Senate committee gives approval to bill to allow new sheriffs to make the same as the former sheriff

March 18, 2025 – The Alabama Senate Government Affairs Committee gave a favorable report that would allow a new sheriff to retain all of the accrued cost of living increases of the former sheriff.

House Bill 157 (HB157) is sponsored by state Representative Paul Lee (R-Dothan).

"If you have a sheriff who has been there for years he has received cost of living raises over the years," explained Representative Lee. "If they retire or gets beat the new sheriff will not get the cost of living increases."

The new sheriff would revert to the base pay for the sheriff before the years of raises.

There was concerns by some members of the committee that this would be a cost burden on the counties.

"The last line of that says that the county can opt out of this if they so choose," said Lee.

Senator Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) asked if "This is county money?"

Lee assured him that this would not obligate the state's general fund in any way.

Lee said that currently a sheriff could be making a $100,000 a year; but the starting pay of the new sheriff would revert back to $75,000.

Sen. Linda Coleman Madison (D-Birmingham) said that this would be, "Tying the hands of local governments."

Lee said, "If an officer who has been there for twenty years and then run for office, he may make less than he was making as an officer."

Lee said that he himself had to come previously and do a legislative fix so that his own sheriff made the same as the previous sheriff.

"I have seen it done here many times," said Lee. "I had to do this for my sheriff."

"I want to make sure that the counties are aware," that they can opt out of this Sen. Coleman-Madison said.

"We passed this through the House last year and passed it here (in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee); but it just never got on the floor before the session ended,"

The committee approved HB157 on a party line vote.

"We back the Blue" pro-law enforcement bills have been a focus of the House Republican Caucus this legislative session.

The bill can now be considered by the full Senate.