I return to the blog. I doubt many people outside my family actually reads this stuff, but I needed to get this off my chest.
The Alabama Legislature has voted to override Governor Riley's veto of a bill that reduces the population requirement for municipalities in dry counties to petition for a wet/dry vote in their town.
The new law now allows a town with as few as 1,000 people to hold a wet/dry vote. All supporters have to present is a petition with 30% of voters signatures who voted in the last general election. In the smallest of towns affected by this new law, that's probably around 60 signatures.
Yes, I do have a personal conviction against alcohol. But that notwithstanding, I refuse to believe that these small towns, that could now potentially go wet, have the police protection and other resources necessary to deal with all the associated problems that will inevitably happen if/when alcohol sales are allowed.
My state Representative, William Thigpen, voted against this bill when it came up in the House. Mr. Thigpen also voted to sustain the Governor's veto. I'm thankful to him for that.
On the other hand, my state Senator, Roger Bedford, voted for the bill in the Senate. He then did not vote when the veto override vote was taken. However, in the crazy rules that is the zoo of the Legislature, if supporters of a bill don't get their way, they can use the rules to their advantage to take another vote to get what they want. When the veto override came up a second time, Bedford voted to override the veto. It took 18 votes to override and, you guessed it, the vote was 18-11.
Bedford claims to be a Christian and gave me the usual political-speak when I asked him about how he would vote earlier this week. Suffice to say that Roger only votes on what he thinks will benefit him the most, since he has his eye on a higher office. I firmly believe that Roger voted the way that he felt more people that will potentially support him for Lt. Governor in next year's race wanted him to vote.
Shame on you Roger. You ought to know better.
