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Rules Committee, Alabama State Senate
The Rules Committee is a standing committee of the Alabama State Senate.
Per the Senate Rules, committees of the Alabama State Senate are assigned by the Committee on Assignments, consisting of the president pro tempore, the presiding officer, the senate majority leader, and three additional members appointed by the president pro tempore. A majority of appointed members make up a committee's quorum. [1][2]
See rules: Senate Rules
Function
| “ | The Committee on Rules shall have supervision over the Revision of the Journal, Enrolled Bills, and Engrossed Bills. In addition, the Committee on Rules shall consider and report on matters required by the Rules of the Senate, as follows: motions or resolutions to set aside a regular order of business (Rule 9); motions or resolutions for a Special Order (Rules 9 and 13); special rules that debate on a pending measure shall cease at a certain hour and a vote be taken on the measure (Rule 20); propositions to suspend, modify, or amend any rule or any part thereof (Rule 35); all resolutions that may be referred to it (Rule 55). Also, the Committee on Rules shall render advisory opinions to any lobbyist who seeks advice about the rules relating to lobbying, and the committee shall make recommendations regarding the imposition of penalties prescribed for violations of the rules relating to lobbying. The Chairperson of the Committee on Rules shall have power to designate the Vice Chairperson of the Committee to act as Chairperson. Such designation shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate. The Committee on Rules shall not exceed 12 members.[3][4] | ” |
Membership
2025-2026 legislative session
|
Senate Rules Committee, 2025-2026 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (13) | Third-party members(0) |
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2023-2024 legislative session
|
Senate Rules Committee, 2023-2024 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (10) | Third-party members(0) |
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2021-2022 legislative session
|
Senate Rules Committee, 2021-2022 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (10) | Third-party members(0) |
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|
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2019-2020 legislative session
|
Senate Rules Committee, 2019-2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (9) | Third-party members(0) |
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2015 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (13) | |||
| • Billy Beasley | • J. T. Waggoner, Chair | |||
| • Vivian Figures | • Paul Bussman, Vice chair | |||
| • Rodger Smitherman | • Dick L. Brewbaker | |||
| • Gerald Dial | ||||
| • Rusty Glover | ||||
| • Bill Hightower | ||||
| • Jimmy Holley | ||||
| • Jim McClendon | ||||
| • Arthur Orr | ||||
| • Trip Pittman | ||||
| • Greg Reed | ||||
| • Paul Sanford | ||||
| • Clay Scofield | ||||
2011-2012
The following table describes committee membership for the 2011 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (3) | Republican members (10) | |||
| • Roger Bedford | • J.T. Waggoner, Chair | |||
| • Priscilla Dunn | • Jimmy Holley, Vice chair | |||
| • Tammy Irons | • Scott Beason | |||
| • Ben Brooks | ||||
| • Gerald Dial | ||||
| • Vivian Figures | ||||
| • Rusty Glover | ||||
| • Arthur Orr | ||||
| • Trip Pittman | ||||
| • Paul Sanford | ||||
Chair removal
In November 2011, Scott Beason was removed from his role as chair of the Rules Committee. He was replaced by Jabo Waggoner for the 2012 legislative session.[5]
Beason fell under heavy scrutiny in September 2011 after he made a comment referring to African-Americans as "aborigines."[6] In a press conference he apologized for the remark, saying it was a "careless and unnecessary" statement.[6] The comment became public as a result of the investigations into bribery and corruption in the statehouse stemming from a bill related to bingo. Beason wore a wire for the FBI, and he made the comment when discussing legislation with a former legislator.[6]
2009-2010
The following table describes committee membership for the 2009 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (9) | Republican members (2) | Third-party members (1) | ||
| • Lowell Barron, Chair | • Charles Bishop | • Harri Anne Smith | ||
| • Bobby Denton | • Steve French | |||
| • Tom Butler | ||||
| • Roger Bedford | ||||
| • Hinton Mitchem | ||||
| • Rodger Smitherman | ||||
| • Quinton Ross | ||||
| • T.D. Little | ||||
| • Vivian Figures | ||||
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Alabama Legislature, "Senate Rules Relating to the Presiding Officer," accessed February 18, 2021(Rule 47-b)
- ↑ The Alabama Legislature, "Senate Rules Relating to Committees," accessed February 18, 2021(Rule 48)
- ↑ The Alabama Legislature, "Senate Rules Relating to Committees," accessed February 19, 2021(Rule 48-1)
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Gadsen Times, "Beason out as Senate Rules Committee chairman," November 15, 2011
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Birmingham News, "Alabama state Sen. Scott Beason apologizes for calling black people 'aborigines'" September 28, 2011
