By Staff
Bob Ingram, Capitol Scene
MONTGOMERY — The vote may have already been taken by the time you read this, but it will be interesting to pick up the feedback legislators got during their spring break on the slavery apology resolution.
When Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, offered the resolution a few days ago, he said he did it in the name of racial harmony. It stirred up a hornet's nest. Some of his critics smelled a rat. They feared this is the first step toward demanding financial reparations for descendants of slaves.
An effort may be made to have the resolution voted on by the people statewide. While at first glance you might think it would pass handily, you might be surprised.
There are a lot of white voters in Alabama who are not all persuaded that they should apologize for something they had nothing to do with.
It was a remarkable day for Alabama when the coveted Pulitzer Prizes were announced. Not only did Blackledge win, but so did Cynthia Tucker, a Monroeville native who graduated from Auburn. She is now the editorial page editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
And speaking of the continuing mess in the two-year colleges, there is a growing demand that Rep. Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, give up his other $48,000 a year job with Bevill State or step down as majority leader in the House. Even some of his fellow Democrats think his double dipping is reflecting on their party.
Guin resigned from his job with Shelton State a few weeks ago but opted not to remove his snout from the other trough.
A recent filing with the Federal Elections Commission showed that Sessions had collected more than $545,000 during the first three months of 2007.
If all the talk is true, Session may need this money. Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, a Democrat, reportedly is taking a serious look at challenging Sessions next year. Sparks was one of the Democrat's top vote-getters in his successful bid for re-election to the agricultural post in 2006.
At one point, Sparks had indicated he might toss his hat into the gubernatorial ring in 2010, but it now seems his interest is more focused on the U.S. Senate.