Alabama Senate
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Alabama State Senate | |
---|---|
Alabama State Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
New session started | March 7, 2023 |
Leadership | |
President pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 35 |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 4 years |
Authority | Article IV, First-past-the-post |
Last election | November 8, 2022 (35 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026 (35 seats) |
Redistricting | Legislative Control |
Meeting place | |
State Senate Chamber Alabama State House Montgomery, Alabama | |
Website | |
Alabama State Senate |
The Alabama State Senate is the
The Alabama State Senate meets at the State House in Montgomery.
Like other
Assembly powers
While the House of Representatives has exclusive power to originate revenue bills, such legislation can be amended and/or substituted by the senate. Moreover, because the senate is considered to be the "deliberative body", rules concerning the length of the debate are more liberal than those of the House of Representatives.
Like the United States Senate, the Alabama State Senate has the sole power of Confirmation of certain appointees designated by the Constitution and by statute. The legislative antecedent of this role is a similar power that was vested in the Roman Senate during the Roman Republic.
Membership guidelines
The Alabama State Senate is composed of 35 state senators, in keeping with Article IV, Section 50, of the
Under Article IV, Section 47 of the Constitution, Senators must be at least 25 years of age at the time of their election, must be citizens and residents of the state of Alabama for at least 3 years, and reside within their district for at least one year prior to election.
Senators, like members of the House of Representatives, are elected for four-year terms and take office at midnight of the day of their election. Amendment 97 to the Constitution, provides that should a vacancy occur in either house of the Legislature, the governor is required to call a special election to fill the vacancy.
Composition
↓ | ||
27 | 8 | |
Republican | Democratic |
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Democratic | Vacant | ||
November 7, 2018 | 27 | 8 | 35 | 0 |
December 7, 2020 | 26 | 34 | 1 | |
July 14, 2021 | 27 | 35 | 0 | |
October 30, 2023 | 26 | 34 | 1 | |
January 23, 2024 | 27 | 35 | 0 | |
Latest voting share | 77% | 23% |
Senate leadership
Position | Name | Party | District | |
---|---|---|---|---|
President
|
Will Ainsworth | Republican | Statewide | |
President pro tempore | Greg Reed | Republican | 5th–Jasper | |
Secretary of the senate | D. Patrick Harris |
Majority leadership
Position | Name | Party | District | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Senate Majority Leader | Steve Livingston | Republican | 8th–Scottsboro | |
Senate Majority Whip | Clyde Chambliss | Republican | 30th–Prattville |
Minority leadership
Position | Name | Party | District | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Senate Minority Leader | Bobby Singleton | Democratic | 24th–Greensboro | |
Senate Minority Whip | Rodger Smitherman | Democratic | 18th–Birmingham | |
Minority Caucus Chair | Linda Coleman-Madison | Democratic | 20th–Birmingham |
List of state senators
District | Senator | Political party | Hometown | First elected | Counties represented |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tim Melson | Republican | Florence | 2014 | Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison |
2 | Tom Butler | Republican | Madison | 2018 | Limestone, Madison |
3 | Arthur Orr | Republican | Decatur | 2006 | Limestone, Madison, Morgan |
4 | Garlan Gudger | Republican | Cullman | 2018 | Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Winston |
5 | Greg Reed | Republican | Jasper | 2010 | Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston |
6 | Larry Stutts | Republican | Tuscumbia | 2014 | Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion |
7 | Sam Givhan | Republican | Gurley | 2018 | Madison |
8 | Steve Livingston | Republican | Scottsboro | 2014 | DeKalb, Jackson, Madison |
9 | Wes Kitchens | Republican | Arab | 2024 (special) | Blount, DeKalb, Madison, Marshall |
10 | Andrew Jones | Republican | Centre | 2018 | Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, St. Clair |
11 | Lance Bell | Republican | Pell City | 2022 | Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega |
12 | Keith Kelley | Republican | Anniston | 2022 | Calhoun, Talladega |
13 | Randy Price | Republican | Opelika | 2018 | Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Randolph |
14 | April Weaver | Republican | Alabaster | 2021 (special) | Bibb, Chilton, Shelby |
15 | Dan Roberts | Republican | Birmingham | 2018 | Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega |
16 | J. T. Waggoner | Republican | Birmingham | 1990 | Jefferson, Shelby |
17 | Shay Shelnutt | Republican | Trussville | 2014 | Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair |
18 | Rodger Smitherman | Democratic | Birmingham | 1994 | Jefferson |
19 | Merika Coleman | Democratic | Birmingham | 2022 | Jefferson |
20 | Linda Coleman-Madison | Democratic | Birmingham | 2006 | Jefferson |
21 | Gerald Allen | Republican | Tuscaloosa | 2010 | Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa |
22 | Greg Albritton | Republican | Range | 2014 | Baldwin, Clarke, Escambia, Monroe, Washington |
23 | Robert Stewart | Democratic | Selma | 2022 | Butler, Conecuh, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Wilcox |
24 | Bobby Singleton | Democratic | Greensboro | 2005 | Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa |
25 | Will Barfoot | Republican | Montgomery | 2018 | Crenshaw, Elmore, Montgomery |
26 | Kirk Hatcher | Democratic | Montgomery | 2021 (special) | Montgomery |
27 | Jay Hovey | Republican | Auburn | 2022 | Lee, Russell, Tallapoosa |
28 | Billy Beasley | Democratic | Clayton | 2010 | Barbour, Bullock, Henry, Houston, Macon, Russell |
29 | Donnie Chesteen | Republican | Geneva | 2018 | Dale, Geneva, Houston |
30 | Clyde Chambliss | Republican | Prattville | 2014 | Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa |
31 | Josh Carnley | Republican | Ino | 2022 | Coffee, Covington, Dale, Pike |
32 | Chris Elliott
|
Republican | Spanish Fort | 2018 | Baldwin |
33 | Vivian Davis Figures | Democratic | Mobile | 1997 | Mobile |
34 | Jack W. Williams | Republican | Wilmer | 2018 | Mobile |
35 | David Sessions | Republican | Grand Bay | 2018 | Mobile |
Past composition of the senate
Throughout most of the state's history, the Democratic Party controlled the Alabama State Senate from the time of admission to the Union in 1819 with a few brief exceptions. The Whig Party had a majority in the State Senate in 1837 and again from 1850 to 1851. Following the Civil War and the state's readmission to the Union, the chamber had a Republican majority during the Reconstruction period from 1868 to 1874. This was followed by 136 consecutive years of Democratic majorities. Beginning with the 2010 election Republicans captured a substantial majority in the chamber and have held it in the two elections since in 2014 and 2018.
The first African-American to serve in the Alabama State Senate was Benjamin F. Royal, a Republican from Bullock County, who served from 1868 to 1875.[2] The election of 1983 produced the first female senators in Alabama history as Republican Ann Bedsole (1983-1995) and Democrat Frances "Sister" Strong (1983-1986) won office.
Leadership of the senate
The
The president of the senate is the lieutenant governor, which is currently Will Ainsworth. The president pro tempore is Greg Reed. The majority leader is Republican Steve Livingston and the minority leader is Democrat Bobby Singleton.
Committees
Current committees include:[3]
|
|
Senate seal
The Senate Seal features an open book and torch, accompanied by the Latin phrase Libertas Per Lege, meaning "Liberty Through Law". The official Seal of the Senate was adopted by Senate Resolution, August 19, 1965, and was created by a special committee consisting of then Senators John Tyson (Mobile), Vaughan Hill Robison (Montgomery), Bill Nichols (Talladega), Lieutenant Governor Jim Allen and Secretary of the Senate McDowell Lee.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Budget Fact Book" (PDF). The Alabama Legislature. January 4, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
- ^ Bailey, Neither Carpetbaggers nor Scalawags (1991)
- ^ "Alabama State Senate Committees". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
External links
- Alabama State Senate official government website
- Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Alabama