http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1162289806296080.xml&coll=2 – Candidates tout differences in gubernatorial debate.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1162289948296080.xml&coll=2 – Strange, Folsom speak to different relationships with governor in their debate.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1162290033296080.xml&coll=2 – King, Tyson argue over experience.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1162289907296080.xml&coll=2 – Federal judge sets December hearing on objections to settlement of long-running higher ed desegregation suit.

http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1162289845296080.xml&coll=2 – The Birmingham News announces endorsements for state’s appellate courts, gives nod to Nabers in race for Chief Justice.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1162290085296120.xml&coll=3 – Group receives federal funds to build affordable housing for Katrina victims in Bayou la Batre.

http://www.al.com/opinion/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1162289862296120.xml&coll=3 – Press-Register criticizes Cato report giving Riley an F in fiscal policy.

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1162289813295930.xml&coll=1 – The Huntsville Times recommends reelection of Sue Schmitz in House District 6 and Randy Hinshaw in House District 21.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310355/1007/NEWS02 – Riley and Baxley both plan to spend last days of campaign on the road.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/APN/610301450 – Secretary of State’s office owes about 24 counties reimbursement for equipment purchases made to implement HAVA.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/APN/610301266 – Nabers says he is not participating in Exxon appeal case.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/APN/610301376 – Proponents pushing 10 mill measure for education.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310305/1012/editorial1 – The Tuscaloosa News endorses Chapman in race for Secretary of State.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310306/1012/editorial1- The Tuscaloosa News endorses Ivey for State Treasurer, Shaw for State Auditor, Sparks for Agriculture Commissioner, and Rice and Parker for PSC seats.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/061031a.shtml -The Decatur Daily endorses Ivey in race for State Treasurer.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/061031b.shtml – The Decatur Daily endorses Shaw in race for State Auditor.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/061031c.shtml – The Decatur Daily endorses Sparks for Agriculture Commissioner.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310340/1050/OPINION – The Gadsden Times calls for further improvement in state’s open records law.

http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=8043f392ee71bff7 – Plant closure could have “devastating” impact on Stevenson.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS02/610310341/1009 – House District 88 pits veteran legislator against activist who espouses “Southern ideals.”

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/OPINION01/610300344/1012/OPINION – The Montgomery Advertiser urges voters to approve local home rule.

http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2006/as-editorials-1031-editorial-6j30u2753.htm – The Anniston Star say Alabama is a “no-party state.”

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

State & Region News

Education officials say Amendment 2 is necessary to improve school funding

MONTGOMERY — State education officials Monday argued for the passage of Amendment 2, saying the legislation on next week’s ballot is needed to bring fairness and equity to funding for state schools.

“We know citizens understand the value of paying for something that’s important for them,” Alabama schools Superintendent Joe Morton said at a press conference Monday afternoon. “They understand the value of national defense, the value of police protection, the value of fire protection, and they understand the value of paying for schools. And that’s what Amendment 2 does.”

The amendment would require affected school districts to levy at least 10 mills of property tax for their school systems. The state passed a law in 1995 giving aid to districts that contribute 10 mills of property tax or its equivalent to the sate. Thirty school systems do not; they take money from sales tax revenue to make up the difference.

Property taxes generally are a more stable source of revenue than sales taxes, which tend to rise and fall based on the economy. Using sales taxes to meet the mill requirement means taking the revenue from other needs in the community.

The amendment will not apply to any school districts in Calhoun or Cleburne counties. Those districts already meet the requirements. The 30 districts below the threshold have mill rates from 7 to 9.7 mills.

A mill is a value used to calculate property taxes. One mill equals one-thousandth of a dollar, or $1 for every $1,000 of a home’s value for tax purposes. Taxes on owner-occupied homes are calculated based on one-tenth of their appraised value.

A family in a home with an appraised value of $100,000 that pays 7 mills of tax would see its bill for local school taxes increase from $70 to $100 under the requirement. In a community that pays 9.7 mills in taxes, the family’s bill would increase from $97 to $100.

The proposal has broad support from educators. Groups such as the Alabama Farmers Federation and Christian Action of Alabama, typically opposed to property taxes, have not taken a position on the amendment.

John Giles, executive director of Christian Action Alabama (the former Christian Coalition), said the group would never be on the “affirmative side” of a tax increase, but said they would limit their involvement strictly to explaining what the vote would mean.

“We’ll say, if you vote yes, these counties will be affected, and if you vote no, this happens,” Giles said.

The plan faces opposition from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lucy Baxley, who has said she considers it a tax increase, and Gov. Bob Riley has expressed wariness about it.

However, superintendents from some of the 30 districts said passage of the amendment could mean anywhere from $1.5 million to $7.1 million per year in additional revenue.

“It provides for us the opportunity to achieve things in the district we’ve struggled to achieve for a long time,” said Linda Robinson, interim superintendent of Montgomery County Schools, who said the amendment would raise $7.1 million in new revenue for her district.

The superintendents said the added funds would go toward art and music programs, new construction or maintaining existing services.

“We want to keep what we’ve got,” said Larry Butler, superintendent of Autauga schools, who said the initiative would bring $1.5 million into his system’s coffers. “All the programs we’ve talked about depend on money.”

The Committee for Better Schools, a coalition of education groups, is purchasing radio spots and newspaper advertising pushing for passage of the amendment. The group will focus on building support in the 101 school districts that already have the 10-mill requirement and would not be affected by the amendment. Morton did not discuss that strategy at length, only saying that it was part of the objective “to get one more vote for ‘yes’ than ‘no.’”

Morton said if the amendment passes, the districts will be careful with the money.

“They are mindful of taxpayers’ dollars, but they need to get to the 10-mill level to provide the essential services they are not providing to children,” he said.

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Proposed Statewide Amendment Number One (1)

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, authorizing the governing body of the City of Prichard to establish an Alabama Foreign Trade Investment Zone as a special tax district for the purpose of importing duty free and quota free articles eligible under the United States General System of Preferences and the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act; would specify that the value of land and improvements on the land within the district would be assessed and taxed for ad valorem tax purposes by county tax officials under a single site valuation system; and would provide further for the contractual powers of nonprofit organizations. (Proposed by Act No. 2005-105)

Proposed Statewide Amendment Number Two (2)

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to require the levy of an additional local ad valorem property tax in those school districts of the State in which local ad valorem property taxes for general public school purposes totaling less than 10.0 mills are otherwise levied, so as to ensure that such taxes totaling at least such amount are levied for such purposes in every school district in the State of Alabama. (Proposed by Act No. 2005-215)

Proposed Statewide Amendment Number Three (3)

Relating to Macon County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide for the election of the Macon County Board of Education from four single-member districts and the county at large, and to provide for staggered six-year terms of office. (Proposed by Act No. 2006-512)

Editorials

Factions instead of parties: Cutting deals in Montgomery

Our founding fathers — James Madison in particular — did not like political parties.

Madison wanted factions, political interests that would form alliances, pro and con, to deal with a particular issue; when the dealing was done the alliances would break apart. Another issue, new and different factions. And so on and so on.

Political parties attempt to do just the opposite. Their goal is to create a permanent organization and make sure members vote the party line when it counts. Coalition building outside the party is discouraged except in the most critical circumstances.

Apparently Alabama Republicans have looked at current circumstances and decided they are critical. After months, indeed years, of trying to force party discipline on members, GOP leaders are reaching out to selected Democrats to see if the two groups can agree on some sort of “power-sharing” arrangement.

The critical circumstance that brought Republicans to this point is the realization that despite a spirited (and negative and expensive) campaign, it is unlikely that in the upcoming election the state GOP will get control of either house of the Legislature. However, in the state Senate, there are enough disaffected Democrats to give Republicans considerable clout, in some cases make the GOP part of a majority, if Republicans can form an alliance with them.

The Democrats are disaffected over how current Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron (D-Fyffe) has operated the upper house and used his power to reward those in the party who agree with him and punish those who do not. Republicans, with no love for Barron, see here an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. If they can cut a deal with anti-Barron Democrats to replace the Pro Tem with someone friendlier to Republican interests, that might lay the foundation for future alliances that would help move Republican bills through the Legislature.

All of which is to recall what we have said on other occasions. Despite the best efforts of Republicans and Democrats to define their parties and enforce loyalty, Alabama is not a two-party state. We are a no-party state — factionalized and fluid.

James Madison would be proud.