[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6631917,"mediaKeyId","2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183","parentId",2676252,"title","Alabama Senate approves limited resentencing pathway for certain long‑serving inmates after deadlock, narrow final passage","audioSeconds",9,"startMs",5681000,"endMs",5690000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183&start=5681&end=5690","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183/thumbnail_5681000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6631917/Alabama/Alabama-Senate-approves-limited-resentencing-pathway-for-certain-longserving-inmates-after-deadlock-narrow-final-passage","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631917-9c496b4ebacdb2ee73eab3f9ec3773e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771899886&Signature=Jh~1LaMKj54lHe~xwF8BNDL4lTuNr1ZSUm7q6sjIGPtGsuW0~IHxcH4e8mEeTiWrchYK-ZavjaWzYY0PoTnn25Hoily-KBmJBcPf2CPDSuhbg5VL686vtfyoJMsih8H~J9VCJDsUnBAscWgT1FI94Rh6qybQAICiajbXLi43BVn56kLBVF3-hByJwhXvDaEALpQHaONFmwmc3yemZh2gEx4lLlQcVqXSJh5Tbb~y~UX2YPIw~RzrBHbH8066vMooSTBhL3jceuoyl2E9bg1zuN5o59XZZNWL35jZZcvrbFmRSTVTS9dmlm8onzbqWpx0ELq17v44aL5hwAOEhbk3tQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama Senate Sessions","date","2025-03-18T22:54:14.907Z","article","The Alabama State Senate passed Senate Bill 156 on final reconsideration on March 18, after an initial tie vote earlier in the day caused the measure to fail.

Senate Bill 156, sponsored by Senator Barfoot, would allow people who were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole under earlier habitual‑offender laws to file a petition asking the sentencing court to resentence them under present‑day sentencing provisions. The bill limits eligibility to people who were sentenced prior to February (the bill text cites the relevant sentencing-era cutoff), who have served at least 25 years, and whose underlying offense is not a homicide, attempted murder, or another offense listed in the bill that involved physical injury.

Senator Barfoot explained the bill’s purpose on the floor: “What SB156 does is allows an opportunity for those individuals who were in prison, serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole to petition the court, to be resentenced,” and he emphasized that the process would involve notice to victims and the district attorney, who could be heard at any hearing.

The bill’s floor debate focused on procedural safeguards and potential burdens on courts. Several senators pressed for details on how petitions would be filed, whether courts would appoint counsel, how victims would be notified and heard, and whether the process could trigger fresh appeals or additional litigation. Senator Smitherman, Senator Sessions, and others asked whether resentencing would automatically mean release, and Barfoot repeatedly stressed that a resentencing hearing could result in no change, a new term with parole eligibility, or other sentencing choices at the judge’s discretion.

During debate the Senate adopted a floor amendment offered by Barfoot that added specific victim‑notification language and other clarifications; that amendment passed by roll call (28 ayes, 2 nays). Later, the chamber voted on the bill itself and the first vote ended in a tie—16 ayes and 16 nays—causing the measure to fail. Senators then moved to reconsider; the motion to reconsider passed and the Senate took a second final vote, passing the bill 17 ayes to 8 nays.

Senators repeatedly noted the bill would not produce automatic releases. As Barfoot put it, the measure “does not result in the automatic release of even one incarcerated person, but does allow for a narrow list of aging individuals the possibility to have their cases reviewed.” Supporters cited outside letters from groups including the Alabama Policy Institute and other organizations described on the floor as endorsing a narrowly tailored “second‑chance” pathway. Opponents expressed concern about court workload, the potential for re‑litigation of decades‑old cases, and whether eligible people would realistically be notified and able to file motions without appointed counsel.

The bill includes a five‑year sunset for the petition window and sets eligibility by specific criminal‑code references in the enacted text. The final version also retains a role for the district attorney and for victims to be heard in the resentencing proceeding.

Votes at a glance on SB156: the Barfoot floor amendment was adopted (28–2). The first floor vote on the bill failed by tie (16–16). The Senate then voted to reconsider and passed SB156 on final passage (17–8).

The bill was reported out of committee and advanced to final passage by roll calls recorded on the Senate floor March 18, 2025. Further procedural steps are required before any resentencing petitions could be filed in trial courts.

Ending: The bill’s sponsors and opponents both emphasized limits in scope and the judge‑centric nature of the remedy; advocates said it provides a narrowly tailored review process for those serving very old habitual‑offender life sentences, while critics warned of additional costs and possible legal complications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Senate","oneSentenceSummary","The Alabama State Senate passed Senate Bill 156 on final reconsideration on March 18, after an initial tie vote earlier in the day caused the measure to fail.","taxTitle","Senate, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",62183,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631903,"Votes at a glance: Key bills the Alabama Senate advanced March 18, 2025",4378,3161000,7539000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183&start=3161&end=7539","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183/thumbnail_3161000.jpg","/articles/6631903/Alabama/Votes-at-a-glance-Key-bills-the-Alabama-Senate-advanced-March-18-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631903-dec9b5c58599fb26d04cd94fe6f94a3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771899886&Signature=HeOAMOwiNB5uaF3AIKp8YVo1q~p61a2nbsdCFzjDR8yF8Lpazt3rkHkP4p-TD6cls21EtQE8XM-CsxIive1tgur2k~El4GSvNnXOd918NvVdr3PDg7B2bmyzsBh85qTS-LNX2FD5ALq5NLEzRgAFgfekwdxHDVTihKGhv2lD5KZieZ6JOb3paLnlxSf8Jr0-rF9CU70Hp8a~cwVLUuHY8wyiPgrNU6OrNx7PCbBPPpP8GkLOFPcApqY9TIrVCiJlGn~WHVuD42JVjDB3pmhiqz2PDx1q1a78aFDrR1V5nj3H6Z-5PgfJcYpS-dEJx3SJJV9qq3Y~TFhoGXr4i1qosg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama State Senate handled a number of bills and committee actions on March 18. Below are the principal items that received brief floor action or final passage and the recorded outcomes.

- House Bill 243 (Witt, Sellers) — Ad valorem/construction‑related taxation: Passed final passage (BR and final vote) by voice/roll call; recorded as 27 ayes, 0 nays. Sponsor and floor mover: Senator Weaver. Outcome: passed.

- House Bill 93 (Representative Brown) — Alabama State Port Authority housekeeping: Passed final passage (committee report and final vote), recorded as 28 ayes, 0 nays. Sponsor floor mover: Senator Sessions. Outcome: passed.

- House Bill 141 (Representative Hassell) — State employees payroll deductions: Committee amendment adopted; final passage recorded 26 ayes, 4 nays. Outcome: passed as amended.

- Senate Bill 177 (Bell and others) — Alabama Film Office renamed to Alabama Entertainment Office; expanded qualified production and incentives, including musical albums and higher spending thresholds. The Senate adopted an Orr amendment directing a Department of Revenue study and then passed the bill, recorded as 30 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: passed.

- Senate Bill 106 (Smitherman and others) — Revisions to Alabama Small Estate Act: Adopted an amendment addressing minor children who are not the surviving spouse’s children; final passage recorded 33 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: passed as amended.

- Senate Bill 133 (Sessions and others) — Juvenile court notification to local school superintendents regarding violent youths: Final passage recorded 29 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: passed.

- Senate Bill 200 (Jones and others) — Accountability courts (see separate article): Committee and floor amendments adopted; final passage recorded 29 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: passed.

- Senate bill concurrence: Senate concurred with a House amendment to Senate Bill 116 (firearms) by recorded vote 24 ayes, 2 nays; the Senate marked concurrence on the House amendment.

Notes: Several other bills were carried over or referred to committees for further action, and multiple confirmation appointments were referred to confirmations committee. If an item lacks a detailed debate summary it was either handled by unanimous or large recorded votes or referred for additional committee consideration.

Ending: These items reflect the Senate’s work list for the fourteenth legislative day; more items remain on the special order calendar and several carried‑over bills will return for further consideration.","A roundup of motions, committee reports, and final passage votes taken by the Alabama Senate during its March 18 session, including passage tallies and short descriptions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631907,"Senate delays vote on bill to bar future use of ERIC voter‑data sharing after floor concerns",894,5706000,6600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183&start=5706&end=6600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183/thumbnail_5706000.jpg","/articles/6631907/Alabama/Senate-delays-vote-on-bill-to-bar-future-use-of-ERIC-voterdata-sharing-after-floor-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631907-8409a67395b9cc57915ad18791986eb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771899886&Signature=XrEdrQG1u4PLOE9l3CbgyYz~fK33JnKVJ3zECpxhugwMjutVQU9RnYxHxMYNQ-JgEe2y0Zm3GuUAE1a1YQl9oVqIWOlyi7YoivXS4PWRvQVMQIZHcoTk2mstyAUc7HVXAYgi2fN4Bz55rGGW~HD99N9w8FblyFPQJ4OEDZ02B0KQuCPadztW3QjoqXzU9Bw~mV7RLqbSrQARjyisTJclbA2nK-sIkqEo78nLUs6oI4kYmG5yoHBCxXvUwnzmxPiQZFTyqWgoDCFwp9sitDIRwlBzGT5SDnL7bInnk833BKG6ABoTBF7hTisCdqH8E7FYyBp9kucK4kC89B19mZmGGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 142, sponsored by Senator Kitchens, was carried over to the call of the chair after lengthy floor discussion and unanswered questions about voter‑data sharing and election security.

Kitchens said SB142 would codify limits on using the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and rely on the state’s Alabama registration infrastructure. He told colleagues the bill codifies current practice for data sharing and aims to keep personal voter data under state control. \"With this ERIC system, we don't know where those servers are. We don't know where that data is being stored,\" Kitchens said on the floor, arguing for a state‑centered system.

Senator Singleton objected to advancing the bill without further review, citing long‑standing procedural and technical questions, the number of interstate memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and the need to consult the secretary of state's office and other stakeholders on the cybersecurity and operational differences between ERIC and the state system. Singleton said he wanted more information about the system Kitchens' office favors, how many states participate by MOU, and whether the change was driven by political considerations rather than documented security failures.

After extended remarks and requests for more information, the Senate agreed to carry SB142 over to the call of the chair to allow further review and consultation; no final vote was taken. Senate floor exchanges made clear several senators were not opposed to strengthening data security but wanted additional briefings and written technical information from the secretary of state before altering the state’s interoperability arrangements.

Ending: SB142 was not advanced and will return to the calendar for further review; sponsors and skeptics agreed to continue technical conversations with the secretary of state's office and other stakeholders.","Senate Bill 142, which would bar Alabama from participating in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and codify a separate state voter‑data system, was carried over at the chair’s call after extended questions about security, interstate MOUs and whether the state’s replacement system provides equal safeguards.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6631912,"Senate renames drug courts to 'accountability courts,' requires drug‑court line item and honors Judge Pete Johnson",3428,7596000,11024000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183&start=7596&end=11024","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676252-1c4124bde8cae6354f27b9cf35e1f183/thumbnail_7596000.jpg","/articles/6631912/Alabama/Senate-renames-drug-courts-to-accountability-courts-requires-drugcourt-line-item-and-honors-Judge-Pete-Johnson","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631912-7e52fb69781af0ab55ea88f5475a70ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771899886&Signature=fsM5iSASzDypM0lhhZuAJ4~5exUwfUrrFLMr2PjtwUD8RUcxVmG7GPWrx~mWW~6xjj9GvWM4oePKuItCRV2u6HbNrHLcg4AsM2LchbmVXNgLGApvgY0mhabEN-HUqfwXNPwvajjhYRyjROh5SUYPsRoXManDDe7fP3jYcDaeMXhWuCopKu0HCJyMTddBogQ7jrKYXsqVVIqrs-XjeRGeZCgoBZdDOtM~fTEkr2RQ6ygstvk8a38qzByytLd58myszeweb5~q9OSrsGjQyWMvaQ2NYqxcUOGC2JJXj1PLrBF0VXi5lEzXJcsyJqq3yLJA73vTHTPmAy6xWmLilLz6Dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama State Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 200 on March 18, establishing a statutory framework to broaden and standardize specialty courts — including drug courts, veterans treatment courts, and mental‑health courts — under the umbrella term \"accountability courts.\"

Sponsor Senator Jones described the legislation as an effort to create a single code section that sets standards for specialty courts statewide, allowing judges a diversionary option that pairs supervision and evidence‑based treatment with accountability rather than a custodial sentence for qualifying nonviolent offenders. \"Accountability courts provide trial judges with options to hold nonviolent criminal offenders accountable for the behavior other than sending the defendant to prison,\" Jones said on the floor.

Floor amendments added two provisions senators had sought during debate: explicit language allowing municipalities to transfer eligible offenders to the state program and a provision that requires the annual general‑fund budget to include a separate line item for drug‑court funding. The amendment requiring drug courts to be funded as a separate line item was adopted by roll call (29 ayes, 0 nays). The Senate also adopted an amendment naming the act the \"Honorable Pete Johnson Alabama Accountability Court Act,\" honoring the longtime judge credited in committee history with developing veterans‑focused drug court approaches in Jefferson County.

The bill drew extended discussion from senators concerned that consolidating multiple court types under one statutory heading might dilute existing drug‑court funding or change operational practices. Senator Smitherman, who said he had helped create early drug‑court structures, warned lawmakers to be careful not to reduce drug‑court resources by sweeping multiple programs into a single funding pool. Supporters responded by securing the floor amendment that preserves a separate drug‑court line item in the state budget process.

The measure also incorporates standards for evidence‑based practices, mental‑health professional certification for providers, and a transfer mechanism so municipalities without their own program can send eligible participants to state accountability courts. The Senate adopted committee and floor amendments and passed the bill by roll call later in the day.

Ending: The statute creates a single, named framework for multiple specialty courts, directs that drug‑court funding be maintained as a distinct line in the state general‑fund budget, and memorializes Judge Pete Johnson’s role in Alabama veterans court history. Implementation details and budgeting will proceed through the administrative office of courts and the annual appropriations process.","The Senate approved legislation standardizing specialty courts under a new 'accountability court' umbrella, added statutory provisions requiring drug courts be funded as a separate budget line, and adopted an amendment naming the act for retired Judge Pete Johnson.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Alabama Senate approves limited resentencing pathway for certain long‑serving inmates after deadlock, narrow final passage

Votes at a glance: Key bills the Alabama Senate advanced March 18, 2025

Senate delays vote on bill to bar future use of ERIC voter‑data sharing after floor concerns

Senate renames drug courts to 'accountability courts,' requires drug‑court line item and honors Judge Pete Johnson