Now our legislators have 30 official days to do the business of the states, and the counties, and the localities — and all the other piddly crap they’re forced to waste time on because of our lousy constitution. Anyone want to bet on whether or not they pass a budget before they’re forced to adjourn?
The Education Trust Fund is in good shape right now, dependent as it is on sales and income tax revenue. It’ll be interesting to see the proposals to spend that largesse. The General Fund budget continues to stagnate.
Dan at Between the Links (back from his honeymoon in Europe) has a list of proposals he’d like to see before the Legislature this year:
Legislation to call a constitutional convention Legislation to make Alabama the 25th state to have I&R A resolution to oppose the federal REAL ID Act Legislation to further increase the tax threshold Overall tax reform to bring a more equitable system of taxation to Alabama Legislation to overturn the Prohibition-era beer laws in Alabama so that consumers can have a choice in what they can purchase with the money they earned. A ban on PAC-to-PAC transfers Legislation requiring financial disclosure from organizations who advocate for political objectives Legislation to require lobbyists to report all money they spend on legislators. Legislation to place a moratorium on the death penalty while it’s fairness is studied.
I left a long comment over at Dan’s with my opinion of the chance for introduction, at least, of these measures:
I’d love to see all of them. What do I think will happen?
1. Constitutional reform will be proposed, and it might even make it through committee again (and if the leg holds public hearings this year, I highly recommend them for their entertainment value), but there is no way the leg will allow a convention vote unless every constituent in the state is in their face about it — and even then, the special interest groups will still be pouring cash into their coffers to pay for their opposition.
2. Ditto I&R, although I doubt it will get as far as a convention bill. It hasn’t had the pub of CR, and once again, our legislators aren’t going to volunteer to give up power.
3. Don’t know enough to have an opinion, but if it can be framed as opposition to big brother Feds (pretty funny coming from a state that receives far more from the feds than it pays in, but that’s another post), it could happen.
4, 5, 7, 8, 9. I’m sure they’ll all be proposed, but I’m not holding my breath, although Jeff McLaughlin is pretty confident that the PAC-to-PAC transfer ban will pass if it gets to the Senate floor.
6. Dream on, you godless drunk. The leg passed an accidental ban on the sale of “marital aids” a few years ago, and the state has since spent beaucoup money defending the morality of that decision.
10. I wish, but that wouldn’t be “tough on crime”.
I do have some “inside” information, in particular that from Rep. Jeff McLaughlin (D-Guntersville), who has been pushing a PAC-to-PAC transfer ban since 2002 (and who refuses to take campaign contributions). He led a session on money in Alabama politics at the recent Alabama Arise justice conference. And I’ve listened to my own Sen. Jabo Waggoner drone on and on about the “dangers” of a constitutional convention to the point where I wish I had the magical ability to slap a gag on him whenever the subject arises. He keeps promising that the legislature will rewrite the constitution, presumably during all the spare time that remains after dealing with mosquito abatement in Mobile or the ability of Trussville to start its own school system or maybe even the need to ban everything gay in Alabama.
Most of my rant reflects my frustration with the backward-looking fearmongers in this state. Geez, I’m writing this post at 8:30 in the morning, and I already feel like I need a drink. Dan, see what you can do about that beer bill.
So — what do you think of Dan’s list? Any hope there?
While he’s working on the beer bill, have them make my county wet finally. This driving 30 minutes to the county line to buy a bottle of Tickle Pink and Mad Dog is really cramping my style.
“This driving 30 minutes to the county line to buy a bottle of Tickle Pink and Mad Dog is really cramping my style.”
About the dry county thing — working on it. That would be much harder, however, because of the way local legislation works with the constitution. Basically, there would almost have to be a separate public vote for a referrendum on each of the counties that are dry. And, because there would certainly be at least one legislator who voted against bringing it to a vote, each county vote would probably have to be approved by every voter in the state.
So I’d prefer to wait for a constitutional convention.
It still amazes me there are places around where alcohol is illegal contraband, like pot. And Cuban cigars.
Around these parts, just sitting on your porch with a Bud Light will get you thrown in the pokey, as ridiculous as that sounds. To make matters worse, now I’m married to “the law” so I guess that will end my weekend benders.
Back to drinking in the closet after everyone goes to sleep.