Alabama constitution reform
THOMAS SPENCER
Poll:
Most favor redone document
News staff writer
A majority of Alabamians want to rewrite the state's constitution, and an even larger majority want a convention,
rather than the Legislature, to draft the new document, according to a new poll.
A coalition of academics, editorialists and civic leaders has been urging reform of the Alabama Constitution, which
celebrates its 100th birthday this year. They say the constitution is archaic, racist and an inadequate foundation
for modern government. Opponents say they fear a new document would open the way for gambling, higher taxes and
bigger state government.
In the survey last week of 400 registered voters, 56 percent said they support rewriting the constitution, 33 percent
opposed the idea and the rest were undecided. Seventy percent said they believe a constitutional convention should
be called if the document is to be rewritten; 12 percent would favor the Legislature's drafting it.
The survey was conducted Monday through Thursday for The Birmingham News and three other news organizations by
Larry Powell, associate professor of communication studies at UAB.
Other findings in the poll confirmed a general dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs and the state's
political leadership: 61 percent said the state is headed in the wrong direction, and only 14 percent gave the
Legislature a favorable rating.
"I think there is a lot of pessimism about the way the state is headed," Powell said. When there is that
kind of pessimism, he said, there is "a stronger tendency to accept change, and that would include a willingness
to look at a new constitution."
Asked what changes they would make if the constitution were rewritten, 74 percent of the respondents favored increased
decision-making power at the local level; 75 percent of voters wanted to see unconstitutional discriminatory language
removed from the constitution; and 74 percent said the document should be based on biblical principles and include
references to God.
A smaller majority, 60 percent, wanted local authorities to have the authority to call referendums on tax increases,
rather than have to go through the Legislature.
Profound distrust of the Legislature cropped up again when voters were asked about the earmarking of taxes. Of
all the money coming into state government, 90 percent is specified, or earmarked, for certain purposes. Some reformers
argue that approach leaves the Legislature unable to set priorities or manage a fiscal crisis such as the current
shortfall in tax revenues for education.
Sixty-one percent of those surveyed favored keeping taxes earmarked.
The survey's findings on taxes were mixed: 40 percent believed Alabama tax rates, which generate less per capita
than those in any other state, were "about what you would expect to pay," but 33 percent rated them too
high. Only 25 percent considered taxes low.
Critics of Alabama's tax system charge that high sales taxes, coupled with the lowest property taxes in the nation,
burden low-income citizens and favor the wealthy. Suggested changes in the tax structure drew a mixed response:
37 percent favored keeping sales taxes at current rates; 24 percent favored a decrease in sales taxes offset by
an increase in property taxes; 28 wanted to keep the current sales tax rate and increase property taxes.
Democrats, low-income voters and blacks more often than others said they felt the state's taxes were too high.
Seventy percent of voters surveyed said state government was too big and they were taxed enough. However, 70 percent
also said they would favor tax increases if they would lead to better schools and improved services by state government.
That isn't the paradox it appears to be, Powell said. People would support higher taxes if they knew it was going
to improve services, but "they don't trust the government to do it," he said.
The survey was commissioned by The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times, WVTM/Channel 13 in Birmingham and WHNT/Channel
19 in Huntsville. The margin of error for the poll was 4.9 percent.
© The Birmingham News
