In addition to a variety of state and federal offices, Alabama citizens will also vote on two constitutional amendments on Tuesday's primary ballot, touching on public safety and district attorney compensation.
Amendment 1.
The first proposed amendment is the result of Gov. Kay Ivey's "number one priority" in the 2025 legislative session: the Safe Alabama package, designed to increase public safety while providing additional support to law enforcement officers.
The Amendment resulted from two bills, Senate Bill 119 (SB119) and Senate Bill 118 (SB118), introduced by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road).
The bill enhanced penalties and added definitions for those banned from owning firearms. It would also expand the state's Aniah's Law, which allows judges to deny bail in specific scenarios. It would also require the Board of Pardons and Paroles to revoke probation if a parolee is found with an illegal firearm.
Under the proposed amendment, a person would be banned from possessing a firearm if they were convicted of committing or attempting to commit a felony, violent offense, misdemeanor domestic violence or if a person is under a protection order.
Crimes for which a person can now be denied bail would also include unlawfully possessing a firearm or shooting into an occupied dwelling, building, vehicle, watercraft, aircraft or any other imaginable means of transportation. It would also allow a judge to deny bail to a person charged with solicitation, attempt, or conspiracy to commit murder.
The law is named after Aniah Blanchard, a 19-year-old college student who was kidnapped and murdered in 2019. Her killer, Ibraheem Yazeed, was a suspect in several previous violent crimes but was free on bond at the time. He was convicted in March and sentenced to life.
Amendment 2.
The second measure to consider is legislation sponsored by State Rep. Jim Hill (R-Moody) in 2025 that affects district attorney compensation.
House Bill 354 (HB354) provides that compensation received by a district attorney may not be diminished during their term of office.
If approved, this amendment would ensure that a district attorney's salary cannot be reduced during the term of office for which they were appointed or elected.
During the 2025 session, Hill prioritized district attorneys statewide, passing another bill to update the salary structures for judges and district attorneys to reflect cost-of-living adjustments. It also modified salary increases for district attorneys and removed restrictions on salary changes in certain circumstances.
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