Alabama Moves One Step Closer To Removing Racist Language From State Constitution

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2020/11/Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1000;s:6:"height";i:562;s:4:"file";s:63:"2020/11/Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530.png";s:5:"sizes";a:17:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-336x189.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-771x433.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:433;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-768x432.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:61:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-600x562.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:562;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-553x311.png";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-470x265.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"gb-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-600x562.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:562;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"web-stories-poster-portrait";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-640x562.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:562;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"web-stories-poster-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-853x562.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:562;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"web-stories-poster-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-640x562.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:562;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-publisher-logo";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:61:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:21:"web-stories-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:62:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-e1604613526530-150x84.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:84;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_rs_image_updated] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1604613629:113
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:18:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1000;s:6:"height";i:895;s:4:"file";s:40:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-336x301.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:301;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-768x687.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:687;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-771x690.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:690;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-347x311.png";s:5:"width";i:347;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-296x265.png";s:5:"width";i:296;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:33:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:30:"gb-block-post-grid-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:32:"web-stories-poster-portrait-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-640x853.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:853;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:33:"web-stories-poster-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-853x640.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:30:"web-stories-poster-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-640x640.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:31:"web-stories-publisher-logo-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2020-11-05_at_3.54.30_PM-150x134.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:134;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alabama Department of Archives
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 113
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alabama voters this year have the opportunity to reorganize the state’s Constitution, as well as remove racist language from the document.
        )

)
1616977283 
1604570565
Alabama voters this year have the opportunity to reorganize the state’s Constitution, as well as remove racist language from the document.

Alabama voters this year have the opportunity to reorganize the state’s Constitution, as well as remove racist language from the document.

Alabama Department of Archives

The passage of a statewide ballot measure to purge racist language from the Alabama Constitution marks an important step in what could be a long process. 

Amendment 4 passed with almost 67% of the vote in Tuesday’s election. One of six constitutional amendments on the state ballot this November, the measure authorizes lawmakers to recompile the Alabama Constitution and submit it during the 2022 legislative session.

Alabama’s Constitution is the longest in the world. Most of the original language has never been removed — it’s simply been nullified by later amendments or federal court orders. The state constitution still includes language that segregates schools and bans interracial marraige. 

Amendment 4 was sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Merika Coleman and co-sponsored by Republican House Speaker Mac McCutcheon. It passed both houses of the Alabama State Legislature unanimously.

Similar amendments in 2004 and 2012 failed to win majority support from Alabama voters. The primary disagreement was over constitutional Amendment 111, which declares that the state does not guarantee “any right to education or training at public expense.” For years, Democratic lawmakers have wanted this language removed, but Republicans feared that such a move would disrupt private education. This year, legislators decided to leave this issue alone, a choice that boosted the amendment’s chances of passage.

“The support of a variety of progressive and even conservative groups on both sides of the spectrum provided some comfort to voters who may have been concerned about changing the state’s constitution,” said Randolph Horn, a Samford political science professor.

It will take years to revise the Alabama Constitution. Amendment 4’s passage was just an initial step in what will be a cumbersome process. The Legislative Reference Service will now draft changes to the state constitution. Those changes will go before the Legislature in 2022. If the legislature approves the proposed changes, voters will then have to vote on the new constitution, perhaps in the 2022 general election.

 

BSC’s Daniel Coleman talks about his years-long effort to save the school and what happens next.

After the news that Birmingham-Southern College is closing, we sat down with the school’s president, Daniel Coleman.

IVF could help her start the family she wants. Will Alabama’s personhood law derail it?

Despite a law meant to protect IVF in Alabama, patients and advocates worry the protections won’t hold — and warn of future attacks on reproductive rights.

Struggling Birmingham-Southern College says it will close at end of May

The College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close the longtime institution, officials announced in a news release. The announcement came after legislation, aimed at securing a taxpayer-backed loan for the 168-year-old private college, had recently stalled in the Alabama Statehouse.

What happens when a rural hospital shuts its doors? Look to Pickens County

Residents in the west Alabama county warn that the lack of emergency care can have deadly consequences. It's a fate that could befall a growing number of rural communities.

What issues are driving you to the polls this year?

What issues are top of mind as you head to the polls this year? What do you want the candidates to be talking about?

Q&A: A bad deal made Jackson’s water problems worse. It wasn’t the only Mississippi city harmed

Reporter Sarah Fowler talks about her investigation that found at least eight Mississippi cities were harmed by deals over faulty smart water meters.

More Elections 2020 Coverage