Steve Marshall

News / State

Attorney paid by unnamed client to write, negotiate HB317

Is it appropriate for a lawyer working for an unidentified private client to write laws for a department of state government? Doesn’t the public have a right to know if a private individual pays for a bill to be written? How is it ethical for a piece of legislation to be sponsored by a member … Continued

Bill Britt

April 17, 2018

Opinion

Bentley left office one year ago today. Still, rogues and scoundrels remain

Today marks one year since Alabama’s 53rd governor, Robert Bentley, left office in disgrace. In just the last two decades, two Republican and one Democrat governor of Alabama were proven crooks. Many more were no doubt rogues and scoundrels, but unlike Bentley, Guy Hunt or Don Siegelman, they never were convicted of their crimes. Of … Continued

Bill Britt

April 10, 2018

Bentley investigation not the first time Ellen Brooks cited gaps in law to let perps walk free

If the findings of a special grand jury empaneled to hear allegations of wrongdoings against former Gov. Robert Bentley and his cronies sound familiar, it should. In 2012, after an eight-month investigation, a Montgomery grand jury found that the state’s ethics and campaign finance laws were not specific enough to indict former Gov. Bob Riley … Continued

Bill Britt

April 9, 2018

Sources: Marshall appointed AG after agreeing to investigate “rogue” prosecutors

Gov. Robert Bentley appointed Steve Marshall to be Alabama attorney general after Marshall agreed to launch an investigation into Special Prosecution Division Chief Matt Hart and Acting Attorney General Van Davis, who successfully prosecuted former Speaker Mike Hubbard. According to well-placed sources, Marshall was the only district attorney that Bentley approached who promised he would … Continued

Bill Britt, Josh Moon

April 6, 2018

Opinion

Alabama politicians aren’t even trying to hide the corruption anymore

The corruption within Alabama’s state government doesn’t surprise me anymore. The brazenness of that corruption does. Seriously, these people aren’t even hiding it anymore. Former Republican majority leader Micky Hammon, before being busted, convicted and shipped off to federal prison, actually told a reporter about his illegal deal with a health care company. Former Republican … Continued

Josh Moon

April 4, 2018

Opinion

Will Gov. Ivey unmuzzle Hart and Albritton?

Despite the Ivey Administration’s push to pass questionable ethics-busting bill HB317 or her public praise for its passage, the governor is now being counseled not to sign the legislation into law before hearing from those individuals muzzled during legislative debate. There is little doubt that Gov. Kay Ivey’s commerce secretary and the state’s attorney general, … Continued

Bill Britt

April 3, 2018

Unknown and unbridled by law: Economic developers set to make millions off tax incentives

A new law establishing a class of individuals known as economic development professionals opens the door for profit-driven incentives paid with taxpayer funds to vaguely described, unknown agents not registered or held accountable to state law. There are many reasons to suspect that House Bill 317 is filled with loopholes not yet fully understood by … Continued

Bill Britt

April 2, 2018

Opinion

Inside the Statehouse: It’ll be a fun election year

Every constitutional statewide office is up for election this year. Just like the governor’s office you can serve two consecutive four-year terms and then you are through. Kay Ivey would have been term limited as Lt. Governor. She could not have run again for that post even though she ascended to governor last year. Young … Continued

Steve Flowers

March 28, 2018

HB317: The players

Sometime after 10 a.m. today, the Alabama Senate will take up HB317, a bill to exempt a specific class of individuals from the state’s ethics laws. During a hearing on the bill before the Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh told the committee members that the legislation was, … Continued

Bill Britt

March 22, 2018

Opinion

HB317: A measure of just how stupid our government is

The most depressing thing about Alabama politics these days is just how stupid our scams are. I think that’s a sign of a good, healthy government: the more well-planned and well-executed your scams, the better overall government you have. Because smart scams require smart people to carry them out. So, if nothing else, at least … Continued

Josh Moon

March 22, 2018