Today marks the third week of the 2019 Alabama Legislative Session. We’ll be sending out these updates as weekly emails to keep you informed about what’s happening in session and to share tips on how you can make a difference in the legislature. Sign up here.
Updates
- Now that special session is over with the gas tax increase passing and being signed into law last week, the legislature will begin holding regular committee meetings and discussing bills.
- One of the pre-filed bills is SB21, which would require law enforcement officers to keep track of who they stop, including their age, race, and gender, and what happened regarding whether they were arrested, ticketed, etc. We support this bill because law enforcement, like all government, must be accountable to the people. Without data on police practices, Alabamians can't identify if and what problems may be occurring in a precinct.
- Join our final Legislative Action Meeting in Birmingham next Monday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at Beloved Community Church.
Actions
- Support police transparency and accountability. Contact Senator Smitherman and Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Ward to let them know you support police transparency and accountability.
Pro-tip
- Check the committee meeting schedules once or twice a week to find out when bills will be up for consideration. This week's schedule is available for the House and Senate. We recommend checking frequently since bills can sometimes move very quickly. Remember: you must request a public hearing BEFORE a bill is set on the committee meeting schedule. Contact the committee clerk to request one: list of House committees, list of Senate committees.
