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Committee Gives House Bill 541 a Favorable Report After Testimony From Supporters and Opponents
Summary
The State Governmental Affairs committee heard 11 public commenters on HB 541, a proposal to require party-affiliated ballots in primaries; after debate and an amendment shifting an administrative duty to the secretary of state, the committee voted 7–2 to give the bill a favorable report as amended.
The State Governmental Affairs committee voted to give House Bill 541 a favorable report, 7–2, after a public hearing with mixed testimony and an amendment that moved an administrative responsibility to the secretary of state.
Supporters and opponents made contrasting arguments during the hearing. Carol Johns, a retired Air Force veteran who said she drafted the Alabama Republican Party’s closed-primary resolution, told the committee that "Allowing non member to shape a party's nominee is not participation, it's intrusion," and described closed primaries as a way to protect party integrity. Bill Harris, who said he represents Alabama on the Republican National Committee, argued the change is supported by…
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