rules exist so that a legislative body is not meeting in secret without informing the other legislative body or the governor of its activity. State Sen. Greg Albritton addressed the body about the proposed bill to pay off the money that the state owes the Alabama Trust Fund. “A few years back, the Legislature ran into a problem, and there was a significant shortfall in funds,” for the state general fund (SGF) Albritton explained to the Senators. “We had to go to the people to seek authority to borrow money from the Alabama Trust Fund.” “We borrowed over $400 million to keep the government operational,” Albritton said. “We stated that we had a moral obligation to pay that money back.” “At the time, there was a lot of skepticism that we would never pay that money back,” Albritton said. “We have been paying $13 million a year out of the general fund. When times got better we began making double payments.” “The bill that I am introducing this afternoon, SB1, will pay that completely and totally off,” Albritton continued. “This bill will take $59,987 thousand and some change to pay that ATF off. When this was done that balance was approximately $2 billion and change. Today that amount is over $4 billion.” Senate Bill 1 has been referred to the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee chaired by Albritton. Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Garlan Gudger, dealing with Healthcare, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Healthcare. Both committees will meet on Thursday to consider these two pieces of legislation. Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed announced that the Senate will reconvene for Day 2 of the 2024 First Special Session on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. A joint session of the House and Senate will meet in the historic 1859 Alabama Capitol Building at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday to honor former U.S. Senator Richard Shelby for his decades of service to the state of Alabama. The House will then return to the Statehouse for its own session at 11:30 a.m. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Legislature organizes for Quadrennium
The legislature had their every four-year organizational session earlier this month. It is exactly what the title states. They are organizing for the next quadrennium of lawmaking. They officially chose their leadership and adopted the rules for the two chambers. The 105-member House of Representatives and 35-member State Senate are elected for four-year terms, the same as the governor and other constitutional offices. However, unlike the governor, who was sworn in on Monday, January 16, as set out in the state constitution, the legislature takes office the day after they are elected in November. The state House of Representatives will have 77 Republicans and 28 Democrats. That is a veto-proof, bulldozer-shoving, anything-you-want supermajority. The Democrats have very little say with those overwhelming numbers. Two days after they were elected in November, the 77-member Republican majority met in a private caucus meeting in Montgomery and selected their leadership. Therefore, the vote for Speaker of the House two weeks ago was simply a formality. The House has chosen Representative Nathaniel Ledbetter to be the Speaker of the House. Speaker Ledbetter hails from Rainsville in DeKalb County. He is a former Mayor of Rainsville. He has only been in the House of Representatives for eight years, having been first elected in 2014. He was chosen to be the majority leader in the House in his freshman year. He was close to the former Speaker Mac McCutcheon, and he served on both the powerful agenda-setting Rules Committee, as well as the Ways and Means Education Budget Writing Committee. Representative Chris Pringle of Mobile has been chosen to be Speaker Pro Tem of the House, which is the second highest position within the body. He has served previously for 16 years in the House from the Port City. He succeeds fellow Mobilian Victor Gaston in this post. There are two young stalwarts who will be serving in Republican Party positions within the House. Representative Scott Stadthagen of Decatur will be the new House Majority Leader. Representative Wes Kitchens of Arab will serve as the Republican Leadership Caucus Vice Chair. Representative Debbie Wood from the Valley will serve as the Republican Caucus Secretary/Treasurer. The three most powerful posts in the House are the chairmanships of the two money committees and the agenda-setting Rules Committee. Representative Danny Garrett of Trussville in Jefferson County will continue to Chair the Ways and Means Education Budget Committee. Representative Rex Reynolds of Huntsville will be the General Fund Ways and Means Chairman. Reynolds replaces longtime Ways and Means Chairman Steve Clouse of Ozark. Representative Joe Lovvorn of Auburn will be the new Rules Committee Chairman. Representative Jim Hill of St. Clair will chair Judiciary. He is a former circuit Judge and a veteran of the House. All of these House leadership positions are held by Republicans. To the victor goes the spoils. The Democrats have a veteran and sterling team heading their Caucus Leadership in the House. Anthony Daniels of Huntsville will be the Democratic Minority Leader. Barbara Drummond of Mobile will be the Caucus Chair. Mary Moore of Birmingham will be the Vice Chair, and Kelvin Lawrence of Hayneville will be Secretary/Treasurer of the Democratic Caucus. The 35-member Alabama State Senate returns almost intact with their continuity and quality leadership. They will dominate and provide a stable State of Ship to help lead the state. Republicans control this upper chamber to the same degree that the GOP members do in the House. Republicans outnumber Democrats 28 to 7 in the Senate. State Senator Jabo Waggoner of Jefferson County begins his 50th year in the legislature. This is a state record. He is definitely destined for the state history books. Jabo will continue to Chair the powerful Rules Committee. Greg Reed of Walker County will be Pro Tem of the Senate again. The Majority Leader will again be Clay Scofield of Marshall County. The two money committee chairmen will continue to be in charge of how the state revenues are spent. Senator Arthur Orr of Decatur will chair Finance and Taxation/Education. Senator Greg Albritton of Escambia will chair Finance and Taxation/General Fund. These two men will be very powerful. Popular state Senator Will Barfoot of Pike Road will chair Judiciary in the Senate. Senator Clyde Chambliss of Prattville has become a stalwart leader in the Senate. He will be Majority Whip. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth presides over the Senate. The Regular Session begins in early March. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Nathaniel Ledbetter and Greg Reed to lead Alabama Legislature moving forward
On Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey congratulated State Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter and State Sen. Greg Reed for their elections to the top two leadership positions in the Alabama Legislature. “Congratulations to our state’s new Speaker of the House @RepLedbetter24, and to @SenatorGregReed on his re-election as Senate President Pro Tem,” Gov. Ivey said on Twitter. “I look forward to working with both of you to serve the people of Alabama in the days and years ahead.” Ledbetter is the former Mayor of Rainsville. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014. He was elected with broad bipartisan support with 102 votes in an uncontested election in the Alabama House of Representatives during Tuesday’s organizational session of the Alabama Legislature. Former Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon presided over the election of his successor. McCutcheon did not seek re-election. “With 102 votes, the honorable Nathaniel Ledbetter is elected Speaker,” McCutcheon said. Then he administered the oath of office to Ledbetter. “First of all, I would like to thank my wife of 42 years,” Ledbetter said. “I would like to thank my two sons.” He also acknowledged his grandchildren. “One thing I want to recognize is that we have so many people from DeKalb County. I think thirty or forty drove four hours to be here today.” “I pledge to you to work as hard as I am able,” Ledbetter said. “We have some of the finest people in the world serving in this body, working for our shared goal to make an already great state even greater.” “From time to time, we will have different ideals,” Ledbetter said. “But I understand that the speaker’s gavel is not a weapon but a tool.” “When I was growing up in DeKalb County, I did not even know that the Speaker of the House was, but I know now,” Ledbetter said. “This was probably the greatest honor I have ever received in my life.” Greg Reed was first elected to the Alabama Senate as part of the 2010 Republican wave election that took control of the Alabama Legislature after 135 uninterrupted years of Democratic Party domination. Reed was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2021 and was re-elected to the position by the members of the Senate on Tuesday. State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) was elected Speaker Pro Tem 103 to 0 in an uncontested election. Pringle served as an aide to both Congressmen Jack Edwards and Sonny Callahan. He was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994 and served through 2002. He returned in 2014 and is now serving in his fifth term. “It has been a long time, a long journey, but I can tell you that I have enjoyed every minute of it,” Pringle said. Republicans have commanding supermajorities in both Houses of the Alabama Legislature. Pringle was joined by his mother and his girlfriend. John Treadwell was selected as the new Clerk of the House on Tuesday. State Rep. Anthony Daniels returns as the House Minority Leader. State Rep. Scott Stadthagen replaces Ledbetter as the House Majority Leader. State Sen. Clay Scofield returns as the Senate Majority Leader. Both bodies passed rules for their individual bodies to operate under for the next four years. The two Houses will meet in a joint meeting on Wednesday to pass joint rules. The Legislature will return in March for the 2023 regular session, where the Legislature will pass the 2024 budgets and consider new legislation. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Nathaniel Ledbetter elected as new Alabama House Speaker
Republican Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter was sworn in Tuesday as the new speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives after being elected to the leadership role without a dissenting vote. Ledbetter, a legislator from Rainsville, secured the leadership position after Republicans, who hold 77 of the 105 House seats, chose him in November as their nominee. House members on Tuesday elected Ledbetter on a 102-0 vote since lawmakers typically follow the majority party’s selection. “I stand before you today, a man that is humbled by the faith you have put in me and the great responsibility you have placed upon my shoulders. I pledge to you, here and now, to work as hard as I am able to justify both,” Ledbetter told House members. He said all representatives share a common goal to make the state a better place, although they may have different ideas on how to accomplish that. Ledbetter said he understood that the speaker’s gavel should be a tool to ensure open debate and not a weapon to stifle it. Ledbetter, 61, replaces former House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, who did not run for reelection. Ledbetter was elected to the Alabama Legislature in 2014. He served as majority leader from 2017 to his election as speaker. At this time, Republicans, firmly in control of the Legislature, pushed through several priority bills, including a 2019 abortion ban. During his tenure, he sponsored legislation to place mental health service coordinators in school systems and a bond issue to improve state parks. Ledbetter is the former mayor of Rainsville. He first ran unsuccessfully for the House as a Democrat. He won four years later after switching to the GOP. Lawmakers began meeting in an organizational session on Tuesday to elect leaders and approve operating rules for the next four years. They return to Montgomery in March for the regular session. On Monday, Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper was reelected as the Senate president pro tempore, the top-ranking position in the Alabama Senate. Reed has been pro tem since 2021, when he took over for longtime Senate leader Del Marsh. Marsh did not run for reelection in 2022. Republican Rep. Chris Pringle of Mobile was elected as speaker pro tempore. Ledbetter said his priorities in the upcoming legislative session will include bills to streamline the adoption process and to stiffen penalties for fentanyl possession. Ledbetter said he also thinks there is legislative support for a possible tax rebate for Alabamians as the state sees a rare budget surplus. “I think we’ve got to be cautious in what we do, but I think at this point in time that the members would support that, and with inflation running away like it is, it certainly gives them an opportunity to help offset that a little bit,” Ledbetter said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama Legislature to hold organizational session Tuesday
The Alabama Legislature will be in session on Tuesday. This two-day session is not to pass legislation but rather to organize for this new quadrennium. Both bodies will pass rules for the Legislature to operate under moving forward and set their leadership. Most attention is focused on the Alabama House of Representatives, where a number of changes are coming. Both Speaker of the House, State Rep. Mac McCutcheon, and Speaker Pro Tem. State Rep. Victor Gaston did not run for re-election in 2022. The House is expected to elect state Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter as the new Speaker and State Rep. Chris Pringle as the new Pro Tem. During the last legislative session, Republicans had a 77 to 28 filibuster-proof supermajority over Democrats. That is unchanged in 2023, so the Republican choices for the top leadership positions in the House are virtually a lock to be elected on Tuesday. Ledbetter is the former Mayor of Rainsville and was the Majority Leader during the previous quadrennium. He is in his third term in the state legislature. State Rep. Scott Stadthagen will be the new Majority Leader. He is serving in his second term in the Legislature. State Rep. Anthony Daniels will return as the House Minority Leader. Ledbetter has already announced his staff hires and committee chairs. This is one of the least experienced groups of House members in many years. Two-thirds of the House members are in their first or second term. This is the biggest change in the body since Republicans took control of the Legislature in 2010 after 135 straight years of Democratic Party domination. In the Alabama Senate, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth was re-elected in a landslide. Ainsworth serves as President of the Senate as one of his office’s primary responsibilities. The inauguration for his second term will be on Monday. State Sen. Greg Reed will return as Senate President Pro Tempore. State Sen. Clay Scofield was also re-elected and likely will continue as the Senate Majority Leader. Republicans had a filibuster-proof 27 to 8 supermajority in the Alabama Senate during the last legislative session, and that supermajority returns. Both Reed and Scofield are returning for their fourth term in office. State Sen. James T. “Jabo” Waggoner returns as the dean of the Legislature. Waggoner was first elected to the Legislature in 1966. He is expected to continue to chair the powerful Senate Rules Committee. Both the House and the Senate will update their rules for the next four years. This is just an organizational session, and no actual legislation will be introduced or passed during these anticipated two days. The state legislature will return on March 7 for the 2023 regular legislative session. A regular legislative session is constitutionally limited to just 30 days. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Change in 24-hour notification rule concerns some activists
Some conservative activists have expressed concerns about a proposed rule change in the Alabama House of Representatives rules that would change the amount of time that the public and House members receive before a House Committee can consider a bill. Under the rules used during the last four years, a House committee had to give 24 hours public notice before a bill could be considered in committee. The new rule would change that to just four hours. Some conservative groups have expressed alarm that this will limit the public’s input in the legislative process. Alabama Today spoke with a member of the House off the record about the proposed rule change. The member pointed out that the 24-hour rule was regularly worked around by the House to begin with. While the rule was on the books, how the House actually operated is that a committee chairperson would ask to be recognized on the floor of the House at some point during floor proceedings. The chair would then ask the body for a motion “to suspend the rules” so that the committee could meet and consider legislation. Sometimes those meetings would occur later that day, and sometimes those committee meetings would be held while the body was in session. Sometimes, the committee met immediately. This interpretation of how the House (and the State Senate) functions is correct. Committees often meet inside that 24-hour notice window, often inside a four-hour window, and sometimes with just five minutes’ notice. Capitol Press Corps members would have to pick up their laptops and scramble from the House floor press room to the committee meeting somewhere on the eight floors of the State House building. A motion to suspend the rules so that a committee can meet is a regular occurrence and is usually made by voice vote without opposition. Alabama Today was told that the GOP nominee for the Speaker of the Alabama House, Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter, and the new House Majority Leader, Rep. Scott Stadthagen, have heard the concerns of members and the public and are reportedly concerned about the overuse of the motion to suspend the rules to avoid the notification requirement and the change from 24-hour notice to four hours notice was proposed with the intent of continuing to provide House committees with the flexibility to operate, but while having some real world actual public notice requirements. Members have been asked by the leadership to refrain from speaking publicly on the proposed rules changes so that leadership can more thoroughly explain this and other proposals. Changing the rules of a legislative body is a normal part of the legislative process. Every four years, the Alabama House and Senate review their rules and attempt to update them during the organizational session of the Alabama Legislature at the start of a new quadrennium. The U.S. House of Representatives is about to consider its own new set of House rules for the 118th Congress that differ somewhat from the rules put in place by the 117th Congress. At the federal level, there has been a change in the Speaker of the House from Nancy Pelosi to Kevin McCarthy. In the Alabama House of Representatives, Ledbetter is the presumed Speaker replacement for Rep. Mac McCutcheon, who retired from the Legislature. Since Republicans have a 77 to 28 majority in the Alabama House of Representatives, the Republican choice for Speaker will likely be the new Speaker. State Rep. Chris Pringle is the GOP choice to be the Speaker Pro Tem., replacing Rep. Victor Gaston, who also retired. The House will vote on new leadership and changes to the rules when it meets on Tuesday for the organizational session. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
