Alabama State Senate

Alabama  State Senate

Summary

The Alabama Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens. Similar to the lower house, the Alabama House of Representatives, the Senate serves both without term limits and with a four-year term.

The Alabama Senate meets at the State House in Montgomery.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the United States Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

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Wikipedia

32°22′36″N 86°17′56″W / 32.37667°N 86.29889°W / 32.37667; -86.29889

The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district containing at least 127,140 citizens. Similar to the lower house, the Alabama House of Representatives, the senate serves both without term limits and with a four-year term.

The Alabama State Senate meets at the State House in Montgomery.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the United States Senate, the senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

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 Alabama Constitution, which limits the Alabama House of Representatives to 105 members, and the senate to 35; together with Article IX, Sections 197 and 198, which requires that membership in the state senate consist of not less than one-fourth, nor more than one-third, of the total membership of the state House of Representatives. Additional representation is authorized in the event of the creation of new counties. Thus, the Alabama State Senate is precisely one-third the size of the House of Representatives, and each state senator represents a district of approximately 125,000 Alabamians.

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

278
RepublicanDemocratic
AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
RepublicanDemocraticVacant
November 7, 2018278350
December 7, 202026341
July 14, 202127350
October 30, 202326341
January 23, 202427350
Latest voting share77%23%

Senate leadership

PositionNamePartyDistrict
PresidentWill AinsworthRepublicanStatewide
President pro temporeGreg ReedRepublican5thJasper
Secretary of the senateD. Patrick Harris

Majority leadership

PositionNamePartyDistrict
Senate Majority Leader in Alabama State SenateSteve LivingstonRepublican8thScottsboro
Senate Majority Vice Leader in Alabama State SenateClyde ChamblissRepublican30thPrattville

Minority leadership

PositionNamePartyDistrict
Minority Leader in Alabama State SenateBobby SingletonDemocratic24thGreensboro
Minority Vice Leader in Alabama State SenateRodger SmithermanDemocratic18thBirmingham
Minority Democratic Caucus Chair in Alabama State SenateLinda Coleman-MadisonDemocratic20thBirmingham

List of state senators

DistrictSenatorPolitical partyHometownFirst electedCounties represented
1Tim MelsonRepublicanFlorence2014Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison
2Tom ButlerRepublicanMadison2018Limestone, Madison
3Arthur OrrRepublicanDecatur2006Limestone, Madison, Morgan
4Garlan GudgerRepublicanCullman2018Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Winston
5Greg ReedRepublicanJasper2010Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston
6Larry StuttsRepublicanTuscumbia2014Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion
7Sam GivhanRepublicanGurley2018Madison
8Steve LivingstonRepublicanScottsboro2014DeKalb, Jackson, Madison
9Wes KitchensRepublicanArab2024 (special)Blount, DeKalb, Madison, Marshall
10Andrew JonesRepublicanCentre2018Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, St. Clair
11Lance BellRepublicanPell City2022Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega
12Keith KelleyRepublicanAnniston2022Calhoun, Talladega
13Randy PriceRepublicanOpelika2018Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Randolph
14April WeaverRepublicanAlabaster2021 (special)Bibb, Chilton, Shelby
15Dan RobertsRepublicanBirmingham2018Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega
16J. T. WaggonerRepublicanBirmingham1990Jefferson, Shelby
17Shay ShelnuttRepublicanTrussville2014Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair
18Rodger SmithermanDemocraticBirmingham1994Jefferson
19Merika ColemanDemocraticBirmingham2022Jefferson
20Linda Coleman-MadisonDemocraticBirmingham2006Jefferson
21Gerald AllenRepublicanTuscaloosa2010Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa
22Greg AlbrittonRepublicanRange2014Baldwin, Clarke, Escambia, Monroe, Washington
23Robert StewartDemocraticSelma2022Butler, Conecuh, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Wilcox
24Bobby SingletonDemocraticGreensboro2005Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa
25Will BarfootRepublicanMontgomery2018Crenshaw, Elmore, Montgomery
26Kirk HatcherDemocraticMontgomery2021 (special)Montgomery
27Jay HoveyRepublicanAuburn2022Lee, Russell, Tallapoosa
28Billy BeasleyDemocraticClayton2010Barbour, Bullock, Henry, Houston, Macon, Russell
29Donnie ChesteenRepublicanGeneva2018Dale, Geneva, Houston
30Clyde ChamblissRepublicanPrattville2014Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa
31Josh CarnleyRepublicanIno2022Coffee, Covington, Dale, Pike
32Chris ElliottRepublicanSpanish Fort2018Baldwin
33Vivian Davis FiguresDemocraticMobile1997Mobile
34Jack W. WilliamsRepublicanWilmer2018Mobile
35David SessionsRepublicanGrand Bay2018Mobile

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 lieutenant governor of Alabama serves as the president of the senate, but only casts a vote if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the president pro tempore presides over the senate. The president pro tempore is elected by the full Senate by nominations taken from the floor, followed by a recorded vote. The president pro tempore is the chief leadership position in the senate. The other Senate Majority and Minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.

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]

  • Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
  • Banking and Insurance
  • Business and Labor
  • Children, Youth Affairs, and Human Resources
  • Commerce, Transportation, and Utilities
  • Confirmations
  • Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics, and Elections
  • Economic Expansion and Trade
  • Education
  • Energy and Natural Resources
  • Finance and Taxation Education
  • Finance and Taxation General Fund
  • Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability
  • Governmental Affairs
  • Health
  • Industrial Development and Recruitment
  • Judiciary
  • Local Legislation No. 1
  • Local Legislation No. 2
  • Local Legislation No. 3
  • Rules
  • Small Business and Economic Development
  • Tourism and Marketing
  • Veterans and Military Affairs

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

  1. ^ "Budget Fact Book" (PDF). The Alabama Legislature. January 4, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ^ Bailey, Neither Carpetbaggers nor Scalawags (1991)
  3. ^ "Alabama State Senate Committees". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.

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