Alabama Senate: Difference between revisions

| new_session = JanuaryMarch 97, 20182023

| leader2 = [[Greg Reed]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])

| leader3 = [[ClaySteve ScofieldLivingston]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])

| election3 = FebruaryOctober 230, 20212023

| salary = $4253,830913/yr <ref>http{{cite web |url=https://wwwalison-file.ncsllegislature.orgstate.al.us/Portalspdfdocs/1lsa/DocumentsFiscal/legismgtBudgetFactBook/2016_Leg_Comp_Session_Per%20Diem_Mileage2023_Budget_Fact_Book.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|datetitle=MarchBudget 2022}}</ref>Fact Book

| structure1 = Alabama State Senate Composition 2023.svg

'''Governing partyMajority'''

'''OppositionMinority'''

| last_election1 = [[2022 Alabama State Senate elections, 2022election|November 8, 2022]]<br />(35 seats)

| next_election1 = [[2026 Alabama State Senate elections, 2026election|November 3, 2026]]<br />(35 seats)

| meeting_place = State Senate Chamber<br />[[Alabama State CapitolHouse]]<br />[[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]], Alabama

| website = [httphttps://wwwalison.legislature.state.al.us/aliswww/ISD/Splash_Senate.aspxsenate Alabama State Senate]

The '''Alabama State Senate''' is the [[upper house]] of the [[Alabama Legislature]], the [[state legislature (United States)|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 Senatesenate serves both without [[term limits]] and with a four-year term.

Like other [[upper house]]s of [[State legislature (United States)|state]] and territorial legislatures and the [[United States Senate]], the Senatesenate can confirm or reject [[Governor of Alabama|gubernatorial]] appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

While the House of Representatives has exclusive power to originate revenue bills, such legislation can be amended and/or substituted by the Senatesenate. Moreover, because the Senatesenate is considered to be the "deliberative body", rules concerning the length of the debate are more liberal than those of the House of Representatives.

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 Senatesenate 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.

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center; width:50%"

| rowspan=5|8

|! 835

==Senate Leadershipleadership==

! scope="col" colspan="2" width="220"| Position

! scope="col" width="70" | Party

! scope="col" width="180" | District

| scope="row" colspan="2" | Secretary of the Senatesenate

! scope="col" colspan="2" width="220"| Position

! scope="col" width="70" | Party

! scope="col" width="180" | District

| Senate Majority Leader in Alabama State Senate

! scope="col" colspan="2" width="220"| Position

! scope="col" width="70" | Party

! scope="col" width="180" | District

| Senate Minority Leader in Alabama State Senate

| [[Bobby Singleton]]

| Deputy Minority Vice Leader in Alabama State Senate

| Minority Democratic Caucus Chair in Alabama State Senate

==List of Statestate Senatorssenators==

! Political Partyparty

| [[ClayWes ScofieldKitchens]]

== Past composition of the Senatesenate ==

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 (United States)|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 [[Alabama Republican Party|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.<ref>Bailey, Neither Carpetbaggers nor Scalawags (1991)</ref> The election of 1983 produced the first female senators in Alabama history as Republican [[Ann Bedsole]] (1983-1995) and Democrat [[Frances Strong|Frances "Sister" Strong]] (1983-1986) won office.

==Leadership of the Senatesenate==

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

The Presidentpresident of the Senatesenate is the [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama|Lieutenantlieutenant Governorgovernor]], which is currently [[Will Ainsworth]]. The [[Presidentpresident Propro Temporetempore]] is [[DelGreg MarshReed]]. The [[Majoritymajority Leaderleader]] is [[Alabama Republican Party|Republican]] [[GregSteve ReedLivingston]] and the [[Minorityminority Leaderleader]] is [[Alabama Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Bobby Singleton]].