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0:00It's April 7th, this is Birmingham News Today, local news powered by AI. Alabama Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee just greenlit a bill that would make voters pick a political party to join that party's primary, starting January 1st, 2027. House Bill 541, pushed by state rep Ernie Yarbrough, a Republican from Trinity, already cleared the House 63 to 35. It skips the 2026 elections, but locks in party registration for primaries and runoffs after that. Right now, Alabama runs open primaries, so independence and others can jump in, but you're stuck with one party's runoff if you choose. The new rules add a 60-day freeze before primaries, where you can't switch affiliations, aiming to keep things tighter for party loyalists. Lawmakers split on party lines. Several Republicans? Yes? Two Democrats? No. Yarbrough argued it builds integrity for future generations, stressing primaries' pick nominees based on real-party platforms.

1:01Even supporters say Sen. Lance Bell from Pell City voiced doubts, saying hardcore conservatives in his district, the ones who flipped at red decades. Ago, are begging him to drop it. The bill got tweaks, so it heads to the full Senate, then back to the House for approval before hitting Governor Kay Ivey's desk. With the session wrapping Thursday, it's a tight race to the finish. This push to close primaries could reshape how Alabama picks its candidates, locking in party lines for the long haul.