Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

Advisory

Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting Set for Sept. 3
Amendment One: What's in it for You and UA?

Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting Set for Sept. 3

UA President Robert E. Witt will address the annual fall faculty and staff meeting Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 1:30 p.m. in Sellers Auditorium of the Bryant Conference Center. The announcement and introduction of the winners of the 2003-2004 Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award (OCTA) and recipients of the Sam S. May Award will be part of the meeting. All faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

Amendment One: What's in it for You and UA?

In response to misinformation and a misrepresentation of the facts regarding Gov. Bob Riley's Accountability and Tax Reform Plan (Amendment One on the Sept. 9 ballot), the Alabama Partnership for Progress (www.abetteralabama.org) has added information to its Web site to clarify issues. The Plan, Amendment One, will be the only item on the Sept. 9 ballot. Riley's Plan, which is endorsed by the University, offers long-term solutions to recurring fiscal problems in Alabama. For more information and links to informative sites, go to UA's government affairs Web site at www.governmentrelations.ua.edu.

Ballot Language (as it will appear in the voting box Sept. 9):

Shall the following Amendment be adopted to the Constitution of Alabama?

Proposed Statewide Amendment Number One (1)

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, establishing the Alabama Excellence Initiative Fund which may be used to fund programs including, but not limited to, the furtherance of excellence in public education, college scholarships, health care benefits for senior citizens and job training programs to attract new high paying jobs and otherwise provide for distributing state tax revenues; to adjust income and property taxes; to establish the General Fund Rainy Day Account; to provide for the replenishment of the General Fund Rainy Day Account and the Education Trust Fund Rainy Day Account. (Proposed by Act No. 2003-78)

Yes

The constitutional amendment which will appear on the ballot is proposed by legislative Act 2003-78. The Web site is www.sos.state.al.us/election/2003/scae/index.cfm.

Note that Governor Riley's package consists of several acts that were passed by the Alabama Legislature. If the constitutional amendment is proposed by the voters, these other acts will go into effect as well. These additional acts are:

101 -- To limit credits allowed insurance companies
102 -- To clarify the definition of taxable income
103 -- Relating to the Teacher Tenure Act
105 -- Board of Education to create program for payments to teachers and for scholarships
106 -- Relating to the Fair Dismissal Act
107 -- To increase the rates of mortgage and deed recording taxes
108 -- To increase rates of the utility gross receipts & utility service use taxes
109 -- To increase the tax on cigarettes
110 -- State to pay tuition of any qualified student for higher and postsecondary education
111 -- Pertaining to Foundation Program of public schools to update funding formulas/disbursement
112 -- To amend Teacher Accountability Act
113 -- To prohibit public funds from being passed through from one entity to another by Legislature
114 -- "School Fiscal Management and Responsibility Act"
115 -- To repeal the deduction for federal income taxes
116 -- Relating to individual and corporate income tax to provide funding for public education
117 -- To provide for sharing the cost of health insurance premiums by state employees and retirees
118 -- To eliminate the lubricating oil tax and exemption from sales and use tax
119 -- To update the method of determining current use valuation of property