May 19th Primaries, Part 2: Amendments & Referendums

Voters in next Tuesday’s political party primaries will cast ballots for more than political candidates. There are two statewide Constitutional Amendments and a couple of referendums on the ballot.

Statewide Amendment 1:

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to provide that the following offenses shall be offenses for which a judge may deny bail: shooting or discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling or other occupied space in violation of Section 13A-11-61(b), Code of Alabama 1975; or any solicitation, attempt, or conspiracy to commit murder. Proposed by Act 2025-227.

If approved, this amendment would allow a judge to deny bail to a person charged with solicitation, attempt, or conspiracy to commit murder. The amendment would also allow a judge to deny bail to a person charged with shooting or discharging a firearm, explosive, or other weapon into an occupied dwelling, building, railroad locomotive or car, aircraft, automobile, truck, or watercraft.

The amendment is an extension on Aniah’s Law that was approved by voters in 2022. It created a list of offenses that can be used by judges to deny bail.

Statewide Amendment 2:

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to provide that the compensation of a district attorney may not be diminished during his or her term of office. Proposed by Act 2025-291

If approved, this amendment would ensure that a district attorney’s salary cannot be reduced during the term of office that he or she was appointed or elected to fill. The term of office for a district attorney is six years.

Pickens County Referendum

Do you favor the adoption of Act 2025-118 of the Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature which authorizes the Pickens County Commission to levy an additional issuance fee on the issuance of each vehicle license and registration in Pickens County with the proceeds earmarked and used only to provide ambulance service in the county?

Pickens County voters will be deciding an issue that could affect their county’s emergency services. The ballot initiative would allow the county to collect an extra ten-dollar fee on car tags. That money would then go to pay for ambulance service in the county.

The referendum is a result of loss of the countywide ambulance after the closure of the Pickens County Medical Center in 2022.  County officials were forced to sit down and work out a plan to resume ambulance service with the help Alabama Fire College, Lamar County and State Rep. Ron Bolton.

The Alabama Legislature passed a bill that would allow Pickens County to collect the additional fee on car tags and registration to help keep the current service active and potentially expand it.

Elected officials in the municipalities and the county emphasize the extra ten=dollar fee is not about politics but rather to save lives by not losing one of the ambulances.

Walker County Special Election for Renewal and Continuation of 1.2 Mills Of Ad Valorem School Tax (Section 269.04)

Shall the governing body of Walker County, Alabama, be authorized to levy, in addition to all other taxes now or hereafter authorized, a special county tax of twelve cents on each one hundred dollars (equal to 1.2 mills on each dollar) of the assessed value of taxable property located in said Walker County for educational purposes for a period of thirty (30) consecutive years commencing with the tax year that will begin on October 1, 2026 (for which tax year the tax will become due and payable on October 1, 2027), the rate of which special county tax shall be in renewal and continuation of, and in lieu of, equivalent millage presently being levied in said county for public school purposes?

Walker County Special Election for Renewal and Continuation of Levy Of The 3.8Mills Countywide School Tax (Section 269.01), Constitution of Alabama 2022)

Shall the governing body of Walker County, Alabama, be authorized to levy annually, for a period of thirty (30) consecutive years, commencing with the levy for the tax year that began on October 1, 2026 (for which tax year taxes will become due and payable on October 1, 2027), for public school purposes in said county, a special property tax at the rate of thirty-eight cents on each one hundred dollars (equal to 3.8 mills on each dollar) of the assessed value of the taxable property in said county, which special tax shall be in renewal and continuation of the special tax at the same rate and for the same purpose that is now being levied in the said county?

 If a voter chooses not to declare a political preference at the primary election, they will not be eligible to vote in any political party’s primary election. They are, however, still eligible to vote on any proposed constitutional amendments that are up for a vote.

(Wednesday, May 19^th Primaries Part 3: Statewide Candidates)