MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Alabama voters will head to the polls for the primary election in just eight weeks, on March 5. While there are several seats on the ballot, there will also be a constitutional amendment dealing with the way local bills are considered by the legislature.
Amendment 1 would remove a procedural step needed to pass local bills, called the Budget Isolation Resolution, or the “BIR” vote.
That extra vote is required as a way to bypass a 1984 Alabama constitutional amendment mandating lawmakers pass the budgets before any other bills.
Political Analyst Steve Flowers, a former state lawmaker elected in 1982, says the requirement is well-intended and meant to ensure big budget decisions aren’t happening in the eleventh hour.
“It was known that the budget would not pass until the last night, at midnight. It’s gone to a conference committee, and so no one knows what’s in it. Your county may be getting hosed,” Flowers said.
But in practice, the budgets get passed late in the session. The BIR exemption lets lawmakers get around that requirement with a 3/5 vote.
Those with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama say the extra vote can bog down the process for local bills.
“Local legislation is designed to deal with a problem in a particular county that’s different from the problems in neighboring counties. We think legislators ought to be able to bring those bills at any time and not be restricted by this budget isolation vote,” ACCA Executive Director Sonny Brasfield said.
There’s also the question of whether the BIR vote is legal for local bills. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels says this amendment could clear that up.
“There’s been some questions about if what we’ve been doing is actually legal, or sufficient enough to continue. So I think this provides the clarity needed,” Daniels said.
Lawmakers during last year’s July special session overwhelmingly voted to put this amendment on the ballot.
