The Alabama Senate on Thursday narrowly passed a bill to expand and reorganize the Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole.
Sen. Clyde Chambliss’ Senate Bill 324 expands the board membership from three to five and requires Senate confirmation of each member. It also requires the board to select its chair. Currently, the governor does that.
Chambliss has said the bill is needed following a “fiasco” of a meeting with board leadership and a legislative oversight committee last year. Chambliss said the board ignored for more than a year questions lawmakers had about its parole rate guidelines and ability to adjust the guidelines. The board has had record-low parole rates in recent years.
The bill passed 16-8 with Democrat support on Thursday. Ten lawmakers, most of them Republicans did not vote.
“The support of my colleagues in the Senate is very much appreciated,” Chambliss told Alabama Daily News. “Now the bill moves on to the House. (House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody) will be carrying the bill in the House and since we have five legislative days remaining I’m very optimistic about the chances for final passage.”