Everyone agrees that Alabama is solidly in the Bush column by double digits, so there’s not a lot of tension in the presidential race here. However, there are important races and issues on the state and local levels, and I’ll be reporting on those through Tuesday (and beyond, if necessary).

There’s sound and fury surrounding at least one of the amendments on the Alabama ballot this election. Proposed Amendment 2 is touted by bipartisan supporters as necessary to change segregationist language hanging on in the state’s constitution, but opponents claim it’s an effort to ease the way for school tax increases. Besides the obvious reasons, it’s drawn attention because former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore opposes it. Moore, if you remember, drew national attention when he refused to remove a monument featuring the Ten Commandments from an Alabama government building. He subsequently was removed from his court position as a result of his refusal.

This article in The Birmingham News details both sides of the fight, and is also the source for the following summary of the other proposed amendments. I’m highlighting 7 that involve more than one county in the state; there are 27 others that involve only one county:

Amendment 1 would let city and county governments in 18 counties, including Jefferson and Shelby, buy and develop industrial sites and lease, sell or give them to businesses.

Amendment 3 would broaden the scope of proposed Amendment 1 and give all city and county governments the power to buy land and buildings to develop industrial sites, and then lease, sell or give those sites to companies willing to do business on the sites…

Amendment 4 would let shrimp and seafood producers vote to impose fees on themselves to promote their products.

Amendment 5 would let Trussville [a small city adjacent to Birmingham] residents decide whether to raise city property taxes for schools…

Amendment 6 would change salary requirements for the probate judge of Crenshaw County…

Amendment 7 would let the Legislature pass laws to let the Macon County Commission raise sales taxes on tobacco, liquor and wine.

Amendment 8 would raise about $2.6 million a year by repealing state property taxes on vehicles that weigh more than 26,000 pounds and imposing a state excise tax that would range from $80 to $875 a year, depending on the age and weight of the vehicle…

Voters in some counties will decide the fate of 27 other proposed amendments that would affect just one county each and will be decided by voters in only that county.

Emphasis added. I’ll be reporting on the outcome of the other 27 amendments as well.