2020 Voter Guide: Jones Meets Tuberville In Scrimmage To Claim U.S. Senate Seat
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, the first Democrat Alabama has elected to the Senate in 25 years, is running an aggressive campaign to keep the seat and show he’s no one-hit wonder. He’s facing off against Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn University head football coach who is trying to reclaim the seat for the Republicans, in the Nov. 3 general election.
But was Doug Jones’ victory a fluke?
That’s been the prevailing question since November 2017’s special election, when Jones narrowly edged out Roy Moore for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by then-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Jones, an attorney from Birmingham, became the deep-red state’s first Democratic senator in a quarter-century, though many attributed the upset to the allegations of sexual misconduct that plagued his far-right opponent.
Meanwhile, Tuberville has never run for political office in his life, but he’s running for the United States Senate like he’s an incumbent. Tuberville is keeping his head down and avoiding mistakes, and if pre-election polling is correct, the game plan is working.
Sample Ballots
See the raw link: Jefferson County Ballot
See the raw link: Shelby County Ballot
Alabama’s Constitutional Amendments
Much of the focus this election season has been on the presidential race or Alabama’s U.S. Senate contest. But voters will also see six statewide constitutional amendments on the ballot.
The language of these amendments can be pretty convoluted. Each year the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama offers analysis of the amendments. Senior research associate Thomas Spencer broke them down for WBHM.
Amendment 1
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to amend Article VIII of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 177 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, to provide that only a citizen of the United States has the right to vote.
Currently, the Alabama Constitution allows “every” U.S citizen the right to vote. This amendment would change that to “only” U.S. citizens could vote. The push is part of a national movement.
“The group is concerned that in some small number of local races around the country non-citizens have been allowed to vote in, say, school board elections,” Spencer said.
In practice, the amendment does not change who can or can’t vote in Alabama.
Amendment 2
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to increase the membership of the Judicial Inquiry Commission and further provide for the appointment of the additional members; further provide for the membership of the Court of the Judiciary and further provide for the appointment of the additional members; further provide for the process of disqualifying an active judge; repeal provisions providing for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justices and appellate judges and the removal for cause of the judges of the district and circuit courts, judges of the probate courts, and judges of certain other courts by the Supreme Court; delete the authority of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to appoint an Administrative Director of Courts; provide the Supreme Court of Alabama with authority to appoint an Administrative Director of Courts; require the Legislature to establish procedures for the appointment of the Administrative Director of Courts; delete the requirement that a district court hold court in each incorporated municipality with a population of 1,000 or more where there is no municipal court; provide that the procedure for the filling of vacancies in the office of a judge may be changed by local constitutional amendment; delete certain language relating to the position of constable holding more than one state office; delete a provision providing for the temporary maintenance of the prior judicial system; repeal the office of circuit solicitor; and make certain nonsubstantive stylistic changes.
This amendment makes changes to Alabama’s judicial system in what Spencer describes as a housekeeping measure. Among the changes, it would end the practice of the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court appointing the administrative director of courts. Instead, that position would be hired by all nine Supreme Court justices.
“The idea behind that is to give more continuity, rather than having the administrator of the court system change with every chief justice,” Spencer said.
The amendment makes changes to the Judicial Inquiry Commission, a body that can investigate misconduct by judges and remove them if found guilty. It would expand the number of people on the panel from 9 to 11. Also, the amendment would end the practice of automatically suspending a judge when a misconduct investigation begins.
Finally, the measure would eliminate one of the two ways judges can be removed from the bench. Right now, judges can be removed through the commission or impeached and removed by the Alabama Legislature. If this amendment passes, only the commission could remove judges.
Amendment 3
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that a judge, other than a judge of probate, appointed to fill a vacancy would serve an initial term until the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January following the next general election after the judge has completed two years in office.
When a judge is appointed to fill a vacancy, that judge can serve for one year. He or she then must go before voters in the next general election to stay on the bench. This amendment would lengthen that initial time frame to two years.
“The idea behind it, I suppose, is to give judges a little bit more time in office to get their feet on the ground,” Spencer said. “The drawback of course is it delays the time period under which the judge has not faced the electorate.”
Amendment 4
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to authorize the Legislature to recompile the Alabama Constitution and submit it during the 2022 Regular Session, and provide a process for its ratification by the voters of this state.
The Alabama Constitution is the longest in the world and is nearing 950 amendments. Many amendments only apply to individual counties or local jurisdictions. It also has many provisions that have since been declared unconstitutional by the federal courts, such as poll taxes or literacy test.
This amendment would charge the Legislative Services Agency with recompiling the document. Amendments would be grouped by the counties they affect. Racist language and unconstitutional sections would be removed.
That recompiled constitution would then go before the state legislature. If approved, the revised constitution would be put before voters for possible adoption.
Amendment 5
Relating to Franklin County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that a person is not liable for using deadly physical force in self-defense or in the defense of another person on the premises of a church under certain conditions.
Amendment 6
Relating to Lauderdale County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that a person is not liable for using deadly physical force in self-defense or in the defense of another person on the premises of a church under certain conditions.
Amendments 5 and 6 apply only to Franklin and Lauderdale counties respectively, but they deal with the same issue: the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law and churches. Under that law, a person facing an attack can use deadly force and not face criminal liability. The amendments were in response to a shooting at a Texas church in December 2019.
The Alabama law already covers churches across the entire state, but this amendment would put language into the Alabama Constitution applying it to churches in those two counties. Churches and private businesses could still ban guns from their properties if they chose to.
Additional Links For Voters
List of Candidates with Profiles
Poll Watchers Have Strict Rules to Follow, and So Do Others at the Polls
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
Alabama’s racial, ethnic health disparities are ‘more severe’ than other states, report says
Data from the Commonwealth Fund show that the quality of care people receive and their health outcomes worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s your favorite thing about Alabama?
That's the question we put to those at our recent News and Brews community pop-ups at Hop City and Saturn in Birmingham.
Q&A: A former New Orleans police chief says it’s time the U.S. changes its marijuana policy
Ronal Serpas is one of 32 law enforcement leaders who signed a letter sent to President Biden in support of moving marijuana to a Schedule III drug.
