-
Share LWVAL
About the League
Please, support LWVAL.
Where We Stand
Donate
Join Us
Pay Dues
Contact League
Baldwin Co.
Greater Birmingham
East Alabama
Mobile
Montgomery
Greater Tuscaloosa
LWVAL
LWVUS
Quick Links for CitizensVoting & Elections
Register to vote
Find Your Polling Place
Restore your voting rights
"About the Help America Vote Act" (pdf)
Vote411.org
Read more
State Legislature & Congress
Who Speaks for You?
Find State Legislation & Take Action
The AL Legislature: Facts & Issues
Courts
"The Courts and Judicial Selection in AL" (pdf)
Environment
Environmental Management in AL: Facts & Issues
The State of Climate Change (LWVUS)
The Alabama Constitution
Resources on Constitutional Reform in AL
Health Care
More issues...
Ethics in Government
LWVAL Action Priority Level I (Highest) - Monitoring and action of highest priority. Major area for resource expenditures.Click a bill to see sponsor(s), summary (including link to full text), League action and justification for that action, and progress of the bill through the legislative process.
Legend:
= LWVAL's support for the legislation. 
= LWVAL's opposition to the legislation.
= new bill activity; change from previous week's report such as new progress in the legislature and/or League action. Bill may be one newly added to the report. These updates are in green font.LWVAL has taken a position on this bill:
SB149 - Ethics, lobbyists required to report any item excluded from definition of thing of value whatever the actual cost, Sec. 36-25-19 am'd.
Sponsor(s): Senators Taylor and Beason
Summary/Synopsis: Regarding the quarterly reports required of lobbyists and principals employing a lobbyist, under existing law, each registered lobbyist and principal must list the cost of items excluded from the definition of a "thing of value" if the actual cost expended during a 24-hour period is greater than $250. Also, under existing law, any person who expends more than $250 in a calendar day on a public official or public employee in negotiating a contract or other financial transaction is required to report the expenditure. This bill would delete the 24-hour time period and the $250 minimum requirement so as to require the reporting of those items whatever the actual cost.
Expansions of the reporting requirements are various. (a) Any expenditure by a lobbyist to a public employee or his/her family members. (b) Expenditures by non-lobbyists would no longer have the $250 and one calendar day limitation on reports. (c) Any loan that is not a thing of value must be reported. (d) Direct business association or partnership with the public employee or a family must be revealed. Campaign contributions, however, are not deemed a business association or partnership.
League Action and Justification: LWVAL supports SB149.
This bill closes many of the loopholes in the existing Ethics law and clearly promotes full disclosure of expenditures to benefit all public employees and their families. It comes close to achieving the League’s position that: “Ethics Law should provide clear and enforceable state law regarding ethical conduct for elected and appointed officials, public employees and lobbyists. The law should establish that public office will be used for the public good not private gain and should provide a legal basis for public confidence in the integrity of government.”
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2013: First Reading and referred to the
02/14/2013: 2nd Reading and place on the Calendar; pending 3rd Reading and Favorable from CCFE&E.
05/07/2013: Indefinitely postponed.
Summary/Synopsis: Regarding the quarterly reports required of lobbyists and principals employing a lobbyist, under existing law, each registered lobbyist and principal must list the cost of items excluded from the definition of a "thing of value" if the actual cost expended during a 24-hour period is greater than $250. Also, under existing law, any person who expends more than $250 in a calendar day on a public official or public employee in negotiating a contract or other financial transaction is required to report the expenditure. This bill would delete the 24-hour time period and the $250 minimum requirement so as to require the reporting of those items whatever the actual cost.
Expansions of the reporting requirements are various. (a) Any expenditure by a lobbyist to a public employee or his/her family members. (b) Expenditures by non-lobbyists would no longer have the $250 and one calendar day limitation on reports. (c) Any loan that is not a thing of value must be reported. (d) Direct business association or partnership with the public employee or a family must be revealed. Campaign contributions, however, are not deemed a business association or partnership.
League Action and Justification: LWVAL supports SB149.
This bill closes many of the loopholes in the existing Ethics law and clearly promotes full disclosure of expenditures to benefit all public employees and their families. It comes close to achieving the League’s position that: “Ethics Law should provide clear and enforceable state law regarding ethical conduct for elected and appointed officials, public employees and lobbyists. The law should establish that public office will be used for the public good not private gain and should provide a legal basis for public confidence in the integrity of government.”
Bill Progress in Legislature:
02/07/2013: First Reading and referred to the
02/14/2013: 2nd Reading and place on the Calendar; pending 3rd Reading and Favorable from CCFE&E.
05/07/2013: Indefinitely postponed.
LWVAL is monitoring these bills:
[none at this time]Return
More issues