Capitol Observations - Monday, January 5, 2009 14:23 - 0 Comments

The Time Has Come For Constitutional Reform In Alabama

The time has come for a new constitution for the people of Alabama. There is no larger impediment in Alabama to economic prosperity, local governance and healing the wounds of our State’s racist past than the 1901 Alabama Constitution. This outdated framework erodes education systems, discourages citizen involvement and creates an extraordinarily inefficient government. It’s past time for change in this important area of concern. The mission of the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (ACCR) Foundation, an organization committed to democracy, is to organize and fund a grassroots citizens’ movement to enact a new Alabama constitution that will ensure opportunity, self-determination, and justice for all Alabamians.

In my opinion, the best way to come up with a new constitution is by taking the convention route. Of course, there are some very strong special interests that oppose a convention. To address some of the fears that are being spread about holding a convention to write our State’s seventh constitution, it was decided that a mock convention should be held. That will help educate people in the State about the convention process as well as engaging more folks in the Constitutional Reform Movement.

I understand that a mock convention will convene on the morning of Saturday, February 14th and will go through the afternoon of Monday, February 16th. It will convene again during the April 24-26 weekend before the document is unveiled at the Constitutional Village in Huntsville in conjunction with the third annual Bailey Thomson Awards Luncheon. If you want more information on the need for constitutional reform or the mock convention, you can contact Mark Berte, who is working hard on this project, at (205) 266-3371 or write to him at P.O. Box 10746, Birmingham, AL 35202.