It's no accident. The framers knew exactly what they were doing when they wrote the document, the state's sixth, in 1901. Behold the Alabama Constitution, a document that bars counties from self government, the ability to pass legislation, raise taxes, zone land or do anything else without begging the Legislature for approval. It intentionally bottlenecks lawmaking power in the Legislature, disenfranchising most of the rest of the state, providing a focus for special interest money and politicizing the smallest of county decisions. As a result, the state's basic charter has become bloated with more than 700 amendments, most of them outlining local laws.
Some academicians claim it is the longest constitution in the world.
In 100 years, the entrenched situation hasn't improved. That should tell you something. The effects of constitutional limits on local government don't end with education. In the state's urban counties, sprawl has run amok. In Calhoun County, lack of zoning power is a problem, officials say, because with the impending redevelopment of former Fort McClellan, the region is on the brink of an economic resurgence.