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The Alabama legislature held its quarterly organizing meeting earlier this month. That’s exactly what the title says, they’re organizing for the next four years of legislation.
The 105-member House of Representatives and 35-member state senators are elected for four-year terms, along with governors and other constitutional offices. However, unlike the governor, who takes office on January 16, as required by the state constitution, the legislature takes office the day after it is elected in November.
The state House of Representatives has 77 Republicans and 28 Democrats. It’s a supermajority that has veto power and pushes bulldozers aside, whatever you want. Democrats have little say in these overwhelming numbers.
Two days after being elected in November, the 77-member Republican majority met in a closed-door caucus in Montgomery to elect their leaders. So the House Speaker’s vote two weeks ago was just a formality.
more:Memorable Alabama Inauguration | Inside the State Capitol
The House elected Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter as Speaker of the House. Ledbetter is from Rainesville, DeKalb County. He is the former mayor of Rainesville. He has only been in the House for eight years since his first election in 2014. He was close to former Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon and served on the powerful Rules Committee that sets the agenda and the Method Education Budgeting Committee.
Mobile Rep. Chris Pringle has been elected Speaker of the House. He previously worked at House in Port City for 16 years. He succeeds his fellow Mobilian Victor Gaston in this post.
We have two young strongmen who are going to run for Republican office in the House of Representatives. representative. Decatur’s Scott Stadthagen becomes the new House Majority Leader. Arab Rep. Wes Kitchens will serve as Vice Chair of the Republican Leadership Conference. Rep. Debbie Wood, from the Valley, will serve as the Republican caucus’s secretary and treasurer. His three most powerful positions in the House are chairman of the two funding committees and the agenda-setting committee.
Jefferson County Trussville Rep. Danny Garrett will continue to serve as Chair of the Revenue, Education and Budget Committee. Rep. Reynolds of Huntsville will become Way & Means Chairman of the General Fund. Reynolds will replace Steve Claus, the longtime How and Means chairman of the Ozarks. Rep. Joe Robbourne of Auburn will chair the new Rules Committee. Rep. Jim Hill of St. Clair will chair the Judiciary Committee. He is a former circuit judge and House veteran. All of these House leadership positions are held by Republicans. Loot goes to the winner.
Democrats have a team of veterans and Sterling leading the caucus leadership in the House. Anthony Daniels of Huntsville becomes the minority leader of the Democratic Party. Mobile’s girlfriend Barbara Drummond will chair the caucuses. Mary Moore of Birmingham becomes Vice-President, and Kelvin Lawrence of Heinville becomes Secretary and Treasurer of the Democratic Caucus.
Thirty-five Alabama senators return largely intact, maintaining continuity and quality leadership. They rule and provide a stable ship for the national leadership team. Republicans lead Democrats 28-7 in the Senate.
State Senator Jabot Wagoner of Jefferson County is celebrating his 50th anniversary in the state legislature. This is a state record. He is definitely destined for the state history books. Wagoner will continue to chair the powerful Rules Committee.
Walker County’s Greg Reed becomes a Senator again. The Majority Leader will again be Clay Schofield of Marshall County. Her two chairs on the Finance Committee will continue to be responsible for the use of state revenues. Senator Arthur Orr of Decatur will chair Finance and Taxation/Education. Senator Greg Albritton of Escambia will chair the Treasury, Tax and General Fund. These two are very powerful.
Popular state Senator Wil Burfoot of Pike Road chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Clyde Chambliss of Prattville became a staunch leader of the Senate. He will whip the majority. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth serves as Speaker of the Senate.
Regular meetings start in early March.
Steve Flowers served in the Alabama Legislature for 16 years. Readers can email him at steve@steveflowers.us.
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