By Matthew Korade
Star Capital Correspondent
January 9, 2002
MONTGOMERY — Gov. Don Siegelman delivered his fourth State of
the State address Tuesday night, outlining his goals for a long-term
effort to improve Alabama’s schools.
The centerpiece of that effort is a proposed constitutional
convention to rewrite Alabama’s founding charter and change the
way the state pays for education.
“If we ever want to fund our schools the way we
should and make our tax system fair, we have to rip the power out
of the hands of the special interests, move it out of Montgomery and
give it back to the people” Siegelman said.
The state’s 1901 constitution has forced school
budget cuts 14 times since 1949, in part because it funds schools
with sales and income tax revenue, which decline during economic downturns.
In a December special session, Siegelman lobbied the Legislature to
prevent a 15th round of cuts in education spending by closing several
corporate tax loopholes. The Legislature responded with a substitute
plan that raised $40 to $70 million of the $160 million budget gap
with taxes on telephone calls, eventually overriding Siegelman’s
veto of the plan.
Tuesday, Siegelman asked a joint session of the Legislature
to help reform education funding permanently by giving the people
the chance to call a constitutional convention.
The governor also called for an immediate constitutional
change to allow local communities to vote to raise local taxes for
schools. Currently, the constitution requires Legislative approval
before such a vote can be held.
Both of the governor’s proposals would go on the
election ballot in November.
In addition to his proposals for constitutional reform,
Siegelman unveiled measures designed to help Alabama through its current
economic slump: ending predatory lending practices, creating incentives
for companies that hire Alabama workers, and beginning a prescription
drug plan for senior citizens.
Siegelman also voiced support for tougher crime legislation
that would provide a death penalty option for child molesters and
terrorists and ensure that violent offenders are not paroled before
serving their full sentences. These measures have failed to pass in
previous years.
Siegelman ran through a list of Alabama’s educational
achievements over the last three years: the elimination of tenure
for principals, the increase in teaching standards, renewed teacher
testing, the rise in the number of National Board Certified teachers
to among the top eight states in the nation, the establishment of
criminal background checks for all school employees, reduced class
sizes, the elimination of portable classrooms, and tougher high school
graduation requirements.
Siegelman also ticked off some of Alabama’s industrial
recruitment successes in recent years – Mercedes, Honda, Toyota,
Boeing – and touted his leadership in working to establish a
national medical research center at University of Alabama, Birmingham,
and an automotive research-and-design facility at Fort McClellan with
Auburn University.
But, Siegelman said, because of the antiquated state
constitution, the progress of schools in educating a work force capable
of handling these high-tech jobs has been much slower than it could
be.
Throughout the speech, Siegelman placed the blame for
that failure on big businesses and special interests that he said
pay less than their fair share of taxes and benefit from the status
quo.
Legislators who were outside the Old House Chamber of
the Capitol Building after the address gave Siegelman’s remarks
a mixed reception.
“What you have here is electioneering at its best,”
said Rep. John Rogers, who co-chairs the House education budget committee.
“If I would have closed my eyes, I could have sworn I was hearing
George Wallace speaking against the big mules and special interests
and for the people. I don’t put any stock in it.”
Rogers, D-Birmingham, said Siegelman should have brought business
and educational interests together to solve the school funding problem
instead of resorting to divisive politics in the December special
session and Tuesday’s speech.
Like others in the chamber, Rogers said he doubted any
of Siegelman’s controversial measures, such as constitutional
reform, will pass this session because of the upcoming elections –
and as a career politician, Siegelman should realize this, he said.
“He knows the rules of the game,” Rogers said.
“He knows it’s not going to pass … He’s trying
to climb over our backs to get re-elected.”
Others were more positive.
“I think that’s the strongest statement we’ve
heard yet on that issue,” said Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre,
who heads the House education budget committee.
Rep. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston, was even more optimistic.
“I think he took a stand that if we want to change
Alabama, we must stand up and fight the forces that sometimes impede
our progress,” said Rep. Boyd. “I think we can accomplish
it.”
But several lawmakers said the governor’s proposals
were short on specifics.
“I’m pleased to see that he recognized in the
fourth year of his term the need for a new constitution,” said
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks. “I think that’s a nice development
– a little late, but a nice development.
“The long and short if it is that we’ve got
some proposals that appear to be good on their face, but the devil’s
in the details, and there were no details tonight.”
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