State Sen. Albritton: ‘Going to have to’ address ethics laws — Says claims that prior effort to reform ethics would ‘gut’ current law are ‘PR’

Efforts by the Alabama legislature to change the current ethics laws regarding state officials and employees were met with some opposition during the 2019 legislative general session.

Leading the way on the effort in 2019 was State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), but had his bid declared dead for the session back in April by Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster).

During an appearance on Friday’s broadcast of Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal,” Albritton predicted the issue would be revisited in the 2020 legislative session.

“I think we’re going to have to,” Albritton said. “I think there’s a recognition that our ethics laws are in need of restructuring. That’s why we had this year-long committee, conference, whatever it was to meet and discuss. It couldn’t come to a consensus either. Everyone says ‘yes we need to do something,’ but no one wants to agree or come to terms on what that is. I was just trying to speed the process maybe a little too early. I was just trying to move the ball down the field.”

Albritton said despite the protestations by his critics, none of them in the legislature stepped forward with efforts to improve his legislation.

“You know what?” he said. “Not a single one of those came forward with an amendment, with a change, with a suggestion, which tells me they were not really trying to work or improve.”

He also dismissed claims that he was trying to “gut” the law when asked by host Don Dailey, and maintained his bid was to have “greater disclosure.”

“Not at all,” he replied. “That was PR.”

“It was a means of finding the best way in which you could have the greater disclosure of all the activities of what a public official and public employee are involved in,” he added. “And that public disclosure is the best aspect, best antiseptic of what can occur. And I think – that’s where I was headed. That’s where I’m trying to get to.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.