****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ****
The Amendment 1 ballot title is as follows:
“Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to
change the name of the State Board of Education to the Alabama Commission on
Elementary and Secondary Education; to provide for the appointment of the
members of the commission by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the
Senate; to change the name of the State Superintendent of Education to the
Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education; to provide for the appointment
of the secretary by the commission, subject to confirmation by the Senate; and
to authorize the Governor to appoint a team of local educators and other
officials to advise the commission on matters relating to the functioning and
duties of the State Department of Education.”
Amendment 1 will discard the elected members of the state school
board with preferential picks of Kay Ivey. It will consolidate power to
Montgomery and in the Governor’s office. And rather than removing politics from
the state school board, it will make every appointment a political one in a
process that voters are removed from. Citizens deserve accountability and
integrity of the school board members, unlike the provisions of this amendment,
the board members will report only to the appointing officer. Amendment 1 also
has parts hidden from ballot text such as constitutionally tying educational
standards to an undefined nationwide standard and adding comprehensive and
burdensome assessment programs.
Governor Kay Ivey said, “Every Alabama voter will now have a
chance to drastically change the structure for education governance in our
state.” Surely, they will and it may be the last chance voters will ever get.
The full text can be found online by looking for “Alabama
Amendment 1 2020”. LP Alabama takes a strong stance in
opposition of Amendment 1 and encourages voters to vote “No” on the Amendment.
The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the
United States, founded in 1971. Libertarians strongly oppose any government
interference into their personal, family, and business decisions. They believe
all Americans should be free to live their lives and pursue their interests as
they see fit as long as they do no harm to another. More information can be
found at www.lpalabama.org.
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