SB173 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Campaign contributions, limited for candidates for Alabama Supreme Court, Court of Civil Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals, circuit courts, district courts

Summary

SB173 would cap campaign contributions to Alabama judges and provide automatic CPI-based increases.

What This Bill Does

It sets per-election contribution caps: $2,000 for circuit or district court candidates and $5,000 for Alabama Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or Court of Criminal Appeals candidates, applicable to individuals, PACs, and political parties. It counts in-kind contributions toward these limits. It creates an automatic CPI-based adjustment mechanism that raises the allowed amounts every even-numbered year, rounded to the nearest $50. It defines who is a candidate for appellate and state trial courts and notes that these limits work alongside existing campaign laws, including the current corporate limit of $500.

Who It Affects

• Individuals, political action committees (PACs), and political parties making contributions to circuit/district court candidates (limit: $2,000 per election).
• Individuals, PACs, and political parties making contributions to appellate court candidates (limit: $5,000 per election).
• Corporations: continue to be subject to the existing $500 corporate contribution limit (no change from current law).

Key Provisions

• Caps: $2,000 per election for circuit or district court candidates; $5,000 per election for Alabama Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or Court of Criminal Appeals candidates.
• Contributions include money and in-kind gifts from individuals, PACs, and political parties and count toward the stated limits.
• CPI-based increases: limits are updated on January 1 of each even-numbered year, based on the consumer price index and rounded to the nearest $50.
• Definitions: clarifies who is a candidate for appellate judicial office and for state trial court, and aligns terms with the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
• Effective date: becomes law after governor approval (and a specified start date).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections