SB413 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Senate, redistricting, Sec. 29-1-2.3 repealed, Sec. 29-1-2.3 added

Summary

SB413 would redraw Alabama's Senate into 35 districts and seek federal court approval of the plan, replacing the current district map.

What This Bill Does

It creates 35 Alabama Senate districts for electing members, with boundaries to be determined under a court-ordered process. The Alabama Attorney General would file this act with the U.S. District Court to obtain final resolution of related voting-rights lawsuits. It sets criteria to preserve county boundaries, aim for population equality within plus/minus five percent, and comply with the Voting Rights Act, while considering incumbency and local community interests. The new district plan would be used in elections ordered by the federal court and would repeal the current districting provision.

Who It Affects

• Voters across Alabama who may be represented by new Senate districts and could see changes in which district they belong to and who represents them.
• State government and legal parties: the Alabama Attorney General and the plaintiffs in the related federal lawsuits (Alabama Legislative Black Caucus and Alabama Democratic Conference), plus the U.S. District Court involved in the redistricting process.

Key Provisions

• Establishes 35 Senate districts (Districts 1-35) with Senators required to reside in their district; repeals the existing 29-1-2.3 and replaces it with a new 29-1-2.3 detailing the 35-district map.
• Sets districting criteria to preserve county boundaries, achieve substantial population equality within plus/minus five percent, comply with the Voting Rights Act, and consider incumbents, communities of interest, and local leadership input.
• Requires the Attorney General to submit the act to the United States District Court for final resolution of Alabama Legislative Black Caucus et al. v. Alabama and Alabama Democratic Conference et al. v. Alabama.
• Preserves official maps as the controlling boundary descriptions; implementation occurs in elections ordered by the U.S. District Court; the act takes effect upon passage.

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

Subjects

Reapportionment