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

27 8 Republican Democratic

AffiliationParty (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalVacantRepublicanDemocratic2019–2022 session27 8 35 0Begin 2023 session278 35 0October 30, 202326 34 1January 23, 202427 35 0January 1, 202526 34 1June 27, 202527 35 0Latest voting share

Senate leadership Position Name Party District President Will Ainsworth Republican Statewide President pro tempore Garlan Gudger Republican 4th–Cullman Secretary of the senate D. Patrick Harris

Majority leadership

Position Name Party District Senate Majority Leader in Alabama State Senate Steve Livingston Republican 8th–Scottsboro Senate Majority Vice Leader in Alabama State Senate Clyde Chambliss Republican 30th–Prattville

Minority leadership Position Name Party District Minority Leader in Alabama State Senate Bobby Singleton Democratic 24th–Greensboro Minority Vice Leader in Alabama State Senate Rodger Smitherman Democratic 18th–Birmingham Minority Democratic Caucus Chair in Alabama State Senate Linda Coleman-Madison Democratic 20th–Birmingham

List of state senators DistrictNamePartyResidenceStartCounties1RepublicanFlorence2014Lauderdale, part of Limestone2RepublicanMadison2018Parts of Limestone and Madison3RepublicanDecatur2006Morgan, parts of Limestone and Madison4RepublicanCullman2018Cullman, Marion, Winston5RepublicanJasper2025 (special)Fayette, Lamar, Walker, parts of Jefferson and Tuscaloosa6RepublicanTuscumbia2014Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, part of Limestone7RepublicanGurley2018Part of Madison8RepublicanScottsboro2014Jackson, parts of DeKalb and Madison9RepublicanArab2024 (special)Marshall, parts of Blount and Madison10RepublicanCentre2018Cherokee, Etowah, part of DeKalb11RepublicanPell City2022Parts of Shelby, St. Clair, and Talladega12RepublicanAnniston2022Calhoun, part of Talladega13RepublicanOpelika2018Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, part of Lee14RepublicanAlabaster2021 (special)Bibb, parts of Chilton and Shelby15RepublicanBirmingham2018Parts of Jefferson and Shelby16RepublicanBirmingham1990Parts of Jefferson and Shelby17RepublicanTrussville2014Parts of Blount, Jefferson, and St. Clair18DemocraticBirmingham1994Part of Jefferson19DemocraticBirmingham2022Part of Jefferson20DemocraticBirmingham2006Part of Jefferson21RepublicanTuscaloosa2010Pickens, part of Tuscaloosa22RepublicanRange2014Escambia, Washington, parts of Baldwin and Mobile23DemocraticSelma2022Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Lowndes, Monroe, Perry, Wilcox24DemocraticGreensboro2005Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, part of Tuscaloosa25RepublicanMontgomery2018Crenshaw, parts of Elmore and Montgomery26DemocraticMontgomery2021 (special)Part of Montgomery27RepublicanAuburn2022Parts of Lee, Russell, and Tallapoosa28DemocraticClayton2010Barbour, Bullock, Henry, Macon, parts of Houston and Russell29RepublicanGeneva2018Geneva, parts of Dale and Houston30RepublicanPrattville2014Autauga, Coosa, parts of Chilton, Elmore, and Tallapoosa31RepublicanIno2022Coffee, Covington, Pike, part of Dale32RepublicanSpanish Fort2018Part of Baldwin33DemocraticMobile1997Parts of Baldwin and Mobile34RepublicanWilmer2018Part of Mobile35RepublicanGrand Bay2018Part of 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.Bailey, Neither Carpetbaggers nor Scalawags (1991) 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 their 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: 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 Alabama House of Representatives Government of Alabama Impeachment in Alabama

Notes

References

External links Alabama State Senate official government website Project Vote Smart – State Senate of Alabama