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"Group of Alabama voters challenges state Constitution; New vote or document wanted"

"Group of Alabama voters challenges state Constitution; New vote or document wanted": Friday's edition of The Birmingham News contained an article that begins, "A group of Alabama voters who say the state's constitution was never legally ratified by the people are asking for a new vote on it or on a new constitution. The voters this month sued several state officials in Jefferson County Circuit Court's Bessemer division, claiming they violated voter rights by failing to ensure that Alabama's 108-year-old constitution is valid. State historians say the 1901 referendum on the document was plagued with voter fraud. The lawsuit is the latest approach at forcing reform of a lengthy state constitution that is riddled with racist language, offers little power to local governments and imposes a tax system that critics call immoral. Efforts to change it at the legislative level for years have been unsuccessful."

The newspaper has posted online both the complaint initiating suit and an affidavit in support of the lawsuit.

Friday evening's broadcast of NPR's "All Things Considered" contained an audio segment entitled "Effort To Scrap Alabama's Constitution" (RealPlayer required).

Full post as published by How Appealing on February 15, 2009 (boomark / email).