Disclosing contacts

THE ISSUE

A pair of North Alabama legislators say they will introduce a raft of ethics reform bills for elected officials and candidates for office, including one that would require disclosure of personal or family connections to state agencies.

Does the candidate that might be getting your vote next year have a connection with state government he or she isn't telling you about? Short of asking a candidate face-to-face, there's no way of knowing whether candidates have contracts with state agnecies or if family members are employed by a state agency.

That could change if a bill drafted by two North Alabama lawmakers is passed during the 2008 legislative session.

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and Rep. Mike Ball, R-Huntsville, say their bill would require candidates for public office to disclose personal connections with government agencies or relatives who work for the government. The disclosures would be posted on the Internet, but would not prevent candidates from seeking office.

Ball and Orr introduced similar bills in this year's session but they failed to come up for a vote. Ball's bill was approved by a House committee but never reached the floor; Orr's bill died in a Senate committee.

Their bills face an unfortunate uphill battle based on past performance. Legislators have shown little inclination to keep the public informed of their activities. Even more unfortunate is the lack of voter outrage about the lack of transparancy in Alabama's government. Without that outrage, lawmakers feel secure in their lack of support for open government.

Ball and Orr, at least, are dedicated to government transparency. They have a few allies in the Legislature, but not enough to win easy passage of bills that shouldn't trouble the conscience of ordinary lawmakers.

Dozens of accountability and ethics bills have been dashed against the seemingly impenetrable indifference of the Legislature. Lobbyists still have unprecedented access to lawmakers and are are required to report next to nothing about their spending, and conflicts of interest are still common among lawmakers with ties to the education system.

The scandal that has been unfolding in Alabama's post-secondary education system is the basis for Ball's and Orr's bills. Kickbacks and cronyism are coming to light as the investigation continues, ending the careers of some and tarnishing the post-secondary system's

reputation.

Alabama needs stronger ethics guidelines for lawmakers and those in government service. The bill being offered by Ball and Orr is a good place to start strengthening the ethical standards under which public servants must operate. It's not asking too much to expect candidates and officeholders to reveal potential conflicts of interest. Is it?