Donnie Chesteen

SB 79, also known as the ‘What is a Woman’ Act, defines the use of gendered terms like “woman,” “male,” and “mother” in Alabama state code by an individual’s biological sex at birth. The bill also protects the right of state and local governments to create single-sex environments like restrooms and instructs state agencies to collect data based on an individual’s biological sex. CPAC believes that government should not be perpetuating gender ideology, and it supports this bill. SB 79 passed the Alabama Senate in a 26-5 vote on February 6, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 130 allows individuals and businesses to utilize gold or silver bullion, specie, and coins in financial transactions. Importantly, the bill does not require disinterested parties to deal in gold and silver if they would prefer not to. CPAC believes this bill is a sound expansion of freedom and choice, and it supports this bill. SB 130 passed the Alabama Senate in a 31-0 vote on March 4, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 118 proposes an amendment to the Alabama Constitution that would allow judges to deny the release on bail for two additional crimes: discharging a firearm in an occupied space and soliciting, conspiring, or attempting to commit murder. SB 118 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 29-0 vote on February 25, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 63 requires Alabama law enforcement to take fingerprints and DNA samples of all illegal immigrants in their custody. CPAC believes that this a sound method of holding illegal immigrant criminals accountable, and it supports this bill. SB 63 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 24-7 vote on February 13, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 158 bars the use of foreign national driver licenses as photo identification when voting in Alabama. CPAC believes that this potential loophole deserved to be closed, and it supports this bill. SB 158 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 25-6 vote on April 17, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 53 requires Alabama law enforcement to contact federal immigration authorities if they have a suspicion they are holding an illegal immigrant. The law also makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants into Alabama. CPAC believes that these are worthwhile efforts to combat illegal immigration, and it supports this bill. SB 53 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 30-0 vote on May 14, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 186 requires digital-device manufacturers include a content filter if a device is activated by a minor in Alabama, which would stop minors from seeing pornographic material without parental consent. CPAC believes it is laudable to protect children from accidental exposure to pornography, and it supports this bill. SB 186 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 30-0 vote on May 1, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 101 guarantees parents can access their minor children’s health information. The bill also raises the medical age of consent from 14 to 16 years old. CPAC believes this is a sound protection of parental rights, and it supports this bill. SB 101 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 30-0 vote on May 14, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 142 codifies Alabama’s existing multistate voter-integrity initiative into state law, ensuring Alabama’s voter rolls remain accurate. CPAC believes it is prudent to add permanence to Alabama’s management of voter rolls, and it supports this bill. SB 142 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 30-0 vote on May 14, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 85 allows parents to receive a religious exemption from school vaccination and testing requirements for their children. Importantly, the bill does not require parents to justify their decision to school authorities. CPAC advocates for allowing parents to manage their children’s medical decisions and supports this bill. SB 85 passed the Alabama Senate in a 26-5 vote on April 3, 2025, but the House failed to adopt the bill.

SB 278 mandates that local school boards permit released-time religious courses for elective credit. CPAC believes that this is a win for parental rights and religious freedom, so it supports this bill. SB 278 passed the Alabama Senate in a 25-6 vote on April 22, 2025, but the House failed to adopt the bill.

SB 5 gives the Governor and state lawmakers the power to appoint members of the Alabama Department of Archives & History Board of Trustees. CPAC believes that the board should be accountable to elected officials, so it supports this bill. A version of SB 5 passed the Alabama Senate in a 26-5 vote on April 17, 2025, but the final version of the bill was not adopted by both chambers before the end of the session.

SB 60 raises the bond limit of the Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority, permitting the agency to incur hundreds of millions of dollars in additional debt. CPAC believes that governments should pursue fiscal discipline and avoid unnecessary debt, so it opposes this bill. SB 60 passed the Alabama Senate in a 32-0 vote on February 18, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 177 makes music production eligible for Alabama’s existing film tax rebate, while increasing the rebate’s financial cap. CPAC believes using Alabama taxpayers’ money to attract film and music creators is foolhardy, and it opposes this bill. SB 177 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 34-0 vote on May 7, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 70 creates a new public corporation that will help Alabama’s veterans access their government benefits, seek career counseling, and acquire mental-health assistance. CPAC unequivocally supports America’s veterans. At the same time, CPAC disputes the premise that adding additional bureaucracy and spending on the state level is the best way to reward their service. While the proponents of SB 70 might be well intentioned, CPAC opposes this bill. SB 70 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 29-0 vote on February 18, 2025, and it was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.

SB 116 makes it illegal for individuals to possess a part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a pistol into a machine gun. These conversion devices are known as Glock switches. With a federal ban already in place, CPAC considers this bill largely redundant. Still, the willingness of many Alabama Republicans to collaborate with gun-control advocates is alarming, so CPAC opposes this bill. SB 116 was passed by the Alabama Senate in a 24-2 vote on March 18, 2025, and it was later signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey.