BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, announced Monday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, ending her 16-year tenure in the Alabama House.
Collins was first elected in 2010 as part of the Republican freshman class that helped the GOP gain control of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years. Since then, she has championed several of the most significant education reforms in the state, including expanded school choice options.
She currently chairs the House Education Policy Committee and is a member of the House education budget committee. Her departure will leave an open seat in House District 8, which covers west and northwest Morgan County. So far, no one else has reported raising money in a campaign for that seat.
“Representing Morgan County for the past 16 years has been the honor of my life, but the time has come to step aside and give someone new an opportunity to lead us forward,” Collins said in a statement.
During her time in office, Collins sponsored or carried legislation having a significant impact in many areas, but particularly in education and health policy.
She was key in passing the 2019 Alabama Literacy Act, which requires early-grade reading assessments, deploys reading coaches to priority schools and requires summer reading camps for students not reading on grade level.
She also carried legislation establishing Alabama’s public charter schools and championed creation of the state’s A-through-F school grading system.
Other education-related measures included Erin’s Law, which requires age-appropriate child abuse prevention instruction in K-12 schools and the Alabama College and Career Readiness Act, which made college- and career-readiness indicators, such as test scores, dual enrollment or career credentials, a graduation requirement.
Collins also carried the Human Life Protection Act, which bans most abortions in Alabama and took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In 2024, she carried legislation granting civil and criminal immunity to in vitro fertilization providers after a state Supreme Court ruling led clinics across Alabama to pause services.
Outside of education, Collins sponsored legislation allowing direct-to-consumer wine shipping, authorizing local entertainment districts where outdoor alcohol consumption is permitted and creating a tax credit program to encourage private donations to rural hospitals.
In addition to statewide legislation, Collins secured state funding for senior centers, schools, parks, pre-K programs and nonprofits in her district.
Before entering public office, Collins worked for 16 years as a bank executive in Decatur. She remains active in her community through church involvement, volunteer work, and service on nonprofit boards. She credited her late husband, Tom Collins, for his support throughout her legislative career.
“I will step out of the public spotlight secure in the knowledge that our efforts have ensured unborn life is better protected, public education is greatly improved, and parents have significantly more choice in how their children are taught.” she said.
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