Changes

The '''Alabama Constitution''' was adopted in 1901 and is one of the longest and most detailed constitutions in the world.  It has 799 amendments, many on obscure issues like the specific salaries of certain judges.  Many amendments are specific to certain counties in [[Alabama]].  Much of the tax code itself is in the '''Alabama Constitution'''.  The heavy centralization of the government of [[Alabama]] in its capital, Montgomery, further contributes to the length of the Constitution as local entities are without power to pass local laws customarily handled at the local level in other states.

The '''Alabama Constitution''' is the governing document for the state of [[Alabama]].

The 555th amendment to the Constitution established that a "local amendment did not have to be voted on '''statewide''' if it passed both houses of the Legislature without a dissenting vote."<ref>http://www.constitutionalreform.org/news/article93.shtml (emphasis added).</ref> If just one person in the legislature dissents, then the local law goes on the statewide ballot for a vote.  If no one dissents, then it is voted on only in the affected county.

The most recent Constitution was adopted by voters in 2022, after numerous complaints about the prior one (adopted in 1901) which was one of the longest and most detailed constitutions in the world.  The revision repealed obsolete (and, in some cases, overtly racist) provisions (such as a provision prohibiting interracial marriage) and recompiled the prior text (which contained over 800 separate amendments, and like the United States Constitution the amendments are shown after the main text) into a more readable format.

 

However, the recompilation didn't deal with the document's main problem: it dramatically centralizes Alabama's governing power in its capital, [[Montgomery]].  Many of the prior amendments still retained deal with specific issues involving only specific counties; local entities have very little authority to pass local laws customarily handled at the local level in other states.  Worse, the (prior) Amendment 555 (still retained) established that a "local amendment did not have to be voted on '''statewide''' if it passed both houses of the Legislature without a dissenting vote."<ref>http://www.constitutionalreform.org/news/article93.shtml (emphasis added).</ref> If just one person in the legislature dissents, then the local law must go on the statewide ballot for a vote; if no one dissents, then it is voted on only in the affected county.

Its preamble states, "We the people of the State of [[Alabama]], invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty [[God]], do ordain and establish the following Constitution."

Its preamble states, "We the people of the State of [[Alabama]], invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty [[God]], do ordain and establish the following Constitution."

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[[Category:State Constitutions]]

[[Category:State Constitutions]]