2021 Alabama legislative session

The 2021 Alabama legislative session began on February 2, 2021 and adjourned on May 30.

The make-up of the legislature was unchanged from the 2020 Alabama legislative session, having been set by the 2018 general election. The Alabama House of Representatives consisted of 76 Republican members (all white) and 27 Democrats (26 of them Black), with two vacant seats, and was presided over by Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-District 25, Madison County). The Alabama State Senate had a 27-7 Republican majority (all 26 Republicans being white and 6 of 7 Democrats being Black), with one vacant seat, and was chaired by Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth.

Among the major issues taken up during the 2021 session were the legalization of medical cannabis, casino gambling, and at-home wine delivery. The legislature also modified the state's voting districts based on data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

Notable Acts

• Act of Alabama No. 2021-4, established certain civil immunities against claims of damages against businesses, institutions and healthcare providers and their officers related to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-160, amended the Emergency Management Act of 1955 to exempt businesses, the Alabama State House, and churches and other religious institutions from closure by executive order during a state of emergency caused by a pandemic or bioterrorism. The bill was sponsored by Representative Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville). (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-188, sponsored in the Senate by Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) authorized the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to permit home delivery of wine and beer to adults for personal use. The bill was signed by Governor Ivey on April 13. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-214, signed on April 15 gave the city of Mountain Brook the authority to designate Crestline Village, English Village and Mountain Brook village as Entertainment Districts. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-220 passed on April 14 and signed on April 16, designated the sweet potato as the Alabama state vegetable. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-227, signed on April 20, made allowance for college athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness pursuant to anticipated NCAA rule changes. Colleges would have to develop guidelines and conduct programs on financial literacy. Enforcement would be carried out by the Alabama Athlete Agents Commission. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-246, the Alabama Uniform Concealed Carry Permit Act, created a new category for a lifetime firearm permit and also required the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to create a database of persons whose right to possess a firearm has been revoked due to a criminal convictions or court order. The bill was sponsored by Randy Price (R-Opelika) in the Senate, where it passed by a 25-6 vote, and by Proncey Robertson (R-Mount Hope) in the House of Representatives, where it passed by a 69-18 vote on April 8. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-267, "Aniah's Law" allows judges the power to deny release on bail to defendants charged with first-degree felonies other than capital murder.
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-285, forbids public K-12 schools from participating in athletic events in the state that allow transgendered athletes to participate.
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-286, the REDEEMER Act (for "Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment and Eliminate Recidivism"), establishes a process to expunge the criminal records of certain persons previously convicted of low-level drug offenses.
• [[]], the Darren Wesley "Ato" Hall Compassion Act, made it legal to prescribe, cultivate, process, dispense and use certain forms of cannabis for the treatment of certain medical conditions under certain restrictions. The state would issue a card to approved users, who could then legally purchase cannabis at any of up to 12 licensed dispensaries.
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-408, provided for the creation and dissolution of joint road improvement authorities between counties and municipalities. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-411, recognized the Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Alabama Aquarium as the official aquarium of Alabama. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-419, sponsored by Representative Terri Collins (R-Decatur), further amended the ABC Board's oversight of home wine delivery. (link)
• Act of Alabama No. 2021-421, enacted that Alabama would observe daylight savings time year-round if federal law were changed to allow it. (link)

Other proposed legislation

• The legislature debated revisions to the 2017 Alabama Memorial Preservation Act. A failed bill sponsored by Representative Juandalynn Given (D-Birmingham) would have opened a path to turn over monuments to the Alabama Historical Commission. A different bill, sponsored by Representative Mike Holmes (R-Wetumpka) would have increased fines, punished individual officials who voted to remove monuments, and outlawed the "reinterpretation" of existing monuments.
• The Alabama Second Amendment Preservation Act, sponsored by Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) provided that, "...no appointed or elected official, officer, employee, or agent of the state, or any political subdivision of the state, when acting in an official capacity, shall implement, administer, or enforce an executive order or directive issued by the President of the United States, or any act of the United States Congress, that becomes effective after January 1, 2021, that regulates the ownership, use, or possession of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories." The Senate bill passed by a 21-5 vote on April 15. The legislation stalled in the House.

References

• Cason, Mike (February 1, 2021) "Alabama lawmaker wants to raise penalty for removing historical monuments." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mile (April 1, 2021) "Alabama lawmakers pass bill to allow churches, businesses to stay open during pandemic." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 6, 2021) "Birmingham pension system bill causes sharp disagreement in Alabama House." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 6, 2021) "Bill would allow Alabama parents to move students to other school districts." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 8, 2021) "Alabama lawmakers approve lifetime pistol permits, database of people prohibited from having guns." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 14, 2021) "Bill would increase penalties for removing historical monuments in Alabama." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 15, 2021) "Alabama lawmakers pass bill to ban transgender athletes from public school teams." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (April 20, 2021) "Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill allowing college athletes to be paid for use of name, image, likeness." The Birmingham News
• Cason, Mike (May 6, 2021) "Alabama House passes medical marijuana bill." The Birmingham News

External links

• Legislative Acts by Year at sos.alabama.gov