The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama HB 14 creates public petition process for citizen-initiated laws and constitutional amendments
Last action · January 13, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of OriginSponsor: Marilyn Lands
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What This Bill Would Do
The Alabama Legislature proposes a constitutional amendment to allow citizens to initiate general laws and constitutional amendments through a public petition process requiring a filing fee and voter signatures. Under the measure, the Secretary of State reviews preliminary petitions, the Alabama Law Institute drafts the text and summary, and the Legislature may either adopt the proposal or offer an alternate proposal for the ballot.
Establishes a direct mechanism for Alabama voters to place statutes and constitutional changes before the electorate without relying solely on the Legislature to introduce them.
- Under current Alabama law, the state constitution can only be amended and general laws can only be enacted through legislative action. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
qualified Alabama voters
Qualified voters gain the authority to propose general laws and constitutional amendments through a petition and initiative process.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is required to verify preliminary and final petitions, publish initiative summaries on the website, and place qualifying measures on the statewide election ballot.
Alabama Law Institute
The Alabama Law Institute is tasked with preparing the full text and official summary of approved initiative proposals within 90 days of a request.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a citizen start the initiative process under this bill?
What happens if the Legislature does not pass the initiative proposal?
Can the Legislature change the wording of a citizen initiative?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 13, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Direct Democracy Mechanism
The bill shifts legislative power by allowing citizens to bypass exclusive legislative origination for general laws and constitutional amendments.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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