On Tuesday, November 4th, Alabamians, as well as the rest of the nation, will have the opportunity to participate in what will be a major election. In addition to choosing your candidate for President, we also have the opportunity of voting for one of Alabama’s two United States Senate seats, and all seven Congressional seats are up for election. We will have the opportunity to vote for one seat for an Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, one seat for a Judgeship on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and two Judgeship's on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Further, the Presidency of the Alabama Public Service Commission is also up for election. In Alabama, there are no run-offs in the General Election and no party identification is needed in order to vote.
The above referenced state offices, which are sometimes overlooked in high profile elections, are extremely important to all Alabamians. The Alabama Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices, they are selected by popular vote, and each must be licensed to practice law in this State. Justices serve six year, staggered terms of office, they hear cases appealed from the lower courts and they exercise original jurisdiction in cases in which no other court has jurisdiction. The base salary for an Associate Justice on the Alabama Supreme Court is $160,003.00 per year.
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals is composed of five judges, with the individual having the greatest length of service on the bench being designated the Presiding Judge. This court has exclusive jurisdiction of appeals in all suits where the amount involved, exclusive of interest and costs, does not exceed $50,000.00. Additionally, when on appeal, it has jurisdiction over cases involving domestic relations matters, workman's compensation claims, and appeals of a civil nature from juvenile court. The base salary for the Judges in the Court of Civil Appeals is $159,003.00 per year.
The Court of Criminal Appeals has five Judges and, like the Court of Civil Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court, the judges are elected for a six year, staggered term and, of course, are all required to be licensed to practice law in the State of Alabama. Judges sitting on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals exercise exclusive appellate jurisdiction over all criminal cases. Decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeals are subject to review by the Alabama Supreme Court. Likewise, the base salary for the Judges in the Court of Criminal Appeals is $159,003.00 per year.
The Alabama Public Service Commission is made up of three individuals: a President and two Associate Members. No person may serve on the Commission that owns stock in or has an interest in a public utility, and likewise no two members may come from the same congressional district. The Commission has been charged with the responsibility of regulation of public utilities and the intrastate rates and services of the transportation companies doing business within the State of Alabama. These include privately owned corporations providing electric, gas, water, telephone, telegraph, and radio utility service to the public, as well as railroads, motor buses, and truck lines. Members of the Alabama Public Service Commission serve four-year staggered terms, and the present salary for the President of the Alabama Public Service Commission is $96,608.00 per year.
Also on the November 4th General Election ballot will be an amendment known as "Amendment One". This amendment has far reaching implications, but in a very simplistic explanation, if passed, will allow the state to borrow money from the Alabama Trust Fund in order to prevent proration in either or both the Education budget or the General Fund budget. The loans will have to be repaid back to the Alabama Trust Fund within six years but with no interest. The present value of the corpus of the Alabama Trust Fund is approximately $3.2 Billion. There will be much discussion and media print devoted to this amendment prior to the election. I urge you, my constituents, to pay close attention and to continue to use your good judgment.
Senator Ted Little represents District 27 and can be reached at 334-887-3472, 1-800-835-4885, tedlittle@mindspring.com or www.tedlittle.com.