The Alabama State House is a building located in Montgomery

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

. It houses several state agencies, most notably the Alabama Legislature

Alabama Legislature

The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members...

.

History

The State House was opened in 1963 as the Alabama Highway Department Building. It housed the agency for which it was named until 1985, when the Alabama Legislature moved into the upper floors while the state Capitol

Alabama State Capitol

The Alabama State Capitol, also known as the First Confederate Capitol, is the state capitol building for Alabama. It is located on Capitol Hill, originally Goat Hill, in Montgomery. It was declared a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960....

 was being renovated. It was then that the building acquired its current name. Originally, the Legislature occupied the 5th through 7th floors. When the Legislature outgrew this space, an eighth floor was added.

Structure and usage

The State House has eight floors, one of which is partially underground. The first floor is used for miscellaneous offices and legislative committee rooms. The main entrance is on the second floor, as is the Secretary of State's office. The third floor houses the state Attorney-General's office. The fifth and sixth floors are dedicated exclusively to the use of the House of Representatives. The seventh and eighth floors are likewise used by the Senate.

Proposed Replacement

Currently, the Alabama Legislature is making preparations to plan and a new State House. Many legislators cite a need for a new facility due to the lack of space in the current State House as well as issues with mold and other structural issues. Proposals have included building a new facility on the opposite end of Dexter Avenue from the Capitol, to create a government mall. This plan has lost favorability for building a wing behind the State Capitol that contains space for the Legislature. In the 2009 session, legislators debated and passed a bill to begin investigating proposals, but have not taken any action on constructing a new facility.

See also

• Government of Alabama
  Government of Alabama
  The government of Alabama is organized under the provisions of the 1901 Constitution of Alabama, which is the lengthiest constitution of any political entity in the world...
  
  
• Alabama State Capitol
  Alabama State Capitol
  The Alabama State Capitol, also known as the First Confederate Capitol, is the state capitol building for Alabama. It is located on Capitol Hill, originally Goat Hill, in Montgomery. It was declared a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960....