Constitutional Reformers court Libertarian Party
Newspapers across Alabama are drumming up support to change
a state constitution with relatively few problems.
The major obstacle facing Alabamians is how to reform the constitution with lawyers and special interest groups
dominating the process. Reforming the state constitution is risky business with lawyers dominating every aspect
of Alabama politics.
The following (Huntsville Times) article insinuates
that the Libertarian Party of Alabama
http://www.al.lp.org/
supports re-writing Alabama's constitution. This is not the case.
I was secretary of the party when we considered this issue, and we decided that because of the great danger inherent
in this process, we would oppose it. We also decided, however, that if
such a re-write came to pass, that we would seek to influence it to the greatest extent possible, to secure the
liberties of Alabamians against usurpation and oppression.
I just wanted to set the record straight--the Libertarian Party of Alabama recognizes the current constitution's
many problems, but feels that a rewrite is too dangerous in the present
political climate.
Please examine the party web site at www.al.lp.org or contact Party Administrator
Mike Rster for more information.
[email protected]
Sincerely,
Daniel V. Bowden
Louisville, AL
[email protected]
The Huntsville Times
You don't have to agree with everything - or anything - the Libertarian Party stands for. You don't have to embrace
a single candidate offered by that party. But it's becoming harder and harder to say that it shouldn't be fed from
the same spoon that serves Democrat and Republican candidates.
Matthews Givens, the Libertarian Party co-chairman, has asked Secretary of State Jim Bennett to put his party's
candidates on the ballot just like those of the two major ones.
None of this business of having to collect some 40,000 signatures every time an election comes up. The party has
shown it is becoming a viable third option for voters, Givens said. (You'll recall that the Libertarians, not Republicans,
had the quixotic gumption to challenge U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer in the last election.)
And Givens has sound arguments in his corner, a major one being that Sydney Albert Smith, who ran against incumbent
Republican Champ Lyons, received more than 225,000 votes - slightly more than 20 percent - for a Supreme Court
seat.
Bennett says he believes state law requires 20 percent of the more than 1.5 million total votes cast in the election,
not the 1.1 million cast in the court race, to get the Libertarians over the hump.
He's asked state Attorney General Bill Pryor for an opinion because - as you've probably guessed - the law isn't
easy to interpret.
How, you ask, could that be remedied? Well, a level-headed reform of the state Constitution could do the trick.
Reform could also resolve some other issues, like a fair tax code, home rule and a host of other issues the voluminous
document doesn't address or tackles incorrectly or obtusely.
While it's true that Alabama needs election rules that don't allow horseradish worshipers or advocates of workplace
nudism to get on the ballot without showing support stronger than a few zealots, Libertarians have long since passed
that plateau.
You may disagree with what they say, but they are offering opinions a sizable portion of the electorate agrees
with. They certainly deserve a place on the ballot so the people can decide whether they are worth voting for.
How to get involved
Citizens interested in constitutional reform may contact the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform, P.O. Box
34, Montgomery 36101. The group's Web e-mail address is [email protected].
Here are local and Montgomery phone numbers for Huntsville and Madison County legislators, followed by their e-mail
addresses: Senate District 2: Tom Butler, 256-837-8374, 334-242-7854, [email protected] Senate District 4: Zeb
Little, 256-734-0456, 334-242-7855, [email protected] Senate District 7: Jeff Enfinger, 256-533-1155, 334-242-7885
Senate District 8: Lowell Barron, 256-623-2298, 334-242-7858 House District 4: Angelo Mancuso, 256-351-9019, 334-242-7709
House District 6: Sue Schmitz, 256-852-2383, 334-242-7704, [email protected] House District 10: Jim Haney,
256-883-6062, 334-242-7691, [email protected] House District 19: Laura Hall, 256-859-2234, 334-242-7688, [email protected]
House District 20: Howard Sanderford, 256-533-1989, 334-242-4368, [email protected] House District 21: Patrick Jones,
256-858-9771, 334-242-7733 House District 22: Albert Hall, 256-776-3618, 334-242-7727 E-mail for the Madison County
legislative delegation is [email protected].
© The Huntsville Times
