Alabama
Alabama’s ‘back the blue’ police bill passes in final hour of legislative session
Democratic Alabama state Senators Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham; and Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, on the Senate floor during the final day of the 2025 spring session on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, inside the Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp
A bill to expand Alabama law on legal immunity for police officers passed in the final half-hour of the annual legislative session on Wednesday night.
HB202 by Rep. Rex Reynolds, a former Huntsville police chief, is a priority for Gov. Kay Ivey and Republican leaders in the House of Representatives.
The bill would rewrite Alabama’s law on police immunity from criminal prosecutions and from civil lawsuits.
Lawmakers have hashed out the bill in public hearings and when the House passed the bill after a three-hour debate in March. It has undergone changes.
But Republicans and Democrats remained on opposite sides.
On Wednesday night, the Republican majority in the Senate voted to end the debate on the bill shortly after 10 p.m., more than an hour into the discussion.
The Senate passed it by a vote of 25-6. That sent it back to the House.
At about 11:35 p.m., the House passed the bill 73-28.
That sends it to Ivey, who can sign it into law.
Reynolds and other supporters of the legislation say the legal protections are needed at a time when cities are struggling to hire and retain cops because of concerns that they will be accused of wrongdoing for split-second decisions that sometimes involve life and death.
Democrats have opposed the bill saying it will make it harder to hold police accountable.
Sen. Lance Bell, R-St. Clair County, handled the bill Wednesday night on the Senate floor.
Bell introduced a new version of the bill Wednesday night.
Bell, an attorney and former deputy sheriff, said the bill would clarify the law on immunity and would reduce frivolous lawsuits.
Bell said it would not protect police who act outside the scope of their jobs.
“To me this is about protecting them while they’re protecting us,” Bell said.
Alabama State Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City, speaks on the Alabama Senate floor during the final day of the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in the Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp
Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, repeated assertions he made in committee, calling the bill “a license to kill Black people.”
Smitherman is an attorney who taught constitutional law for 25 years.
Smitherman said Black people are at risk of bad decisions by police who are scared or actions by cops who are racist.
“We as a people don’t get the benefit of the doubt at all,” Smitherman said.
Turning to his Black Senate colleagues to help make his point, Smitherman urged them to be cautious driving home after the Senate adjourns.
“Be careful, because you’re going to be DWB. Driving while Black,“ Smitherman said.
Smitherman repeated a story he has told before on the Senate floor, describing when he was stopped by a police officer in Montgomery even though he was driving below the speed limit.
The senator said the officer approached his car with his hand on his gun and gave him conflicting instructions, telling him to hold out his hands while also asking him to pull out his driver license.
Smitherman said the story was an example of how Black people can be at risk if they are not cautious during their encounters with police.
Alabama State Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, speaks on the floor of the Senate during the final day of the spring 2025 legislative session on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp
Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, questioned the need for the bill and said it would erode public trust.
Stewart brought up the scandal in the Hanceville Police Department.
A grand jury indicted a former police chief and several officers and said the department should be abolished because of a “culture of corruption.”
Stewart said he supports police.
“But to have power unchecked, that is unacceptable in a democracy,” Stewart said.
Alabama State Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, speaks on the floor of the Alabama State Senate on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala.John Sharp
Democratic Sens. Kirk Hatcher of Montgomery and Merika Coleman of Pleasant Grover also spoke in opposition to the bill.
Alabama football added another member to its 2026 signing class in cornerback Nick Sherman on Sunday evening.
Sherman is the Crimson Tide’s 24th signee, as this news comes 11 days after early national signing day.
The JUCO product was formerly at Itawamba Community College. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is also a Tuscaloosa native, as he went to Northridge High School.
This season at Itawamba CC, Sherman logged 24 tackles and two interceptions in eight games as a sophomore.
Sherman is the fifth defensive back in the Crimson Tide’s 2026 signing class, as he joins cornerbacks Zyan Gibson and Jorden Edmonds, along with safeties Jireh Edwards and Rihyael Kelley.
Coming HOME, COMMITTED 🐘🐘 . pic.twitter.com/6xKIhWIK56
— Nick “ vibez” Sherman ✞ (@nickvibeez) December 15, 2025
Alabama’s 2026 Signing Class
- CB Zyan Gibson, 5-foot-11, 177 lbs. – Gadsden, Alabama (Committed 12/24/2024)
- CB Jorden Edmonds, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 03/26/2025)
- EDGE Jamarion Matthews, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 02/21/2025)
- EDGE Kamhariyan Johnson, 6-foot-4, 260 lbs. – Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Committed 04/12/2025)
- OL Chris Booker, 6-foot-4, 285 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 02/20/2025)
- QB Jett Thomalla, 6-foot-3, 205 lbs. – Omaha, Nebraska (Committed 06/17/2025)
- S Rihyael Kelley, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs. – Cincinnati, Ohio (Committed 06/23/2025)
- SN Eli Deutsch, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Franklin, Wisconsin (Committed 06/24/2025)
- RB Ezavier Crowell, 5-foot-10, 210 lbs. – Jackson, Alabama (Committed 06/26/2025)
- TE Mack Sutter, 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. – Dunlap, Illinois (Committed 06/26/2025)
- LB Zay Hall, 6-foot-2, 222 lbs. – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 06/27/2025)
- LB Xavier Griffin, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs. – Gainesville, Georgia (Committed 06/29/2025)
- WR Cederian Morgan, 6-foot-4, 220 lbs – Alexander City, Alabama (Committed 07/02/2025)
- DL Nolan Wilson, 6-foot-4, 250 lbs. – Picayune, Mississippi (Committed 07/04/2025)
- S Jireh Edwards, 6-foot-2, 210 lbs. – Baltimore, Maryland (Committed 07/05/2025)
- QB Tayden Kaawa, 6-foot-5, 235 lbs. – Orem, Utah (Committed 07/22/2025)
- OT Bear Fretwell, 6-foot-6, 295 lbs. – Brooklet, Georgia (Committed 07/25/25)
- OT Jared Doughty, 6-foot-5, 300 lbs. – Atlanta, Georgia (Committed 10/05/2025)
- EDGE Corey Howard, 6-foot-6, 245 lbs. – Valdosta, Georgia (Committed 10/19/2025)
- OL Tyrell Miller, 6-foot-5, 305 lbs. – College of San Mateo (Committed 11/29/2025)
- EDGE Malique Franklin, 6-foot-5, 250 lbs. – Daphne, Alabama (Committed 12/02/2025)
- TE Jude Cascone, 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. – Marietta, Georgia (Committed 11/30/2025)
- RB Traeshawn Brown, 5-foot-10, 190 lb. – Huntsville, Texas (Committed 12/04/2025)
- CB Nick Sherman, 6-foot-3, 190 lb, – Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Committed 12/14/25)
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Ringo, an abandoned puppy that was dropped off at the Madison Police Department earlier this week, will get the surgery he needs thanks to an outpouring of donations from the city’s residents.
On Dec. 9, the Madison Police Department said in a Facebook post it was trying to raise $2,000 so Ringo could get an injured leg amputated.
“Citizens of Madison, we need your help. Recently, an abandoned and abused puppy was brought to us—sweet, loving, and still full of hope despite what he’s been through,” the post said.
“To give him the chance at a healthy, happy life, he needs a surgery to amputate an injured leg. Once he recovers, he’ll be ready for adoption and would make an incredible addition to a loving Madison family—just in time for Christmas.”
Just three days later, the department said in an update that they’d raised the money they needed, and Ringo would get his surgery in the middle of January.
During a vet visit, the pup was given a clean bill of health and all his required shots.
“We completely met the goal and could not have done it without the help of all our citizens here so we greatly appreciate everything you guys donated for him,” an update video said.
Now the police department is asking for the community to step up again and help get Ringo adopted before his surgery.
“Our next thing we can do is have him adopted. He is ready to go into somebody’s home so he can get acclimated and ready to go before his surgery,” the post said.
Anyone interested in adopting Ringo is asked to call Madison’s Animal Control at 256-772-5694.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama fell to No. 1 Arizona in Legacy Arena in the fifth annual C.M. Newton Classic. The Crimson Tide held a 2-point halftime lead, but got decimated in the second half, opening the first six minutes of the second frame with just two field goals made.
The top-ranked Wildcats went on to claim a 96-75 victory and dropped the Crimson Tide’s record in the event to 2-3.
“They’re obviously a really good team,” Nate Oats said. “There’s a reason they’re number one in the country. I thought the first half we played pretty well. We were down five on the glass and needed to clean it up a little bit, and then the second half we had this issue where we just haven’t had very good starts to the second half. We came out and didn’t have a very good start, and it got progressively worse. I think they scored, shoot 39 the entire first half. They had 39 in less than 12 minutes to start the second half.
“Start of the second half was bad. Obviously, they came out of halftime ready to play; we didn’t. The toughness factor was a problem. It’s impossible – I shouldn’t say impossible. It’s nearly impossible to win a game when your opponent gets 28 more field goal attempts than you. If you look, we outshot them from the field and from the free throw line, both percentage-wise. Free throws, they made one more free throw than we did and they got 28 more field goal attempts. You can’t win games giving your opponent 28 more field goal attempts. Offensive glass we had three the whole game, they had 22. We lost the rebounds by 20 again. This has been a recurring issue for us.”
Alabama History in C.M. Newton Classic
- 2021 – Davidson 79, Alabama 78
- 2022 – Gonzaga 100, Alabama 90
- 2023 – Alabama 101, Liberty 56
- 2024 – Alabama 100, Illinois 87
- 2025 – Arizona 96, Alabama 75
Watch the above video as BamaCentral writers Katie Windham, Hunter De Siver, and Will Miller, provide thoughts and takeaways from the Alabama men’s basketball team’s 96-75 loss against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The trio discusses the performance of the No. 12 Crimson Tide and the rebounding issues that continue to plague the program.
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