Here is the information that some in the audience wanted on the Constitutional Amendments.

1. Constitutional Amendments November
2012

2. Amendment 1: VOTE NO
“Extend payments to the Forever Wild Land Trust
for the next 20 years, ending with fiscal year 2031-
2032.”
If you vote NO on this amendment, the money
that would have been used to fund this project will
stay in the Alabama Trust Fund. That alone merits
a NO vote. In addition I’m tired of hearing ads say
mistruths with the statement like “using no taxes”.

3. Amendment 2 Vote NO
“Allow the State to refund and repurchase general
obligation bonds at a lower interest rate, which could
result in savings for the State”.
If you want to give elected officials a revolving loan
for economic development then vote yes. If you think
that a group of people who say in the bill that they are
lowering the interest rate without clearly telling you
that they are creating a revolving loan until the year
2032 then you need to Vote NO.

4. Administration of Government
Amendment 3 Vote YES
“Define the Stockton Landmark District within
Baldwin County and also prohibit local lawmakers
from agreeing to any annexation of the property”….
I’m only suggesting that you vote YES on this
because my good friend Agriculture Commissioner
John McMillian says that he supports this bill. I
normally stay away from this type of amendment but
I trust John and if he says that the people of Stockton
need this then I believe him.

5. Civil Rights Amendment 4
Vote YES
“Remove language in the Alabama State Constitution
relating to racial segregation in schools and the
imposition of poll taxes”.
The top reason I say Vote YES is because the AEA is
against this amendment, but set apart from that within
the bill is a clear declaration that Education is not a
Constitutional Right of every Alabamian. It’s not that
I’m opposed to education. I’m really opposed to the
judicial system telling us that we aren’t funding
education properly.

6. Natural Resources Amendment 5
Vote YES or NO
“Provide the transfer of assets and liabilities of
the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of
Prichard to the Board of Water and Sewer
Commissioners of the City of Mobile”.
This basically is a local amendment that doesn’t
have an impact on us. I leave this to the locals.

7. Health Care Amendment 6
Vote YES or NO
“Prohibit mandatory participation in any health
care system”.
This is a reaction to the Affordable Healthcare
Act. I think you should vote YES if you want to
make a statement about “Obama Care”. If you
want to leave a door open for the state of
Alabama to solve Alabama’s healthcare issue
through state mandates then I suggest you vote
NO.

8. Labor Amendment 7
Vote YES
“Guarantee the right of individuals to vote for
public office, public votes on referenda, or votes
of employee representation by secret ballot”.
A secret ballot is the law and the tradition in
Alabama. This amendment would stop any union
leader from knowing how a member voted. We are
a “right to work” state and this just helps to keep
some potentially bad union players from working
in the state.

9. Legislative Pay Amendment 8
Vote NO
“Repeal existing laws regarding the compensation and
expense reimbursement of the members”.
On the surface this amendment seems to solve a
problem that many of us have had with the legislative
“Pay Raise”. I think we need to keep the legislators on
the hook on this issue by voting NO and letting this
be an issue in the 2014 election. If you vote YES you
legitimize their compensation. If you vote NO you
make them address this issue in the 2014 election.
Either way they are basically paid the same amount.

10. Taxes Amendment 9
Vote YES
“Replaces outdated language concerning the categorization
of certain corporations”.
I have looked at this bill and I don’t see a problem but let
me add this caveat. A committee has been formed to make
recommendations on portions of the state’s constitution
that need to be updated, amended or completely removed.
This is to avoid a constitutional convention. I’ll have to
trust that this group is presenting amendments that are
sound. If they don’t then the only course will be a
Constitution Convention. Bad for the elected officials and
bad for us.

11. Administration of Government
Amendment 10 Vote YES
“Revise and recompile the sections of the
Constitution concerning banks and banking”.
Again, I have looked at this bill and I don’t see a
problem but let me say again, I’ll have to trust that
the constitution review committee is making
sound judgments. If not a price will be paid by the
elected officials that created the committee.

12. Recommendations on Amendments
1 Extend payments to the Forever Wild Land Trust Vote NO
Allow the State to refund and repurchase general Vote NO
2
obligation bonds
Define the Stockton Landmark District within Vote YES
3
Baldwin County
Remove racial language in the Alabama State Vote YES
4
Constitution
Transfer of assets and liabilities of the Water Works Vote YES
5
and Sewer Board of the City of Prichard

13. Recommendations on Amendments
6 Prohibit mandatory participation in any health care Vote
system. YES/NO
7 Guarantee the right of individuals to vote for public
office, public votes on referenda, or votes of Vote YES
employee representation by secret ballot.
8 Repeal existing laws regarding the compensation and
expense reimbursement of the members Vote NO
of the Alabama State Legislature.
9 Replaces outdated language concerning the Vote YES
categorization of certain corporations.
10 This amendment will prohibit the state from
becoming a stockholder in any bank or Vote YES
banking corporation.