Amendments draw little interest

By Staff
State voters asked to cast their ballots on pair of proposals Tuesday
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Morgan County voters will join others throughout the state June 5 in deciding the outcome of two proposed constitutional amendments. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Both amendments are the result of action taken by the State Legislature in its regular session.
As a general rule constitutional amendment elections attract little interest among voters and that seems to be the case leading up to this election, according to Morgan County Probate Judge Greg Cain.
Amendment No. 1 proposes to change the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 by increasing the borrowing limit (general obligation bonds) on the Capital Improvement Trust Fund from $350 to $750 million and provide for the competitive bidding of the bonds.
The additional money would be used to offer incentive packages to new and expanding businesses. The state currently obligates 28 percent of its oil reserve revenue to pay off capital improvement debt.
Amendment No. 2 would require funds dedicated for the purpose of paying the health care costs of retired state and educational employees to be placed in a permanent trust fund. Currently, the state has $20 billion in unfunded benefit obligations for retires.