Alabamians to decide the fate of four proposed constitutional amendments
Alabama voters on November 6 will decide the fate of four proposed constitutional amendments. Those amendments, all of which passed the 2018 legislative session, will appear as referendums on the general-election ballot now that Secretary of State John Merrill on Friday signed all four proposals. The amendments are: Amendment 1: Allows posting of the 10 Commandments in public buildings, including courthouses and schools. Amendment 2: Designates Alabama a “Pro-Life” state. Amendment 3: Allows changes to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. Amendment 4: Allowed certain valencies to be filled by appointment rather than special elections. As of February 2018, there were 928 amendments to Alabama’s 1901 Constitution, making it by far the longest state constitution in the country.
Ala. Senate approves Ten Commandments display bill
A bill that would amend the state constitution to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed on public property was approved by the Alabama Senate on Thursday. Sponsored by Lineville-Republican Sen. Gerald Dial, SB139 was approved 23-7, with only Democrats voting against it. In order to stand up to constitutional muster, Dial’s bill requires the Ten Commandments to “be displayed in a manner that complies with constitutional requirements, including, but not limited to, being intermingled with historical or educational items, or both, in a larger display.” This marks the 13th time Dial has introduced the Ten Commandments legislation. In the past, part of the reason it has failed was due to questions regarding the cost of defending the bill in court, in necessary. Dial addressed those issues within the 2017 legislation, barring public funds for paying for court costs. Instead, he believe lawyers would volunteer to defend the constitutionality of the bill. It now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives where there are only four days left in the Legislative Session to approve the proposal. If measure passes the House, it would then go before voters for referendum.
