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By Matthew Korade
Star Capitol Correspondent
January 9, 2002  

MONTGOMERY — Before Gov. Don Siegelman had the chance Tuesday night to stump for a constitutional convention, one of his possible opponents in next fall’s gubernatorial election, Lt. Gov. Steve Windom, was laying the groundwork to hand some of the power over local government back to the people.

   At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Windom, R-Mobile, proposed two amendments to the state’s 1901 constitution: One would allow school systems to bypass the Legislature in seeking to raise local taxes for education; the other would allow counties greater self-governance.

   Windom supports holding a constitutional convention to make the more controversial revisions to the state charter – tax reform, giving counties planning, zoning and taxing authority, term limits for elected officials – but these measures are unlikely to pass the Legislature in an election year, he said. “I think it’s just reality.”
Major constitutional reform would make better fodder for the gubernatorial campaigns – his own included, Windom said. But his proposed amendments would be a good first step, he said.

   Currently, the state constitution requires that local school boards get permission from the Legislature to hold a vote on raising local taxes for schools.

   “This is simply wrong, and it is a major stumbling block to solving the education funding problem in Alabama,” Windom said.

   The constitution also prohibits counties from passing even some minor regulations. The second of Windom’s proposed amendments is modeled on legislation that recently passed in Shelby County and would do away with such restrictions statewide, Windom said

   “As you know, local governments in Alabama have to ask Big Brother in Montgomery for permission to do almost every-thing,” Windom said. “One of the most ridiculous examples is that Fayette County had to go through the Legislature to remove beaver tail bounties in Fayette County.”

   Both proposed amendments, which will be introduced this week, would be subject to statewide approval, but they would not take effect in any counties that reject them, Windom said. Such counties would have one additional opportunity to put the measures on the ballot during the next two years.

   Rep. Tommie L. Houston, D-Birmingham, said he likes the idea of allowing local communities to raise taxes for schools without the Legislature’s input, which Siegelman also proposed in his state of the state address later Tuesday night.

   “But I doubt it will pass this session,” Houston said.

   In outlining the two proposals, Windom mentioned a recent Associated Press poll that showed the vast majority of lawmakers would rather revise the constitution themselves, article by article, than relinquish control over the rewriting process to a constitutional convention – proof, he said, that more needs to be done by the media and supporters of constitutional reform to raise public awareness.

   “So at the end of the day … it just about reaches the level of a mandate,” he said.

   Just an hour before Windom’s news conference, the House Democratic Caucus outlined its legislative agenda for this session. Topping the list of goals was revising several of the most uncontroversial articles of the constitution.

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