SB371 Alabama 2017 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Gerald O. Dial
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2017
Title: Lieutenant Governor, duties and powers over Senate, removed, salary established, joint election with Governor established, const. amend.
Summary: SB371 would amend Alabama’s constitution to have the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected together, remove the Lt. Governor’s Senate duties, and give the Senate’s President new powers with a fixed salary for the Lt. Governor.
What This Bill Does
If passed, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor would be elected on the same ticket. The Lieutenant Governor would no longer preside over the Senate or vote on ties, and would have no duties in the Legislative Department; instead, the Senate would elect a President from among its members to take on the former Lt. Governor responsibilities. The Lt. Governor’s sole duty would be to succeed the Governor under specified conditions, and the Lieutenant Governor’s salary would be set at 75% of the Governor’s salary, with that amount not subject to change by law. The Senate would have a President Pro Tempore to preside in the President’s absence.

Who It Affects
Lieutenant Governor: would lose Senate presiding power and tie-breaking vote, have no legislative duties, and be limited to succeeding the Governor; salary set at 75% of the Governor's.
Senate and its members: would elect a President of the Senate from among themselves to carry out the former Lt. Governor duties, with the President Pro Tempore presiding when the President is absent.

Key Provisions
Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected jointly on the same ticket beginning with the next general election after ratification.
Lieutenant Governor shall not serve as President of the Senate, shall have no right to vote in the Senate, and shall hold no duties in the Legislative Department.
The Senate shall elect from its members a President of the Senate to carry out the legislative duties formerly held by the Lieutenant Governor; the President Pro Tempore shall preside in the absence of the President of the Senate.
The sole duty of the Lieutenant Governor is to succeed to the Office of Governor under specified conditions (removal, death, or resignation).
The Lieutenant Governor’s annual salary shall be 75% of the Governor’s salary, and this amount cannot be altered by law.

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