Reform of Alabama Ethics Law creates division in state GOP leaders
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
Every statewide officer in the state of Alabama is a Republican. The GOP also holds supermajorities in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature.
Thus, most state leaders are generally singing off the same page when it comes to the direction of the state, which has led to a lot of positive changes to the governing of Alabama.
Yet, this past week we saw a real division between Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshal and the Alabama House of Representatives.
State representatives passed controversial legislation that would reform the Alabama Ethics Act.
The attorney general had strongly opposed the bill and outlined his concerns against why he wanted lawmakers to vote it down.
But the legislation won approval with very little dissent and now heads to the Alabama State Senate for consideration.
Some current senators have made it clear that they will heed the concerns of the attorney general and either substitute their own version of the bill or just let it die.
When the Alabama Ethics Act was last reformed in 2010 by lawmakers, it was hailed as the toughest in the nation to ensure public integrity of elected officials. Thus, there are a lot of folks watching what will ultimately happen with the legislation.
There are 10 days left in this session; we will see does the Alabama Ethics Act get a makeover or not.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, at @Paul_DeMarco.