By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher
In Greene County, and many places across the state, the Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) and the Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) are urging voters to vote a straight Democratic Party ticket in the November 8th General Election.
The state’s two major Black and progressive voter organizations are encouraging voters to color in the oval next to the Democratic Party, at the top of the ballot, and vote for all the statewide and local candidates on the Democratic Party slate.
Some of the candidates you will be voting for if you follow this advice are pictured in this article. “Many people do not know that we have Black candidates concerned about all the people running for statewide offices in Alabama,” said Lorenzo French, Chair of the Greene County Democratic Executive Committee.
Yolanda Flowers is running for Governor against incumbent Kay Ivey.
Flowers, a retired educator, has a platform of more equitable policies in education, criminal justice, and healthcare than the current Governor. “All you need to know is that Flowers supports Medicaid Expansion and will sign for it as soon as she is in office,” said French.
In the U. S. Senate race, Dr Will Boyd is supported over Katie Britt for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Senator Richard Shelby. Boyd supports overturning the filibuster to allow for passage of voting rights, reproductive health care, and progressive economic policies in the Senate.
Boyd and other statewide candidates will be in Greene County at the Renaissance Theater on Thursday, November 3rd, to rally for a strong voter turnout next Tuesday.
Other statewide candidates endorsed by ANSA and ADC include: Terri Sewell for U. S. House of Representatives, Wendell Majors for Attorney General, Pamela Laffite for Secretary of State, Anita L. Kelly for Supreme Court Justice, Place 5, Wendell Majors for Attorney General and Yvette M. Richardson for State School Board, District 4.
Also endorsed are Bobby Singleton, State Senate District 24 and Curtis Travis, State Representative District 72.
In Greene County, all local Democratic candidates for local office, chosen in the May primary, are endorsed for the November 8th General Election, including: Joe Benison for Sheriff, Greg Griggers for District Attorney, Ronald Kent Smith for Coroner; Garria Spencer, District 1, Tennyson Smith, District 2, Corey Cockrell District 3, Allen Turner District 4 and Roshanda Sommerville District 5 -Greene County Commission; Robert Davis, District 1 and Brandon Merriweather, District 2 for Greene County Board of Education.
Amendments
Also on the November 8th ballot is one referendum and ten amendments to be voted on by voters statewide. ANSA has given the following recommendations on the Amendments.
First, there is a referendum on the recompilation and removal of racist language from the Alabama Constitution. ANSA suggests voting “YES” on this proposal.
On the Amendments, ANSA suggests voting “NO” on Numbers 1, 3 and 4 and “YES” on the others: 2, 5, 6, 7. 8, 9 and 10.
Amendment 1, is based on Anaiah’s Law and would allow judges in Alabama to restrict bail for persons charged with felony crimes, including:
Murder (other than capital murder), kidnapping, rape, sodomy, domestic violence, human trafficking, burglary, arson, and robbery, all in the 1st degree, as well as aggravated child abuse, sexual torture, and terrorism.
ANSA feels this would limit the power of judges to use their discretion in setting bail, based on the specific circumstances of the case. ANSA recommends a “NO” vote because too many Back people are in jail now, with high bail requirements they cannot meet. Some have been incarcerated for years, without trail, because they cannot meet bail.
ANSA urges a “NO” vote on Amendments 3, because it requires the Governor to notify the families of victims before commuting the sentences of offenders; and Amendment 4, because it would not allow changes in election
Laws within six months of an election, which limits changes required by emergencies like the recent pandemic.
ANSC urges a “YES” vote on Amendment 2 which would allow use of public funds from county and city government toward broadband; Amendment 5, which deals with “orphans’ business”, and I obsolete language; Amendment 6, would allow cities and towns that collect a special property tax to pay bonds or other debt service on public capital improvements.
Amendment 7 would clarify the authority of counties, cities, and towns to use public funds for economic development purposes. Amendments 8 and 9, apply locally to Shelby, Tuscaloosa, and Jefferson Counties for dealing with utility systems; Amendment 10, is a companion to the proposed recompiled Alabama Constitution of 2022. It would allow future amendments to the Alabama Constitution to be properly placed in the Constitution.