Marsh seeks to close the ‘revolving door’ of lawmakers becoming lobbyists

MONTGOMERY — Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, has pre-filed a bill to close the “revolving door” in the Alabama Legislature.

The bill is aimed at discouraging lawmakers from leaving office early to become lobbyists. If passed during the upcoming 2014 legislative session, Marsh’s bill would restrict lawmakers from lobbying either the House or Senate for two years after leaving office. It would also prohibit them from lobbying either legislative chamber during the term they were elected.

Marsh said he wants to make sure legislators honor their commitment to the voters who elected them.

“When someone is elected to public office, they owe it to voters to finish their term,” Marsh said. “Leaving office early to become a lobbyist ultimately casts a bad light on the majority of lawmakers who have a genuine interest in serving their constituents.”

Currently, House members can immediately lobby the Senate upon leaving office, but have to wait two years before lobbying the House. The inverse is true for former Senators.

Marsh’s proposal seeks to change the law so that legislators who leave office would have to wait two years before lobbying either chamber, and would not be able to lobby at all during the term for which they were elected.

The bill will be one of the most anticipated pieces of legislation of the 2014 session. Several high-profile members of the legislature have left office to become lobbyists during the past year. Marsh said he received assistance from Alabama Ethics Commission Director Jim Sumner when writing the bill.

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