MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Senate elected a new leader on the first day of the 2025 legislative session on Tuesday.
Senators voted 33-0 to confirm Sen. Garlan Gudger as the new Senate president pro tempore.
In his acceptance speech, Gudger said that the Senate was likely to “mirror” the federal government’s immigration policies by considering bills that would target undocumented immigrants who have arrest warrants or who are charged with crimes.
“We must turn back the flood of illegal immigration that erases our borders, strains our cities and drains our resources,” Gudger said.
He also said that he would prioritize bills that would improve education for “every child in every Zip code” and address crime.
The former Senate Pro Tempore Greg Reed stepped down to join Gov. Kay Ivey’s administration as the first secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, an agency that is slated to replace the Department of Labor to focus more on increasing Alabama’s labor force participation rate.
Gudger was elected to the Senate in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He previously served for 14 years on the Cullman City Council.
Gudger emphasized that he would work with the Senate’s Democratic minority in his new role.
“I understand a good idea is a good idea whether your name is followed by a D or an R,” Gudger said.