Alabama Republicans Advance Gerrymandering Bills Amid Tornado Sirens and Flooding at Capitol

Republican lawmakers in Alabama advanced two redistricting bills on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, despite tornado sirens, flooding, and a chaotic evacuation at the state Capitol building.

Debate over House Bill 1 lasted five hours. The bill would authorize a new special election if federal courts lift an injunction and permit the state to redraw its congressional districts before 2030. A similar five-hour debate was expected for Senate Bill 1, which would redraw two state Senate districts.

At approximately 5:00 p.m. Central Time, a severe storm triggered tornado warnings, prompting sirens and flooding on the first floor of the Capitol. The parking deck behind the statehouse, where staff and lawmakers park, was also flooded. While proceedings initially continued, the fire alarm forced an immediate halt to debate, and lawmakers proceeded to a vote.

Max Flugrath, a political commentator, criticized the process in a tweet:

When this is how they pass it – that tells you everything you need to know. pic.twitter.com/J1Fem4gwNb

Democratic Opposition and Voting Rights Concerns

Democrats strongly opposed both bills, arguing they would suppress Black political power in Alabama. Democratic state Representative Adline Clarke condemned the legislation:

This body continues to find more ways to make voting more difficult, more ways to suppress the vote and more ways to dilute the power of the Black vote. Make no mistake, that’s what H.B. 1 would do, and it’s a tragic step backwards for Black Alabama voters. But we’ve been here before, and we will not give up this fight.

H.B. 1 would only take effect if federal courts reverse 2023 and 2025 rulings that found Alabama’s legislature violated the Voting Rights Act. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly weakened the landmark civil rights legislation, potentially allowing courts to reconsider those rulings. This decision has emboldened Republican-led states in the South to rush through redistricting efforts aimed at disenfranchising Black voters.

Protests and Public Outcry

Outside the state Senate, protesters gathered to oppose S.B. 1, chanting:

We know you want us to leave, but we shall not be moved. Just like a tree, planted by the waters, we shall not be moved. This is the people’s house. We built this house. This is our house.