Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Cottondale, speaking to the Senate Health Committee on Jan. 21, 2026, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
An Alabama Senate committee on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment that would require schools to regularly perform the national anthem.
SB 5, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, would require local boards of education to adopt policies to play the Star Spangled Banner in public K-12 schools once a week.
“It’s a great bill to celebrate the anniversary of our country,” Allen said during the Senate Education Policy Committee meeting.
This year is America’s Semiquincentennial Celebration known as America250.
The bill passed the committee 6-3. All Democrats opposed the bill.
Sen. Roger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, said during the meeting he didn’t think the bill should be a constitutional amendment.
I think I can support what you’re trying to do here from a statutory standpoint, but I’m struggling with the fact that we’re talking about the Constitution,” he said.
Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile also said she couldn’t support the bill as a part of the constitution and that she might offer an amendment when it goes to the Senate.
“I may do an amendment to put the Black National Anthem on there too, and we can play both of them and be totally diversified,” she said.
Allen presented a similar bill during the 2025 Legislative Session. The bill passed the Senate but wasn’t voted on in the House.
If passed the bill would be placed on the ballot for the 2026 midterm election. It goes to the Senate.
From Alabama Reflector Post Url: Visit
Author: Andrea Tinker