Bishop to Rules Committee?
Senate Minority Leader Jabo Waggoner (R - Birmingham) may appoint Sen. Charles Bishop (R - Arley) to the Senate Rules Committee. The Senate Minority Leader may designate Senators to take his place on standing committees (see examples here) and two Parlor sources confirm that Waggoner is telling colleagues that he is considering appointing Bishop to the Rules Committee since Senate Democrats stripped Bishop of committee assignments yesterday.
Keep in mind that the Senate Rules Committee is chaired by Bishop nemesis and sparring partner, Sen. Lowell Barron (D - Fyffe).
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Did I hear “double dog dare ya”? just now?
Comment by walt moffett — February 6, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
This session is shaping up to be very very fun! We already have had one get arrested with the likelihood of more to come,another one got his ear bit off and now this. I cant wait to see whats next.
Comment by ed — February 6, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
I feel this year will be less productive than last year.
Comment by William Wyatt Wallace — February 6, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
Are there going to be video cameras rolling in the committee meetings? Maybe one a Jerry Springer’s bouncers can be on call, at least.
Comment by Peter — February 7, 2008 @ 5:14 am
Are you kidding me? Now Bishop wants to sue. He continues to embarass the state worldwide. Another Alabama GOP disgrace.
Comment by SamfordDem — February 7, 2008 @ 9:09 am
WWW in comment #3: “I feel this year will be less productive than last year.”
OUR (in caps intentionally) legislature has a long history of being non-productive as far as passing meaningful reform and accountability legislation, as well as other legislation in the interest of Alabamians, is concerned.
96 years ago Teddy Roosevelt said, “Action by the initiative or referendum ought not to be the normal way of legislation; but the power to take it should be provided in the constitution, so that if the representatives fail truly to represent the people on some matter of sufficient importance to rouse popular interest, then the people shall have in their hands the facilities to make good the failure.”
I think a majority of Alabamians would agree that OUR legislature has met TR’s threshold for us to act in our own interests, but while 24 other states have an initiative process, Alabamians are still gagged and handcuffed. It’s a “Catch 22” situation because in order for us to have the I&R tool to use when necessary, our legislature would have to give it to us, and we all know that the legislature is very reluctant to give up one ounce of the power it covets to keep for itself.
The only way that can be changed is for enough voters to inform THEIR members of the legislature that if they don’t give us I&R then those voters will do everything they can to influence as many other constituents of those who are supposed to be doing THEIR work in the legislature to make them pay the price for not complying at the polls in 2010 —- and thus lose all of their power, self-imagined prestige, and perks in the process.
I urge all Alabama voters to contact the two members of the legislature who represent them and to give them that message early and often, and to contact all of their family, friends, and acquaintances in the state and ask them to do likewise.
It will require a huge grassroots demand to sufficiently scare enough legislators in order for us to ever have that small voice in the government WE supposedly own, and certainly finance.
Representative Mike Ball has said that he will once again, within the first 2 weeks of this session, introduce his constitutional amendment to make Alabama the 25th I&R state. When he does, support it in every way you can.
Comment by Don — February 7, 2008 @ 10:03 am
comments by Don are so true. the legislature is dinfunctional. they have no intention of passing any legislation that will threaten their power. the state is in a budget shortfall and they gave themselves a 62% raise. grassroots organizations like empoweralabama.org and thedemocracydefenseleauge.com and the I@R could be the salvation of this state.
Comment by refish — February 7, 2008 @ 11:15 am
The Anniston Star gets it:
“Here’s the hard truth: We’re in this mess because of the state Constitution. It keeps money and power in the hands of a powerful few. It perpetuates a system where the poor pay a higher percentage of their money in taxes than the wealthy. Alabama is a low-tax, low-services state, and we are getting what we don’t pay for.”
What we need is a huge ground swell of grassroots activisim so we can get a new State Constitution. That’s the ELEPHANT (emphasis mine) in the room. empoweralabama.org and thedemocracydefenseleague.com should should assist in this endeavor.
Comment by bhmhomeboy — February 7, 2008 @ 11:23 am
The DemocracyDefenseLeague is behind I&R and have issued press releases during legislative sessions when it has been introduced. Have taken actions to support this.
Comment by refish — February 7, 2008 @ 11:36 am
See Representative Cam Ward’s comment (#2 to his post) related to I&R legislation @ http://www.politicalparlor.net/wp/2008/02/07/3197/
Comment by Don — February 7, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Good grief Don. I&R is going nowhere fast. Find a new pet project.
Comment by Anonymous — February 7, 2008 @ 2:37 pm
It’s not about I&R it’s about Constitution Reform. Constitution Reform would solve a lot of this states problems. I wonder why the Legislature and the Democracy Defense League are for I&R but don’t want Constitution reform? How can you defend Democracy without Constitution reform?
Comment by bhmhomeboy — February 7, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
bhmhomeboy, if we already had I&R it would provide the means for voters to initiate legislation to have a constitutional convention (and other reform and accountability legislation that fails year after year) that would bypass both the legislature and the governor and be put on the ballot for voters to accept or reject. So ask the leaders of ACCR why they don’t work for passage of I&R legislation at the same time they try to get the legislature to pass constitutional convention legislation, which also seems to be going nowhere in spite of all of ACCR’s years of effort. If every organization that has a legislative agenda would unite to obtain I&R it would be to their benefit later in meeting their goals. I&R is the key, the tool, to unlock the door to a better government.
Comment by Don — February 8, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Bhamhomeboy - actually, the Mobile Press Register gets it:
Speaking of special interests, Alabama Education Association kingpin Paul Hubbert is opposed to many elements of Gov. Riley’s agenda, including his proposal to expand the state’s nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program.
If Paul Hubbert is against it, you can be sure most Democrats in the Legislature will be against it, too. Sure, the pre-K expansion would be good for the children, but Mr. Hubbert and his lackeys are all about what’s good for the AEA. The governor’s plan lets parents put their children in high-quality private pre-K programs, and that doesn’t serve the AEA’s interests.
Legislators should heed Gov. Riley’s call for tax breaks that will help low-income families and small businesses. Most seem inclined to listen, but Paul Hubbert tells them that tax cuts will hurt the education budget. In truth, tax cuts help sustain economic growth, and a growing economy is the best guarantee that the schools will be adequately funded.
The governor’s agenda generally reflects the public’s interest in honest government, good schools and economic progress. Unfortunately, he faces a major challenge persuading hard-core partisans and captives of the special interests to go along with what’s best for the state.
Comment by cooper — February 8, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Legislators should “heed” the call of ACCR and the majority of the Alabama citizens to let the people vote for a Constitutional Covention.
Comment by bhmhomeboy — February 8, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
bhmhomeboy, from reading many of your comments I surmise that you are at least a tiny bit liberal, possibly even a Democrat.
If, as you say, “Legislators should “heed” the call of ACCR and the majority of the Alabama citizens to let the people vote for a Constitutional Convention”, ask yourself which political party is, and has been for God only knows how long, the majority party in the legislature and thus controls the rules, all committees, and decides which proposed legislation gets out of committee, to the floor for debate, and approved. It is the Democrats who do all of that, so if you don’t like the results, blame them. Perhaps some Republicans share a part of the blame, but for the most part they can only hope, at best, to stop what they consider to be bad legislation.
As I tried to explain to you earlier, if we had I&R, none of that would matter if enough Alabamians wanted to have a constitutional convention we would have one in spite of what the legislature wants.
Comment by Don — February 8, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
Don,
I Think therefore I am a Liberal Democrat. Thanks for noticing!
Republicans call all Democratic legislation “bad” legislation just because.
As I’ve said before if we had Constitution reform we wouldn’t need I&R.
Comment by bhmhomeboy — February 9, 2008 @ 5:45 pm