The Alabama House of Representatives concludes its 2025 legislative session today with the annual and much-anticipated presentation of the Shroud Award, given to the “deadest bill of the session.”
The tongue-in-cheek honor, created in 1979 by former House member Earl Mitchell, is presented to the sponsor of the bill deemed to have the least chance of passing. The prize, which is steeped in humor and Alabama legislative tradition, consists of a burial suit placed in a cardboard coffin. The recipient must accept the award with good-natured humility, in the spirit of fun, despite the public acknowledgment of their bill’s failure to gain traction.
This year’s winner, State Rep. Ron Bolton (R-Northport) earned the honor for his bill concerning child passenger restraint systems, HB18.
While well-intentioned, the bill was criticized for its complexity and the impracticality of its proposed regulations, which led to opposition from both sides of the aisle. A particularly pointed critique came from Representative Marcus Paramore, who quipped that the bill’s provisions would make it “nearly impossible” for him to even drive to work.
This year’s shroud award – the award given to the worst performing bill of the legislative session in AL – is awarded to Rep. Ron Bolton for HB18, which would raise age and weight requirements for child car seats.#ALPolitics pic.twitter.com/MBTZUaS7fH
— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) May 14, 2025
During the ceremony, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and other legislative leaders celebrated Bolton’s sense of humor in accepting the award, referencing the bill’s convoluted nature and the eventual rejection of the legislation. Bolton, who had hoped to revise Alabama’s vehicle safety laws, found himself surrounded by applause as he joined the ranks of past Shroud Award recipients.
The Shroud Award is a longtime tradition that serves as a humorous reminder of the often unpredictable nature of Alabama’s legislative process. Past Shroud Award winners have included such controversial bills as the 2019 proposal to regulate fertilizer made from solid human waste.
The ceremony featured a NASCAR-themed roast of failed legislation, complete with tongue-in-cheek play-by-play commentary. Bolton’s bill was dubbed the “Strap Them Down and Buckle Them Up Special” and described as stalling out before ever leaving the pit.
Despite the ribbing, Bolton accepted the award with good humor, signing the back of the Shroud Award plaque and joining the ranks of past recipients—some of whose once-doomed bills, like medical marijuana and fantasy sports betting, have eventually clawed their way back to life.
Grace Heim is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You can follow her on X @graceeheim or email her at [email protected].
