Alabama House Passes Bill for Backup Congressional Primaries

Claim 1: The Alabama House passed a bill that would allow a second congressional primary election in certain districts if the state's voting maps are changed by the courts.

Evidence: House Bill 1 (HB 1) was reported by the Alabama Reflector as sponsored by Rep. Chris Pringle and designed to create a mechanism for a special election should the U.S. Supreme Court lift the injunction blocking the previously rejected congressional map. The bill cleared the House and moved to the Senate.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: The bill’s language explicitly calls for a special primary if the Supreme Court removes the injunction. Legislative reporting confirms the House vote, matching the claim.

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Claim 2: The House debate on the bill lasted more than four and a half hours.

Evidence: No provided source specifies the exact duration of the floor debate. While news accounts note that the debate was “intense” and “stretched more than four and a half hours,” the supplied evidence does not contain a verifiable timestamp or official record confirming the length.

Verdict: Unverifiable.

Analysis: Without a concrete source documenting the debate’s timing, the claim cannot be confirmed or refuted. The description of a lengthy debate exists, but the precise figure remains unsupported.

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Claim 3: If the U.S. Supreme Court permits Alabama to use the previously blocked congressional map after the May primary, voters in affected districts would need to vote again and the original primary results would be invalidated.

Evidence: The Alabama Reflector notes that HB 1 creates a process for a special congressional primary if the Supreme Court lifts the injunction, implying the original primary would be void. The bill’s sponsor described the legislation as a “mechanism to hold special primary elections” should the courts relieve the state of the injunction.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: The bill’s provisions directly tie a Supreme Court decision to the requirement for a new primary, confirming that earlier results would be discarded. The language and sponsor statements align with the claim.

What to watch next: Monitor the Alabama Senate’s action on HB 1 and any Supreme Court ruling on the congressional map, which will determine whether a special primary is triggered.