Date: April 21, 2012

News Release

The Constitution Party of Alabama, its members and supporters are appalled by the recent admission by AL GOP Chairman, Bill Armistead, that he has ordered Republican legislators to block Senator Cam Ward’s bill (SB15), which will ease ballot access for third party and independent candidates. This is a clear violation of a citizen’s fundamental right to run for office and represent the people of his or her district. Armistead’s recent comments also provide profound evidence that we are no longer governed by a democratic Republic; but rather, party dictators. Since Bill Armistead and the GOP leadership control the flow of money to candidate’s elections, it is very likely that his statements will have significant influence on the outcome of the bill; thereby, diminishing the voice of the people.

On March 13, Alabama had one of our lowest voter turnouts in state history, it was reported that only 31.2% of registered voters in our State participated in the primaries of the two major parties. This leaves 69% of our State’s registered voters unrepresented by the two major parties. The Constitution Party of Alabama and other third parties hope to appeal to this majority and give Alabama voters a greater choice in candidates and solutions to important issues.

Alabama has the most stringent ballot access laws in the country. In our neighboring State of Tennessee, a citizen only needs to turn in 25 signatures to appear on the ballot for State Legislature. The difficulty with Alabama’s law is that third party and independent candidates must expend an enormous amount of their resources just to get on the ballot. This leaves them with very limited resources to compete against the major parties in the general election.

Bill Armistead reportedly stated that a third party cannot win an election; however, Constitution Party of Alabama candidate, Bill Atkinson, lost the race for House district 105 by only 284 votes against the Republican candidate in a special election. It is clear that this close race still weighs on the minds of the Republican leadership. Traditionally, the Constitution Party of Alabama has chosen to only run candidates in races where only one primary party was running. In response to the GOP leadership’s position towards third parties, we will now be seeking candidates to run in all political races. We promise that the 2014 elections will be interesting to say the least.

Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere,
Joshua Cassity Chairman
jcassity@cpalabama.org

###

About The Constitution Party of Alabama-The mission of the Constitution Party is to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity through the election of candidates at all levels of government who will uphold the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It is our goal to limit the federal government to its delegated, enumerated, Constitutional functions and to restore American jurisprudence to its original Biblical foundations.

Below is a link to our latest News Release in response to Bill Armistead's efforts to block SB15.

News Release - April 21, 2012

The State Party is in need of 5 additional delegates to the National Convention. This event will be held April 18-21 in Nashville Tennessee. 

Registration Fees:
=====Early Bird $245, Must be received by March 15th
=====Pre-registration $290.00 must be received between March 16 and April 1st
=====$325 Registration after April 1st.

http://www.constitutionparty.com/documents/NAT_CON_2012_Reg_Form.pdf

Please email the Alabama State Party before sending in your registration form.  Please remember that our delegates are representing the entire state party.  We are asking our members and supporters who are unable attend but in a financial position to donate, to please consider making a donation to the state party.  These delegates will have travel expenses and hotel expense.

As a delegate you will cast a vote for who our 2012 Presidential nominee will be. You will get to meet each candidate and listen to all speeches. 

If you need more information, please do not be hesitant to contact us today!  Email Us.

God bless you,

 

Ben DuPré
Founder and Director

 

P.O. Box 4086
Montgomery, AL 36103-4086

www.PersonhoodAlabama.com
Facebook: Personhood Alabama
Email: Ben@PersonhoodAlabama.com
Phone: (334) 262-1245
Cell: (334) 549-0093

Fax: (334) 262-1708

Ballot Access Update:

SB15 passed the Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics, and Elections Committee with a perfect vote of 5 yeas, 0 nays, 1 abs.  On behalf of the state executive committee, I would like to thank everyone who took time to contact the senators who serve on this committee.  We would also like to thank Senator Cam Ward for taking the time to sponsor this ballot access bill.

This next step has this bill going to the Senate rules Committee, which will meet on February 21st.   So we need to duplicate our efforts and contact each of the Senators below and ask politely that they include SB15 on the Senate calendar.  

Jabo Waggoner jabo.waggoner@alsenate.gov, Chairperson;  

Jimmy Holley, Vice Chairperson; (home) 334) 897-5181 (office) (334) 897-5181

Scott Beason   (office) (334) 242-7794

Roger Bedford senbedford@aol.com, (Senate Minority Leader)

Ben Brooks, benbrooksiii@aol.com   

Gerald Dial, (home) (256) 396-5626 (office) (256) 396-5600

Priscilla Dunn, (home) (205) 426-3795 (office) (334) 242-7793 (fax) (334) 353-9625

Vivian Figures, vivian.figures@alsenate.gov  Fax: (251) 208-5492

Rusty Glover, ( home) (251) 649-7380 (office) (334) 242-7886 (fax) (334) 353-3970

Tammy Irons, tammy@ironslawfirm.com     

Arthur Orr; senator at arthurorr.com

Tripp Pittman, trip.pittman@alsenate.gov   

Paul Sanford, paul.sanford@alsenate.gov  

Don Webb has provided the following information   “ It is also been suggested that copies of all emails to these Senators should be sent to the Rules Committee Secretary – Ms Andi Silberman. His email address is andi.silberman@alsenate.gov  It is my understanding she makes sure these senators are aware of their email or attempts to contact them on behalf of legislation. So even if a senator does not have an email address, send an email addressed to him or her in care of Ms. Silberman. I understand she gives such email messages to them.”  

SB15 - (this bill will reduce the signatures requirments an indepdenent or minor party needs to collect to have ballot acccess)

If you have any additional contact information for the Senators above, please do not hesitate to post in the comment section.  

Thank you,
Joshua Cassity

Your help is needed to see the passage of two ballot access bills in 2012.  Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has introduced two different ballot access bills.  The first bill (Senate Bill 15), which would cut the current petition requirement from the current 3% to 1.5% or 5000 or whichever is lesser.  The second bill (Senate Bill 55), would eliminate Alabama's current petition requirements in exchange for a filing fee that would be equal 2% of the salary for said office and capped at $5000.

Even though I favor open ballot access for all candidates and parties, I am asking our party members and supporters to rally behind the passage of these two bills.

You will be able to view the text of Senate Bill SB15 by clicking this link

SB15  (if the website shows expired click the introduction tab at the top)

You will be able to view the text of Senate Bill SB55 by clicking this link

SB55  (if the website shows expired click the introduction tab at the top)

How you can help?  The first thing, we need to do is assure the passage of both bills out of the CONSTITUTION, CAMPAIGN FINANCE, ETHICS AND ELECTIONS Committee.

I have listed the members of this committee below and their contact information.

• Senator Bryan Taylor "Chairperson" bryan.taylor@alsenate.org  (334) 242-7883
• Senator Phil Williams "Vice Chairperson"  philw.williams@alsenate.gov   (334) 242-7857
• Senator Billy Beasley (334) 242-7868  (334) 775-3291
• Senator Paul Bussman  p_bussman@bellsouth.net  (256) 734-1700  (334) 242-7855  
• Senator Shadrick McGill  shadrack.mcgill@alsenate.gov    (334) 242-7858 
• Senator Arthur Orr  http://www.arthurorr.com  (334) 242-7891 (256) 260-2147 
• Senator Tammy Irons tammy@ironslawfirm.com (256)766-9201 (256)335-3600
• Senator Tripp Pittman trip.pittman@alsenate.gov (334)242-7897 (251)621-3555

I ask that everyone who calls to be polite and respectful. The majority of our politicians do not understand just how strict Alabama’s ballot access laws are.  If you need additional talking points before calling, please do not hesitate to call or email me.  Thank You!

Joshua Cassity
Chairman
Constitution Party of Alabama
(334) 341-7165
jcassity@cpalabama.org
www.cpalabama.org

January 11, 2011 

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence affirms"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"; and

WHEREAS, the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirms “Nor shall any person be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”; and

WHEREAS, The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Section I) affirms “Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”; and

WHEREAS, The 1901 Constitution of Alabama  (Article 1 Section I) affirms “That all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”; and

WHEREAS, The 1901 Constitution of Alabama (Article 1 Section 35) affirms "That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression"; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson affirmed, "The first and only legitimate object of good government is the care of human life, not its destruction"; and

WHEREAS, John Locke affirmed, "Nobody has an absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, to destroy his own life, or take away the life or property of another" and;

WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan affirmed, "We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life - The Unborn - without diminishing the value of all human life” and;

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment”; and

WHEREAS, the first principle of the Constitution Party of Alabama affirms “Life: for all Human beings, from conception to natural death.”

The Constitution Party of Alabama affirms the God-given legal personhood of all unborn human beings, without exception.  Any legalization of the termination of innocent life of the born or unborn is a direct violation of our unalienable right to life. The unborn child, whose life begins at conception, is a human being created in God's image. The first duty of the law is to prevent the shedding of innocent blood.  It is, therefore, the duty of all civil governments to secure and to safeguard the lives of the unborn. (Constitution Party Platform, http://www.constitutionparty.com)

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Constitution Party of Alabama State Committee supports legislation that protects the rights of all human beings, born and unborn.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Constitution Party of Alabama State Committee will do all that is within our power to encourage federal, state, and local government officials to protect the sanctity of the life of the unborn through legislation, executive action, and judicial enforcement of the law.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Constitution Party of Alabama State Committee will run qualified individuals who publicly acknowledge and commit themselves to the legal personhood of the unborn child.

Our state party treasurer has let us know that for the third consecutive year the state party has ended the year in the black. Unlike our federal government government the Constitution Party of Alabama is DEBT FREE!

We are also excited to announce also for the third consecutive year, we did not accept a single dollar from political action committees (PACS) or Labor Unions. There was also not a single dollar paid to any of the executive state committee members. If you are looking for a party that is not controlled by special interest or a few wealthy donors, look no farther, our financial records prove it.

Join today!

The Chaplains’ Desk
“Pray without ceasing”
(I Thess. 5:17) 

            “For Christians prayer is like breathing. You don’t have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and forces you to breathe. That’s why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when you’re born into the family of God, you enter into a spiritual atmosphere wherein God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on your life. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. Only then can we survive in the darkness of the world.”¹

          Some Christians would say that it is hard for them to find time to pray. I beg to differ. I find it hard not to pray. Prayer is not an added accessory to make your life better, or a means of asking God for something when we have a need. It is our very life source.

          Prayer is the highest activity of the human soul. Therefore, it remains the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as a Christian so much as our prayer life. For if we are truly admonished by the Scripture to “pray without ceasing,” then our life should be one continual prayer to the Father. Prayer simple defined is our spirit communicating with His Spirit. And if this is true, then the fellowship we have entered into with Him is an ongoing and continual relationship.

          “Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. To pray is to change. If we are unwilling to change we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. In prayer, real prayer we begin to think God’s thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills.”²  Slowly, but surely, we are taught to see things from His perspective. Nothing draws us closer to the heart of God then prayer.

¹MacArthur, John: Alone With God. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1995.