Alabama Legislature Has to Finish Job to Protect State Critical Infrastructure

The current wars being fought in Europe and the Middle East have brought home the new dangers of the modern battlefield - enemies hiding advanced weapons technology in the backyard of their adversaries. With it a warning to United States and state leaders of the need to address the issue of foreign nations purchasing properties around national military bases and energy infrastructure.

Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are sponsoring legislation at the federal level to protect the Nation from such activities. Meanwhile, Alabama State Representatives and Senators took up similar legislation two years ago. The new Alabama law prohibits certain governments and their representatives from purchasing property around power plants. military assets and for agriculture purposes. The governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia were specifically addressed in the new law.

Another bill this past legislative session would have expanded the law to include the prohibition of leases to certain foreign principals and additionally bars certain foreign individuals and businesses entities from purchasing some Alabama properties.

While the bill did not move this past session, in 2026 Alabama lawmakers need to take up the legislation again and send it to the governor’s desk to become law.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, @Paul_DeMarco

Opinion columns are the views of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.