Over the weekend, Democrat candidate for governor Walt Maddox announced a number of ethics measures he will seek to impose if elected, saying the state is at its “most corrupt period in history.”
“As governor, I’m going to declare war on the culture of corruption in Montgomery,” Maddox told those at a meeting of the Alabama Press Association on Saturday, where he announced his ethics plan.
Included in Maddox’s list is a number of commitments, from requiring disclosure of visitor logs of those who meet with the governor and disclosure of assistance offered by the state for economic development purposes, to holding bi-weekly press conferences.
Maddox also wants to prohibit those from working in state government who are paid by an entity other than the state.
“While Walt Maddox has been busy writing campaign promises, Kay Ivey has actually been leading ethics reform efforts and cleaning up Montgomery,” an Ivey campaign spokesperson told Yellowhammer News in a statement.
“After being sworn in as Governor, Kay banned the use of loaned executives, prohibited lobbyists from the executive branch, replaced nearly half the cabinet from the previous administration and shut down unnecessary tasks forces,” the statement continued. “Governor Ivey has steadied the ship of state, restored trust in the government and now Alabama is stronger than before.”
Maddox also announced that he will be sending the Ivey campaign a letter this week challenging her to four debates: one based on issues of education and economic development; one on health care, mental health, and infrastructure; and two styled as a town hall, one in a major Alabama city and another in a rural Alabama county.
Ivey’s campaign did not say what the governor thinks of Maddox’s debate challenge, or whether she will participate.
Read Maddox’s full plan here.
@jeremywbeaman is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News
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