Earlier this week, the Alabama Senate unanimously passed rule changes to limit some of the appointing and administrative authority of the lieutenant governor. The change will also require Senators to remain at their podiums when requesting that legislation be read at length.
On Thursday's broadcast of Huntsville WVNN's "The Dale Jackson Show," State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) discussed the rule changes.
RELATED: Alabama Senate unanimously passes rule changes on lieutenant governor
According to Givhan, the changes are not being made because of the candidates in the 2026 lieutenant governor race, as some allege.
"Some people specifically brought up John Whal," noted Givhan. "This has nothing to do with him. This was cooking way before he was in the race. It's not tied to the personalities. The reason we're doing it now is I did not want to make it about personality. I did not want it to be, oh, well, you know, Wes Allen got in there, and we didn't. The Senate changed rules to throw Allen under the bus, or, you know, whoever. I did not want to make it personal."
The rule changes removes the lieutenant governor's authority to appoint state senators and transfers that authority to the Senate pro tem.
"I started getting into this year, and I've had a number of changes. The lieutenant governor was appointing senators, and I've gotten that changed to the pro tem," Givhan explained. "We've got commissions or whatnot. The House members are appointed by the speaker. Why the Alabama Senate and the previous administrations gave power to the executive over the legislative branch is beyond me. This is just part of a process where we're going through, and we're transferring power back to the legislative branch where it belongs, and part of that is in the rules."
Givhan touched on the lieutenant governor's remaining responsibilities in recognizing lawmakers on the floor to speak.
"Some people think we didn't go far enough in what we'll do, on the rules changes, because there are still some powers in there for the lieutenant governor. But lieutenant governor serves an important part, and they can recognize who they want to recognize. The only person they don't have a choice about is the pro tem. They have to recognize the pro tem. But you know, I could be back there waving my hand, and they don't have to recognize me. Now, I could be at the podium, waving my hand. They don't have to recognize me."
He added, "So, lieutenant governor still has power. They still have a lot of appointments, but the legislative body needs to be run by the legislative body."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every day.
