Representative Laura Hall is an elected official in the Alabama Legislature representing House District 19 as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

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Profile

Laura Hall was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives

Alabama House of Representatives

The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...

 by special election in August 1993. She was re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2001, and 2006. State Representative Hall is a retired educator whose tenure in the education field extended for over forty (40) years.

Early life

Representative Hall is a native of Pendleton

Pendleton, South Carolina

Pendleton is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,966 at the 2000 census. It is a sister city of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland....

, South Carolina. She received her elementary and secondary education in Pendleton Public Schools System. After graduating from Anderson County Training High School in 1960, she enrolled in Morris College

Morris College

Morris College , located in Sumter, South Carolina, is a four-year, coeducational, liberal arts, private, historically black college which operates under the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention.- History :...

 in Sumter, South Carolina and earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with Chemistry as a minor. Further studies earned her the Master of Science degree in Science Education from Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

 and the K-12 Administration Certification from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is a public, historically black university, Land-grant university located in Normal, Madison County, Alabama....

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Legislative career

During her years of serving in the State of 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...

, she is the first African American woman elected to represent House District 19, capturing eighty-six (86) percent of the votes. Results from the 1994 election indicated that she captured eighty-eight (88) percent of the votes. During the 1998 election she ran unopposed. The 2002 election was victorious and she began serving a fifth term.

Committees

Her committee assignments have included:

• Judiciary
• Joint Interim on Medicaid
• Public Safety
• Welfare
• Health
• Industrial and Economic Development
• Joint Budget and Finance
• Government Finance and Appropriations

Community

For many years, she has served and continues to serve as a community volunteer for many organizations. In 2001, she served as Chairwoman of the Governor’s Commission on AIDS. Other community and civic involvements include Member, National Education Association

National Education Association

The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...

, Alabama Education Association, Calhoun Community College Education Association, State Democratic Executive Committee, Madison County Democratic Executive Committee, Alabama Democratic Conference, Alabama New South Coalition, Huntsville Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta

Delta Sigma Theta

Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...

 sorority, Social Action Commission, Greater Huntsville Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Governor’s Commission on AIDS, for Adults and Youth, Chair, Black AIDS Institute Board of Directors, Community Faith Gathering Committee, Chair, and she is also a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Family

Representative Hall is married to Dr. John W. Hall. She is the mother of Darren W. (Ato) Hall (deceased) and Janeka T. Hall. Her grandchildren include Kenosha Hall, Jawanza Hall, Andrea Hall, Shante Hall, Darren Hall, Briana Hall, Tamia Hall, and Staysha Hall.

2009 special election

Republican Paul Sanford defeated Representative Hall in the special election to fill the District 7 State Senate Seat vacated earlier this year when the incumbent Parker Griffith was elected to the United States House of Representative representing Alabama’s 5th Congressional District. She came under fire for avoiding the media and for refusing to answer questions regarding allegations that she received pay from Calhoun Community College while at the same time performing her duties as a Representative in Montgomery, Alabama which was the reason behind Chancellor Bradley Bryne call for a full investigation of Representative Hall. Incidentally a similar investigation led to the fraud conviction of one of Representative Sue Schmitz who served with Hall in the House of Representatives.

External links

• Laura Hall for Senate