What follows, Gentle reader is the "Covenant for the Future" pledged by your Democratic legislators (and my opponent in the senate six race) in the last election.

Many would have passed with bipartisan support had they come out of committee.

Only one, dear reader, actually made it into law. See if you can pick it out.

(If you have any comments on the accuracy of any of the statements please speak out.)

The Democratic Covenant

Democratic lawmakers have kept Alabama’s taxes the lowest in the nation.
We will work to keep them that way.


In the first ten days of the next regular legislative session, Alabama Democrats will introduce legislation as required and ensure a vote to enact the plan presented below:

ETHICS & ELECTION REFORM
1. Stop all PAC to PAC transfers
2. Require registered lobbyists to report to the Alabama Ethics Commission all expenditures related to appointed or elected public officials.
3. Pass legislation to strengthen the law against nepotism in state hiring
4. Eliminate all "pork" projects from state budgets
TAX REFORM
1. Stop annual property tax increases by returning property reappraisals to a four year cycle
2. Oppose any increase in taxes without a vote of the people
3. Eliminate the sales tax on food
4. Further reduce the state income tax on all working families and individuals earning less than the Federal Poverty Level
5. Create the Alabama Energy Independence Act with tax incentives for Alabama farmers and refineries, providing Alabama jobs, and making Alabama less dependent on foreign oil

EDUCATION
1. Pass a constitutional amendment to prohibit the use of Alabama Education Trust Fund money for non-education purposes
2. Pass budgets that increase funding for the following education priorities
- Classroom discipline
- Emphasis on "back-to-basics" education
- Technology in the classroom
- Support students and the work of teachers and other education personnel, instead of bureaucrats and "pork" projects

FAITH & VALUES
1. Pass a constitutional amendment confirming that all life is a gift from God and should be protected; and that life begins at conception
2. Require public schools to offer Bible Literacy as part of their curriculum
3. Defeat any efforts to redefine marriage or provide the benefits of marriage to a same-sex union

SECURITY
1. Pass the Alabama Border Protection Act requiring immigrants to register for a work permit before working in Alabama and making it a felony for employers to repeatedly hire illegal immigrants
2. Provide funding to train Alabama law enforcement personnel to allow full enforcement of immigration laws including deportation of illegal immigrants
3. Pass tough new laws to help apprehend and punish internet predators of children and fund enforcement of new child protection laws.
4. Pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of or transfer of authority of the Alabama State Docks in Mobile or inland river ports to any foreign entity

HEALTH
1. Establish the Permanent Joint Health Care Committee of the Legislature to guarantee
- Access to affordable, quality health care for every citizen
- Cost containment and access to affordable prescription medications
2. Create the Alabama Legislative Health Care Access Trust to provide scholarships for medical students who will serve in underserved areas
3. Guarantee funding to keep the state’s Medicaid program viable

This is what they promised to do in the first ten days. Did they?