Linda Coleman-Madison

Action: Coleman-Madison sponsored SB 24, enacted April 16, 2026. It requires the Board of Pardons and Paroles to provide accessible online instructions and an electronic application for eligible people seeking restoration of voting rights after a conviction. The application and instructions must be available by March 1, 2027.

Who is affected: People whose convictions took away their voting rights gain a clearer application process. This is not automatic restoration for everyone with a conviction: applicants must still meet the eligibility requirements for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote.

Supporters say: Bureau director Cam Ward said clearer information would help people reenter civic life after prison or probation. Rep. Phillip Ensler said residents often do not know how the process works or whether their rights have been restored.

Concerns raised: Rep. Adline Clarke raised privacy concerns about publicly listing people's names. The adopted amendment uses Alabama Institutional Serial numbers rather than legal names for public identification; the final law requires the board to post those identifiers for people whose rights have been restored.

Official SB 24 enrolled text
Enactment date and bill summary
Alabama Reflector: the application process and supporters' views
Reporting on House passage and the privacy amendment

Proposal, not law: Coleman-Madison sponsored SB 204 in 2026 to change the rules for local land banks, public entities that acquire and return vacant or tax-delinquent properties to use. The proposal would shorten certain tax-sale redemption periods and allow local governments to form joint land banks. It did not become law.

Who may be affected: Neighbors of neglected properties, local governments, buyers, and owners behind on property taxes could be affected. A redemption period is the time an eligible owner has to reclaim property after a tax sale by meeting the legal payment requirements; shortening it can move property toward reuse sooner but also gives those owners less time.

Supporters say: Explaining an earlier land-bank proposal, Coleman-Madison said vacant and deteriorating properties can lower nearby property values. She argued that returning them to use could provide homes and put property back on local tax rolls.

Implementation concerns: The Center for Community Progress, which supports land banks, says they are not the best tool for every community. Its guidance emphasizes local conditions, property-title problems, and community goals. This is general guidance, not opposition to her bill.

Official SB 204 introduced text
2026 bill summary and recorded actions
Alabama Reflector: her earlier proposal and neighborhood rationale
Center for Community Progress: how land banks work and where they fit

Proposal, not law: Coleman-Madison sponsored SB 11 in 2025 to add a $5 annual vehicle-registration fee for the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund. It did not become law. The fund had been created in 2018 but still lacked a dedicated funding source when she introduced the proposal.

Who may be affected: Vehicle owners would pay the added fee in participating areas. Transit riders could gain funding for services connecting people to work, childcare, school, and medical appointments. The bill allowed local governments to opt out; new funding would not guarantee a particular route or service schedule.

Supporters say: Coleman-Madison argued that transportation is a missing link for people trying to reach jobs and childcare and that state funding could help draw federal matching money. Alabama Arise supported investment and pointed to limited evening and weekend service for workers.

Cost: The proposal would place a recurring charge on vehicle owners, including people who do not use public transit. Coleman-Madison estimated about $26 million in annual revenue; that was an estimate, not money the bill actually raised.

Official SB 11 introduced text
Bill summary and recorded actions
Alabama Reflector: the fee, estimated revenue, and transit-access arguments

Action: In 2019, Coleman-Madison and Republican Sen. Cam Ward helped guide HB 261 through the Senate. The bill, sponsored in the House by Merika Coleman and Terri Collins, became law. It requires junior colleges and trade schools offering commercial truck-driving courses to teach recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking.

Who is affected: Future commercial drivers and their instructors gain a training requirement, while people encountering trafficking along transportation routes may be affected by drivers' ability to recognize and report warning signs. Coleman-Madison's role was advancing the House bill in the Senate, not sole authorship.

Supporters say: Truckers Against Trafficking said drivers are in a position to notice trafficking and need guidance on how to respond. The House sponsors described training as another tool for combating trafficking.

Implementation: Driver-training programs must incorporate the material. Training does not by itself guarantee detection or replace law enforcement's responsibility to investigate reports.

Official HB 261 enrolled text
NBC 15: the law and Coleman-Madison's Senate role
Cullman Tribune: requirements and bipartisan work