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Reps. Curtis Travis, D-Tuscaloosa (left) and Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika, speak on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on March 5, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Here are the bills that passed the Alabama Legislature this week. Tuesday, March 3 House SB 202 , sponsored by Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, increases the Montgomery Sheriff’s expense allowance from $20,000 to $70,000 per year, to expire at the end of the current term of the sheriff, and increases their salary from $175,000 to $225,000 per year after they serve two consecutive terms, effective at the start of the next term. The bill passed 20-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. SB 299 , sponsored by Sen. Billy Beasley, D-Clayton, revises the mileage rate for the Barbour County coroner from 50 cents per mile to the rate used by the Internal Revenue Service. The bill passed 14-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. SB 312 , sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, allow...

Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, sitting at his desk on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 25, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. The Senate on Thursday passed a bill allowing certain retirees to go back to work without losing their retirement benefits. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed a bill allowing certain state retirees to go back to work without losing their retirement benefits. HB 138 , sponsored by Rep. Kenneth Paschal, R-Pelham, would allow state retirees to return to work as full time bus drivers while continuing to receive retirement benefits. The Senate adopted a substitute by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, who carried the bill in the chamber, that combines Paschal’s original bill and a bill sponsored by Elliott that allows retired law enforcement officers and state retirees licensed to practice law to continue working. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE “A lot of them would love to still continue to work, but it do...

Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, speaks to colleagues on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 12, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Senate on Thursday passed a bill prohibiting foreign nationals from directly or indirectly contributing to Alabama campaigns. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would prohibit foreign nationals from donating to Alabama candidates’ campaigns. HB 214 , sponsored by Rep. James Lomax, R-Huntsville, mirrors a federal law and intends to keep foreign influence from Alabama elections. Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, carried the bill in the Senate.  “Under current federal law, foreign nationals are banned from donating to political candidates and committees. Loopholes in the law have led to millions of foreign dollars being funneled to influence ballot issue campaigns like constitutional amendment referendums across the United States,” Roberts said. GET THE MORNING HEAD...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters during a press conference in the Ohio Clock Corridor of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. At left is Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and a single Democrat blocked a War Powers Resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s joint war with Israel in Iran that has taken the lives of six American troops and killed top Iranian leaders. The resolution failed  47-52, with Sen. Rand Paul, R- Ky., the only Republican to cosponsor the measure, joining Democrats in challenging Trump’s war in Iran.  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the lone Democrat to break with his party and vote against moving ahead with the  measure . The vote came five days after Trump ordered the military to join Israel in surprise strikes on Iran that killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pe...

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur (top) listens to Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Jan. 14, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House Judiciary Committee Wednesday passed a bill sponsored by Orr that makes second and subsequent convictions for stalking a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector). An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would make it second and subsequent convictions for stalking a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. SB 273 , sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, makes second and subsequent stalking charges punishable by up to ten years in prison. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill with no discussion. The bill passed the Senate on Feb. 24. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, carried the bill in Orr’s absence. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE Current law does not have a penalty for subsequent stalking charges, but...

Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster (left) speaks with Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City (right) on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 19, 2026, at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Butler proposed a bill aimed at addressing high energy rates in the state, requiring the Public Service Commission to hold rate case hearings every three years, something that has not happened since 1982. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee delayed consideration of a bill Wednesday aimed at increasing regulation of utilities after the sponsor introduced a version with explicit requirements for the Public Service Commission (PSC) to hold legal hearings on rates.  HB 475 , sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would require the PSC to hold annual rate hearings for each regulated utility. The legislation was filed amid growing public frustration over high power bills and after an attempt to end elections to the PSC floundered in the Sen...