Alabama General Assembly
| Alabama Legislature | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses |
State Senate House of Representatives |
|
Term limits
|
None |
| History | |
|
New session started
|
February 28, 2017 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 140 |
|
Political groups
|
Republican Party (97) Democratic Party (41) Independent (1) |
| Authority | Article IV, Alabama Constitution |
| Salary | $10/day + per diem |
| Elections | |
|
Last election
|
November 4, 2014 |
|
Next election
|
November 6, 2018 |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
|
Alabama State House Montgomery, Alabama |
|
| Website | |
| Alabama Legislature | |
The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members. Historically, the Alabama Legislature has been dominated by Democrats, due to the party's suppression of black voters after Reconstruction and especially after passage of the disenfranchising constitution at the turn of the 20th century. In practice it excluded most African Americans and tens of thousands of poor whites for decades.
Most African Americans did not regain the power to vote until after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Before that, many left the state in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern cities. Since the late 20th century, the white majority in the state has voted increasingly Republican. After the 2010 elections, for the first time in 136 years, both houses came under Republican control.
The Legislature meets in the Alabama State House (officially designated as such by Amendment 427 to the Alabama Constitution) in Montgomery. The original capitol building located nearby has not been used by the Legislature on a regular basis since 1985, when it closed for renovations. In the 21st century, it serves as the seat of the executive branch as well as a museum.
The Alabama Legislature was founded in 1818 as a territorial legislature for the Alabama Territory. Following the federal Alabama Enabling Act of 1819 and the successful passage of the first Alabama Constitution in the same year, the Alabama General Assembly became a fully fledged state legislature upon the territory's admission as a state. The term of state representatives is two years and the term of state senators is four years.
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