Constitution

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Wheeler introduces term limits bill on term limits day

State Rep. David Wheeler, R-Vestavia Hills, announced that he has pre-filed a bill to enact term limits for members of the State House of Representatives and State Senate. “I have been a long time supporter of term limits,” Wheeler said. “It was one of the issues I was most asked about during the last campaign. … Continued

February 28, 2019

Sewell co-sponsors bill to revoke Trump’s national emergency declaration

U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, filed a resolution of disapproval Friday to block President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration to build a border wall. “The president’s emergency declaration is an overreach of executive power,” Sewell said. “He himself said he did not need to declare an emergency at the border. The real … Continued

February 26, 2019

Wednesday is Term Limits Day

On Feb. 27, 1951, the 22nd amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified to impose term limits on the presidency. The first president, George Washington, left the office after two terms. Every President after him followed the two-term tradition set by Washington, until Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR, despite failing health, ran for a third term … Continued

February 26, 2019

Supreme Court screw-up sullies U.S. Constitution

Giving a speech at Georgetown University, late Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., said: “[T]he Constitution is a sublime oration on the dignity of man.” However, after the Supreme Court’s February 7 refusal to stay devout Muslim Domineque Ray’s execution – despite Ray’s unrebutted claim only Christian prisoners in Alabama are afforded a spiritual advisor during … Continued

February 25, 2019

Hoover ISIS bride should face the U.S. justice system

Hoda Muthana should face the U.S. justice system. Let’s get that out of the way right up front. The young woman from Hoover who left the country a few years ago to join the Islamic State, or ISIS, should not be granted free entry into the country again simply because she’s now realized that she … Continued

February 22, 2019

Sewell, Byrne react to Trump’s State of Emergency

The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump — after three months of negotiations with Congress and a 35-day partial government shutdown yielded only 55 miles of border wall — will issue a State of Emergency in order to build the border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border unilaterally with emergency powers. U.S. Rep. Terri … Continued

February 15, 2019

Federal appeals court blocks execution over state’s barring of imam

A federal appeals court panel has blocked tonight’s scheduled execution of Dominique Ray over the state’s refusal to allow his imam in the execution room with him. The three-judge Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals panel issued a stay of execution over concerns that Alabama may have violated the establishment clause of the Constitution. On January … Continued

February 7, 2019

What will our Congressional districts look like after the 2020 Census

Preparations are being made to take the 2020 Census. This process is not just a fun game to spell out demographic changes and interesting tidbits about us as Americans. It is a very important mandate dictated by the Constitution. The number of people counted determines how many seats each state has in Congress. Thus, it … Continued

January 16, 2019

Byrne introduces balanced budget amendment

Thursday, on the opening day of the 116th Congress, Alabama Republican Congressman Bradley Byrne introduced a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution, House Joint Resolution 6. The bill marks the first piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Byrne in the 116th Congress, which officially convened on Jan. 3. “We must balance the budget, … Continued

January 7, 2019

The Supreme Court Battle: Judicial activism versus strict constructionism

The nation has been riveted over the past few weeks tracking the nomination, public hearings, confirmation, and the swearing in of Associate Justice Brett Kavanagh. President Trump nominated Kavanagh to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy of retiring Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy. Those who follow the high court closely, know this is the decades old … Continued

October 9, 2018