New Republican Leadership & A Push to Change Primary Elections
March 9, 2026 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
Almost two months in, and session is going strong. Read more about some key recent #alpolitics happenings below.
Last Week in the Legislature
A bill to stop drones from flying over large ticketed events got approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Supporters of HB429 say it protects the safety of those attending concerts, college football games and more. It would also protect musicians and owners of other types of intellectual property by preventing people from using drones to record content that is then illegally sold. Read more here.
HB254, a bill preventing law enforcement from stopping or boarding a boat without probable cause, has now moved through both chambers of the legislature. If Governor Ivey signs it into law, the rules that apply to law enforcement on our water will same as those that protect the public’s constitutional rights on our roadways. Read more here.
Another bill hitting the governor’s desk aims to protect Alabama motorists. SB242 codifies an existing federal law that makes proficiency in English a requirement for holding a commercial drivers’ license. It got Senate approval last month, and last week, easily passed the House on a 84-0 vote.. Read more here.
And the Ten Commandments are back in the headlines. HB216, which requires the Ten Commandments be displayed in all grades 5 through 12 history classrooms, made it out of a House committee and now heads to the full House. The measure was passed by the House last year but couldn’t gain traction in the Senate. Stay tuned to see how far it goes this year. Read more here.
Find a full list of all the legislation passed last week, here.
Alabama Republican Party Elects New Leadership & Passes Resolution to Push for Primary Election Change
This past weekend during its winter meeting, The Alabama Republican Party elected State Representative Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) as its chairman. After the three-way race, which required a runoff, Stadthagen prevailed. Read more here.
During the event, the party also adopted a resolution calling for the closing of the state’s election primaries. The party hopes it sends a message to Republicans in the legislature that pushes them to pass a bill to change primaries from open to closed, meaning registered Democrats would no longer be able to vote in Republican primaries and sway outcomes in their party’s favor. Read more here.
Quick Hits
A bill to make human cloning illegal in Alabama was approved by a Senate committee.. HB111 makes the activity a Class C felony.
SB272, which made it through The House Judiciary Committee last week, strengthens the penalties for repeat stalking offenders.
The “Gulf of America “bill easily advanced out of committee in the Senate, but the bill to make protesting and disrupting worship in churches a felony once again sparked debate before also passing a Senate committee.
X Post of the Week
Meet The Bloom Group: (left to right) John Guthrie Jr., Harris Sanderson, Stephanie Norrell, Hal Bloom (principal/founder), Allen Sanderson (principal), Sara Elizabeth Burnham (vice president), James Dupree Jr., John Floyd.