MONTGOMERY — Senate Republicans flexed their supermajority on Thursday to limit debate and filibusters by Democrats.
Senate Republicans met for a caucus meeting on Thursday during a recess and proceeded to invoke cloture to limit debate and filibusters by Democrats on Republican bills, which would normally take hours to pass due to Senate rules on debate.
“The Alabama Senate focused its attention today on issues and legislation that reflect the basic morals, beliefs, and values of the average citizen of our state," State Senate Pro-Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) said in a statement on Thursday. "Protecting children from access to pornography in a society that seems more consumed by it each day, shielding the ballot box from fraud and foreign influence, promoting patriotism, and demanding a higher level of accountability and transparency from public boards are issues that almost every Alabamian can embrace. With seven legislative days remaining, much work remains before us, and long hours and intense debate will be the rule rather than the exception, but that’s what real leadership looks like.”
A statement from the Alabama Senate Republican Caucus echoed Gudger's comments.
"Senate Republicans are serious about promoting conservative policies, securing the ballot box, and protecting the values that make Alabama strong. Today, we took bold action to shield our children from being exposed to pornography, defend our ballot boxes from foreign interference, and demand greater accountability and transparency from public boards. Senate Republicans are holding the line. We're standing up for Alabama families and fighting for the values that make this state such a special place to live, work, worship, and raise children. Strong leadership is more than just showing up—it's stepping up," members of the Alabama Senate Republican caucus said in a statement on Thursday.
There are seven legislative days left in the session.
Those bills that passed on Thursday include:
- Senate Bill 186 by State Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville) would require manufacturers of "certain Internet-enabled devices," including smartphones and tablets, to require that devices manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2027, contain a filter that is enabled during the device's activation if the user is a minor and only allow a user with a password to deactivate or reactivate the filter. The bill would also subject device manufacturers in violation of this act to civil liability and provide for penalties.
- Senate Bill 187 by Chambliss would require app store providers to verify users' ages, affiliate minor accounts with parent accounts and obtain consent from the parent account holder.
- Senate Bill 5 by State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) which would change how the Alabama Department of Archives and History board is appointed.
- Senate Bill 13 by State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) a constitutional amendment mandating the weekly broadcast of the Star-Spangled Banner in K-12 schools
- Senate Bill 142 by State Sen. Wes Kitchens (R-Arab) would remove the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) as a voter registration database that the board of registrars or the Secretary of State may use to identify voters whose addresses may have changed.
- Senate Bill 158 by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) prohibiting the use of foreign national driver licenses as photo identification for voting.
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