Home Resources News/Media Events Get Involved Contribute About Us Archives Students
 

GOOD NEWS... WE NOW HAVE TWO JOINT RESOLUTIONS IN THE LEGISLATURE!!!
02-10-2009 (Click here to see the Resolutions. »)

A Joint Resolution to Let the People Vote on calling a Constitution Convention to rewrite the 1901 Alabama Constitution, was introduced by Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton in the House of Representatives HJR 91 and by Senator Ted Little in the Alabama Senate SJR 20 on Tuesday February 10. The Resolutions have more total co-signers than we have ever had before: 26 in the House and 15 in the Senate for a total of 41.

House co-sponsors for HJR 91 follow. Democrats are: Marcel Black of Tuscumbia, Barbara Boyd of Anniston, Merika Coleman of Midfield; Chris England of Tuscaloosa, Billy Dukes of Decatur, Priscilla Dunn of Bessemer, Ron Grantland of Hartselle, Laura Hall of Huntsville, Allen Harper of Aliceville, Earl Hillard, Jr. of Birmingham, Tammy Irons or Florence, Joseph Mitchell of Mobile, John Robinson of Scottsboro, Yusuf Salaam of Selma, Tommy Sherer of Jasper, Patricia Todd of Birmingham, Pebblin Warren of Tuskeegee, Lea Fite of Jacksonville, Ken Guin of Carbon Hill, Jeff Mc Laughlin of Guntersville, Oliver Robinson of Birmingham and Randy Hinshaw of Meridianville. Republicans are Joe Faust of Fairhope, Mac Gipson of Prattville and Mike Hill of Columbia.

After Senator Little introduced SJR 20, Senator Roger Bedford stepped to the podium and complimented Senator Little for his persistence in the effort and stated that Alabama needs a new Constitution, not to raise taxes but to move Alabama forward.

Senate co-sponsors of SJR29 follow. Democrats are: Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham, Zeb Little of Cullman, Hinton Mitchem of Union Grove, Wendell Mitchell of Luverne, Bobby Denton of Muscle Shoals, Hank Sanders of Selma, Roger Bedford of Russellville, Bobby Singleton of Greensboro, Linda Coleman of Birmingham, Vivian Figures of Mobile, Larry Means of Attalla and Quinton Ross of Montgomery. Republicans are Steve French of Birmingham and Del Marsh of Anniston.

Senator Lowell Barron heads up the Rules Committee in the Senate. Ken Guin heads up the Rules Committee in the House. Both resolutions were sent to the respective Rules Committees, as expected.

Please call your state representative and state senator while they are in their home district or call them at the State House office and ask them to support the resolution to Let the People Vote on the question of calling a constitution convention. Contact information for your individual legislator can be found at www.legislature.state.al.us. Please also forward this information to your friends and family and ask them to call their legislators as well.

The Joint Resolutions are the same as the bills that have been offered by the sponsors for the past three years. The resolutions provide three opportunities for the people to vote:

* June 2010 -Voters vote on the call for a constitution convention during the gubernatorial primary
* November 2010 - Voters elect delegates during the gubernatorial general election.
* November 2012 - Voters vote on the convention's proposal(s) during the presidential election.

Restrictions on lobbyists:
Delegates are prohibited from receiving a thing of value (including in-kind) in association with their duties as a delegate to the constitution convention. Lobbyists must report expenditures by themselves or a relative for lobbying activities every two weeks beginning after the convention call vote occurs in June, 2010, and continuing through the final vote in November, 2012, on theconvention proposal(s).

Key provisions:
1. If the Joint Resolutions are passed in this 2009 general legislative session, ACCR will have approximately one year for education and organization, to prepare for the vote on the convention question that will occur at the June 20, 2010, Gubernatorial Primary.
2. Delegate elections in November 2010 would elect two delegates from each State Legislative House District based on the two highest vote recipients in each House District regardless of gender (unless the current Resolutions are amended)
3. The compensation for delegates to the convention will be equal to the amount that is paid in
compensation and monthly expenses to the Alabama senators and representatives.
4. Three potential votes (call for a convention, delegate election, and ratification vote) will happen on scheduled statewide election dates without any additional costs to the Alabama taxpayers.
5. Convention officers must be elected from the elected delegates to the convention.

Keep this fact sheet close at hand when calling legislators and others for support.

Another matter: If you haven’t renewed your membership in ACCR within the last year, please send $15 or more to ACCR, Inc., PO Box 10746, Birmingham, Alabama, 35202 or online by clicking here.

Last thing: If you have an email address, please pass it on to us so we can communicate with you in that manner. Thank you.

« back