Alabama State Senator, District 19

Merika Coleman has represented District 19 in the Alabama Senate since November 2022, after 20 years in the Alabama House for District 57 (2002 to 2022)¹. She holds a B.A. and an M.P.A. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law, and founded the Law Offices of Merika Coleman¹. She is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot².

Where they stand 17 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• MarijuanaMedical use onlymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted for SB236 on third reading (roll call 1275), which created a state medical marijuana program for patients with qualifying conditions (passed 80 to 19). (2019-05-31) source
  • Voted for SB46 on final passage (roll call 1146), which created a state medical cannabis program (passed 68 to 34). (2021-05-06) source
• GunsAdd universal background checks and red-flag lawsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Voted against HB272 on third reading (roll call 277), which allows carrying a concealed handgun without a permit (passed 65 to 37). (2022-02-22) source
  • Was the lead sponsor of SB126, the Gun Violence Protective Order Act, which would let courts order guns surrendered when a person poses an immediate danger; it did not become law. (2023-03-22) source
  • Was the lead sponsor of SB170, the Gun Violence Protective Order Act, which would let courts order guns surrendered when a person poses an immediate danger; it did not become law. (2025-02-13) source
• Policing and crimeFund police and add reforms like body cameras and use-of-force limitsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was the lead sponsor of SB157, which would make police body camera and dashboard camera footage a public record; it did not become law. (2026-01-14) source
  • Was the lead sponsor of SB48, which would ban the four-point (hog-tie) restraint and some face-down holds by police; it did not become law. (2026-01-13) source
  • Was the lead sponsor of SB279, which would ban police use of the hog-tie restraint; it did not become law. (2024-04-04) source
• Minimum wageRaise it modestlymedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was listed as a cosponsor of HB461, which would set a state minimum wage of $10 an hour or the federal rate, whichever is higher; it did not become law. (2021-02-25) source
  • Was listed as a cosponsor of SB171, which would set a state minimum wage of $10 an hour starting in 2027 and exempt employers with 50 or fewer employees; it did not become law. (2026-01-15) source
• AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low

  Official action · low confidence

  • Was listed as a cosponsor of SB34, which would have repealed the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, the 2019 abortion ban; it did not become law. (2023-03-07) source
• Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitslow

  Said · low confidence

  • The bill history for SB184 shows her recorded as voting yes on final House passage on April 7, 2022, followed by an entry that she intended to vote nay. (2022-04-07) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against HB391 on third reading (roll call 480), which requires K-12 public school sports teams to be based on biological sex (passed 74 to 19). (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted against HB261 on third reading (roll call 550), which extended the biological-sex rule for sports teams to public colleges (passed 26 to 4). (2023-05-03) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB1 on third reading (roll call 28), which made it a crime to be paid, or to pay someone, to help a voter fill out or deliver an absentee ballot application (passed 27 to 8). (2024-02-13) source
• School choiceNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against HB129, the CHOOSE Act (roll call 180), which created education savings accounts of up to 7,000 dollars per student for private school and other education costs, open to all families starting in the 2027-28 school year (passed 23 to 9). (2024-03-06) source
• DEI programsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB129 on third reading (roll call 69), which bars public universities, K-12 schools and state agencies from funding diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs (passed 26 to 7). (2024-02-22) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB53 on third reading (roll call 96), which created state crimes of concealing or smuggling a person in the country illegally and set a process for checking a detainee's immigration status (passed 24 to 8). (2025-02-13) source
  • Voted against SB63 (roll call 86), which requires law enforcement to collect DNA and fingerprints from people in custody who are in the country illegally (passed 24 to 7). (2025-02-13) source
• Qualified immunityNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against HB202, the Back the Blue Act (roll call 1085), which gives law enforcement officers immunity from civil suits and criminal charges for conduct within their discretionary authority, with exceptions for reckless conduct and constitutional violations (passed 25 to 6). (2025-05-14) source
• Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB99 on final passage (roll call 979), which requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in grade 5 through 12 classrooms and common areas when donated posters are available (passed 28 to 6). (2026-03-31) source
• School vaccinesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB85 on final passage (roll call 493), which would let parents claim a religious exemption from school vaccine requirements without stating a reason and extend the exemption to college students (passed 26 to 5; the bill later died in the House). (2025-04-03) source
• Business regulationNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB71 on final passage (roll call 229), which bars state agencies from adopting environmental rules stricter than federal requirements (passed 27 to 7). (2026-02-03) source
• China policyNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against the Senate version of HB379 (roll call 856), which bars the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia and entities they control from acquiring real property in Alabama (passed 26 to 7). (2023-05-18) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against SB5 on third reading (roll call 10), the congressional district map the Legislature drew after a federal court ordered a redraw (passed 24 to 8). (2023-07-19) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Healthcare, Energy and climate, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate.