By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – The new Alabama Senate is so sharply divided that it split 18-to-17 over whether to quit work Tuesday. The narrow vote ended the Legislature's organizational session. The organizational session began a week ago with that same vote when Senator Hinton Mitchem was elected president pro tem. Republicans say they are being treated unfairly in the Senate's operating rules and with committee assignments. They make up one-third of the Senate, but only got appointed to one-fourth of the seats on some major Senate committees. Mitchem says he believes the committee assignments and the rules are fair. Some Republicans are talking about shutting down the Senate when the Legislature returns for its regular session in March. But Democrats say the Republicans would only be blocking the consideration of Governor Riley's campaign platform.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)