by TChris

An effort to amend the Alabama Constitution by eliminating provisons once used to disadvantage minority groups appears to have been narrowly defeated.

The proposed amendment would delete unenforced sections of the constitution that mandate racially segregated schools and allow poll taxes, once used to discourage blacks from voting. ... Alabama's constitution mandated separate schools "for white and colored children" and imposed poll taxes. After the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision banning school segregation, Alabama amended its constitution to say there is no constitutional right to an education at public expense.

Unless a recount produces a different result, the proposed amendment failed by 1,850 votes — a margin of 0.13%. The notorious Roy Moore, who championed the display of the Ten Commandments in the state courthouse, opposed the amendment.