Legislative Wrap-up
| Publication year | 2011 |
| Pages | 0159 |
| Citation | Vol. 72 No. 2 Pg. 0159 |
ROBERT L. MCCURLEY, JR.
For more information about the Institute, contact Bob McCurley at (205) 348-7411 or visit www.ali.state.al.us.
The New Legislature
The change in the Alabama Legislature for this quadrennial has been dramatic. Not only have both houses of the legislature changed from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority, but the number of new legislators is far greater than in previous years.
In the house of representatives, 36 of the 105 legislators were not there in 2006 and 31 of them are first-time legislators. In the senate, 19 of the 35 were not there in 2006 and 11 of them are first-time legislators.
The New Senate
Members of the senate who are lawyers, listed by their senate districts, are:
In the senate, the Judiciary Committee is chaired by lawyers Cam Ward and Ben Brooks; the Constitution and Elections Committee is chaired by Bryan Taylor; the Finance and Taxation (General Fund) Committee is chaired by Arthur Orr; the Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability Committee is chaired by Phil Williams; the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee is chaired by Tom Whatley; and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee is chaired by senators Cam Ward and Ben Brooks.
New House of Representatives
Members of the house who are lawyers, listed by their house districts, are:
Of the lawyers in the house, only Paul DeMarco is a committee chair. He chairs the Judiciary Committee.
The number of practicing lawyers in the legislature has increased slightly with 12 senators and 12 house members. These 24 lawyers represent the University of Alabama School of Law (six), Cumberland School of Law (six), Jones School of Law (three), Birmingham School of Law (two), Miles School of Law (two), and out-of-state law schools (five).
The New Leadership
The senate is presided over by Lt. Governor Kay Ivey of Montgomery and also led by President Pro Tem Del Marsh of Anniston. They have organized the senate into 20 standing committees (previously there had been 23).
The house of representatives is led by Speaker Mike Hubbard of Auburn and Speaker Pro Tem Victor Gaston of Mobile. They have organized it into 23 standing committees (previously there had been 17).
Of these 43 committees, only one committee chair has previously served in that capacity and that person switched from Democrat to Republican after the November 2010 election.
With this great change in leadership...
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