Alabama’s ethics laws are imperfect and always in flux. In just a few years, Alabama has seen the speaker, governor, and multiple other elected officials found guilty of ethics charges. But even with all of those victories, apparently, the law is still pretty weak. If you don’t think we need a special session on ethics, read the grand jury report and look at the gigantic gaping festering diseased holes in the current law:
— The ethics law does not cover non-spousal intimate or romantic relationships.
— The law authorizes the governor to appoint the secretary of law enforcement and does not prohibit the governor from initiating, directing, or receiving reports on criminal investigations for illegitimate political purposes.
— State law does not prohibit non-government personnel from performing the work of a public employee while receiving payment from a private entity for that work (so-called loaned executives), and there is a question whether the Ethics Act clearly covers such individuals.
Why this matters: In Alabama, the governor can be in a sexual relationship with his/her assistant, as long as they aren’t married, a power-broker can pay the assistant’s salary, and the governor can then interfere in any investigation into these matters. This is all legal. This is absolutely insane and unacceptable.
Governor Kay Ivey is currently being pummeled for not agreeing to debate her opponents. If she wants to change the subject she should call a special session of the Legislature and address these issues that the grand jury investigation has just raised.
The details:
— A special session in Alabama must be called by the governor and she must declare what the session is about in the “call”. Anything not listed can only be debated after a two-thirds vote of both chambers.
— The cost of a special session could be anywhere between $110,ooo and $320,828.
— Mason and Governor Bentley carried on an affair during the time Mason worked in his office, and used state resources to cover it up, but Bentley ended up cutting a deal and pleading to campaign finance violations.
— Rebekah Caldwell Mason was paid by the Alabama Council for Excellent Government to work in the governor’s office. This is legal.
@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a conservative talk show from 7-11 AM weekdays on WVNN in Huntsville.
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