The Alabama House has asked the state supreme court for an advisory opinion on whether a measure to strip segregation-era language from the state constitution would have produced court-mandated tax increases.
The amendment was narrowly defeated last year in a ballot referendum, with opponents saying it would have led to tax hikes. (“Taxes Cloud Vote in Ala. Over Race,” Nov. 17, 2004.)
The sections of the constitution proposed for deletion are already unenforceable under federal and state court rulings. But to many Alabamians, rewriting the constitution to eliminate the sections is an important symbolic step. The House unanimously approved the request to the high court on Feb. 3. As of last week, the court had not taken formal action on it.
