This week, the Alabama Legislature will gavel in the second special session of the 2021 calendar year for redistricting, a decennial constitutionally mandated responsibility of the legislature, which will not be without some controversies.
The legislature was delayed by late-arriving U.S. Census data due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced Gov. Kay Ivey to call the special session for the task that has traditionally been completed in the regular session.
Maps of the new proposed districts are not expected to be made available to the public until the day before October 28, the special session date set by Ivey.
Although the tight-lipped approach of the effort led by State Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville) and State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) is not totally out of the ordinary for an emotional process to keep it from playing out publicly, it has led to very few of the details to come out ahead of the committee on reapportionment’s official release of the proposed final product.
As compiled by Yellowhammer News, here are six things to watch for in this week’s special session:
1) Handling the population boom in Baldwin County
What ought to be interesting is how the Alabama Legislature will handle House districts in the state’s fastest-growing county.
Will the “robbing Peter to pay Paul” scenario play out where a district is taken away from another part of the state, or will it look more like “robbing Peter to share with Paul,” where districts could be drawn to extend from Mobile County and across the Mobile Bay?
The Senate part of the Baldwin County equation is much easier to predict. What is presently State Sen. Chris Elliott’s (R-Daphne) Senate District 32 is expected to shrink with what is State Sen. Greg Albritton’s (R-Atmore) Senate District 22 moving south.
2) Montgomery GOP-held House District 74 threatened
Montgomery County House District 74, currently occupied by State Rep. Charlotte Meadows (R-Montgomery), is one of the few GOP-held districts about which Republican legislators will likely have to take a tough vote.
Sources tell Yellowhammer News that the district, which comes within two miles of the Alabama State House, will be redrawn in a way that will include more traditionally Democrat-voting precincts.
That has some of Meadows’ allies crying foul and suggesting the district was being redrawn as a punitive measure for her outspokenness on education, primarily school choice, which has drawn the ire of an Alabama Education Association (AEA) teachers’ union that is on the rise in state politics.
3) St. Clair County vs. Jefferson County?
Being the point person in the Alabama Senate comes with certain benefits, and among those is keeping your home turf intact.
There is buzz suggesting Senate reapportionment committee chair State Sen. Jim McClendon (R-Springville) would like to keep St. Clair County all in one state senate district, which could mean an even more balkanized Jefferson and/or Shelby Counties.
That may set up a heavyweight showdown between McClendon, who is not seeking reelection, and members of the Jefferson County delegation, including long-time legislator State Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills).
4) The Madison County conundrum
Early on, this was thought to be one of the problem areas for lawmakers during this process, and it could have been if not for the successful working relationship of this delegation.
Six state senators are currently a part of the Madison County delegation: State Sens. Tim Melson (R-Florence), Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), Tom Butler (R-Madison), Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville), Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) and Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro).
With the population growth of Madison County, will the Republican-led legislature be able to maintain all six districts as Republican-held districts?
The House situation is also complicated. Republicans hold six of the eight seats — State Reps. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest), Mike Ball (R-Madison), Howard Sanderford (R-Huntsville), Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville), Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) and Ritchie Whorton (R-Owens Cross Roads).
Changing demographics suggest Madison County could be a place Democrats could increase their numbers, where there are currently only two Democrats, State Reps. Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) and Laura Hall (D-Huntsville).
Insiders tell Yellowhammer News that “greater Huntsville” may see an additional House seat.
Insiders also tell Yellowhammer the legislature would like to see the Senate district seats that primarily encompass the neighboring counties to take on more of Madison.
5) Shake-up in the Shoals
The explosive growth in Madison County had a ripple effect that has been felt as far away as the Shoals, where there had been some concern about the layout of the proposed map headed into the special session.
House District 3, the seat currently occupied by State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals), now a candidate for State Auditor, could lose Lawrence County, which would likely mean a district gaining a larger portion of Lauderdale County than previously.
Sources told Yellowhammer News discussions took place to possibly add an additional legislator to Colbert County.
Where the shake-up would be most profound is in congressional representation. Alabama’s fifth congressional district could lose the Shoals region entirely.
As Huntsville has grown, the fifth congressional district, a seat held by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), a candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be forced to shrink.
Some speculate the Shoals’ Lauderdale County would be split in half geographically, with the populous western half going to U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt’s (R-Haleyville) fourth congressional district and the remainder staying in the fifth congressional district.
That has not prevented concerns about a dilution of Republican strength in the fifth congressional district, which has supported Brooks by big margins in the last two GOP primaries.
6) Expect the expected everywhere else
Anecdotally, the rest of the state is expected to remain roughly as is. Black Belt districts, including U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell’s (D-Birmingham) seventh congressional, will have to expand to counter population losses since the 2010 Census.
That expansion could end U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-Saks) run representing an eastern portion of Montgomery County.
Other areas where there could be noticeable tweaks include Tuscaloosa and Lee Counties, home of the University of Alabama and Auburn University, respectively, as college enrollment has dramatically increased over the past decade.
One place where there are not expected to be many changes is the Wiregrass region. The population has remained steady in the Wiregrass compared to other areas of the state, which appears to be keeping controversies at a minimum.
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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