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2020 Alabama legislative session

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Some states made changes to 2020 state legislative sessions and legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
For a full list of changes, visit: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020.
Alabama: The Alabama State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 25, 2020, through May 4, 2020, at which point it reconvened. The legislature adjourned on May 18, 2020.
Alabama State Legislature

Seal of Alabama.png
General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   None
Session start:   February 4, 2020
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:  
Will Ainsworth (R)
House Speaker:  Mac McCutcheon (R)
Majority Leader:   Senate: Greg Reed (R)
House: Nathaniel Ledbetter (R)
Minority Leader:   Senate: Bobby Singleton (D)
House: Anthony Daniels (D)
Structure
Members:  35 (Senate), 105 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 4 years (House)
Authority:   Art IV, Alabama Constitution
Salary:   $42,830/year
Elections
Last election:  November 6, 2018
Next election:  November 8, 2022
Redistricting:  Alabama Legislature has control
Meeting place:
AlabamaStateCapitolBuilding.JPG

In 2020, the Alabama State Legislature was scheduled to convene on February 4, 2020, and adjourn on May 18, 2020.

Several state legislatures suspended their sessions or otherwise limited legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic. On March 16, 2020, the Alabama House of Representatives announced a suspension of legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic, canceling all committee meetings scheduled for March 25, 2020. The House was scheduled to meet on March 26, 2020, but a quorum was not expected. Both the House and the Alabama State Senate were scheduled to reconvene on March 31, 2020, in keeping with their original schedules. At that time, according to a statement from House leadership, "a joint decision [would] be made as to future legislative meeting days."[1]

On March 31, 2020, lawmakers approved a suspension of all legislative activity through April 28, 2020. That suspension was then extended to May 4, 2020, at which point the legislature reconvened. The legislature adjourned on May 18, 2020.[2][3][4]

Republicans had a veto-proof supermajority this legislative session, just as they did in 2019. Following the 2018 election, Republicans had a 27-8 supermajority in the Senate and a 77-28 supermajority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta.

At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session:
  • Republicans held a veto-proof supermajority in the Alabama state House and state Senate.
  • Alabama was one of 21 Republican state government trifectas.
  • Alabama's governor was Republican Kay Ivey.

    • Black.png Click the links to read more about the 2022 state Senate and state House elections.
    Black.png Click the links to read more about the 2018 state Senate and state House elections.

    Partisan control in 2020

    See also: State government trifectas

    Alabama was one of 21 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2020 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.

    Alabama was also one of 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.

    The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Alabama State Legislature in the 2020 legislative session.

    Alabama State Senate

    Party As of January 2020
         Democratic Party 8
         Republican Party 27
    Total 35

    From 1990 to 2020, partisan control of the Alabama State Senate went from a 28-7 Democratic advantage to a 27-8 Republican advantage. The rapid partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from nearly 175 years of Democratic dominance to being solid Republican in the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Alabama Senate following every general election from 1990 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Alabama State Senate election results: 1990-2018

    Year '90 '94 '98 '02 '06 '10 '14 '18
    Democrats 28 23 23 25 23 12 8 8
    Republicans 7 12 12 10 12 22 26 27

    Democrats dominated the chamber for much of its early history, holding majorities over the Whig Party for most of the early 1800s. After a brief period of Republican control in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Democrats began winning large majorities, with Republicans often winning one seat or none. From 1902 to 1978, the Democratic advantage over Republicans never fell below 34-1. Republicans secured three seats in the chamber in 1983 through special elections that were ordered after a federal court struck down the 1982 legislative map for violating the 1965 Voting Rights Act.[5][6]

    After 1983, the Alabama Senate slowly began conforming to the overall Republican trend in the American South. Republicans won five seats in 1986, seven seats in 1990, and 12 seats in 1994, shrinking the Democratic advantage to 11 seats. However, Republican gains stagnated after 1994 as they still had 12 seats more than a decade later in 2006. But in 2010, the party picked up an additional 10 seats and a 22-12 advantage over Democrats. This was the first Republican majority since 1868. Republicans picked up another four seats in the 2014 election, expanding their majority to 26-8. The chamber's Republican gains in 2010 and 2014 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

    Alabama House of Representatives

    Party As of January 2020
         Democratic Party 77
         Republican Party 28
    Total 105

    Between 1990 and 2020, the Alabama House of Representatives went from having an almost 60-seat Democratic majority to an almost 50-seat Republican majority. The rapid partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from nearly 175 years of Democratic dominance to being solid Republican in the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Alabama House following every general election from 1990 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Alabama House of Representatives election results: 1990-2018

    Year '90 '94 '98 '02 '06 '10 '14 '18
    Democrats 82 74 69 64 62 39 33 28
    Republicans 23 31 36 41 43 66 72 77

    Democratic majorities date back to 1837 when Democrats competed with the Whig Party for control of the chamber and usually held around a 20-seat advantage. Following the end of the Civil War in 1865, Democrats began competing with Republicans. They regularly secured large majorities—usually holding all but a few seats in the chamber—until 1983 when Republicans gained 12 seats in special elections that were ordered after a federal court struck down the 1982 legislative map for violating the 1965 Voting Rights Act.[7][8]

    Despite the Republican gains in the 1980s, Democrats had an advantage of more than 70 seats heading into the 1990s. Republicans decreased the Democratic advantage to 43 seats following the 1994 elections and then to 33 seats in the 1998 elections. Republican gains slowed between 1998 and 2006 as they picked up just seven seats in two election cycles. However, in 2010, Republicans picked up 23 seats in that election and won a 66-39 majority. This was the first Republican majority since 1868, when they controlled the chamber following the Civil War. Republicans bolstered their majority in 2014 by picking up an additional six seats. The chamber's Republican gains in 2010 and 2014 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.


    Leadership in 2020

    Alabama State Senate

    Alabama House of Representatives

    Regular session

    The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2020 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2020. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

    Standing legislative committees

    See also: Standing committee and List of committees in Alabama state government


    A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

    At the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, there were 60 standing committees in Alabama's state government, including five joint legislative committees, 24 state Senate committees, and 31 state House committees.

    Joint legislative committees


    Senate committees


    House committees


    Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods by which the Alabama Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XVIII of the Alabama Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Alabama

    The Alabama Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution: a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Alabama requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A 60% vote is required from both chambers of the Alabama State Legislature during one legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 63 votes in the Alabama House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Alabama State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to the Alabama Constitution, a simple majority in each chamber during one legislative session is required to send a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote by the electorate is required to call the convention. Any proposed amendments approved by the convention require a simple majority vote of the electorate to be ratified.


    Historical context:

    • A total of 95 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Alabama from 1998 to 2018.
    • From 1998 to 2018, the number of measures on statewide ballots during even-numbered years ranged from four to 15.
    • Between 1998 and 2018, an average of eight measures appeared on the ballot in Alabama during even-numbered election years.
    • Between 1998 and 2018, about 81 percent (72 of 89) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and about 19 percent (17 of 89) were defeated.


    Historical partisan control

    The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Alabama.

    Alabama Party Control: 1992-2025
    Six years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor R D D R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


    See also

    Elections Alabama State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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    Alabama State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Alabama Political Reporter, "Alabama House cancels March 25 committee meetings due to coronavirus," March 17, 2020
    2. ↑ News 5 WKRG, "Alabama lawmakers suspend 2020 legislative session, will return in late April," April 1, 2020
    3. ↑ MultiState, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," last updated April 27, 2020
    4. ↑ CBS 42, "Alabama Legislature reconvening Monday despite coronavirus outbreak," May 4, 2020
    5. ↑ New York Times, "Dominant Democratic Party in Alabama takes liberal turn," October 25, 1983
    6. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "1980s Redistricting Case Summaries," January 13, 2016
    7. ↑ New York Times, "Dominant Democratic Party in Alabama takes liberal turn," October 25, 1983
    8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "1980s Redistricting Case Summaries," January 13, 2016
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