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By Todd Twilley Staff writer April 11, 2003 12:00 AM FLORENCE – The founding member of Huntsville's chapter for constitutional reform offered advice Thursday to Shoals residents interested in the movement. "There's a segment of the population that doesn't want change," Ron Klein said. "Then there's the elite that benefit from the way the system is. It's the other 80 percent we've got to get to." Sixty-five people turned out Thursday at the Florence Conference Center to organize a Shoals chapter of the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform. The grassroots organization has an ultimate goal of rewriting Alabama's 1901 constitution at a statewide convention. Klein said the priority is to educate the public. To do that, he said ACCR members must educate themselves. Klein said some people have the idea that constitutional reform is solely about raising taxes. "I want the tax code out of the constitution," he said. "If we had a perfect tax system implemented tomorrow, we'd still need constitutional reform." A larger hurdle than informing the public, however, is the Legislature, Klein said. The state Legislature must approve a constitutional convention or change the constitution – if it is done – article by article. One of the subjects that spearheads constitutional reform is including home rule, whereby city and county governments have more leeway to govern local matters without going through the Legislature. Klein said he believes the Legislature and Montgomery lobbyists will fight home rule. "If (lobbyists) could keep 150 people that they get to effect everything, then the chance of getting a law passed they dislike (are slim)," he said. "In the history of political science, we don't know of any body that easily gave that up." Dorcas Harris, chairman of the Madison County chapter, said lobbyist in Montgomery outnumber legislators 4-to-1. "We've lagging behind Mississippi," she said. "You know how we always said, 'Thank God for Mississippi.' We can't say that anymore." Harris said Alabama is broke as a result of combining the lowest tax base with the lowest tax rates. She suggested people talk to co-workers, write letters to the editor and to legislators in an attempt to assist the effort for constitution reform. Anyone interested in joining the group can contact Steve Holt at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at 764-4661. Todd Twilley can be reached at 740-5728 or todd.twilley@timesdaily.com. Return to: Constitutional Reform ~ In the News Return to: Editorial Index |
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| Alabama Citizens for
Constitutional Reform Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 34 Montgomery, Alabama 36101-0034 E-mail: accr@constitutionalreform.org |
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