While other states put plans into action years ago to keep their highways and roadsides clear from litter, Alabama ignored a growing problem.While other states continue to strengthen their laws and their enforcement efforts, Alabama has created a commission to study it.
While we’re not naysaying that first step the state has taken in admitting it has a problem, it is discouraging to see the state once again ranked in the bottom tier. This time, Alabama comes in at Number 7 among the worst efforts to keep its highways clean.
It should come as no surprise to Alabamians. One need look no further than a few feet from their vehicle window to see the evidence – litter piling up on roadsides faster than work crews can pick it up.
To put the problem into proper perspective, a snapshot of those states in the highest tier reveals a common theme – eliminating roadside litter through strict enforcement of even stricter laws.
In Louisiana, highway rights-of-way have been declared Litter Free Zones, where violators can be prosecuted even if an officer didn’t see them discard the litter. If evidence indicates they did the crime, they can be fined anywhere from $50 to $500.
Along with Minnesota and Vermont, Louisiana has authorized local governments to create special courts or dockets to address these violations.
Connecticut has had an anti-litter law dating back to 1897, which carried a $20 fine more than a century ago.
Massachusetts fines violators $3,000 for the first conviction and up to $10,000 for subsequent violations. New Jersey fines can go as high as $1,000 plus jail time or community service.
And in New Hampshire, violators see fines up to $2,000, their license can be suspended and the court is allowed to order the names of convicted litterers to be published.
Meanwhile, back home in Alabama, the litter just seemed to keep on coming. So in February 2008, the Legislature created the Commission to Enhance the Enforcement of Alabama’s Litter Laws, a group charged with the responsibility of studying what needs to be done and making recommendations to rectify Alabama’s litter woes.
The measure that created it noted that in 2005, only 200 citations for littering had been issued across the state in an entire year. Plenty of Alabama motorists, if they’re paying attention, could count evidence of 200 violations on their way to work each day.
The commission is due to make its first report in the new legislative session that convenes in 2009, and we hope its findings will force this state into finally taking action to clean up the state and keep it that way.
It is long past time for Alabama to recognize it has a problem, but more important, it’s long overdue to do something about it.
