Opponents rally against changing Alabama constitution to help expand gambling

Phillip Rawls

Friday, April 6, 2001 | 10:19 a.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Opponents of rewriting Alabama's constitution voiced fears Wednesday that the foundation of state government is about to be broken, with God thrown out and more taxes and gambling brought in.

More than 100 people stood in a drizzle Wednesday to hear critics of constitutional revision speak on the steps of the Supreme Court building. They balanced umbrellas in one hand while holding signs and fans saying, "Stand up and fight for our Godly constitution."

Across the street, proponents of a new constitution held a simultaneous indoor rally where they said Alabama's constitution needs to be revised because it is the longest and most amended of any state. Speakers at the anti-revision rally questioned their motives for changing the foundation of state government, which begins by recognizing God.

"The agenda of these people is to get rid of God. Separation of church and state is what they are after," said Kelly McGinley, a talk show host for Christian radio station WMOB in Mobile.

Participants said the anti-constitutional revision movement started gaining momentum when Gov. Don Siegelman threw his support to the other side. The current constitution prohibits a state lottery without the approval of voters in a statewide referendum, like the one that killed Siegelman's lottery proposal in 1999. A rewritten constitution could jettison the requirement for a referendum.

"It threw up a red flag," said Jacob Wolff, who traveled from Mobile with his wife, Phyllis.

Alabama's 100-year-old constitution also prohibits increases in state income taxes and county property taxes without a vote of the people. Opponents fear a new constitution written by a constitutional convention or by the Legislature will erase those restrictions and let the Legislature and county commissions raise taxes at will.

"This whole thing is all about money and power. Whenever they have the ability to tax you more, you have less freedom," said former state Sen. Dwight Adams, R-New Brockton.

The rally was organized by Value PAC, a political action committee that handled advertising for Chief Justice Roy Moore in last year's election. Moore's wife, Kayla, attended part of the rally, but did not speak. The chief justice is scheduled to attend a seminar the group is sponsoring Saturday on why Alabama's 1901 constitution shouldn't be rewritten.

Proponents of a new constitution say the 1901 constitution was designed to take the vote away from blacks and poor whites and concentrate power in Montgomery.

McGinley said she doesn't trust current officeholders to rewrite the constitution and would prefer to keep the one written by a constitutional convention in 1901.

"I trust what we have today because the men were less evil back then than they are today," she said.