The state and, unfortunately, national debate over Alabama's immigration bill of 2011 continues as the Alabama legislature is getting back to work. Groups are protesting. Business people and educators are complaining. Religious groups are questioning. Conventions are being cancelled. Legislators are saying nothing much is expected to change.
I re-learned a lesson last year, starting about this time. You gotta pay attention. That horse that already got out of the barn can be a real jack-ass about getting back in.
This post won't be about the Alabama immigration law. I am still against it. I still believe it may be the most ridiculous piece of major legislation ever signed into law. Even more than when I read some of the first drafts in the spring of 2011. When I read the drafts I thought it was scary,an opinion based partially in self-interest. Some of the original drafts included the language in the prohibited activities language:
". . . and officers of the court."
That meant lawyers. I am one of those. The authors of that early draft were saying that any attorney who had knowledge of an illegal's status but did not follow the requirements of this law would be subject to its sanctions. That was scary.
But so was the rest of it. The "officers of the court" language was omitted from later drafts. But the rest of the absurdities were not. While we refused to watch, it passed. It is terribly difficult to get a law unpassed.
I am not suggesting those of us who oppose this legislation give up. I am suggesting we all be more attentive to what our legislative representatives are doing. Perhaps raising our voices before laws are voted upon would be more effective. Or at least the legislation might be improved by the protest, no matter which side of an issue you may stand on.
For instance, in the present session there are several ideas being considered that are worth a public conversation. Rep. Blaine Galliher of Rainbow City is proposing legislation that would allow local school boards to approve elective credit for religious studies classes provided off-campus by churches or other groups for students whose parents approve. The school boards would have the final say to what extent their district participates, if at all, and set the policies and procedures. Providing more religious education for students in the Bible Belt buckle is hardly a politically risky move. . . for the legislature. But for the local school boards who are empowered to administer such a law? What if the classes are held in mosques? How will that fly in Alabama? If that opportunity is available for one public student, is it available for all? For a state already strapped for cash for education, one might wonder where the extra funds to implement and defend such a program will come from. Just a few things to start talking about. Especially by you local school board members.
Sen. Clay Scofield of Guntersville is proposing legislation to require ultrasounds for women seeking abortions, with other requirements that they be verbally advised of the results of the ultrasound before signing the surgical consent. The issue should be important to pro-lifers, pro-choicers, women's health advocates, women's rights advocates, libertarians, fiscal conservatives, physicians liability carriers. We need to talk.
A proposal by Richard Laird of Roanoke to raise property taxes by half a mill seemed to have sufficient support in the House to move forward until Alfa and the Alabama Forestry Association lobbyists stepped in and squashed it like a pine beetle. The proposal would have raised taxes on Alabama real estate. An owner of a $200,000.00 home would pay about $8.00 more each year. The measure would raise about $28 million dollars annually, Twenty percent of the money raised would go into annuity funds for policemen and firefighters, and the remainder would go into the general, non-education, fund, to help alleviate the shortfall in medicaid and other programs for the elderly that are in trouble. But it's not going to happen. Because we don't want to pay more taxes. For anything. I wish we would talk about that.
Because Alabama is in a money crunch. Governor Bentley is asking to cut roughly one third of the children on All Kids Health insurance because the State is out of money, even though the State only pays one=third of the costs.(And even though Alabama already has the 6th highest mortality rate in the nation for our children). He is about to approve $300 million dollars in bonds for highway and bridge construction. Fancy words for borrowing money. It actually makes sense to borrow it now if we are going to, the interest rates are extremely low, but debt is debt. Where are the fiscal hawks? I favor the proposal, but where is the public discussion of how we spend our money?
See, this is the problem. I doubt that many folks made it this far. It is hard to make this stuff entertaining, inspirational or fun. But with the health and education of our children at stake, with our beliefs being codified, and with actions toward others, humane or inhumane being sanctioned by Caesar, we must pay attention and have a good conversation.
I don't know about those mandatory ultrasounds. But perhaps a public dose of Ritalin in the water systems to help us keep our focus when the legislature is in session might be helpful.
Just a thought. Let's talk.
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