Alabama Legislature names Reapportionment Committee members ahead of redrawn congressional map

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Leaders of the Alabama House and Senate have finalized the members who will sit on the state’s Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment. Those lawmakers will play leading roles in drawing up new maps for the state’s seven congressional districts.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling on June 8, affirmed a lower-court ruling that found a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act in an Alabama congressional map with one majority Black seat out of seven districts in a state where more than one in four residents is Black.

At a status conference on June 16, the trial court gave the State of Alabama until July 21 to pass a remedial plan. Legislators will have to enter a special session in the coming weeks to create a new map that provides for a second congressional district with a majority of Black voters.

The Alabama Senate has appointed the following to the committee:

• Senator Vivian Figures, First Congressional District
• Senator Will Barfoot, Second Congressional District
• Senator Lance Bell, Third Congressional District
• Senator Clay Scofield, Fourth Congressional District
• Senator Steve Livingston, Fifth Congressional District
• Senator Dan Roberts, Sixth Congressional District
• Senator Bobby Singleton, Seventh Congressional District
• Senator Arthur Orr, At-Large Position
• Senator Jack Williams, At-Large Position
• Senator Rodger Smitherman, At-Large Position
• Senator Donnie Chesteen, At-Large Position
• Senator Steve Livingston is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment.

The Alabama House has appointed the following to the committee:

• Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa)
• Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston)
• Jim Carns (R-Birmingham)
• Steve Clouse (R-Ozark)
• Corley Ellis (R-Columbiana)
• Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa)
• Laura Hall (D-Huntsville)
• Sam Jones (D-Mobile)
• Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn)
• Chris Pringle (R-Mobile)
• Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville)

All scheduled public hearings and Reapportionment Committee meetings will be posted on the legislative website, www.legislature.state.al.us.

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