Yesterday, Bradley Byrne released a ten point ethics reform plan.
- Require public servants and their family members to disclose to the Ethics Commission all work they are engaged in with any entity that receives public funds, and all income derived from any state or local government entity or institution;
- Extend the ban on “double-dipping” to all levels of state government;
- Eliminate “pass-through pork,” once and for all, by writing the ban into law;
- Stop hidden money trails by banning PAC-to-PAC transfers;
- Remove its exemption and mandate that the Legislature follow competitive bid requirements when contracting for professional services;
- Provide long-overdue subpoena power to the Alabama Ethics Commission;
- Stop lobbyists’ “Pay-to-Play,” and require full disclosure of every penny spent on elected officials;
- Require full lobbyist registration and online disclosure;
- Require ethics training for all state and local government employees; and
- Require background checks for all who work in state and local government.
Today, Artur Davis’s campaign welcomed the items in that plan where the two campaigns agree, but challenged Byrne to go further.
“While I am pleased that unlike Ron Sparks and the other Republicans in this race, Bradley Byrne has put forward an ethics proposal, I am mystified that he does not go further, to root out the real abuses that are breaking down trust in Alabama politics,” said Davis. “I certainly appreciate the novelty of holding ethics trainings at the State Capitol, but seminars aren’t good enough to stop the culture of wining and dining public officials in the hopes of getting a favor, or the unlimited power of a few special interests to dominate Alabama politics by writing big checks.”
I do believe that Byrne and Davis are of like mind on this issue and both understand the importance of action. If we could accomplish what either man has laid out it would move Alabama a long way toward restoring citizens trust.
However, the missing element in both proposals is huge, how do you get it done? How is any governor going to convince legislators to vote against their own interests? There is no doubt that at least some legislators, if not a majority, like things exactly as they are and don’t want to see it change. Even more than that, every lobbyist likes things as they are. The bully pulpit can certainly be used, but the current governor has supported several of these proposals and had no success in getting it done.
Byrne touched on that point late today in response to Davis’s statements:
“He’s been a member of Congress every single year since Gov. Riley started proposing major ethics reform for government. And every single year, Congressman Davis has stood silently by as the Democratic majority in the legislature killed the governor’s proposals one by one.
“That being said, his apparent support for Bradley’s long-time battle against corruption is better late than never. Congressman Davis will have one more chance in the next session of the Legislature to urge his fellow Democrats who control the legislative agenda to make ethics reform happen. The people of Alabama want it, and they deserve it.
“Bradley Byrne challenges the Congressman to stand up now and to encourage his Democratic friends in the Legislature to pass real ethics reform during Gov. Riley’s last session. Seven years of silence is too long. Bradley has proudly fought the battle for government integrity for years. Now it’s Congressman Davis’ chance to join the army.”
I’m not sure that a sitting US Congressman has much influence on his colleagues in the Alabama legislature on an issue like this, but I think it’s a valid point for Byrne to raise. I think the the words “Democratic friends in the Legislature” may be a bit of a stretch. If Byrne can find more than a handful of legislators who consider Artur Davis a friend I would be surprised. One of the reasons I support Artur Davis is that he has not been part of the in-state party establishment and is not beholden to the same interests as many who have been living on Goat Hill for the last several decades. I don’t believe this charge from Byrne will go unanswered, and I will update with Rep. Davis’s response. But the healthy exchange between the leading candidates of each party is starting to materialize.
As for me, I know what I can and will do to ensure ethics reform, support only those legislative candidates who support reform. If a candidate doesn’t support ethics reform in the ways that are spelled out by Byrne and Davis, he/she needs to go. This issue is too critical to care about party. I’m tired of watching this fall by the wayside session after session. So, if it takes a Republican-led legislature to get it done, I’m in favor of it. I hope that is not the case. I hope there are enough strong Democrats who understand we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing to step forward and challenge those who have benefited from business as usual for far too long.
UPDATE: I received the following response to the Byrne remarks from Davis communication director Alex Goepfert,
“Artur Davis has a strong record of reform in Congress and supported landmark ethics reform. As a former federal prosecutor with a near-perfect conviction rate, he needs no lectures from Bradley Byrne about how to clean up wrongdoing. Artur Davis is running for governor so that he can clean up the mess in Montgomery and he has outlined the toughest ethics reform agenda in Alabama history to help him do it. Bradley Byrne may be calling for ethics seminars at the State Capitol, but he opposes essential reforms like caps on campaign contributions, a total lobbyist gift ban and a requirement that elected officials operating under the cloud of a corruption indictment be forced to step aside.”
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NEW TWAY BLOG POST: Ethics Reform and The Next Governor (the latest from @BradleyByrne and @ArturDavis) http://bit.ly/2LJFl4 #alpolitics
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RT @TWAY_Kris: Ethics Reform and The Next Governor (the latest from @BradleyByrne and @ArturDavis) http://bit.ly/2LJFl4 #alpolitics
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Brilliant!
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RT @TWAY_Kris: NEW TWAY POST: Ethics Reform and The Next Governor (latest from @BradleyByrne , @ArturDavis) http://bit.ly/2LJFl4 #alpolitics
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The ethics issue will continue to drift until the voters get fired up and legislators value their seats as more than a position to get jobs for themselves, family and cronies.
Maybe this election, we’ll see the word play and dialog that gets the voters excited enough to vote on the issue. Or maybe not, other issues (jobs, bingo, taxes) may take precedence. Won’t surprise me to see gambling as the big issue to the exclusion of all else soon.
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My latest post on Ethics Reform, updated with a response to @BradleyByrne from @ArturDavis 's campaign http://bit.ly/2LJFl4 #alpolitics
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Walt,
I have a similar fear that gambling is going to overwhelm the three E’s (Ethics Reform, Economic Development and Education) that Byrne and Davis agree are the key issues facing the next governor. I too hope that voters will demand ethics reform this session, no matter which party is in control of the legislature.
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How much influence does a US Congressman have over Alabama Legislators who aren’t even influenced by their own constituents?
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herding old cats mentioned legislators who aren’t influenced by their constituents. Perhaps enough of their constituents just aren’t using a tactic, “fear”, that has a chance to exert influence.
The Montgomery Advertiser recently published a letter to the editor from me which is quoted below. The strategy I suggested in it to get the legislature to pass the I&R constitutional amendment could just as well be used in an effort to get the legislature to finally pass real ethics reform legislation.
“In an October 23 editorial the Advertiser urged Governor Riley to push ethics reform in possibly two special legislative sessions if the 2010 regular session again fails to pass real reform legislation.
History tells us that the legislature won’t pass real reform legislation in its 2010 session.
In that case, what Riley could do is to stump the state urging voters to demand that their legislators pass a constitutional amendment which would be the key to unlock the door to better government. Representative Mike Ball has introduced such legislation in each of the past few regular sessions. That bill was known as HB279 in the 2009 session. That amendment would make Alabama the 25th Initiative and Referendum (I&R) state.
I&R would allow Alabama voters to introduce legislation such as ethics reforms or other needed reforms that could bypass both the legislature and the governor and be put on a ballot for voters to accept or reject.
Voters should then tell the legislators who represent them that if they fail to vote for that bill they do so at the risk of being voted out of office.
Then Riley should call a special session before the November elections with passing that bill as the only issue. If the amendment isn’t passed, then voters should kick the rascals out.”
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Good Ethics Reform in Alabama article from @TWAY_Kris . Responses from @BradleyByrne & @ArturDavis http://bit.ly/2LJFl4
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Byrne’s plan (if elected governor) is to call in a special session right after the new governor takes office and lay out his ethics proposal in front of the legislature. This would be the ONLY item on the table, which would force each legislator to take a stand one way or the other (IN THE SPOTLIGHT…in front of their constituents and all the press). I think this would be a good way for the voters of this state to see if their representative is for REAL change and reform in Montgomery, or if they are all talk.
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Why isn’t Judge Roy Moore mentioned in any of these articles?
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Has Roy Moore made ethics reform a key part of his campaign platform and the rest of us missed it?
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http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=11330542
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Yes, so Roy’s position was to be the only major candidate to refuse to sign the ethics pledge and he believes ethics is already covered by the oath of office. I’m not sure what to say to that…other than we’ve had two of the past three governors and some of their associates put behind bars, plus a number of state legislators, so there’s obviously more we can do.
I think that’s giving the problem pretty short shrift.
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I have heard through the grapevine that the Byrne campaign felt they needed to respond to Davis’s statement, but were glad this died out quickly as they have enough to worry about with primary opponents and have no incentive to engagement in cross-party debate this early.
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