Alabama Senate approves executive amendment to SB25, confirms appointees and passes dozens of local and licensing bills

The Alabama Senate on the floor today concurred with an executive amendment to Senate Bill 25, confirmed a slate of appointees to state boards and trusteeships, and approved dozens of local bills and professional-licensing measures, mostly by unanimous or near‑unanimous votes.

Senators voted 30-0 to accept the governor's executive amendment to Senate Bill 25 after the governor said the change would remove her objection. In a message read into the record, Gov. Kay Ivey wrote, "Adoption of the above proposed executive amendment will remove my objection to this bill. Respectfully submitted, Kay Ivey, governor." The Senate proceeded through a long roll call and recorded the concurrence.

Why it matters: the day's actions include routine but consequential local measures that alter municipal or county authorities and multiple confirmations that place new members on state boards and university trusteeships. Several measures extending or renewing professional licensing and exam boards were placed on the special order calendar and received final passage, a step that keeps those regulatory bodies operating without interruption.

On confirmations, the Senate recorded roll-call approvals for multiple appointees to licensing and contractor boards and to Jacksonville State University's Board of Trustees. The chamber confirmed Jeffrey Smiley, Dwayne Jenkins, Eddie Harper and Tony Brown to the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors; Loring White, Cheryl Orange, Gale (Gail) Maine and Clarence Doggett to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; and Vivian Davis Figures to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees (29 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention). Most confirmations recorded a 30-0 tally; the Figures confirmation included one recorded abstention.

The Senate adopted resolutions and local bills across the calendar. A noteworthy floor resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 42 honoring law enforcement officers of the year, was adopted by voice vote. The chamber also adopted House Joint Resolutions naming memorial bridges and extending task forces by voice votes.

Votes at a glance (final outcomes as recorded on the floor): - Senate Bill 25 — concur with governor's executive amendment; vote recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate Bill 78 — Senate concurred on amendments as returned from the House; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Confirmation: Jeffrey Smiley — confirmed to the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Dwayne Jenkins — confirmed to the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Eddie Harper — confirmed to the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Tony Brown — confirmed to the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Loring White — confirmed to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Cheryl Orange — confirmed to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Gale (Gail) Maine — confirmed to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Clarence Doggett — confirmed to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: confirmed. - Confirmation: Vivian Davis Figures — confirmed to the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees; 29 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention; outcome: confirmed. - Senate Joint Resolution 42 (honoring law enforcement officers) — adopted by voice vote; outcome: adopted. - House Joint Resolution (Darrel Wayne Brown Sr. Memorial Bridge on I-2059, Tuscaloosa County) — adopted by voice vote; outcome: adopted. - House bill 110 (State Board of Medical Examiners/Medical Licensure Commission extension) — final passage (special order); 31 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 111 (Home Builders Licensure Board) — final passage (special order); 31 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 114 (Board of Dental Examiners) — final passage (special order); 31 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 118 (State Board of Chiropractic Examiners) — final passage (special order); 31 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 122 (Board of Physical Therapy) — final passage (special order); 31 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 65 (local bill regarding the town of Paint Rock, Jackson County) — amendment adopted; final passage recorded 29 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 44 (proposed constitutional amendment regarding Tuscaloosa County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 29 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention; outcome: approved. - House bill 193 (Childersburg/Talladega County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 87 (Marengo County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 211 (Calhoun County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 210 (Calhoun County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 104 (class 2 municipalities) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 101 (Mobile County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 221 (Mobile County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 224 (Mobile County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 219 (Clay County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - Senate bill 220 (Clay County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved. - House bill 213 (Calhoun County) — BR adopted and final passage recorded 30 ayes, 0 nays; outcome: approved.

Several other bills were reported out of committee and placed on the calendar for the next legislative day; the committee reports were entered into the record. The Senate also adopted a special-order calendar under a rules resolution to take up a substantial group of professional licensing and regulatory bills and then advanced several of those items to final passage during the special order session.

A visitor to the chamber, U.S. Rep. Shamari Figures, addressed senators while the Senate was briefly in recess. Rep. Figures, a guest of the body, said, "I have the privilege of now doing what you guys do, and that's working to make lives better for people in this state every single day," and he thanked senators for the invitation.

The Senate adjourned the day's work with plans to reconvene the next legislative day.

(For a complete roll-call and the text of individual bills and amendments, see the official Senate journal and the clerk's messages entered into the record.)