Veterans Affairs, board membership revised, appointment and duties of commissioner provided for
What it does: This act substantially amends Chapters 5 and 5A of Title 31, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) require the Governor to appoint the Commissioner of the State Department of Veterans Affairs to serve at his or her pleasure; (2) authorize the commissioner to prescribe qualifications for the officers and employees authorized to be appointed to the department; (3) remove the requirement that the commissioner receive approval from the board before engaging in certain actions; (4) further provide for the membership of the board; (5) revise the duties of the board to that of an advisory capacity; and (6)… (official summary)
Question before the chamber: Third Reading in House of Origin
The tally
Yes 21 · No 6 · Not voting 7
Bar: green = yes, brown = no, striped = not voting.
| Party | Yes | No | Not voting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Republicans | 16 | 4 | 6 |
Most Democrats voted yes; most Republicans voted yes. 6 members voted against their party’s majority.
Voted against their party’s majority
- April WeaverR14No
- Chris ElliottR32No
- Jack WilliamsR34No
- Larry StuttsR6No
- Merika ColemanD19No
- Vivian FiguresD33No
The full roll (34)
Yes 21
- Andrew JonesR10
- Arthur OrrR3
- Billy BeasleyD28
- Clyde ChamblissR30
- Dan RobertsR15
- Donnie ChesteenR29
- Garlan GudgerR4
- Greg AlbrittonR22
- Jabo WaggonerR16
- Keith KelleyR12
- Kirk HatcherD26
- Lance BellR11
- Linda Coleman-MadisonD20
- Randy PriceR13
- Rob StewartD23
- Rodger SmithermanD18
- Shay ShelnuttR17
- Steve LivingstonR8
- Tom ButlerR2
- Wes KitchensR9
- Will BarfootR25
No 6
Not voting 7
“Not voting” is a recorded non-vote, not a reason for the absence. Parties come from public rosters; how we count.