Alabama lawmakers pass historic resolution
Jan 20, 2010
By Nick LoughKILLEN, AL (WAFF) –
Alabama state leaders sent a strong message to Washington, reminding our nation’s leaders that the state can secede from The Union if people here don’t like what’s going on at the capitol.
Not since the civil war has a state tried to leave the union, but after Tuesday’s vote on the Alabama State Sovereignty Resolution cleared both state legislative chambers, local lawmakers sent a strong hint they’re watching what’s going on in the nation’s capital and they know their constitutional rights.
"We went down to Montgomery on Monday," said Angela Laughlin who was in the capital as the votes were tallied.
The mother of four is a member of the Shoals area Patriots, a group that pushed through grassroots campaigning to let legislators know what she said people were telling her.
"You’re supposed to be quiet in the gallery but everybody was cheering," said Laughlin.
The resolution revolves around the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and giving power to the states and its people.
It states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."
Laughlin doesn’t believe Alabama will ever attempt to leave the United States, but she believes the foundation is there in case such a move was ever warranted and leaders in Washington should take note.
"You don’t kick a tenant out without serving them notice first," said Laughlin. "So we are serving them notice."
10th Amendment Resolutions have been introduced in 37 state legislatures.
©2010 WAFF.
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