Important leadership and committee positions were filled by the Alabama House and Senate during the recently concluded 2019 Organizational Session.
In the 105-seat state House, Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) of District 25 was elected to his first full term as Speaker and Rep. Victor Gaston (R-Mobile) of District 100 was re-elected to his third term as Speaker Pro Tempore. The 77 members of the House Republican Caucus re-elected Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) of District 24 as Majority Leader while the 28 members of the House Democratic Caucus re-elected Rep. Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) of District 53 as Minority Leader.
In the 35-seat state Senate, which is led by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth (R), Sen. Del Marsh (R-Anniston) of District 12 was re-elected to his third term as Senate President Pro Tempore. The 27 members of the Senate Republican Caucus re-elected Sen. Greg Reed (R-Jasper) of District 5 as Majority Leader while the 8 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus elected Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) of District 24 to his first term as Minority Leader.
Importantly to Alabama’s banks, House and Senate leaders released the leadership and makeup of the two committees that primarily deal with banking-related legislation.
In the House, Rep. Chris Blackshear (R-Phenix City) of District 80 was named Chairman of the 13-member House Financial Services Committee, while in the Senate, Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) of District 17 was named Chairman of the 15-member Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
Interestingly, only 11 of the 28 legislators serving on these two committees also served on one of these committees in the previous quadrennium. The full committee makeup is as follows:
House Financial Services Committee
- Rep. Chris Blackshear (R-Phenix City), Chairman
- Rep. Jimmy Martin (R-Clanton), Vice-Chairman
- Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham), Ranking Minority Member *
- Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham)
- Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Montgomery)
- Rep. Kelvin Lawrence (D-Hayneville) *
- Rep. Thad McClammy (D-Montgomery)
- Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals) ^
- Rep. Jeff Sorrells (R-Hartford) ^
- Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette) *
- Rep. David Standridge (R-Hayden) *
- Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) ^
- Rep. Rich Wingo (R-Tuscaloosa)
Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
- Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville), Chairman
- Sen. Jack Williams (R-Wilmer), Vice-Chairman
- Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham), Ranking Minority Member
- Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Montgomery) ^
- Sen. David Burkette (D-Montgomery) *
- Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) ^
- Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Spanish Fort) ^
- Sen. Andrew Jones (R-Centre) ^
- Sen. Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro) *
- Sen. Randy Price (R-Opelika) ^
- Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Birmingham) ^
- Sen. Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville)
- Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) *
- Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills)
- Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn)
* indicates incumbent legislator who did not previously serve on committee
^ indicates legislator serving first term in House/Senate
The 2019 Regular Session begins on March 5. Stay tuned for announcements in the near future about the Alabama Bankers Association’s 2019 Legislative Agenda. Any questions about the association’s advocacy programs? Contact ABA VP of Legal and Governmental Affairs Jason Isbell at jisbell@alabamabankers.com.
