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Updated: July 3, 2009
2009 Bailey Thomson Awards Luncheon Tickets for the August 27 Bailey Thomson Awards Luncheon are available through this web site. You can either purchase your tickets or donate tickets so others may participate by clicking here. If you would like to sponsor a table for the August 27 gathering, please send an email to Elizabeth Dotts (Elizabeth@constitutionALreform.org) and we will send you some information about those opportunities. |
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On Wednesday, May 6th, the House version passed in the House Rules Committee
and Rules Chair, Ken Guin, brought the resolution to the floor of the
House, but it did not reach a vote due to stalling tactics. Click here for complete article about the Resolutions offered in 2009. » Click here to see the Resolutions. » WHAT'S WRONG WITH ALABAMA'S CONSTITUTION? The first step is to convince our legislators to allow bills or resolutions to pass that will allow citizens to write a new constitution.... something Alabama has done six times before. We applaud the following Representatives for voting in favor of allowing the bill to be debated and the potential of allowing the peoples voices to be heard. Click here to see names of legislators who voted for the BIR and those who voted against it. |
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HERE'S WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING... Reform that's
still needed More than a decade has passed since the late Bailey Thomson wrote editorials
that restarted Alabama's constitutional reform movement. Though it lost
some momentum when he passed away, the issue remains critical for the
state's future. Alabama Voices:
Mock convention shows state constitution possible Nine score and 10 years ago, our state's founders wrote the first Constitution
of Alabama. They wrote it so well -- in what is now called Constitution
Village in Huntsville -- that it was hailed elsewhere at the time as perhaps
the most progressive in the nation. No one has similarly labeled any one
of that document's five successors "progressive." Mock constitution
isn't a scaremonger THE MOCK state constitution being circulated by Alabama Citizens for
Constitutional Reform is short and efficient. It proves that replacing
the 1901 version is doable and that Alabama can govern itself without
799 amendments. Legislature
misses opportunity to act The fate of the latest Alabama House resolution concerning the state Constitution has left many shaking their heads in wonder at what passes for the legislative process in Alabama. The resolution, HJR91, would have called for a popular vote on whether to convene a convention and rewrite the insufferable 1901 Constitution. It should have been adopted. Harken back to when the state Legislature convened this year. At that time, HJR91 was introduced in the Alabama House (a similar resolution was introduced in the state Senate) and assigned to the House Rules Committee. It sat there until May 6, when it was sent to the full House for debate. So far, so good. Alabamians
should show outrage over Legislature refusing to let voters decide on
convention of citizens to write new constitution The Legislature resolved to do a whole lot this session. Reform is
about trust The House should debate a constitutional measure In the debate over whether Alabama should have a new constitution, the
issue comes down to a single word and a single concept. It's trust. Alabama not
alone in quest for reform ALABAMA ISN'T the only state with a constitution that doesn't work. Turns
out, other states are struggling with their constitutions, too. Supporters
want Alabama House of Representatives to debate MONTGOMERY - Supporters of a plan that would let voters decide whether
to call a convention of delegates to draft a new state constitution say
they will try to get the House of Representatives to vote on the proposal
this week. Something
for voters to decide: Have a say on Constitution Alabama's founding fathers, the ones who wrote the state's antiquated
Constitution, were all for letting the people's voice be heard
so long as the Legislature gave its approval. Bob Davis:
Goat Hill and its two jobs Can you guess the culprit? If you said the state's 1901 Constitution, give yourself a gold star. The authors of that foul document had two primary goals: 1. Remove voting and other rights from blacks. 2. Keep anyone not rich and powerful from making substantial changes to the established order. Sadly for us, for democracy and for social progress, they succeeded.
Alabama's 1901 founding fathers produced a crippled offspring that is
nothing more than a slave to powerful interests. Debating
the Constitution: Let's go at it another way For a number of years, state Rep. Demetrius Newton, D-Birmingham, and state Sen. Ted Little, D-Auburn, have introduced a bill that would allow Alabama voters to decide if they wanted a convention to rewrite the 1901 Constitution or replace it with another. Every year, the bill has died. It's been stuck in a procedural roadblock known as a budget isolation resolution that requires a three-fifths majority before a measure can be considered. Newton and Little now think they have found a way solution. Power to
the people Some candidates still oppose a constitutional convention. Mock Convention
Puts Pressure on Reform Opponents Published: February 16, 2009 Saturday in Prattville, former Alabama Chief Justice Gorman Houston swore in the 105 delegates to the first session of Alabamas mock constitutional convention, sponsored by Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform. Yes, the convention was only for show. But it is a powerful visual symbol that the constitutional reform movement, nine years in the making, is getting some serious legs. Its about time. Alabamas current constitution, ratified in
1901 even though almost half of the states counties opposed it,
is riddled with historical anachronisms, racist language and inefficiencies.
It strangles local governments and restricts the ability of our city councilors,
county commissioners and anyone else outside Montgomery to respond to
local needs. Group of
Alabama voters challenges state Constitution A group of Alabama voters who say the state's constitution was never
legally ratified by the people are asking for a new vote on it or on a
new constitution. Joint resolution
to reform constitution is introduced Sponsor Little says this way removes two big hurdles MONTGOMERY - Proponents of reforming the state's 1901 constitution are trying a different approach in the 2009 session of the Alabama Legislature. Instead of submitting the proposal as a bill, it has been introduced
as a joint resolution in the House and the Senate. Constitutional
convention idea should be on ballot We salute Ted Little. The Auburn state senator refuses to give up on
reforming Alabamas outdated constitution a 107-year-old book
of law that has been amended 800 times and is in dire need of stepping
into the 21st century with the rest of America. State
loses constitution reform champ A state leader
is gone Dr. Tom Corts was a major figure in constitutional reform Alabama lost a leader this week. Dr. Tom Corts of Birmingham, age 67,
died of a heart attack. Our Persepctive
Disenfranchised: Why doesn't anybody really care? Received from the source on January 22, 2009 The real issue that concerns us is the flawed condition of the Constitution
of the state of Alabama. While amending it may be bigger than one person,
the people of Alabama should demand constitutional reform. As long as
no one cares and no one presses the issue, the process will remain forever
flawed. DOTHAN EAGLE
EDITORIAL ... If the Alabama Legislature could muster the will to authorize a constitutional
convention in which delegates could draft a new constitution for Alabama,
we could cast off the yoke and construct a guiding document that rectifies
problems weve been saddled with for years. Experts:
Local tax increases underline need for constitutional reform This month, the Calhoun County Commission and Oxford City Council each increased sales taxes by one cent to raise more money for schools in hard times. The state's constitution gave them few options. Alabama's 1901 Constitution, which limits local taxing authority, reared
its head again, constitutional reform advocates say. A crazy constitution The November vote puts amendment flaws in the spotlight. Constitutional
reformists to host mock convention Published: Friday, November 14, 2008 at 3:30 a.m. FLORENCE - Alabama constitutional reform advocates Thursday discussed
2009's mock convention, a non-legally binding reworking of the 1901 state
constitution supporters hope will relieve the state from what they call
an outdated political framework. Amendment
votes show absurdity Alabama voters
having to decide on Five days removed from an historic Election Day, the euphoria continues. Alabama voters flocked to the polls in record numbers and made monumental decisions, like whether to raise court costs in Russell County, whether to expand the number of people who can elect two members of the Utilities Board of Tuskegee, and whether to prohibit cities outside Blount County from annexing any part of the county without voter approval. Does it get any bigger, any better, than that? OK, we'll dial down the sarcasm. Yes, those things are important to the people who live in those areas, but that's the point: Those things are important only to the people who live in those areas. Why should any voter in Alabama who doesn't live there, doesn't care a whit, have to confront those issues on the Election Day ballot as proposed constitutional amendments? For that matter, why should those sorts of issues even have to go before voters, rather than letting local governments decide them? It's because of the 1901 Constitution of Alabama. Once again,
voters see firsthand the problems Welcome to the end of your ballot, that part filled with obscure proposed constitutional amendments few voters have even heard about, much less studied enough to know whether to approve them. Don't mistake that criticism for condescension. If it weren't part of our job, we'd be just as befuddled (some would argue we still are). Voters aren't to blame. Blame the 1901 Constitution of Alabama. Outdated
constitution binds county leaders ELECTED OFFICIALS in Washington County have two big worries about taxes. First and foremost, the county doesn't collect enough taxes to adequately
fund basic services. Second, the state's archaic constitution tethers
local governments like a ball and chain, limiting their ability to raise
money to take care of local needs. Again, it's
the Constitution: Another example to ponder Have you noticed that when problems arise in Alabama, somehow either the cause of the problem or the lack of a solution can be traced back to the antiquated, oft-amended 1901 state constitution? Consider the mess Jefferson County is in. A point proven Just imagine what the authors of the 1901 Alabama Constitution would have thought. Last Thursday, Alabamians were talking about undoing their evil schemes.
The occasion was the 2nd annual Bailey Thomson Awards Luncheon, which
was sponsored by the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation. Poverty's
roots lie in state constitution REPORTS THAT Mobile County and the rest of Alabama continue to have unreasonably
high rates of poverty despite considerable economic growth
should energize citizens and government alike to work for a new Alabama
Constitution. The tale
of two Alabamians The naming of Auburn University professor Wayne Flynt, Alabama 's preeminent
historian and social reformer, as this year's recipient of the Bailey
Thomson Award surely symbolizes the best of times in Alabama. From the
PRESS-REGISTER Supporters of efforts to reform Alabama's 1901 constitution met Thursday to honor a former Press-Register editor and advocate for rewriting the document. More than 250 people gathered at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center in Mobile - and another 150 people participated via telecast at the Harbert Center in Birmingham - for the second annual Bailey Thomson Awards Luncheon. The Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation, which Thomson
helped form in April 2000, hosted the event. Dog Days
of Summer THE ISSUE: Eventually, Alabama's constitution reform movement will overcome the Legislature's lethargy, inactivity, indolence Random House Webster's College Dictionary tells us "dog days" are the "sultry part of summer when Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun." A second definition: "a period marked by lethargy, inactivity or indolence." There is no doubt, by either definition (or by walking outside), that
we're in the midst of the dog days of summer. It is fitting, then, that
a grass-roots group this past week, in the midst of dog days, announced
awards honoring those who have distinguished themselves in the effort
to reform the state's fundamental charter. Fitting, because of the thousands
of dog days of legislative "lethargy, inactive or indolence"
over rewriting Alabama's 1901 Constitution. Close, but
no cigar Alabama did not win the Volkswagen plant. The state gave it a good try,
and right up to the last moment rumors flew heavy that Alabama's offer
had prevailed and the German company had picked a site near Huntsville.
But that didn't happen; Tennessee won, and Europe's biggest automaker
will build its plant near Chattanooga. Gov. Bob Riley expressed disappointment
at the announcement, but he went on to say that he was pleased that the
site chosen was close to Alabama. This page feels the same way. The governor's
economic development team now needs to assess the Tennessee offer, compare
it to what our state was willing — and able — to provide, and learn how
to do better next time, if Alabama indeed can do better. In this case,
it may be that Tennessee simply had more to offer. Alabama also needs
to consider how the state's constitutional limits played into the bidding
war. Had Alabama been picked, the governor would have had to call a special
session for the Legislature to approve many of the incentives the state
had offered. In addition, lawmakers would have needed to pass a proposed
constitutional amendment so the state could use money from trusts funded
by natural gas royalties. Then that amendment would have gone to the voters
in November. The Legislature likely would have approved the incentives
and the amendment and it's almost certain that voters would have
fallen into line. But the possibility that the Legislature, or the voters,
might not have approved the plan always existed. That may have bothered
the Volkswagen leadership, The need
for a new Constitution By passing the education budget in a five-day special session last week,
the Legislature, specifically the state Senate, did what it couldn't,
or wouldn't, accomplish during the regular session that lasted from Feb.
5 until May 19. This cost us an unnecessary $110,000, but it could have
been worse had the special session lasted longer. Try Again THE ISSUE The Legislature killed a bill that would have allowed voters to decide whether to hold a constitutional convention to replace Alabama's heavily amended governing document. Once again, voters have been denied the opportunity to decide whether
to hold a constitutional convention to replace Alabama's much-amendment
constitution. Our view:
Scare tactics don't justify constitution vote Boo! No, its not Halloween. Its the time when the Alabama Legislature is in session, and it annually blocks the effort to have the people of this state decide whether they want to call a convention to write a new constitution. And instead of goblins and ghouls, lawmakers employ the scariest of tactics
around these parts the mere mention of taxes and gambling
to ensure that the bill never quite comes to a vote. New hope
for reform House backers actually got more votes than their opponents What happened to constitutional reform this week in the state House of
Representatives could not, by any stretch, be called a victory. But even
in a lopsided loss, reform advocates saw a glimmer of possibility. A Broken
Legislature The 2008 session points out the need for constitutional reform. Constitution
and budget woes A budget crisis has revealed just how our state Constitution makes it
difficult, if not impossible, to respond to state needs in an effective
and efficient manner. Even more evidence of why a new Constitution is
an urgent matter. State House
leader confident in constitutional convention bill MONTGOMERY The question of calling a convention to overhaul Alabama's 107-year-old constitution soon will be before state lawmakers. But getting it passed will be the ultimate test of political muscle and
of a grassroots constitutional reform movement's ability to change the
minds of legislators. Is this evidence? Opponents of constitutional reform argue that there is no clear evidence that the people of Alabama want it. "Evidence" is in the eye of the beholder. However, it is safe to say that until now opponents have felt they could safely ignore cries for constitutional reform because there was little, if any, evidence of statewide support. That may have changed. A recent poll conducted by the Capital Survey Research Center found that
a majority of Alabama citizens want the Legislature to pass pending legislation
that would allow the people to vote on whether or not to hold a constitutional
convention. Alabamians
clearly want to vote Maybe most Alabamians want to see a constitutional convention held to draft a new constitution to replace the 1901 document that still forms the organic body of law for our state. Maybe they don't. What they plainly do want, however, is the chance to decide whether to
hold a convention. A new statewide survey indicates widespread support
for holding an election on the convention question. The survey shows levels
of support throughout a broad demographic range of Alabamians that, if
cited as election results, would be seen as landslides. The people
of Alabama want to vote on whether a citizens convention should draft
a new constitution, but will the Legislature let them? If there's a popular groundswell rising, many Alabama lawmakers will knock each other out of the way to be the first to catch the wave. So here are some poll results that ought to make lawmakers break out
the surfboards: Almost two-thirds of Alabamians surveyed say they want
their lawmakers to vote for a bill that would let voters decide whether
they want a constitutional convention to draft a new state constitution. Return power
to state voters There are arguments to be made for and against a convention to draft a new Alabama constitution. The only certainty is that the current document, enacted in 1901, needs to be replaced. Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform wraps up all the major arguments: The 1901 Constitution restricts local democracy; it locks in an unfair tax system; it hinders economic development; it limits budget flexibility; it is the longest known constitution in the world; and it has undemocratic origins. At long last, Alabamians may have a chance to vote on whether to call a convention to draft a new state constitution. The Constitution and Elections Committee of the state House of Representatives voted 9-4 this week for a bill for a statewide referendum concurrent with the 2010 primary elections. The bill has a long way to go. It faces a vote in the full House, approval
by the Senate and endorsement by the governor. Our view:
House should let people vote Its easy to agree with state Rep. Demetrius Newton, D-Birmingham, when he talks about the call for a rewrite of Alabamas constitution. As a House committee on Wednesday considered letting voters decide whether they want a convention to rewrite the states constitution, Newton asked members a question. Whether you agree we need a new constitution or vehemently disagree, it boils down to one simple thing do you trust the same people who elected you to the Legislature to make the decision?, Newton asked the House Constitution and Elections Committee. On a 9-4 vote, the answer was in the affirmative. |
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