Lisa Brouillette: Will 2010 be state’s year for reform

Alabama’s collective version of New Years’ resolutions seems to be calls for reform. Ethics reform. Constitutional reform. Environmental reform. Tax reform, especially as it relates to daily necessity — food.

Every year, the same needs, the same goals, the same optimistic enthusiasm. Every year, too, a disappointing repeat of the same failures to act.

Will we break the cycle in this election year, when typically much is promised and little delivered? Keep in mind nearly three in 10 Alabamians who qualify to vote aren’t even registered. And only slightly more than half of those registered actually vote.

That said, there are opportunities for positive change on both state and local levels.

The Alabama Environmental Management Commission (EMC), ADEM’s governing board, could choose a strong environmental advocate as the new ADEM director.

Also, ADEM could increase fines for permit violations, such as last year’s $502,000 formal administrative penalty for the Mimm’s Trail development on Shell Toomer Parkway. (See case#04-2009-4789 at http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/.)

State legislation for constitutional reform and removing the tax on food again awaits consideration. For details, see http://www.constitutionalreform.org/, http://www.untaxgroceries.org, or view pending legislation at http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLoginFire.asp.

In my estimation, ethics reform is the most important civic New Years’ goal. This must include tougher open meetings and open records rules.

No matter what laws we have, they mean nothing if citizens don’t have detailed information of our elected and appointed officials’ business, family and financial connections.

Consider this sample of actions in recent years, including criminal proceedings, which highlight current issues and reflect growing public concern.

The Adamsville City Council was alleged to have violated the state’s open meetings law.

Multiple criminal investigations are pending involving Jefferson County and Birmingham officials.

It would take an entire column to list them.

Local columnist and long-time newspaper publisher Paul Davis took decisive action to improve the open meetings policy of the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s advisory board.

The Montgomery County Board of Education is fighting allegations they met in secret via serial meetings of a non-quorum of members.

This newspaper brought public attention to the Auburn City Council’s similar use of serial meetings to reach consensus outside of a public meeting, including by e-mail, fax and phone.

Public officials frequently and intentionally circumvent the intent of the open meetings law by meeting in small groups (i.e., fewer voting members than required to trigger an open public meeting). Such serial e-meetings need to be definitively prohibited.

2010 —will this be Alabama’s new year of reform?

Lisa Brouillette is a community activist, editor, and writer. Contact her at or visit her Web site http://placeforum.org.