By Trey Edwards

Rep. Steve McMillan (R-Baldwin) has pre-filed a bill that would create the Fair Ballot Commission, which is tasked with explaining the statements on the ballot that detail what voting for and against a certain ballot initiative will do. A group of statewide elected officials would serve on the commission: the Governor, Lt. Gov, Ag Commish, House Speaker, and the SOS. They would each appoint two people – one attorney, one civilian. The overall ethnic makeup of the commission is required to proportionally reflect that of the state. The commission members are unpaid.

The Fair Ballot Commission is charged with analyzing all statewide ballot initiatives and drafting up a description of it in an impartial and “plain, nontechnical language.” The description, as well as all of the committee’s work, will be publicly posted on a state website. Also posted on the state website can be links leading to websites and organizations supporting or opposing the initiative, and their reasons why. Any member of the commission or the state legislature can write and post on this website statements in support or opposition of the measure.

According to Rep. McMillan, who I personally spoke to about the bill, this has very little effect on the actual text seen on the ballot. According to the Alabama Constitution, the State Legislature must approve that language, the Fair Ballot Commission can only submit their recommendations. This is a very powerful resource and wealth of information and transparency that is being offered to the Alabama voters! Not only can any voter go online to the state legislature’s website and view any of the statements, links, or texts 24/7, but it is a huge resource to grassroots groups who wish to promote their agenda for or against these initiatives. All this Commission is charged with doing is collecting and publishing a highly extensive amount of information, partial and impartial, on every single ballot initiative, and giving it to the general public free of charge.

This is transparency and accountability at its finest! When was the last time you saw any legislature voluntarily (without any grassroots effort) require more transparency of themselves? The votes for and against this bill will be extremely telling, they will clearly show who favors open and transparent government, and who supports closed-door meetings and keeping important information from the voters.

This bill was proposed in 2013, and shut down temporarily by a Democrat (Bobby Singleton) in the Senate under the threat of filibuster because it would not require a specific number of blacks on the commission. Now is it just me, or does appointing people to a commission based on their skin color seem a little racist? But anyway, moving on. Time for round 2! McMillan was the original House sponsor, and Trip Pittman sponsored it in the Senate. McMillan has confirmed that Sen. Pittman will be the Senate sponsor in 2014 as well. He also commented that he thought Bobby Singleton was merely “having a bad day,” and hopes that he does not attempt to filibuster the bill again. The bill passed the Senate but ultimately did not pass through the House.

Speaking of transparency – HUGE props are due to Rep. McMillan. He has proved to be the easiest member of the state legislature to reach that I have ever tried to contact. I left him one voicemail and he kept calling me back until he finally got me just after lunch the next day. Gave me his personal cell and e-mail, and even offerred to call me back that evening to check and see if I had any follow-up questions. Absolutely wonderful man to talk to, and interestingly enough, the brother of our Agricultural Commissioner, John McMillan! I wish Rep. McMillan the absolute best in his re-election efforts, we need more men like him serving this great state.



Read the original article as well as many others at www.treyedwardsal.wordpress.com