Editorial
April 24,
2003
While the years-long effort to rewrite Alabama's
constitution isn't soaring like an eagle, neither is it a chicken
grounded in the hen house.
Whatever chance a constitutional convention had this
time last year took a detour when voters elected Bob Riley governor.
He's for piecemeal reform rather than a massive rewriting of the 1901
document.
With the report from Mr. Riley's Citizens' Constitutional
Commission in their possession, Senate leaders took another step this
week in reducing expectations.
What began as a call for a new constitution became a
commission report of five recommendations. Senate leadership says
two have chance of passage.
Response to a recent public forum here sponsored by THE
DAILY and the Decatur/Morgan County Chamber of Commerce illustrates
why the Legislature is in no hurry to make massive changes. About
50 people attended the well-publicized public forum.
The constitution is not a big political issue with voters.
Yet, the two proposals legislators support can make meaningful change
in Alabama.
One, recompilation, would reorganize the constitution
to put amendments in their proper places and get rid of moot provisions.
Doing that would reduce the volume of pages, and eliminate confusion
in understanding the law.
It also would rid the document of racist language, which
is important.
The other provision would give much-needed limited home
rule to counties where local voters approve.
Constitutional reform is not dead, however, it is traveling
a different road than its backers preferred.
We encourage the Legislature to pass both provisions,
and backers of a new constitution to continue to talk about the unresolved
issues.
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