do we have the worst state legislature in the country?

[Syrinx]

We all know that a week or two ago, the state House of Representatives voted to "honor and commend" Miss USA California for her anti-gay marriage beliefs. What a joke.

Tuesday, the House failed to even bring up for debate the removal of the state sales tax on groceries, because it would result in a slight increase of income taxes on upper-income people.

That same day, the House passed a bill to put more people in prison, by making salvia divinorum a controlled substance.

That same day, the House passed a bill that would increase violent crime by making possession of sawed-off shotguns legal.

And as far as I can tell, the medical marijuana bill never even got out of committee.

So, let me get this straight. Our legislators want to commend a fake-boobed, nude model that lives three thousand miles away from here for her bigotry against gay people, deny medicine to sick people, throw free spirits into Folsom Prison, so their anal rapes can serve as reality-show fodder for MSNBC, protect rich people from paying a little more in taxes so that poor people continue to carry their burden, and allow criminals to carry easily-concealed deadly weapons with which to murder.

Have I got that right?

I know the majority claim to be Democrats, but god, have I said tonight how much I hate these people? What a bunch of backward-thinking buffoons!

[trof]

1. And that ain't all they did...

An email I received this a.m.

Today, (Wednesday, May 6, 2009, the House Rules Committee passed HJR 91 which would LET THE PEOPLE VOTE on a Constitution Convention.

The Resolution was then presented to the full House when they convened today, but Rep. James Buskey, Mobile, moved that the Resolution be carried over "temporarily". Rep. Guin moved to "lay on the table" Rep. Busky's request to carry HJR 91 over.

The House then voted on Guin's motion to table Buskey's delaying tactic, but Guin's motion failed with 43 voting against, 36 voting for, 25 NOT voting, and one abstention. When Guin's motion to table failed, HJR 91 was carried over without a vote by the full House! Hence, there will be NO up or down vote on HJR 91 by our legislators unless HJR 91 is brought back up!

It is highly unlikely that HJR 91 will be brought up again in this Legislative Session, UNLESS there is a great ground swell of outrage from Constitution Convention supporters demanding that the House debate, vote on, and pass HJR 91 to LET THE PEOPLE VOTE on a Constitution Convention. Now is the time to call and email as many of the legislators as possible to let them know that you want them to bring the Resolution up tomorrow or next Thursday for a VOTE.

Please call and email Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton, Birmingham, (334-242-7664) and Rules Committee Chair, Ken Guin, Carbon Hill (334-242-7674) and urge them first thing in the morning to bring the Resolution up on the floor of the House again tomorrow.

And while you are at it, call James Buskey, Mobile [phone])(he said no one from MOBILE had called him!!!) and call Mike Hubbard, Auburn, (334-242-7739) and let him know he shouldn't be afraid of the people, because, after all, they put him in the House! And call 334-242-7600 and leave a message for your legislator and for the legislators listed below expressing either your thanks or OUTRAGE. You can also look up your legislators on www.legislature.state.al.us

When Rep. Buskey and Rep. Hubbard spoke today against HJR 91, Speaker Pro Tem Demetrius Newton followed with great responses.

Rep. Hubbard said he was voting against the Resolution because he feared that the voters would reject it.
:banghead:
Speaker Newton said that argument was an argument to vote for the Resolution.

"Let's try that and see if it would fail," Newton said. "All we are asking for, is to let the people of Alabama have the right to say `yes' or `no'."

Newton went on to tell Hubbard and Buskey, "If you don't trust the people to vote, then how did you get here?"

Those who voted today FOR Guin's proposal to lay Buskey's hold-over delaying proposal on the table, which effectively would have allowed HJR91 to be debated and voted on today, were the following Representatives:

Black, Bandy, Beasley, Bentley, Boothe, Boyd, Curtis, Drake, Dukes, Dunn, England, Ford, Galliher, Grantland, Guin, Hammett, Harper, Hall, Keahey, Lindsey, McCampbell, McLaughlin, P. Moore, Morrow, Demetrius Newton, Page, John Robinson, Oliver Robinson, Rogers, Scott, Sherer, Spicer, Taylor, Thigpen, Todd and Vance.
(THANKS to all of them! Let them know of YOUR thanks!)

The Representatives voting AGAINST were:

Allen, A. Baker, Ball, Barton, Beck, Bridges, Buskey, Canfield, Clouse, Collier, Davis, DeMarco, Faust, Fincher, Gaston, Gipson, Greeson, Hammon, Hubbard, Irons, Ison, Jackson, Johnson, Kennedy, Laird, Letson, Lewis, Love, Martin, Mask, McClendon, McClurkin, McCutcheon, Millican, Oden, Payne, Sanderford, E. Thomas, Treadaway, Warren, Wood, Williams and Wren!
(Let them hear from YOU! and know of your OUTRAGE!)

The Representatives who were NOT present TODAY or did NOT vote were:

L. Baker, Merika Coleman, Fields, Fite, Gordon, Graham, Grimes, Hill, Hilliard, Holmes, Hinshaw, Howard, Hurst, Knight, McClammy, McDaniel, McMillan, Mary Moore, C. Newton, Salaam, Shiver, J. Thomas, Ward and White.
(Let them hear from YOU!and ask them to VOTE FOR HJR 91)

Mitchell abstained and one seat in the House is vacant. (Let him hear from YOU!)

The Legislative Session is almost over, and there has been no VOTE on our RESOLUTION; however, the House of Representatives did pass a Resolution in this Session supporting Miss California for her statements in the USA Pageant! WHY don't they trust the people of ALABAMA as much as they trust Miss California?

NOW is the time to ask them to TRUST the PEOPLE OF ALABAMA and LET THE PEOPLE VOTE ON A CONSTITUTION CONVENTION AND TO MOVE HJR 91 OUT OF THE ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TOMORROW and then on to the SENATE next week.

Keep the faith. Hope springs eternal AND it's time to get FIRED UP!


NOW is the time for ACTION!

Lenora Pate, ACCR CHAIR

[Syrinx]

6. That stinks too

Our state constitution is surely satire. I wonder if Colbert's writers were somehow involved. :shrug:

[Syrinx]

2. oops, I meant Holman Prison

[jody]

3. Hi Syrinx, any idea who voted yea/nay on the Miss USA CA bill? I can't get on any state website. n/t

[Syrinx]

5. hi jody

I hope you're doing okay.

The Carrie Prejean resolution passed on a voice vote, so there is no record of how anyone voted.

From the Dothan Eagle:

Rep. Jay Love, a Montgomery Republican and conservative’s conservative, introduced a resolution in the Alabama House commending Prejean for speaking out against gay marriage. The resolution was approved on a voice vote, which shields lawmakers from accountability on this particular waste of the people’s time.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/dea/news/opinion/editorials/article/alabama_house_wastes_time/69762/

[jody]

7. Thanks! n/t

[Syrinx]

8. commenting on my own post...

You know, that's from an editorial, but I think that's what the original article should have said, because it is the truth.

[Stuckinthebush]

4. I'm mostly pissed at the Senate

for failing to take up the gormet beer bill.

Bastards.

[Syrinx]

9. really?

I think I saw something about them allowing the alcohol content in wine to be higher. I'd been half-assed following the Free The Hops thing, and just somehow assumed that the bill covered beer too.

[phatkatt]

10. The Free The Hops bill PASSED yesterday (5/14)!

If the gov signs it, it is law. If he doesn't it will die.