New committee assignments in the Alabama Senate have been decided as the Legislature heads home from its organizational session and prepares for the upcoming regular session, which will begin in March.
Members assigned to standing committees will serve on those committees until 2022, the end of this legislative term.
The Alabama Senate Committee on Assignments determined the committee compositions.
Newly re-elected Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who will also chair the Senate Committee on Tourism, thanked the Assignments Committee for their work.
“I want to thank the Committee on Assignments for their work on these committees, they did a fantastic job of matching Senators with the committee that best takes advantage of their strengths and abilities,” Marsh said. “I look forward to working with these members in the upcoming session. There are some tough issues facing the state and I believe these committees and their members are best equipped to address these issues in a way that benefits the people of Alabama.”
Republicans will have majorities on all of the Senate committees, with Democrats spread thin and serving across multiple committees, given their minority status in the Senate. Some will have assignments on as many as five committees. Republicans gained one seat in the November elections, expanding their majority by one seat to 27. Democrats hold only eight seats in the Senate.
Despite their shrinking minority, Democratic leader, Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, praised the way committee assignments were handled.
“Because we are in the minority we’re only going to get so many seats on committees. However, I think what has been done was fair based on the percentage of people that we have,” Singleton said. “There were only two committees that we didn’t get seats, the Committee on Assignment and the Local Legislation Committee, but I would have liked to have representation on those as well, and of course we would love some chairmanships.”
The Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Local Legislation Committee are two powerful ones. The Rules Committee — often referred to as the “arm of the leadership — sets legislative agendas and handles changes to the Senate rules. It determines what rules under which a bill will be brought to the floor. The Local Legislation Committee handles local and county legislation that affects particular areas of the state.
Marsh was re-elected Tuesday to another four-year term as the Republican leader in the Senate. He will be joined by Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed, R-Jasper, who said Wednesday that he is excited to see the committees get to work.
“Committees are the backbone of the legislative process, a place where bills are refined and improved and ideas are vigorously debated,” Reed said. “Like the entire Senate, the committee chairmen come from all walks of life and include small business owners, doctors, farmers, former teachers, and attorneys from every region of our state. The 4.8 million citizens of Alabama deserve the best leadership possible, and I am confident that these citizen-lawmakers will ably lead the Senate’s fifteen committees during the new legislative term.”
Committee on Rules
- Jabo Waggoner (Chair)
- Clay Scofield (Vice Chair)
- Gerald Allen
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Vivian Figures
- Jimmy Holley
- Steve Livingston
- Jim McClendon
- Tim Melson
- Arthur Orr
- Greg Reed
- Rodger Smitherman
Committee on Finance & Taxation Education
- Arthur Orr (Chair)
- Tim Melson (Vice Chair)
- Greg Albritton
- Gerald Allen
- Donnie Chesteen
- Priscilla Dunn
- Vivian Figures
- Garlan Gudger
- Jim McClendon
- Clay Scofield
- David Sessions
- Bobby Singleton
- Rodger Smitherman
- Jabo Waggoner
- Tom Whatley
Committee on Finance & Taxation General Fund
- Greg Albritton (Chair)
- Gerald Allen (Vice Chair)
- Billy Beasley
- Tom Butler
- Clyde Chambliss
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Jimmy Holley
- Steve Livingston
- Jim McClendon
- Arthur Orr
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
- Larry Stutts
- Jabo Waggoner
- Cam Ward
Committee on Confirmations
- Clay Scofield (Chair)
- Jabo Waggoner (Vice Chair)
- Gerald Allen
- Will Barfoot
- David Burkette
- Vivian Figures
- Sam Givhan
- Andrew Jones
- Greg Reed
- David Sessions
- Rodger Smitherman
- Larry Stutts
- Cam Ward
- Tom Whatley
- Jack Williams
Committee on Judiciary
- Cam Ward (Chair)
- Will Barfoot (Vice Chair)
- Greg Albritton
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Vivian Figures
- Sam Givhan
- Arthur Orr
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
- Bobby Singleton
- Rodger Smitherman
- Larry Stutts
- Tom Whatley
Committee on Government Affairs
- Jimmy Holley (Chair)
- Chris Elliott (Vice Chair)
- Greg Albritton
- Clyde Chambliss
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Sam Givhan
- Garlan Gudger
- Arthur Orr
- Dan Roberts
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
- Shay Shelnutt
Committee on Education Policy
- Tim Melson (Chair)
- Donnie Chesteen (Vice Chair)
- David Burkette
- Tom Butler
- Priscilla Dunn
- Chris Elliott
- Vivian Figures
- Jim McClendon
- Randy Price
- Shay Shelnutt
Committee on Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry
- Tom Whatley (Chair)
- David Sessions (Vice Chair)
- Billy Beasley
- Chris Elliott
- Garlan Gudger
- Andrew Jones
- Steve Livingston
- Tim Melson
- Randy Price
- Clay Scofield
- Bobby Singleton
- Larry Stutts
- Jack Williams
Committee on Banking & Insurance
- Shay Shelnutt (Chair)
- Jack Williams (Vice Chair)
- Will Barfoot
- David Burkette
- Donnie Chesteen
- Chris Elliott
- Andrew Jones
- Steve Livingston
- Randy Price
- Dan Roberts
- Clay Scofield
- Bobby Singleton
- Rodger Smitherman
- Jabo Waggoner
- Tom Whatley
Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development
- Steve Livingston (Chair)
- Garlan Gudger (Vice Chair)
- Will Barfoot
- Tom Butler
- Clyde Chambliss
- Priscilla Dunn
- Arthur Orr
- Dan Roberts
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
- Clay Scofield
- Shay Shelnutt
- Cam Ward
Committee on Transportation & Energy
- Gerald Allen (Chair)
- Dan Roberts (Vice Chair)
- David Burkette
- Tom Butler
- Donnie Chesteen
- Priscilla Dunn
- Chris Elliott
- Sam Givhan
- Andrew Jones
- Steve Livingston
- Randy Price
- Greg Reed
- David Sessions
Committee on Healthcare
- Jim McClendon (Chair)
- Larry Stutts (Vice Chair)
- Billy Beasley
- Tom Butler
- Donnie Chesteen
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Tim Melson
- Greg Reed
- Dan Roberts
- Cam Ward
- Tom Whatley
- Jack Williams
Committee on Children, Youth & Human Services
- Larry Stutts (Chair)
- Andrew Jones (Vice Chair)
- Greg Albritton
- Will Barfoot
- Billy Beasley
- Clyde Chambliss
- Linda Coleman-Madison
- Sam Givhan
- Jimmy Holley
- Dan Roberts
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
- Shay Shelnutt
- Jack Williams
Committee on Tourism
- Del Marsh (Chair)
- Randy Price (Vice Chair)
- Billy Beasley
- Priscilla Dunn
- Chris Elliott
- Garlan Gudger
- Andrew Jones
- Tim Melson
- David Sessions
- Bobby Singleton
- Rodger Smitherman
Committee on Veterans & Military Affairs
- Tom Butler (Chair)
- Sam Givhan (Vice Chair)
- Will Barfoot
- Billy Beasley
- David Burkette
- Donnie Chesteen
- Jimmy Holley
- Malika Sanders-Fortier
Committee on Local Legislation (LL1)
- Clyde Chambliss (Chair)
- Del Marsh
- Greg Reed
