Karlapalem Sends Petition on SB21 to Alabama Leaders
AL House District 4 candidate sends petition to Governor, Sec. of State, House & Senate members
Hanu Karlapalem, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the Alabama House District 4 on Tuesday sent a petition to multiple State leaders opposing Senate Bill 21 (SB21).
SB21, sponsored by State Senator Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva), would amend the Alabama Constitution to “provide that only a natural born citizen of the United States may serve as Governor; Lieutenant Governor; Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court,” and numerous other State and local offices.
The petition, started on Change.org, has now gathered more than 1,250 signatures, according to Karlapalem.
The petition was sent by email to Governor Kay Ivey, Secretary of State Wes Allen, Sens. Chesteen and Author Orr (R-Decatur), and State Representatives Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) and Parker Moore (R-Decatur).
Karlapalem is running against Moore, the presumptive Republican nominee in District 4, which includes portions of Limestone, Madison and Morgan Counties.
“SB21 is unconstitutional, un-American, and dangerous. The bill is about gatekeeping power. I will not be silent. Our State motto says, ’We Dare Defend Our Rights.‘ Well — this is that moment,” Karlapalem told ALPolitics.com.
“If you are born or naturalized in the United States, you are a citizen — full, equal, and indivisible. The Fourteenth Amendment does not have an asterisk. We have seen this playbook before. It is Jim Crow by another name. And it will fail by the same name,” he concluded.
When introduced last fall, SB21 was strongly supported by Secretary of State Allen, as well as by Rep. Marques, who will carry the bill in the House.
The email sent about the petition reads, in part:
“This petition calls on Alabama’s elected officials to oppose Senate Bill 21 (SB21), the proposed constitutional amendment that would bar naturalized U.S. citizens from holding state constitutional offices, including Governor, Attorney General, and State Legislator.
“The signers of this petition — your constituents among them — respectfully submit that SB21:
-Violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal citizenship for allAmericans
-Discriminates against naturalized citizens who have legally sworn an oath todefend the Constitution
-Undermines Alabama’s reputation as a state that welcomes hardworking,law-abiding contributors to our economy and communities
-Sets a dangerous precedent of two-tiered citizenship that is inconsistent withAmerican values
It goes on to say that:
Naturalized citizens in Alabama serve as doctors, teachers, engineers, veterans, and business owners. They pay taxes, raise families, and serve their communities. SB21 would tell them — and the communities that rely on them — that their citizenship is somehow less worthy.
We respectfully urge you to oppose SB21 and ensure it does not advance through committee or to the 2026 ballot.
The email also asserts that, at the time of sending, the petition has 1,258 signatures.
If passed and then approved as a Constitutional Amendment in the November 3 general election, SB21 would make Alabama the first State to make a distinction between natural-born and naturalized citizens vis à vis holding high office — a distinction that only exists at the federal level for the President and Vice President.
Even so, questions of legality have already been raised about SB21, specifically with regard to the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause. Does it violate the Privileges and Immunities clause of the 14th, by creating a discriminatory barrier between two types of citizens? Does it adequately justify the restrictions on the liberty rights of naturalized citizens that it imposes, as required by the 14th’s Due Process clause?
At present, SB21 awaits action by the Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee. With the session winding down, it is unlikely that any significant action will be taken on SB21 this session. However, it is likely that this issue will return in the 2027 Legislative session, when Alabama will have a new Governor, Secretary of State, and Legislature.
The full petition and list of signatories may be found at:
The full text of SB21 as filed may be found HERE.
