Alabama House of Representatives
From Ballotpedia
| Alabama House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | February 7, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Mike Hubbard, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Micky Hammon, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Craig Ford, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 105 |
| Democratic Party (40) Republican Party (65) | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Art IV, Alabama Constitution |
| Salary: | $3,948/month + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (105 seats) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 (105 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Alabama Legislature has control |
Meeting place: | |
Contents |
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama State Legislature. There are 105 members to the Assembly, representing a relatively equal amount of constituencies. Each member represents an average of 45,521 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 census, each member represented about 42,353 residents.[2]
Elected officials are not subjected to term limits and Alabama House members are one of only five lower house officials in the United States that are elected every four years. The majority of state legislatures abide by the model set in place by the U.S. House of Representatives, which are two-year terms. During 2010, the House was in session from January 12th to April 22nd.[3]
Sessions
Section 48 of Article IV of the Alabama Constitution initially set the rules for the timing and length of sessions for the Alabama State Legislature, which the House is a part of. However, these rules have been changed by state statute.
The Alabama Legislature convenes in regular annual sessions on the first Tuesday in February, except during the first year of the four-year term, when the session begins on the first Tuesday in March. In the last year of a four-year term, the legislative session begins on the second Tuesday in January. The length of the regular session is limited to 30 meeting days within a period of 105 calendar days. There are usually two meeting or "legislative" days per week, with other days devoted to committee meetings.
The Governor of Alabama can call, by proclamation, special sessions of the Alabama legislature. The governor must list the subjects on which legislation will be debated upon. These sessions are limited to 12 legislative days within a 30 calendar day span. In a regular session, bills may be enacted on any subject. In a special session, legislation must be enacted only on those subjects which the governor announces on their proclamation or "call." Anything not in the "call" requires a two-thirds vote of each house to be enacted.[4]
Bills can be prefiled before sessions, starting at the end of the previous session and ending at the beginning of the session for which they are being filed. The exception to this is for sessions beginning in March every 4 years. [5]
See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the legislature will be in session from February 7 to mid-May.
Major issues
According to State Senator Slade Blackwell (R), there are several topics that will be major issues in the 2012 session.[6]
- Prison overcrowding: Alabama's prison system is 193 percent overcrowded, which is the highest in the nation. Blackwell said the current system must be changed.[6]
- Charter schools: Alabama is one of a handful of states that do not allow charter schools. Blackwell said he would like to change that.[6]
- Economic development and jobs: One early bill that was prefiled would streamline Alabama's tax assessment process. The bill would abolish one division within the Department of Revenue and create a new commission -- the Alabama Tax Appeals Commission.[7]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Legislature was in session from March 1-June 9. The Alabama Legislature has a constitutional session length limit of 105 calendar days.[8]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House of Representatives was in session from January 12th to April 12th.
Elections
2010
Elections for the office of Alabama State Representative were held in Alabama on November 2, 2010. State house seats in all 105 districts were on the ballot in 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was April 2, 2010, and the primary election day was June 1, 2010.
During the 2010 election, the total contributions to House candidates was $19,627,913. The top 10 contributors were:[9]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alabama Republican Party | $1,449,611 |
| Alabama Education Association | $1,097,446 |
| Business Council of Alabama | $705,500 |
| Alabama Farmers Federation | $578,009 |
| Charles Bishop | $502,000 |
| Alabama Association of Realtors | $335,503 |
| Alabama State Employees Association | $271,600 |
| Friends of Mike Hubbard | $243,300 |
| Alabama Trial Lawyers Association | $234,000 |
| NETPAC | $215,500 |
Qualifications
Members of the House must be 21 at the time of their election, and must have been citizens of Alabama for three years, having lived in their respective districts for at least one year immediately preceding their election.[10]
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House, a special election must be conducted in order to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for a special election if the vacancy happened before next scheduled general election and the House is in session[11] [12]. The Governor has all discretion in setting the date of the election along with nominating deadlines[12].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 65 | |
| Total | 105 | |
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the Speaker include preserving order and decorum and appointing all committee and subcommittee members.[13]
Current leadership
| Position | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Mike Hubbard |  Republican
|
| State House Majority Leader | Micky Hammon | Republican
|
| State House Minority Leader | Craig Ford |  Democratic
|
2010 Leadership
| Position | Representative | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker of the House | Seth Hammett | Democratic
|
| State House Majority Leader | Ken Guin | Democratic
|
| State House Minority Leader | Mike Hubbard | Republican
|
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the Alabama House are paid $3,958/month plus $50/day for three days during every week that the legislature is in session. They are also paid a base rate of $10/day for every day in the year, or $3,650/year regardless of when or whether the legislature is in session.[14]
The $3,958/month that Alabama legislators are paid as of 2010 for the months when the legislature is in session is an increase over the $2,280/month that they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007.[15]
When the salary and per diem are estimated out across a whole year, legislators make about $53,438/year.[16]
When sworn in
Alabama's state representatives assume office on midnight of the day that they are elected.
Current members
2007-2010 members
Standing committees
- Agriculture and Forestry Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Baldwin County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Children and Senior Advocacy Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Commerce and Small Business Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- County and Municipal Government Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Education Policy Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Financial Services Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Health Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Insurance Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Internal Affairs Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Jefferson County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Judiciary Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Lee County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Local Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Madison County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Mobile County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Montgomery County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Rules Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Shelby County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- State Government Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Technology and Research Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Tuscaloosa County Legislation Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Ways and Means Education Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
- Ways and Means General Fund Committee, Alabama House of Representatives
External links
- Official website of the Alabama House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Alabama House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the Alabama House of Representatives
- Alabama House of Representatives on Wikipedia
- Alabama House of Representatives District Map
- Statenet's 2010 chart of partisan composition of all state legislatures
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Alabama Legislature session dates, 2010
- ↑ Alabama Legislature web page
- ↑ Senate Rule 36
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Shelby County Reporter "Issues for legislative session," January 31, 2012
- ↑ Birmingham Business Journal "Bill would streamline Alabama tax assessment process," January 31, 2012
- ↑ South Carolina Policy Council "50 State Legislative Session Interactive Map," February 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money "Alabama House of Representatives 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Alabama State House
- ↑ Alabama Legislature "Code of Alabama"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Alabama Legislature "Code of Alabama"
- ↑ Alabama House Leaders
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Montgomery Adviser "Amendment would tie legislators' salary to median household income," October 27, 2011
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