By Ella Gant, Spain Park High School
Tomorrow-TODAY Staff Writer
Many Youth Legislature delegates eagerly prepare to debate the bills they wrote with their peers in the First Year Chamber, the House, and the Senate.
Occasionally, the bills as written walk the edge of constitutionally.
When that happens, delegates are summoned to debate their bill in front of Chief Justice Ansley Gilbert and the entire Youth Supreme Court. The Court asks the patrons of the bills difficult questions to determine whether or not their bill infringes too harshly on Alabamians’ constitutional rights. The patrons of these risky bills have to contend with Yash Param, the 2025 Attorney General, who argues against their bill on behalf of the state of Alabama.
Yash Param (Attorney General) challenging the constitutionality of bills in the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025. Photo by Ella Gant, Spain Park High School
The first bill this year to come before the Supreme Court was SB55, “One Nation Under God,” written by Lily Landers from Spain Park High School. Her bill would require the Alabama Department of Education to place the God Bless the USA bible in all AP Government classes as a reference during lessons. Landers argued that specific copy of the Bible has the U.S. Constitution within its pages, but after some deliberation, the Supreme Court deemed her bill unconstitutional on an 11-2 vote.
The second bill on the Supreme Court’s agenda was HB48, “Get Off The Couch,” proposed by Aden Brinkman from Montgomery’s Saint James School. It requires Alabamians who are unemployed for two or more years to join the National Guard for a year with exceptions for certain groups such as the disabled and those who don’t work to stay home with their children. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Brinkman’s bill on a vote of 7-6.
The Supreme Court also heard the arguments on SB47, “Restriction of Firearms from High Risk Individuals Through the Use of Gun Violence Restraining Orders or Extreme Risk Protection Orders” by James Junkin from Vestavia Hills High School. This bill would allow medical professionals, law enforcement and mandatory reporters to file a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GRVO) or Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO). They can do this by providing evidence and a sworn statement. If approved by a magistrate, the respondent must surrender firearms and would be prohibited from possessing or acquiring firearms. The Firearm Restriction Committee of Alabama then would evaluate the respondent’s risk level and decide if restrictions should remain or change. The Committee consists of specialists in law, mental health, and law enforcement. If the order is rescinded, the respondent can request reparations for seized firearms that were not involved in criminal activity. Firearms are only returned if they were seized in error or not tied to a crime, and reparations are based on the fair market value at the time of seizure. The Supreme Court found this bill infringes on Alabamians’ 14th Amendment rights and found it unconstitutional on a vote of 12-1.