HB16 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Joseph C. Mitchell

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Legislature, senatorial districts, apportionment, Section 203, Article IX (Section 203, Recompiled Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended), repealed, const. amend.

Summary

HB16 would repeal the constitutional rule that initial senatorial districts were set by county and would remove that provision from Alabama's Constitution.

What This Bill Does

It proposes a constitutional amendment to repeal Section 203 of Article IX of the 1901 Constitution, which currently provides for the initial apportionment of senatorial districts by county and that this arrangement would continue until changed by the Legislature. If passed, the county-based initial apportionment rule would be removed, leaving future districting to be determined by other laws or constitutional provisions not specified here. The bill also outlines how the amendment would be voted on by the public and states that election laws apply to the referendum.

Who It Affects

• Voters in Alabama, who would decide by ballot whether to repeal the county-based initial apportionment rule for senatorial districts.
• The Alabama Legislature and state government, which would no longer be bound by the specific county-based initial apportionment provision and would rely on other rules or processes for districting.

Key Provisions

• Repeal Section 203 of Article IX of the Constitution of Alabama 1901 (as amended), which provides for the initial apportionment of senatorial districts by county.
• Provide ballot language and election provisions for approving the proposed amendment, including the description to be printed on the ballot and that the amendment becomes valid when approved by a majority of qualified electors.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments