Constitution of Alabama

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The Constitution of the State of Alabama is the state constitution of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was adopted on November 28, 2022, as a recodification of the Alabama Constitution of 1901 which had been in effect since November 28, 1901, with the current version being Alabama's seventh constitution.

Contents

The Constitution of Alabama is currently the longest active written constitution in the world at 369,380 words, more than two-and-a-half times the length of the second-longest, the English language version of the Constitution of India.

History

Alabama has had seven constitutions to date, all but the current one established via State Conventions: Wikisource-logo.svg 1819 (converting Alabama Territory into a State), 1861 (Secession), 1865 (Reconstruction), 1868 (Reconstruction), 1875 (ending Reconstruction), 1901 (Jim Crow) and the current document, adopted in 2022. [1] [2] Governor Kay Ivey formally proclaimed the new constitution to be in effect on Monday, November 28, 2022, shortly after the state's election results were certified. [3]

Recompilation of the Alabama Constitution of 1901

The current Alabama Constitution is a recompilation of the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The recompilation had five objectives, as follows: [4]

General overview

The Alabama Constitution, in common with all other state constitutions, defines a tripartite government organized under a presidential system . Executive power is vested in the Governor of Alabama, legislative power in the Alabama State Legislature (bicameral, composed of the Alabama House of Representatives and Alabama Senate), and judicial power in the Judiciary of Alabama.

Even after the recompilation of the constitution and the removal of obsolete, duplicative, and overtly racist provisions, the constitution is still the longest in America at an estimated 369,380 words, being more than three times the length of the Constitution of Texas. [6] Further, many of the issues which plagued the 1901 Constitution still exist, including the heavy centralization of power at the state level over local issues [7] and a large part of the tax code (both at the state and local levels) being written into the constitution itself.

References

  1. ↑ An Overview of Alabama's Six Constitutions, Alabama Legislature, retrieved 13 August 2025
  2. ↑ AL.com staff (November 8, 2022). "Election results for proposed amendments to Alabama's Constitution on Nov. 8, 2022". al.
  3. ↑ Monger, Craig (November 29, 2022). "Alabama officially certifies results of November midterms". 1819 News . Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  4. ↑ Cason, Mike (March 3, 2022). "Alabama Constitution of 2022 appears to be headed for voters in November". al.
  5. ↑ Dunavant, Gary (September 19, 2021). "Alabama Begins Removing Racist Language From Its Constitution".
  6. ↑ Spencer, Thomas (February 19, 2024). "The Alabama Constitution Reformed: Is There Still Work to Do?". Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  7. ↑ As an example, 37 entire pages are devoted solely to issues involving Mobile County, Alabama.
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