By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – The chairman of the House Constitution and Elections Committee, Representative Randy Hinshaw of Meridianville, says his committee will vote at a later date on a bill that would allow Alabama voters to decide if they want to call a convention to write a new constitution. About 200 people crowded into an auditorium at the state Capitol Wednesday to renew a debate that has been going on for decades. The fight is over whether the 1901 constitution should be rewritten. Proponents of a new constitution say the 1901 document was written by an all-white, all-male convention. They also say it deprived women and blacks of the right to vote. Opponents say the effort to write a new constitution is being led by people who want to raise taxes, expand gambling and restrict property rights.