Elections for office are at the heart of our form of government, and like 40 other states Alabama is committed to a “citizen legislature” that serves part-time. Earlier this year the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabamians, interviewed freshmen legislators, and gathered statistical data about the lawmaking branch of state government.
Over 60 percent of those surveyed approved of the job their legislators were doing, although only 42 percent had positive attitudes about the Legislature in general. The pool of people willing to run for office, while not large in percentage terms, appears sufficient to ensure competition.
Election statistics show that there is opportunity to be elected to the Alabama Legislature. In the 2006 elections, 21 percent of state House seats and 23 percent of state Senate seats were filled by a nonincumbent. About 60 percent of those who won the 140 legislative seats had no effective opposition, but a third had to survive stiff competition. The next elections will be in 2010, since all members of both houses are elected to four-year terms.
Serving in the Alabama Legislature is a well-paid part-time job. The regular session lasts 15 weeks in the first half of each year, with a normal three-day work week consisting of committee meetings and session days. Of course, there are meetings in the interim months and contacts with constituents back home. Survey respondents indicated that the major reasons for contacting a legislator were to give an opinion on an issue or to seek help with a problem. Freshman legislators stated that balancing the demands of their “day job” and their part-time public office is a major challenge.
A legislator’s salary with per diem and expense allowance totals $49,500, and there are no fringe benefits. Legislators have office space and shared secretarial help in Montgomery but must use their expense allowance to provide a local office and staff, except in the few counties where the legislative delegation maintains an office with public funds provided locally.
More detailed information from this research is available at http://parca.samford.edu.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Williams is executive director for the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.
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