Legislative Wrap-Up, 0120 ALBJ, 81 The Alabama Lawyer 90 (2020)
| Author | Othni J. Lathram Director, Legislative Services Agency |
| Position | Vol. 81 1 Pg. 90 |
Othni J. Lathram Director, Legislative Services Agency
Gregory P. Butrus Balch & Bingham
The Race to 1,000 This past month the State of Alabama concluded a three-year celebration of its bicentennial. The events celebrated the people, places, and stories of our great state. As lawyers, one of the most interesting events of the bicentennial was the display of Alabama's Defining Documents by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. This exhibit included all six of Alabama's constitutions and the ordinance of secession. If you were not able to see this display in person, it is well worth getting a copy of the exceptionally well-done exhibit catalogue which contains a wealth of material and historical information about these governing documents and the circumstances surrounding their adoption.1
After having the privilege of seeing these historical documents in person, I did a great deal of reflecting on the work that has been done through the years to understand, amend, and reform our current constitution that was drafted and ratified in 1901. Over the years, parts of that Constitution and various amendments to it have been the subject of this column many times; however, those pieces have usually focused on fairly discrete issues. This month, I thought it might be helpful to share more context and information on the trends of amendments to the Constitution. This work was painstakingly gathered and presented in chart form with invaluable assistance by Greg Butrus.2
Number of Amendments
One of the most common talking points regarding the Constitution of 1901 is its length. It is often said that it is the longest in the world. We have not independently verified that fact, but we have looked at the number and frequency of its amendments. There are currently 946 ratified amendments with 20 more that have already been passed by the legislature and are pending ratification by the voters. Of the total, 723, or more than three-quarters of the total amendments, are local constitutional amendments. A local constitutional amendment is one that only applies to one political subdivision (typically single county or municipality) and not the state as a whole. Typically, these amendments must only be ratified by the residents of the affected area.
Timing of Amendments
It is also interesting to look at the timing and trends regarding the adoption of...
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