MONTGOMERY — Alabama's Republican primary is less than two weeks away. Nine State Senate candidates and 10 State House incumbents face primary challenges to their reelection bids.
This would be the time Alabama Republican voters might expect to hear from their elected representatives. However, as it is, with some limited exceptions, that is not the case.
The special session on Alabama's congressional map has been marked by a peculiar silence from Republicans while Democrats continue to voice strong opposition.
A special legislative session was called after the 6-3 majority ruling in Louisiana v. Callias, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that race-based gerrymandering was unconstitutional. Alabama swiftly reacted, filing motions to have the injunction on the congressional map approved by lawmakers in 2023 lifted. Lawmakers approved the 2023 map following an initial map that was blocked by a federal court, forcing the legislature to approve another. Despite the redrawing, a three-judge panel likewise found that the 2023 map likely violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
After initially stating she would not call a special session, Gov. Kay Ivey swiftly switched gears, announcing late last week that the session would begin on Monday.
Legislators in both houses have introduced bills to allow the state to use the currently enjoined congressional and state Senate maps should the court grant the state's request.
House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) did speak to the press on Monday, the first day of the session, quickly batting down insinuations that Republicans' motives were to disenfranchise black voters.
However, since then, Republicans have been quiet, even while Democrats in both chambers hurl accusations of racism and reverting the state to the Jim Crow era.
In Tuesday committee meetings on the respective body's bills in the House and Senate, Democrats ranted and raved, while Republican lawmakers didn't utter a word in support or opposition, except to cast their votes in favor of the bills.
SEE: House Dems sling racism accusations at GOP lawmakers as House passes bill in congressional map fight
Likewise, House Democrats spent nearly four hours accusing and insulting their Republican counterparts without a single word of support from anyone other than the bill's sponsor, House Pro Tem Chris Pringle (R-Mobile). Senate Democrats might have exceeded their party in the lower chamber in floor time were it not for heavy storming that flooded the State House building.
Some lawmakers told 1819 News they had been instructed by leadership to avoid discussing the congressional maps with the media, out of concern that their words could be used in what is almost certain to be litigation arising from the special session's outcome. Others also said there was a desire for national media and left-leaning outlets to paint the state in a negative light unfairly.
Whatever the reason, the Republican silence was noticed by Democratic leadership. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) stated that the Republicans' behavior in committee "really bothered" him.
"We thought that we had a really strong relationship with each other, but we see that we've allowed someone from the outside — and there are people on the outside — to control what we do inside. I was very surprised by that, and I was very disappointed by that yesterday. Because, for me, a part of representing a district is to bring their voices to the table."
He continued, "Yes. I'm disappointed; very disappointed because the same people that tell me that they love me, that tell me, 'I enjoy serving with you,' is also telling me that, 'I don't know if you should represent the people that you represent. And I feel that is a cowardice act."
Now that the bills have cleared their respective committees, they must both clear committees in the opposite house before receiving a floor vote. The special session is slated to conclude on Friday.
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