Confrontation Marks Final Day of Redistricting Special Session

The Alabama House of Representatives briefly went into recess on its final special session day this morning as protestors filling the gallery voiced opposition to redrawing Alabama's congressional districts.

Democratic legislators led by Jefferson County Rep. Mary Moore and Jefferson County Rep. Travis Hendrix stood alongside longtime community advocate Dee Reed after she was removed from the Alabama House gallery for chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”

“They had her on the ground, with white state troopers and others, pinning her to the ground,” Jefferson County Democrat Rep. Juandalynn Givan told reporters. "Too many emotions. This is taking me back, and to see a Black woman being pinned down in Alabama, in the statehouse, by state troopers, it is unacceptable.”

Get our free mobile app

The incident is part of the increasing intensity being displayed by opponents of efforts to reduce Democrat representation in the Alabama Congressional Delegation by changing State Senate Districts 25 and 26. The move follows last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a redistricting case (Louisiana v Callais) that found race cannot be the deciding factor in redistricting.

Debate on the house floor became more confrontational and angrier as debate over redistricting proceeded. Black house members accused Republican efforts as being "blatant racism".

Tuscaloosa Democrat Rep. Chris England, who was at the podium when the disruption happened, returned to speak when debate resumed. "This is the people's house," he began with a calm determined voice. "We've got some issues that are serious...and people will get emotional when it comes to talking about representation and engaging in fights we thought we already dealt with.”. I feel their frustration and I understand it. But at the same time we all have a job to do, and we were all elected to do that job, and this is part of it."

England went on to point out, the injunction the state is hoping the federal court will release, is something Alabama already agreed to in 2023.  He said the court ordered map the state is operating under now actually satisfies the court and states stated principles more than the map the state is seeking to go back to.

The Tuscaloosa Democrat reminded lawmakers that the map Republicans want to revert to was in violation because it didn't create two majority-minority districts and was developed in intentional defiance of the federal court.

He added that the same attorney general (Steve Marshall) who told the federal court to "Kiss my grits" is the same AG who is now asking the court to do Alabama a favor and expedite a ruling on whether the state can redistrict based on the Louisiana ruling.

Marshall submitted a request for an emergency ruling. England pointed out there is no emergency because the current two majority-minority districts are working.

In the senate the close ties of majority-minority 7th and 2nd district were pointed out by South Alabama Democrat Senator Robert Stewart. "Communities of interest populate Selma, Greensboro, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Mobile," Stewart said. "We are Alabamians too, geography and race often overlap."

"Justice does not have an expiration date," Stewart emphasized.

Jefferson County Democrat Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison told South Alabama GOP Sen. Greg Albritton that passage of Senate Bill 1 would violate state law that states legislators cannot make election changes with six months of an election.

She pointed out Alabama's redistricting situation is different from other states which have redistricted because it is under a no new maps court order until 2030.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, a Black Democrat from Greensboro, said Republicans are aiming to strip representation from Black voters in an effort to get another Republican to Congress.

“We have just only been voting since 1965, and you are now trying to take that voice away from us,” Singleton said.

Sen. William Beasley, a white Democrat, emphasized that he senses a move to take away the right of a black man (U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures) to run for office. He has done a good job in the second district."

All Democrats called the special session a waste of taxpayers' money.

"Black, brown and yellow" Alabamians were encouraged by Democrats to prepare to mobilize against continuing hate in Alabama. Coleman-Madison proclaimed that the special session has sparked a renewal of the movement with the mantra of "We are not going back!"

I have been trying for years to wake us up but you have now accomplished that," Linda Coleman-Madison told the Republicans in the senate.

While Democrats voiced their opposition to the bills, Republicans stayed relatively silent.  Sen. Albritton did claim "This is not a matter of hate, it is a matter of a disagreement,"

Legislation enabling redistricting was the quickly brought to a floor vote in the house and passed 75-29. The lower chamber the immediately adjourned "sine die".

After five hours of debate, with Democrats mounting significant opposition, Sen. Singleton demanded a roll call vote so voters can see who voted against fairness. The redistricting bill passed 27-8.

The legislation now goes to Gov. Ivey for her signature.

The ball is now in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Court to decide if the current redistricting injunction should be lifted.