Alabamians should show outrage over Legislature refusing to let
voters decide on convention of citizens to write new constitution.
Posted by Bob Blalock - Birmingham News
May 10, 2009 2:07 AM

The Legislature resolved to do a whole lot this session.

Lawmakers mourned the deaths of politicians and people in their districts; they renamed roads and bridges; they commended winning teams, athletes, actors, scout troops and police and fire departments for jobs well done. They even honored Miss California USA "for affirming her faith and standing true to her beliefs during the Miss USA Pageant."

It is that last resolution, among hundreds approved by the House and Senate, which sticks in the craw of supporters of a resolution most lawmakers want nothing to do with. The House last month passed a resolution praising Carrie Prejean for speaking out against gay marriage during the Miss USA Pageant. But representatives couldn't bring themselves to vote last week on a resolution that would let Alabama voters decide whether they want a convention of citizens to write a new state constitution.

"If they want to spend Alabama's time talking about what goes on in a beauty pageant and whether that's something they want to weigh in on, that's fine," says Lenora Pate, chair of the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, which has pushed for the better part of a decade to replace the grievously flawed 1901 Constitution. "If they've got time to do that, they've got time to do the business of the people of Alabama."

But they didn't. Instead, the House Rules Committee, on its fourth try in two weeks, voted 8-7 Wednesday to place Rep. Demetrius Newton's resolution on that day's House calendar. The resolution would allow voters to weigh in next year on a constitutional convention and, if voters approved, would set up the process for drafting and approving a new constitution.

So far, so good. But Rep. James Buskey, D-Mobile, pushed to carry over the resolution, and House Rules Chairman Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, moved to table Buskey's delaying tactics. House members voted 43-36 against Guin's motion to table. More than two dozen members didn't vote or weren't there, according to the state Legislative Information Service. The House went on to other matters without voting on Newton's resolution.

"Both Demetrius and Ken indicated late yesterday it was just dead, that it wouldn't come back up," Pate said Thursday. "I don't know why."

How about: Most lawmakers either want nothing to do with reform or desperately don't want to take a position on a controversial issue.

Just as desperately, Pate and other constitution reform supporters want a vote in the House to put representatives on record before next year's legislative elections. (The Senate, with Rules Committee Chairman Lowell Barron dead-set against a constitutional convention, is a lost cause for now). "I think citizens should be outraged this Legislature will not trust us and allow us to vote on a simple question: Yes or no, do you favor calling a constitutional convention?" Pate said.

Thursday, Pate sounded as if she's tired of playing nice. When asked what constitution reformers' strategy should be, she said: "I think the strategy is one word. I think it's outrage."

Showing it could mean "just vote no on all constitutional amendments; let's vote no and bring the state operationally to a halt .¤.¤. however good or righteous or necessary the amendment is," Pate said.

It is a strategy that divides reformers. While there's evidence to suggest voters' refusal to approve proposed amendments in other states helped lead to new constitutions, some of us who want a new constitution (blush) worry about advising people to vote against amendments such as one earlier this decade that removed the constitution's ban on interracial marriage. Imagine the reaction around the rest of the country and the world had that amendment failed.

But there's no arguing about another part of Pate's strategy: Make sure lawmakers hear from those who want to vote on writing a new constitution.

"Call their legislators at home Sunday afternoon. Call them and let them know they want this brought back up on Tuesday, and move heaven and Earth to make it happen. Send e-mails. Call them at their offices in Montgomery on Monday and tell them, 'We want you to vote so I can vote.'"

If you believe Alabama needs to replace its special-interest-coddling, innovation-stifling, efficiency-killing constitution, resolve to get in touch with your representative before Tuesday. The House's main number is 334-242-7600. Or e-mail him or her if you prefer. Go to www.legislature.state.al.us, and click on the "House" button to find your representative. Also, call sponsor Demetrius Newton at 334-242-7664, and Rules Committee Chairman Ken Guin at 334-242-7674.

Bob Blalock is editorial page editor of The News. E-mail: bblalock@bhamnews.com. Blog: blog.al.com/bblalock.

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