The Alabama State Legislature adjourned sine die on Thursday, April 3, 2014. The legislature adjourned early in an attempt to avoid a threatened veto of an educational budget bill.

Gov. Robert Bentley has not decided whether he will sign the bill or call a special session to push through the raise for K-12 employees he was seeking.

Due to inclement weather, Governor Bentley has re-scheduled the special general election for House District 104 in Mobile and the special primary run-off elections for House District 31 covering Elmore and Coosa counties and House District 53 in Birmingham, all scheduled to take place Tuesday, January 28, 2014.

The elections will now be held on February 4, 2014.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh introduced a bill in the Senate of Alabama on Tuesday that would impose stricter revolving door prohibitions on legislators. Senate Bill 36 redefines “legislative body” as “Legislature of Alabama”, which eliminates the current loophole allowing lawmakers in one house of the legislature to lobby the other house immediately after leaving office.

Under this bill, a legislator is prohibited from lobbying either the House of Representatives or the Senate for two years after leaving office.

The bill easily passed through the Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics, and Elections Committee and is on a fast track to passage through the Senate. If passed in the Legislature, the bill becomes effective upon the Governor’s signature.

A special primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3 to fill the vacancy in House District 31.

There are four Republicans and no Democrats on the ballot.

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals expedited a key ballot access case on November 27.

The case, Hall v. Secretary of State of Alabama, was brought by independent candidate James Hall, the only minor party candidate who submitted any signatures to be on the ballot of the December 17 special election in Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh filed a bill to be considered during the Alabama Legislature’s upcoming session, beginning January 14, 2014.

The bill would ban a former legislator for a period of two years from lobbying members of either chamber of the Legislature. The current law allows former members of the Legislature to lobby members of the other chamber without any waiting period, and imposes a two year waiting period on lobbying members of the former legislator’s chamber.

If passed, this bill would take effect immediately.

A special runoff election for Alabama House District 74 will be held on November 19, 2013.

This election will determine the outcome of the race for this House seat because the two candidates remaining, Dimitri Polizos and Charlotte Meadows, are both Republicans.

There are no candidates from opposing parties contesting these two candidates, so there is no need for a special general election.

Special elections have been announced for House Districts 74 and 104. A special primary will be held on October 15, 2013, with the general election to take place on December 10, 2013 whether or not a primary is needed.

If a primary runoff is needed, it will be held December 3, 2013, with the general election postponed until January 28, 2014. Voters will be replacing Rep. Jim Barton in District 104 and Rep. Jay Love in District 74.

The Alabama Legislature adjourned just before midnight on Monday, May 20, 2013, but not before passing major changes to the state’s Fair Campaign Practices Act.

The most significant change is the elimination of limits on corporate contributions to candidates and political action committees. Under the new law, corporations will be permitted to contribute in the same manner as individuals, who are not subject to any contribution limits, with the exception of retaining the state’s pay-to-play prohibition on contributions to the Public Service Commission by utilities the commission regulates. The bill also makes 527 organizations subject to the ban on PAC-to-PAC transfers and adds enforcement and penalty provisions.

The Secretary of State’s Office will release information regarding the effective date of these provisions since the law must first receive Department of Justice preclearance before it becomes enforceable.

Secretary of State Beth Chapman announced Janice McDonald, Director of Elections, will retire at the end of the month.

She has worked in the elections division for more than a decade.

Her replacement will be the current supervisor of voter registration, Ed Packard, who has been with the office for more than 15 years.

A runoff election is scheduled for Alabama’s 35th Senate District.

Businessman Bill Hightower, who received 47 percent of the votes in the primary election, will face Rep. Jim Barton on March 12.

Governor Bentley has set the special election schedule for House District 97. The seat was formerly held by Rep. Yvonne Kennedy, who passed away December 8.

The election timeline will be as follows:

• The primary election will be held February 26, 2013, unless the major parties have only one candidate, in which case the general election will be held that date;
• A primary runoff, or the general election if no runoff is needed, will be held April 9, 2013; and,
• If both a primary and runoff are required, the general election will be held May 21, 2013.

If a primary and runoff are both needed, the seat will remain vacant for the entire 2013 legislative session.

Governor Robert Bentley has set the special election schedule for the seat in Senate District 35:

• The special election primary will be held on January 29, 2013, or if no primary is needed, the special general election will be held that date;
• If a primary is held and a runoff is needed, it will be held March 12, 2013. If a primary is held and no runoff is needed, the special general election will be held March 12; and
• If a runoff is needed, the special general election will be held April 23, 2013.

The seat was held by Ben Brooks, who resigned upon being elected to circuit judge.

The governor has set the special election timeline to fill the House District 11 seat, vacated by Jeremy Oden upon accepting an appointment to the state public service commission:

• The special primary election will be held February 12, 2013, if needed, otherwise the special general election will be held on that date;
• The runoff following the primary, if needed, or the special general election if no runoff is needed following a primary, will be held March 26, 2013; and
• The special general election will be held on May 7, 2013 if both a primary and runoff are required.