A tense day at the Alabama State House on May 6 ended abruptly when a severe storm caused flooding and the evacuation of the building. The Alabama Senate convened at 4 p.m. to debate one of two bills lawmakers will consider during the special session. Democrats opposed the bill and were offering amendments. Senate rules allow extended debate, and it could have gone on for hours. But when an alarm rang out in the State House after flooding in the lower part of the building and the parking lot, senators moved quickly to finish their business in the seventh-floor chamber. Senators answered the roll call for a vote over the sound of the alarm. The Republican majority passed SB1 by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Baldwin County, by a vote of 26-7 over the opposition from Democrats. The bill passed, SB1, would allow the special primary to include two state Senate seats representing the Montgomery area. The Legislature’s map for those seats is also blocked by a federal court, and that would have t...