MONTGOMERY, Ala. (EETV)- Alabama lawmakers announced new legislation aimed at strengthening Alabama's ethics laws.
Attorney General Steve Marshall joined Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, Sen. Arthur Orr, Rep. Mike Jones, and Ethics Commission Director Tom Albritton in officially announcing the legislation Thursday morning.
“After nearly two years of work and the input from many around the state, I am pleased to join with the Legislative leadership in announcing the introduction of legislation to improve the Alabama Ethics Act,” said Marshall. “The updated Ethics Act, which was written with direct input from the Attorney General’s Office, is meant to strengthen and add further clarity to the current Alabama ethics law passed in 2010.”
The updated Alabama Ethics Act will bolster the present ethics law while achieving three important goals:
1.) Encourage honest people to serve in government by defining the line between legal and illegal activity.
2.) Create a clear and definite process through which people serving in government can obtain guidance regarding whether a particular situation falls on that line.
3.) Ensure that those persons who violate the public’s trust are held accountable.
“My office had a strong hand in the writing of this bill, but we didn’t do it alone,” added Marshall. “I am very appreciative of Senator Del Marsh and Speaker Mac McCutcheon for their invaluable assistance in bringing our draft ethics bill before the Legislature. I am also very appreciative of the Ethics Commission staff and the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services for their invaluable input.”
The ethics reform legislation will be reviewed by a newly-created Ethics Clarification and Reform Commission.
This comes as Alabama has faced several major ethics and public corruption incidents in recent years including the conviction of former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard for 12 counts of public corruption and the guilty plea of former Gov. Robert Bentley after a lengthy Ethics Commission meeting.
