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Moulton Advertiser State held back
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By Ginger Grantham Staff Writer May 29, 2003 "The Alabama Constitution of 1901 provides for a government that does not work," Dr. Joe A. Sumners, director of the Auburn University Economic Development Institute, told the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. "It preserves a failed tax structure." Sumners, who is an advocate for Alabama having a new state constitution, was the speaker at the monthly lunch meeting of the Chamber held at Stockyard Steakhouse in Moulton. "The two primary goals of the framers of the 1901 Constitution were to strip blacks and poor whites of all political power and to limit the power of government by having low taxes on property, limit government regulation of business and concentrating political power in Montgomery by having no home rule," Sumners continued. "The main problems with the Alabama Constitution are that it looks backward to racism and roadblocks, prevents local governments from addressing local problems and preserves a failed tax structure." Sumners believes Alabama must fix its constitution to upgrade the state's image. He pointed out that once economic development was based on low taxes and cheap labor. "All that has changed," he said. "Now industry has switched to being knowledge-based. The question now is what do potential workers know." Sumners stated that Alabama has not invested enough in education. He said basing the state's tax structure on sales tax makes income unreliable. The present constitution is too restrictive and specific Sumners told the Chamber. Because there is no home rule, the State Legislature spends too much time on local issues which could be better handled by local governments. Alabama is the only Southern state that denies home rule to counties. Because of all the amendments added on for local issues, the Alabama Constitution is about 40 times longer than the U.S. Constitution and over 12 times as long as the typical state constitution. It is over four times as long as the next longest state constitution (Texas). On the issue of the failed tax structure, Sumners pointed out that property tax in Alabama is the lowest in the country. If Alabama's property tax was equal to Mississippi's, the state would take in a billion more dollars. "If Alabama's property was taxed at the national average, the state would take in additional $2.8 billion annually,"he said. To have constitutional reform, it will take both pressure from the grass roots and leadership from the governor. He said legislators like having all the power centered in Montgomery. Sumners was accompanied by Kevin Garrison with Citizens for Constitutional Reform. Garrison handed out literature on the issue and urged people to get involved in the process. He said his group would like to see a constitutional convention but Gov. Bob Riley seems to be favoring commission recommendations. Garrison was asked if there was a draft constitution for people to look at. He admitted there wasn't. "That is the scary aspect of writing a new constitution because you don't have that draft," he said. He also pointed out that past governors have tried to get constitution reform going. Gov. "Big" Jim Folsom tried to call a constitutional convention in the 1950s and Gov. Albert Brewer had commissioned a study to recommend changes. 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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