GUEST EDITORIAL
Dec. 7, 2010

Adversity breeds opportunity 

These are trying times in Alabama. With eleven people, including lawmakers, lobbyists, state employees and business people under federal indictment for charges of bribery, extortion and perjury among others, it is time to perform a self-examination on what’s wrong with the political culture in Montgomery. As a newly-elected state Senator and former House member, I am embarrassed as well as angry that our state is once again under the microscope of the media and the citizenry for alleged wrongdoing by folks who know better. 

They say adversity often breeds opportunity. Governor Riley has called a special session this week to overhaul Alabama’s weak ethics laws, something he’s tried unsuccessfully to do for many years. In light of the recent indictments, it’s time members of the Legislature turn campaign rhetoric into legislative action. This black eye on Alabama must be removed, and it’s up to lawmakers to get it done. 

For the last several sessions, I pushed for legislation in the House to give the Alabama Ethics Commission subpoena power (Alabama is the only state ethics commission without this law) to question witnesses and examine records in cases of alleged wrongdoing. On a couple of occasions, the measure passed out of Committee and passed on the House floor. But when the bill reached the Senate, it never saw the light of day. 

That was then, and this is now. Republicans now control both Houses of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years, and we must act. I will once again sponsor the bill to enable the Ethics Commission to subpoena people and documents, and I am confident it will pass and become law. 

Other ethics reform bills are also being introduced. One is a ban on PAC-to-PAC transfers of political contributions that hide the real sources of campaign money. This is a common practice to get Person A’s contribution to Lawmaker F without the voters’ knowledge.  For example, Person A wants to send $5,000 to Lawmaker F. Person A   sends $5,000 to PAC B. In turn, PAC B writes three separate checks, to PACs C, D and E.  These PACs each write a check to Lawmaker F in differing amounts to disguise the original $5,000. This loophole in our campaign finance law needs to be plugged to ensure transparency. 

Many of the newly-elected members of the Legislature made ethics reform the cornerstones of their campaigns. Governor Riley’s special session this week presents a real opportunity for these lawmakers to show their constituents how serious they are about putting teeth in our ethics laws, considered by many as the weakest in the country. 

Cam Ward represents Senate District 14, made up of all of Chilton and parts of Bibb, Shelby and Jefferson Counties. He and his wife Julie and daughter Riley live in Alabaster in Shelby County.