HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers are considering a constitutional amendment that would require many state elected officials to be natural-born U.S. citizens, a move that would make Alabama the first state to impose such a restriction on top state offices.
Senate Bill 21, proposed by Secretary of State Wes Allen and carried by Sen. Donnie Chesteen and Rep. Rhett Marques, would exclude naturalized citizens — those who became U.S. citizens through the legal immigration process — from holding numerous state and local positions.
Allen said in a statement on the Alabama Secretary of State’s website that the amendment would require all of Alabama’s elected constitutional officers to be natural-born citizens. He said the proposal aims to strengthen the state constitution, clarify eligibility rules, address concerns about potential foreign influence, and establish standards for top offices…