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Reform group pushes Ammendment One |
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By Stephen Stetson Staff Writer November 1, 2002 Decrying the Alabama state constitution as a racist document that unfairly privileges special interest groups, Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform held a rally at Troy State University yesterday to urge citizens to vote for Amendment One on Nov. 5. The amendment requires that the state's voters approve any new constitution that is developed before it is approved. According to David Perry, field director for ACCR, the push for constitutional reform will continue, whether the amendment passes or not. However, he sees success on the horizon for the bus tour organizers. "We are expecting it to pass overwhelmingly. It's a no-brainer. Anybody who reads it will see that it's not controversial. Even the opponents of constitutional reform have endorsed Amendment One," he said. Perry said that the push to write a new state constitution had bipartisan support, attracting such diverse advocates as local chapters of the NAACP and Thomas Corts, the President of Samford University who heads the ACCR. Thursday's rally, held at the TSU amphitheater, and was attended by about 30 students from the Pike Liberal Arts government club and about 40 people total. "Constitutional reform is great. It helps local government and helps our school. We are going to tell our parents to vote for Amendment One," said Caleb Sanders, president of the government club. "We study the legislature and try to get youth involved in government," said Chase Rogers, an eighth-grader. Pike County Commissioner Karen Berry spoke at the rally, emphasizing the importance of including methods for empowering county governments in any upcoming constitutional reform. "The constitution, as it is written, prevents counties from having home rule, which we need to pass any kind of laws or taxes," she said. Katie Sanders, a TSU sophomore and member of Leading Edge, an organization devoted to empowering young women across Alabama, organized the rally on the local end. According to Benga Harrison, Executive Director of Leading Edge, people need to learn about the issues involved in writing a new constitution. "People need to read the constitution," she said, hefting a copy of the tome, which weighs in as the longest and most amended document of its kind in the nation. "They need to find out the truth for themselves," she said. Amendment One: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, providing that any new proposed Constitution of Alabama adopted to replace the existing Constitution of Alabama of 1901, shall be effective only upon its ratification by a majority of the qualified voters voting on such ratification. Stephen Stetson can be reached at stephen.stetson @troymessenger.com. Return to: Constitutional Reform ~ In the News Return to: Editorial Index |
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Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 34 Montgomery, Alabama 36101-0034 E-mail: accr@constitutionalreform.org |
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