Alabama CSE Day at the Capitol

On Tuesday, March 14, 2000, Alabama CSE held its second annual Day at the Capital. The day focused on this year’s judicial elections and the issue of school choice, with over 160 attendees plus other interested guests – more than double last year’s attendance! Participants traveled from over 20 Alabama cities, with many coming in by buses or vans.

Highlights from CSE Day included:

CSE members filled the halls and meeting rooms of the Alabama State House, meeting with 10 state senators and over a dozen state representatives.

At a reception for statewide judicial candidates, 9 judicial candidates or their campaigns were represented and met with CSE members.

Supreme Court Justice Jean Brown and State Auditor Susan Parker attended the lunch where nationally-recognized pollster Kellyanne Fitzpatrick discussed current trends in public opinion.

Attorney General Bill Pryor was awarded our first ever Alabama CSE “Friend of the Taxpayer” award.

Carmen McCain of Birmingham was awarded our first ever Activist of the Year award. Ms. McCain works with Jesus Christ Christian School in Birmingham and has been actively involved in Alabama CSE’s school choice effort.

With CSE members holding signs and wearing stickers that read “YES! School Choice,” Alabama CSE director Toby Roth, Senator Bill Armistead (R-Columbiana), and Representative Mary Sue McClurkin (R-Pelham) spoke at a school choice rally and press conference to preview upcoming voucher legislation.

The school choice press conference received statewide media coverage from Associated Press, The Birmingham News, Birmingham Post-Herald, Montgomery Advertiser, Alabama Public Television, and Montgomery TV stations WSFA Channel 12 and WAKA Channel 8.

The tremendous success of our Day at the Capital reaffirmed Alabama CSE’s reputation as an organization that recruits, educates, trains, and mobilizes volunteer activists to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom. Plans are already underway to make the 2001 CSE Day an even greater success – we hope you’ll join us!