Government of Alabama facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The government of Alabama works like a team to serve the people of the state. It follows the rules set out in the 2022 Constitution of Alabama. Just like the United States government, Alabama's government is split into three main parts: the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Each part has its own important jobs and powers.

Quick facts for kids
**Government of Alabama**
Legislative branch
The Great Seal of the State of Alabama
Part of	United States of America
Constitution	Constitution of Alabama
Name	Legislature
Type	Bicameral
Meeting place	Alabama State Capitol
Upper house
Name	Senate
Presiding officer	Will Ainsworth, President
Lower house
Name	House of Representatives
Presiding officer	Nathaniel Ledbetter, Speaker
Executive branch
Head of State and Government
Title	Governor
Currently	Kay Ivey
Appointer	Election
Cabinet
Name	Cabinet
Leader	Governor
Deputy leader	Lieutenant Governor
Headquarters	Alabama State Capitol
Judicial branch
Name	Judiciary of Alabama
Chief Justice	Tom Parker
Courts	Courts of Alabama
Supreme Court of Alabama
Chief judge	Tom Parker
Seat	Montgomery

Executive Branch: Leading the State

The executive branch is in charge of carrying out the laws. It includes the Governor of Alabama, the Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, and many other elected officials. The Governor also has a team of advisors called the Cabinet. This Cabinet includes leaders of 25 different state departments. These departments help manage everything from parks to public safety.

Elected Executive Officials in Alabama

Young Boozer (R)
State Treasurer
Andrew Sorrell (R)
State Auditor
Rick Pate (R)
State Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries

The Governor's Role

The Governor is Alabama's top leader. Their main job is to make sure state laws are followed and the Alabama Constitution is upheld. People vote for the Governor every four years. A Governor can serve two terms in a row. There is no limit on how many total terms they can serve, as long as they don't serve more than two consecutively.

The Governor is also the leader of Alabama's military forces. These include the Alabama Army National Guard and the Alabama Air National Guard. The Governor can call on these forces to help keep peace or respond to natural disasters.

The Governor can say "no" to (veto) laws passed by the state legislature. However, the legislature can still make the law happen if a majority of members in both houses vote for it again. This is different from most other states. The Governor can also forgive people who have broken laws, except in cases where someone is removed from office for serious reasons.

At least once a year, the Governor gives a "State of the State address" to the Alabama Legislature. In this speech, the Governor talks about how the state government is doing. They might also suggest new laws for the legislature to consider. The current Governor of Alabama is Republican Kay Ivey. She has been Governor since 2017.

The Lieutenant Governor's Role

The Lieutenant Governor has important duties in the state Senate. They help set up committees and appoint their leaders and members. The current Lieutenant Governor is Will Ainsworth, who has served since 2019.

Other Important Executive Officials

Besides the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, several other officials are elected by the people. They also serve four-year terms at the same time as the Governor. These officials include:

The Attorney General of Alabama, currently Steve Marshall. They are the state's chief lawyer.
The State Auditor of Alabama, currently Andrew Sorrell. They check how state money is spent.
The Secretary of State of Alabama, currently Wes Allen. They manage elections and keep official state records.
The State Treasurer of Alabama, currently Young Boozer. They manage the state's money.
The Superintendent of Education of Alabama, Eric Mackey, Ed.D. They lead the state's education system.
The Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, currently Rick Pate. They oversee farming and related industries.

Governor's Cabinet Members (2023)

The Governor's Cabinet is made up of leaders who manage different state departments. They help the Governor run the state. Some key members include:

Chief of Staff: Liz Filmore
Communications Director: Gina Maiola
Director of Policy: Justin Bogie
Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Chris Blankenship
Commissioner of the Department of Corrections: John Q. Hamm
Director of the Emergency Management Agency: Jeff Smitherman
Director of Finance: Bill Poole
Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources: Nancy Buckner
Commissioner of Insurance: Mark Fowler
Commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency: Stephanie Azar
Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard: Maj. Gen. Sheryl Gordon
Director of the Department of Transportation: John R. Cooper

Judicial Branch: Interpreting the Laws

The judicial branch is responsible for explaining and applying the laws. It makes sure laws are fair and followed correctly.

The Supreme Court of Alabama

The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state. It has a chief justice and eight other justices. The current Chief Justice is Tom Parker. The Supreme Court reviews decisions from other state courts. It also makes rules for how all Alabama courts should operate. This helps make sure court processes are fair and efficient.

The Supreme Court handles appeals where large amounts of money are involved. It also hears appeals from the Alabama Public Service Commission. The Chief Justice is the main leader of the state's court system.

Court of the Judiciary

Alabama has a special "Court of the Judiciary." This court handles complaints about judges. It can remove a judge from office, suspend them, or give other punishments. This happens if a judge breaks rules, acts improperly, or cannot do their job. This court helps keep judges accountable.

Legislative Branch: Making the Laws

The legislative branch is responsible for creating new laws. In Alabama, this branch is called the Alabama Legislature. It has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Alabama House of Representatives

The Alabama House of Representatives has 105 members. Each member represents about 40,000 people in their district. They are elected for four-year terms. The leader of the House is called the Speaker. The current Speaker is Mac McCutcheon, a Republican.

Any laws about raising money for the state must start in the House. Most bills need a majority vote to pass. However, changing the state constitution requires a three-fifths vote.

Alabama Senate

The Alabama Senate has 35 Senators. Each Senator represents about 125,000 Alabamians. To be a Senator, a person must be at least 25 years old. They must also have lived in Alabama for at least three years and in their district for at least one year.

Senators are also elected for four-year terms. These terms happen at the same time as the House, Governor, and other statewide elections. While money bills start in the House, the Senate can suggest changes to them. The Senate also has special power to approve certain people chosen by the Governor for state jobs.

How Laws Are Made

Making a law in Alabama involves several steps.

Regular Legislative Sessions

The Legislature meets every year. Usually, sessions start in February. However, in the first year of a four-year term, they start in March. In the last year, they start in January. A regular session can last for 30 meeting days within 105 calendar days. Lawmakers usually meet two days a week.

Special Legislative Sessions

The Governor can call special sessions of the Legislature. During these sessions, lawmakers can only discuss topics the Governor lists. Special sessions are shorter, lasting up to 12 meeting days within 30 calendar days. To pass a law on a topic not listed by the Governor, a two-thirds vote in each house is needed.

Starting a Bill

Every proposed law, called a "bill," must be about one main topic. This topic must be clearly stated in the bill's title.

Committees Review Bills

After a bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee. Committees are smaller groups of lawmakers who study bills closely. They decide if a bill should move forward. The number of committees can change over time.

Legislative Council

The Alabama Legislature also has a special group called the Legislative Council. This group meets regularly to think about problems that might need new laws. They suggest ideas for future legislative sessions.

After Committee Review

If a bill might affect state money by more than $1,000, it needs a "Fiscal Note." This note explains how the bill would increase or decrease state funds. It is prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Office.

After discussion, members vote on the bill. In the Senate, votes are often called out by name. In the House, an electronic voting machine is used. If changes (amendments) are added, the bill is updated before being sent to the second house. This process is called "engrossment."

Conference Committees

Sometimes, the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill. When this happens, a "conference committee" is formed. This committee includes members from both houses. Their job is to work out the differences and create one version of the bill that both houses can agree on.

Once both houses pass the exact same version of a bill, it is "enrolled." The enrolled copy is the official version. It is kept by the Secretary of State once it becomes law.

The Governor's Decision

Finally, the bill goes to the Governor. The Governor has a few choices:

Sign the bill: If the Governor signs it, the bill becomes a law.
Veto the bill: The Governor can reject the bill. They send it back to the house where it started, explaining why. The legislature can still make it a law if a simple majority in both houses votes for it again. This is easier than in most other states, where a two-thirds vote is needed.
Do nothing: If the Governor doesn't sign or veto the bill within six days (not counting Sundays), it automatically becomes a law. However, if the legislature ends its session before the six days are up, the Governor has more time.
Pocket veto: If the Governor receives a bill less than five days before the session ends, they have ten days after the session ends to approve it. If they don't approve it within that time, the bill does not become law. This is called a "pocket veto."

Alabama's Governor also has a special power called a "line-item veto." This means they can reject specific parts of a spending bill without rejecting the whole bill. The rest of the spending bill still becomes law.

Changing the Constitution

Sometimes, a change is so big that it requires amending the Constitution of Alabama. This process is different from making a regular law. A proposed amendment must be read three times in each house. It needs a three-fifths vote from all elected members in both the House and the Senate. The Governor's approval is not needed for a constitutional amendment.

Once passed by the legislature, the amendment is sent to the Secretary of State. Then, the people of Alabama vote on it in an election. If most people who vote approve the amendment, it becomes part of the Constitution.