The Alabama Senate Republican majority prohibited debate Tuesday and passed legislation allowing the state to take over Montgomery Police Department operations if the force doesn’t significantly increase its number of officers over the next five years.
The bill that supporters say is an effort to increase public safety passed along party lines after Republicans filed a cloture motion, one of several on Tuesday, to end discussion. It is expected to get a vote today in the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
On the Senate floor, sponsor Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, said he’s gotten more calls about this bill than any other he’s carried in his two terms. He represents a portion of Montgomery.
He said people from across the city “are tired of turning on the news and hearing about the violence that we’ve had here in Montgomery.”
“We’re tired of having the thefts that are occurring,” he said. “We’re tired of having the robberies, the home invasions. And believe me, that is across Montgomery. So that is the motivation (for the bill).”
Senate Bill 298 would give law enforcement agencies in Class 3 municipalities five years to have at least 1.9 full-time officers for every 1,000 residents. That requirement was decreased from two though a floor amendment. There are yearly benchmarks set in the legislation that must be met to hold off any state action. Huntsville and Montgomery are the only two Class 3 municipalities in the state. Huntsville already meets the staffing requirements in the bill. Montgomery is the impetus for legislation.
Barfoot said the bill would require the addition of 15 officers in the first year.
“Not a hard climb, or at least it shouldn’t be,” he said.
He also pointed to Mobile and Birmingham as having the required number of police. Birmingham added nearly 200 officers in the first eight months of last year, he said.
“Mayor (Randall) Woodfin has done an outstanding job of getting those individuals up there in Birmingham, why can’t we do that in Montgomery?” Barfoot said.
Democrats didn’t get to speak in the hour it took to pass the bill; Sen Kirk Hatcher, who represents most of the city, expressed his frustration after the bill’s passage.
“Democracy has not been put on display at this moment, not at all,” he said. “And I won’t forget it and I hope the people of Montgomery will not forget what we’ve seen here today.”
Democrats and Montgomery city and police leadership oppose the bill that was introduced in mid-February. Officials have said they’re trying to increase staffing and called the bill an unfunded mandate.
Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, successfully offered an amendment laying out a process where the city may have to pay for the cost of any state involvement.
The bill now needs a House committee and floor votes in the remaining five legislative days of the session.
“The men and women of the Montgomery Police Department deserve our support,” Barfoot said. “Citizens of Montgomery demand it.”
Republicans filed cloture motions and dominated the discussions on bills throughout the day.
Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said Democrats couldn’t comment even on bills they support and voted to pass.
“It’s a sad day when the supermajority has to do this just to keep the minority from having a voice,” Singleton said.
There are five legislative days remaining in the session.