Calhoun County, AL – Calhoun County Commissioner Lee Patterson, who also serves as the President Elect of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA), is advocating for voters to support Amendment One. He emphasizes the potential of the proposed amendment to simplify the process of passing local legislation in the face of ongoing legislative challenges.
The ACCA sheds light on the historical context, revealing that in 1984, voters ratified an amendment to the Alabama Constitution. This amendment mandated that no legislation could be considered by the Legislature until both of the state’s annual budgets were passed and delivered to the Governor. However, an exception was included, allowing the House and Senate to consider other legislative matters ahead of the budgets by adopting a resolution known as the “budget isolation resolution” (BIR) with a three-fifths majority vote.
Over the years, the BIR voting language has generated confusion and sparked litigation, particularly concerning the requisite vote to consider local legislation before the budgets. Responding to a 2015 lawsuit challenging a Jefferson County local law, the Legislature passed and voters ratified a constitutional amendment in 2016, confirming all local laws enacted prior to November 2016. Despite this, the BIR language remains a source of ongoing disagreement, leading to several lawsuits challenging local laws.
Amendment One aims to address the root of the problem by proposing a constitutional amendment that excludes local legislation from the BIR process. The proposed amendment would allow local legislation to be considered without the requirement of a BIR. Additionally, Amendment One seeks to ratify the local bills enacted since the 2016 constitutional amendment.
As President Elect of the ACCA, Commissioner Lee Patterson underscores the importance of approving Amendment One. Ongoing litigation surrounding the BIR process poses a threat to the validity of hundreds of local laws enacted since 2016. Patterson urges Alabamians to support Amendment One on the March 2024 ballot, emphasizing the critical need for its approval to safeguard the legitimacy of local legislation.
The upcoming vote on Amendment One holds significant implications for the legislative landscape, promising to provide clarity and resolve longstanding challenges in the consideration of local laws.
Commissioner Terry Howell also supports Amendment One, expressing concerns in his district about homes being used for rehabilitation and halfway houses set up in residential neighborhoods. He highlights the difficulties in regulating these situations under current laws and sees Amendment One as a step toward addressing local issues more effectively.
Howell stated, “I do support a YES vote on amendment one. My take is hopefully to make it easier to forefront local issues that we deal with in Calhoun County. Local schools, law enforcement, fire and emergency services, along with any issues with mental health services, move it for our commission and local representatives. Also, I think it’s my duty to stand firm in regard to halfway houses in residential neighborhoods.”
Representative Chad Robertson echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that as representatives, they are elected to address problems unique to their districts through meaningful local legislation. Robertson views Amendment One as a means to streamline the process and address local needs more effectively and efficiently.
