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Rallying for reform |
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Opinion November 25, 2002 The state doorstop has grown even thicker. Voters on Nov. 5 added 29 new amendments (of 33 proposed) to the 1901 Alabama Constitution, bringing to 742 the number of amendments to the most amended constitution in the nation. The ease with which most amendments passed, combined with the election of Bob Riley as the state's next governor, might lead some to believe interest in constitution reform is waning. Riley, after all, opposes a citizens' convention to rewrite the constitution. The naysayers would be wrong. Here's why: Amendment One on the Nov. 5 ballot ensured that citizens will get the chance to approve or turn down any newly written constitution. It received more than 882,000 votes almost 90,000 more votes than the highest vote total for an elected official (U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions). More than 80 percent of Alabama voters said they want to see constitution reform done right, which means giving them final say. Voters turned down Amendment Two, which would have created a "rainy-day" fund for the state's General Fund. Without that $75 million cushion, and with a projected shortfall of at least $170 million in the 2004 General Fund and $300 million in the Education Fund budgets the Legislature will write next session, lawmakers almost certainly will be forced to find new sources of money. The coming fiscal crisis may well force the Legislature to seek a permanent fix to the tax system, which means getting voter approval through constitutional amendments. With tax issues off the table, any effort to rewrite the constitution becomes that much easier. Riley is against a wholesale rewrite of the constitution by a citizens' convention, but has said he'll quickly create an Alabama Citizens' Constitution Commission, a panel of experts on constitutional law, business and civic leaders, who will hold hearings, gather information and draft amendments to streamline and modernize the 1901 constitution. Riley wants the commission to focus on expanding home rule powers for counties, reducing the number of dollars locked up for specific purposes and cleaning up the clutter and reorganizing the constitution. If he accomplishes those goals, that's real reform. While the Legislature isn't exactly filled with constitution reformers, several staunch advocates such as Reps. Demetrius Newton, Todd Greeson and Mac Gipson won re-election. The House gained at least 12 new members, such as Merika Coleman, Mary Moore and Linda Coleman of Birmingham, who are on record supporting a new constitution, according to the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform. Too, some newly elected senators such as Bradley Byrne, Myron Penn and Gary Tanner will join the fight for reform in the upper chamber. Just as important, they replaced constitution naysayers Albert Lipscomb, George Clay and George Callahan. Reform isn't dead. Not by a long shot. The door to getting rid of our grievously flawed constitution is wide open, and there's a big fat doorstop we can use to keep it that way. Return to: Constitutional Reform ~ In the News Return to: Editorial Index |
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Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 34 Montgomery, Alabama 36101-0034 E-mail: accr@constitutionalreform.org |
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