Posted by During each my last eight years in the House I have a routine where I like to move all of my bills early in the session. My reasoning for this is that somewhere around midway through the session the process gets snagged on some issue like gambling, sales tax on groceries or some proposed tax increase. When that snag does occur everything else usually grinds to a halt. This session, once again I am running around like crazy trying to get my legislative issues pushed out of the House quickly so that I am not stuck behind what hang ups await us. Many of my colleagues look at me as if I am crazy moving between two or three committee meetings at the same time. I probably don’t have many more bills than a lot of my fellow lawmakers but I am big believer in getting my bills moving now rather than later.
In the last two weeks I have passed 5 bills out of the House and a few more out of committee. Now granted some of these bills are minor issues which are not noteworthy but nonetheless need to be corrected or addressed. I am also not always successful in my efforts. Today was a good example of when you try to do too much at once. My legislation to reduce the requirements for ballot access for third parties and independents in Alabama was defeated by a 6-5 vote in the House Constitution and Elections Committee. Alabama has terrible ballot access laws (we are the third worse in the country) and I have always just felt that this personally needed to be fixed. I am not going to give up on this one. At the same meeting however I did pass legislation out of committee that would begin the process of having campaign disclosure forms submitted through the internet so that the public could further have access and searchable insight into who funds Alabama elections.
I mention these couple of examples to highlight how I often begin my legislative sessions in a full sprint. Every legislator has a different way they handle their legislation and I think an early spring out of the gate is how I like to do it. You have to be ready for some legislative setbacks along the way but cannot get thrown of stride too early in the session.
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What are the 2 states that have worse ballot access laws than Alabama?
If your bill passed, wouldn’t it still be rather difficult for anyone other than a member of the 2 major parties to get on the ballot?
Don, I believe the two states are Wyoming and Utah. It would still be tougher to get on the ballot than the two major parties. But seeing how even this bill was too much progress for the committee I think baby steps are how you finally get to the goal of more open ballot access.
Keep pushing for this Cam. Thanks for your work on giving Alabamians a choice over the Republicrats.
Right now, Alabama is the worst state when one compares all the state requirements on a percentage basis for statewide office, other than President (Alabama is just medium when it comes to president). Using the easier of the two possible routes, independent or new party, and comparing all the states, Alabama is the only state worse than 2% of the last vote cast, for statewide office.
Also, comparing the percentage of the vote that a party must poll to remain ballot-qualified, Alabama is also the worst. Alabama is 20% and no other state is worse than 10% (except that Georgia has a crazy hybrid vote test, which is a vote of 1% for a party to remain on the ballot for statewide office, but 20% to remain on for district office).
When one compares all the states, just looking at the independent candidate requirements for statewide office other than president, Alabama is tied with New Mexico for being the worst. Both are at 3%. But New Mexico has a one-half of 1% for quaifying a new party.
Utah has easy ballot access. Wyoming is 2%, so it’s severe, but not as severe as Alabama.
That is very informative Richard. Even more reason why Alabama needs to move toward better ballot access.
There’s a way to change our ballot access law and get other REAL reform and accountability legislation enacted even if the legislature won’t pass it…..help make Alabama the 25th Initiative and Referendum (I&R) state.
Then voters can introduce legislation that bypasses both the legislature and the governor and is placed on a ballot for voters to approve or reject at the polls.
Go to http://www.doctoriq.com/youcan.htm to learn how we can bring I&R to Alabama. It only takes enough people following 3 simple steps to get this done. Take a look around the rest of the website (www.doctoriq.com) while you’re there.
Ask your friends and neighbors to follow your lead.