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Election and Campaign Finance Laws
LWVAL Action Priority Level II - Monitoring occurs; action dependent on opportunity and available resources.Click a bill to see sponsor(s), summary (including link to full text), League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.
Legend:
= LWVAL's support for the legislation. 
= LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
= new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.LWVAL has taken a position on these bills:
SB101 (Constitutional Amendment) - Constitution of Alabama of 1901, proposed state and local constitutional amendment, and state and local referendums shall be held at statewide primary or general election, const. amend.
Sponsor(s): Senator Whatley
Summary/Synopsis: This proposed amendment would require any proposed amendment to the constitution, statewide or affecting only one county or political subdivision, to be submitted to the voters at either a statewide primary or general election.
This amendment would also require that referendums that are required by a state or local law or by a local governing body must be submitted at either a statewide primary or general election.
League Action and Justification: Support
This is a simple way to reduce costs by eliminating special elections. It also insures higher numbers of voters participating in amendment decisions.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/02/2016: First Reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance & Taxation General Fund (F&TG).
02/18/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from CE&E
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
Summary/Synopsis: This proposed amendment would require any proposed amendment to the constitution, statewide or affecting only one county or political subdivision, to be submitted to the voters at either a statewide primary or general election.
This amendment would also require that referendums that are required by a state or local law or by a local governing body must be submitted at either a statewide primary or general election.
League Action and Justification: Support
This is a simple way to reduce costs by eliminating special elections. It also insures higher numbers of voters participating in amendment decisions.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/02/2016: First Reading and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance & Taxation General Fund (F&TG).
02/18/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from CE&E
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
HB164 - Redistricting, establishing temporary independent redistricting commissions to reapportion state legislative and State Board of Education districts, Secs. 29-2-51, 29-2-52 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Representative Black
Summary/Synopsis: This would create an independent temporary redistricting commission to draw new legislative and school board districts after each U.S. census. The redistricting commission shall consist of five members. One member shall be appointed to the commission by each of the following, respectively: The President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The four commission members shall select by majority vote a fifth member who shall serve as chair.
League Action and Justification: Support.
This is a good-government proposal. It takes political parties out of redistricting.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/09/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on State Government (SG).
Summary/Synopsis: This would create an independent temporary redistricting commission to draw new legislative and school board districts after each U.S. census. The redistricting commission shall consist of five members. One member shall be appointed to the commission by each of the following, respectively: The President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The four commission members shall select by majority vote a fifth member who shall serve as chair.
League Action and Justification: Support.
This is a good-government proposal. It takes political parties out of redistricting.
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/09/2016: First Reading and referred to the House Committee on State Government (SG).
HB404/SB356 (Constitutional Amendment) - Elections, disclosure of raising and spending of money to influence elections and government actions, regulation required, const. amend.
Sponsor(s):
HB404 - Representative Jones
SB356 - Senator Orr
Summary/Synopsis: This would be a constitutional amendment providing that the State of Alabama shall regulate the disclosure, raising, and spending of money to influence elections and governmental actions.
League Action and Justification: Support.
This measure would promote transparency. It also is supported by the LWVAL position on Campaign Finance Reform. “The League of Women Voters of Alabama believes that the methods of financing campaigns should ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process.”
Bill Progress in Legislature:
HB404
03/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E).
04/13/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 Amendment (176964-2); pending 3rd Read and Favorable from CC&E with 1 Amendment; CC&E Amendment Offered
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
SB356
03/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Constitution, Ethics, and Elections (CE&E).
03/23/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 amendment (176143-2); Pending 3rd reading and Favorable from Constitution, Ethics and Elections with 1 amendment
04/26/2016: 3rd Reading Carried Over; CE&E Amendment Offered; Orr motion to Table adopted Voice Vote; Orr 1st Substitute (177598-1) Offered; Orr Motion to Carry Over Offered; Orr Motion to Carry Over adopted by Voice Vote.
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
Note: Original bill applied the amendment to money spent to influence elections and government actions. The Senate amendment changes this to “spending to influence elections and referenda”. This change would broaden the impact of the amendment and is supported by LWVAL.
HB404 - Representative Jones
SB356 - Senator Orr
Summary/Synopsis: This would be a constitutional amendment providing that the State of Alabama shall regulate the disclosure, raising, and spending of money to influence elections and governmental actions.
League Action and Justification: Support.
This measure would promote transparency. It also is supported by the LWVAL position on Campaign Finance Reform. “The League of Women Voters of Alabama believes that the methods of financing campaigns should ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process.”
Bill Progress in Legislature:
HB404
03/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections (CC&E).
04/13/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 Amendment (176964-2); pending 3rd Read and Favorable from CC&E with 1 Amendment; CC&E Amendment Offered
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
SB356
03/15/2016: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Constitution, Ethics, and Elections (CE&E).
03/23/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 amendment (176143-2); Pending 3rd reading and Favorable from Constitution, Ethics and Elections with 1 amendment
04/26/2016: 3rd Reading Carried Over; CE&E Amendment Offered; Orr motion to Table adopted Voice Vote; Orr 1st Substitute (177598-1) Offered; Orr Motion to Carry Over Offered; Orr Motion to Carry Over adopted by Voice Vote.
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
Note: Original bill applied the amendment to money spent to influence elections and government actions. The Senate amendment changes this to “spending to influence elections and referenda”. This change would broaden the impact of the amendment and is supported by LWVAL.
LWVAL is monitoring this bill:
HB380 - Municipality, council-manager form of gov., council-manager act of 1982, composition of council, alternate forms, Sec. 11-43A-8 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Representatives Faulkner, Carns, Drake, Faust and McMillan
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, a municipality may adopt the council-manager form of government pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 43A of Title 11, Code of Alabama 1975, and the Council-Manager Act of 1982. In that case, the council is composed of five members. The mayor and one council member are elected at large and three council members are elected from single-member districts. In addition, an alternate form for the composition of the council is provided for in Class 6 municipalities mayor and eight council members.
This bill would authorize a municipality organized under the first form provided above to have a council composed of either five or seven members with a mayor elected at large and either four or six council members elected either at large or from single-member districts.
[Note: Amendment offered on 03/17/2016 removes At Large election option.]
League Action and Justification: Monitor for movement
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/10/2016: First Read and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government (C&MG).
03/17/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 (175896-1) Amendment; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from C&MG with 1 Amendment; G&MC Amendment Offered
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
Summary/Synopsis: Under existing law, a municipality may adopt the council-manager form of government pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 43A of Title 11, Code of Alabama 1975, and the Council-Manager Act of 1982. In that case, the council is composed of five members. The mayor and one council member are elected at large and three council members are elected from single-member districts. In addition, an alternate form for the composition of the council is provided for in Class 6 municipalities mayor and eight council members.
This bill would authorize a municipality organized under the first form provided above to have a council composed of either five or seven members with a mayor elected at large and either four or six council members elected either at large or from single-member districts.
[Note: Amendment offered on 03/17/2016 removes At Large election option.]
League Action and Justification: Monitor for movement
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/10/2016: First Read and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government (C&MG).
03/17/2016: 2nd Read and placed on the calendar with 1 (175896-1) Amendment; pending 3rd Read and Favorable from C&MG with 1 Amendment; G&MC Amendment Offered
04/28/2016: Indefinitely postponed.
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