Compiled by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
In a rare procedural move, the Republican supermajority in the Alabama Senate halted floor debate Thursday to swiftly pass a series of controversial bills, effectively silencing Democratic opposition during session.
The Senate approved six measures, including a constitutional amendment mandating the weekly playing of the national anthem in public schools, bills requiring porn filters on internet-enabled devices, age verification for app stores, changes to the voter roll maintenance process, and modifications to the appointment process for the Alabama Department of Archives and History board.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, a Republican, presided over the session but refused to acknowledge Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, when he attempted to speak. The GOP’s 27-seat control of the 34-member chamber allowed them to invoke cloture — ending debate and triggering immediate votes.
“It’s not just the process that concerns me — it’s the subject matter of these bills,” Singleton said. He characterized the legislative package as political “red meat,” designed more to provoke than to serve.
Among the most debated measures was the bill altering the Archives and History board, which Singleton criticized as retaliation for a 2023 public lecture on LGBTQ history. Its sponsor, Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Baldwin County, said the change aimed to increase oversight and accountability.
Another hot-button bill would require schools to play the national anthem at least once a week — a measure Singleton opposed due to the song’s controversial third stanza referencing slavery. “I too, am American,” Singleton said. “But do I have to love something that degrades me and my people?”
Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Cottondale, who sponsored the anthem bill, clarified that only the first stanza would be required, a detail that drew appreciation from Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham.
Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, defended the fast-tracked session, saying the bills addressed “basic morals, beliefs, and values” of Alabamians and that the chamber was committed to completing its legislative business with “real leadership.”
All six bills now move to the House for consideration.