Editorial
10/26/01
The change is
amazing.
In little more than a year, Gov. Don Siegelman has gone
from being skeptical at best about the need to rewrite Alabama's embarrassing,
racist, hammerlocking state constitution to delivering the opening
speech at a conference Tuesday encouraging that very thing.
Sponsored by the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional
Reform, the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce and other groups,
the meeting attracted 500 people committed to getting a new constitution
for Alabama.
When Citizens for Constitutional Reform first began holding
meetings around the state last year, Siegelman wouldn't even attend.
Now, he's an opening speaker.
Indeed, during Tuesday's meeting, Siegelman was clear
that constitution reform will be the centerpiece of his re-election
campaign.
Well, OK. But ...
The governor has called three special sessions of the
Legislature this year. He's planning on calling a fourth to deal with
education funding problems which he blames on Alabama's 100-year-old
constitution. So why not bring the Legislature into special session
not only to deal with budget shortfalls, but to get constitution reform
rolling by trying to pass legislation setting up a constitutional
convention?
A convention of citizen delegates, elected by voters
and called together for a limited time to rewrite the constitution,
is the best way for Alabama to get a respectable constitution with
wide, popular support.
The current constitution we live under was passed by
fraud 100 years ago. Allowing an easily controlled Legislature to
rewrite the constitution now would make it difficult to get the popular
support needed to adopt a new document. Special interests likely would
have a lot more control over a legislative rewrite of the constitution
than in a citizens' convention just as special interests control much
of the Legislature's other business now.
If Siegelman truly is serious about a new constitution,
he should include in his call for a special session a proposal to
set up elections for delegates to a constitutional convention for
next November, when voters already will be going to the polls to elect
a governor, lawmakers and other officials. If nothing else, it puts
the Legislature on notice that Siegelman and voters are serious about
constitution reform.
There is the possibility, though, that Siegelman and
other candidates for governor and elective office will simply use
the constitution as a campaign toy. Indeed, speakers at Tuesday's
conference warned that voters should elect those who show a commitment
to constitution reform, not those who simply give the issue lip service.
Every announced candidate for governor has come out in favor of a
new constitution, except for Republican Tim James, son of former Gov.
Fob James, who also opposed constitution reform in his last term.
Siegelman has a real advantage over his opponents. He's
in office now, and can show exactly how serious he is by including
constitution reform in the next special legislative session. State
Rep. Todd Greeson, R-Ider, already has drawn up a bill that'll get
the process going.
Is it just talk, or is there substance in the governor's
claim he'll push for a new constitution? For now, at least, that's
Siegelman's call.
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