The people of Alabama do not have a voice for the ballot measures that we vote on every two years. We're not allowed to create or sign petitions on the types of measures we want to see on future ballots. Only the state legislature can decide what we are allowed to vote on. This isn't democratic and it means that we have no real voice in what happens in our state government.

In example, most Alabamians want to see a state lottery that gives the proceeds to the education fund, but our government does not seem to agree. We should be allowed to create a petition, collect signatures, and get a lottery bill on the ballot for a statewide vote. But our government does not allow us to do that. We're blocked by the people we choose to represent us. We are not allowed to have a voice. We need to change that.

This petition, being sent to state leadership, asks for an amendment to the Alabama State Constitution, Article XVIII, that will fix this problem by allowing the citizens of Alabama to ballot initiatives. Any petition that gathers at least 150,000 signatures should be considered for ballot access during the even numbered elections. This is the form of direct democracy that states like Michigan enjoy. And it gives some of the power of legislation back to the people that it affects.

This is how America is meant to function.