By State Rep. Will Ainsworth (R – Guntersville)
The Alabama Capitol Building and State House are currently suffering an epidemic of corruption, and rather than continuing to address the problem only after wrongdoing occurs, I believe it is time we implement a strong dose of preventative medicine.
That is why I have filed strict, no-nonsense term limit legislation in the Alabama House.
Consider for a moment some of the elected officials who have been convicted for abusing their offices in recent years:
Former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, an 18-year legislative veteran, was recently found guilty of 12 violations of ethics laws and sentenced to four years in prison.
Former State Rep. Greg Wren, a 14-year House member, pled guilty to using his office for personal gain and was forced to pay $24,000 in restitution.
Former Gov. Don Siegelman, who held various state offices over 24 years, was found guilty of bribery, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice charges and completed a six-and-a-half year prison sentence earlier this month.
Former State Rep. Terry Spicer pled guilty to accepting bribes in return for passing legislation during his three terms in the Alabama House and served almost five years in federal custody.
The entire list of state officials who been found guilty of abusing their office is too lengthy to share in its entirety, which is, in itself, a serious indication of the problem.
Notice, though, that each of the individuals I have highlighted share one thing in common – lengthy terms in office.
I believe that long-term exposure to the corrupting influences that infect our state government causes the moral compass of many elected officials to turn toward the back rooms and dark corridors of Montgomery rather than pointing true north.
These corrupt politicians learn the system, become seduced by it, and they soon forget about the people they represent while looking out only for themselves.
The solution is to limit the amount of time public officials may serve so they do not succumb to temptations.
In addition, our founding fathers envisioned our representative government to be comprised of citizen-statesmen who would serve short terms in office and return home so others could step up and follow suit. I do not believe that Washington, Jefferson, Franklin or their peers wanted our government to be dominated by career politicians who viewed their offices as a long-term job rather than a temporary civic duty.
Under the provisions of my legislation, an individual is limited to serving two terms in each chamber of the Legislature before being forced to step aside. Individuals serving in the state’s other constitutional offices – governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, etc. – are already limited to two consecutive terms, and I believe it is time for lawmakers to face the same restriction.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump inspired Americans with his promise to reform Washington and his rallying cry of “Drain the swamp!”.
After serving just two years in the Alabama House, I can testify that Montgomery’s government buildings are an equally corrupt and stagnant swamp that needs to be drained so the fresh air of ethics and honesty can blow in.
Passing my bill will not be easy because many of the lawmakers who will consider the bill are the same long-term officeholders that it targets and limits, so please call, write, and email your legislators in its support. Talk to them at church, the grocery store, the little league baseball field, and other places you see them. Let them know that you demand an end to corruption by implementing term limits.
If our army of angry and frustrated citizens will band together in one massive movement – much like the one President Trump led – we can finally force the change in Montgomery that all of us crave.
State Rep. Will Ainsworth, a Republican representing Marshall, Blount, and DeKalb counties, is serving his first term in the Alabama House.
