Filed under: Alabama Politics, Alabama State Constitution, Civic Engagement
I’ve not been the most inspired blogger on the planet in recent weeks, but thankfully some things just make sense to post. I received an e-mail suggesting that I pass this information on to 5 friends. I figured I may just as well post it and pass the word on to as many people as possible. Take a moment and see how you can do your part.
As Thanksgiving approaches we are reminded of how much we have been blessed. I have much for which to be thankful and one thing in particular is for the new momentum in the Constitutional Reform Movement. That is one of the reasons why I agreed to Chair the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation’s Board of Directors, and I am sending my first message in that capacity to ask one minute of your time to keep the momentum going.
The Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation is placing a new focus on grassroots education and has appointed Mark Berte as the Grassroots Education Director. We now have the capacity and staff to get our grassroots initiatives rolling but need your help to expand our base. Please take a moment and forward this message to at least five Alabamians and ask them to join the Constitutional Reform Movement. To sign up, please click here.
If you are able to share some of your financial resources to support the Foundation, please click here to make a tax deductible donation. If everyone would give $25, we would have more than enough funds to carry us through this year and 2007.
Again, we give thanks for this great State and for the many people who invest their time and resources to write our seventh Constitution; one that will benefit all Alabamians today and for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Jim Nash, Chair
ACCR Foundation
Thanks for taking the moment. I hope that all of you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.
Enjoy the day.
Cheers.
Filed under: Alabama State Constitution, Civic Engagement, Uncategorized
Here’s an e-mail I just received from Hill Carmichael at http://www.gbm.org. Please take a moment and look it over and pass it on. Cheers.
GREAT NEWS!!! Yesterday, the Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee passed a substitute of Senate Bill 52 (Citizens Convention Bill) out of committee on a unanimous 10-0 vote. The substitute bill of SB52 is very similar with the following changes:
- Strengthened the Ballot question to include that the people would vote on any recommendation made by a Convention, Yes or No – this is already required by Amendment 714, passed in 2002
- Changed the age requirement for the delegate to18 years of age, rather than 21 years of age as currently required for Representatives.
- Removed the findings of Section 1 found in the original bill
- Senator Bedford amended the substitute bill to include several of the Findings in Section 1 that had been removed
To view the original SB52 and the substitute SB52, please visit www.constitutionalreform.org.
The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee for scheduling on the Senate floor. It is crucial that we contact the Senators on the Rules Committee TODAY and urge them to give Substitute SB52 priority! Below you will find the contact information for the members of the Senate Rules Committee.
Thanks to all of you for your extraordinary efforts! Now, let’s pick up those phones and call our Senators!
Hill
Senate Rules Committee:
Chair, Vice Chair & Ranking Minority Member
Jim Preuitt (D) District 11, Chair
H 256-362-5253 Talladega
S.H. Rm. 729-B, 334-242-7898
Pat Lindsey (D) District 22, Deputy Chair
O 251-459-2478
H 251-459-3508 Butler
S.H. Rm. 721, 334-242-7843
Roger Bedford (D) District 6, Vice Chair
O 256-332-2880
H 334-256-332-7709 Russelville
S.H. Rm. 730-B, 334-242-7862
Members
Lowell Barron (D) District 8
H 256-638-1982 Fyffe
S.H. Rm. 726-B, 334-242-7858
Jack Biddle (R) District 17
H 205-631-4591
O 205-945-6551
S.H. Rm. 722-B, 334-242-7846
Tom Butler (D) District 2
O 256-837-8374 Madison
S.H. Rm. 733-C, 334-242-7854
Gerald Dial (D) District 13
O 256-396-5600
H 256-396-5626 Lineville
S.R. Rm. 735-A, 334-242-7882
Larry Means (D) District 10
O 256-547-6386
H 256-538-2014 Gadsden
S.H. Rm. 729-A, 334-242-7857
Hap Myers (R) District 34
O 251-471-6549
O 251-342-5199 Mobile
S.H. Rm. 735-B, 334-242-7886
Tommy Robert (D) District 3
O 256-773-2854
H 256-776-3618 Hartselle
S.H. Rm. 534-C, 334-773-2854
Hank Sanders (D) District 23
O 334-875-9264
H 334-875-1395 Selma
S.H. Rm. 730-A, 334-242-7860
Roger Smitherman (D) District 18
O 205-322-0012
H 205-322-3768 Birmingham
S.H. Rm. 732-A, 334-242-7870
Zeb Little (D) District 4 Majority Leader
O 205-934-2693
H 256-734-6348
S.H. Rm. 736-A, 334-242-7855
Jabo Waggoner, Jr. (R) District 16
O 2O5-969-7524
H 205-822-7443
S.H. Rm. 7 37-C, 334-242-7892
Here’s the rest of that message from Hall (GBM):
Update on the Public Hearing for Senate Bill 52 (Citizens Convention Bill).
More than 70 people poured into Room 727 of the Alabama State House on Tuesday, February 14th, to tell the Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee what they thought about SB52 that calls for a constitutional convention. Supporters of the Bill outnumbered opponents by more than 2 to 1. The petitions from the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (ACCR), containing more than 67,000 signatures, were presented to the Senate Committee. Senator Mitchell indicated that the committee would probably vote on SB52 next week. Please begin calling your Senators and the members of the Committee and encourage them to support SB52.
Senate Constitution , Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee
Chair Wendell Mitchell, ( D) Distict 30 Attorney
S.H. 733-A; 334-242-7883
Luvern (O) 334-335-3449
Roger Bedford, (D) District 6 Attorney
S.H. 730-B 334-242-7862
Russelville (O) 256-332-2880
(H) 256-332-7709
W. H. Pat Lindsey (D) District 22 Attorney
S.H. 721 334-242-7843
Butler (O) 251 459-2478
(H) 251-459-3508
Roger Smitherman (D) District 18 Attorney
S.H. 732-A 334-242-7870
Birmingham (O) 205-322-0012
(H) 205-322-3768
Zeb Little (D) District 4 Attorney
S.H. Rm 736-A 334-242-7855 Majority Floor Leader
Cullman (O) 256-734-0456,
(H) 256-734-6348
Steve French (R) District 15 Financial Consultants
S.H. 737-D 334-242-7851
Birmingham (O) 205-871-5900
(H) 205 871-3881
Curt Lee (R) District 5 Attorney
S. H. 737-A / 334-242-7891
Jasper (O) 205-387-7575
(H) 205-302-0831
Hank Sanders (D) District 23 attorney
S.H. 730-A 334-242-7860
Selma (O) 334-242-7860
(H) 334-875-1395
Vivian Figures (D) District 33 Widow
S.H. 732-B / 332-242-7871
Mobile (O) 251-208-5480
(H) 251-28-5480
Tommy Lee Roberts (D) District 3 Retired
S.H. 729-C 334 242-7874
Hartselle ( O) 256-773-2854
(H) 256-773-2854
Ted Little (D) District 27 Attorney
S.H. Rm 740 334-242-7865
Auburn (O) 334-887-3472
(H) 334-887-6552
Gary Tanner (D) District 35 Assistant to Transportation Director, ALDOT
S.H 733-B 334-242-7894
Mobile (O) 251-653-8000
(H) 251-661-4741
The following is an e-mail that was sent out as a reminder about tomorrow’s constitutional reform hearing. Please pass this information on to anyone that you think would be interested…
Hello Constitutional Reform Advocates,
I just wanted to send a quick reminder about the Public Hearing on SB52 tomorrow (Valentine’s Day) from 10:00am to 12:00pm in Room 727 of the State House Building (11 South Union Street) in Montgomery. Remember, if you would like to speak in support of SB52, please arrive no later than 9:45am to sign-up.
After the public hearing, people are invited by Greater Birmingham Ministries to walk down Dexter Avenue to the King Memorial Baptist Church to break bread together. In the downstairs meeting room, you can eat the lunch that you have brought or you can pre-order and buy a lunch that will be waiting for you. If you are interested in being a part of this, please go to the following web page (as soon as possible) for details: http://www.gbm.org/al_constitution_reform.htm
I hope to see many of you in Montgomery this Valentine’s Day as we urge our Legislators to Show Alabama Some Love & Let the People Vote!
Take care,
Hill
Hill Carmichael
Training & Communications Organizer
Constitutional Reform Education Campaign
Greater Birmingham Ministries
2304 12th Avenue North
Birmingham, Alabama 35234
205.326.6821, ext. 108
http://www.gbm.org
