Monday 12/26/2005 DAILY NEWS DIGEST

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1135592341245490.xml&coll=2 – Democratic leaders hope Siegelman trial over long before June primary.  

http://www.al.com/opinion/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1135592195245470.xml&coll=3 – Editorial urges legislature to re-write state’s open records law to insure public’s access.

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1135592151245480.xml&coll=1 – Editorial in support of proposal to require information about state’s boards and their membership be made available to the public.

 

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

EDITORIALS

What really held up state Legislature

In our opinion
12-26-2005

Recent reports from Montgomery suggest that the coming legislative session will be largely free from contention.

And on what is this prediction based?

The fact that last year’s effort to remove Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, from his leadership position will in all likelihood not be renewed. Members of the unique bipartisan anti-Barron coalition lack the votes and they know it. Besides, no one wants to treat the public to a session-disrupting fight during an election year.

According to Sen. Gerald Dial, D-Lineville, “We all want to get in, get the budgets worked out and get out of there.”

But recall that it was more than an effort to unseat Barron that tied up the Senate last year. The Senate ceased to function and the Legislature was forced into a special session when a group of Republican Senators filibustered and eventually killed a bill that would have required nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy groups to reveal the sources of their funding if they lobby for or against a piece of legislation.

Most advocacy groups already do this. The notable exception, and the leading lobbyist against the disclosure measure, was the Christian Coalition of Alabama. Although there were other issues involved in the filibuster, there was general agreement that without CCA opposition the measure would have passed easily and the Senate would have been able to finish its business on time.

That did not happen and the taxpayers of Alabama had to pay for a special session so that the legislators could do what legislators are elected to do.

This year, that same issue remains an unresolved roadblock to a successful session.

If the Christian Coalition continues to oppose efforts to require that nonprofit organizations involved in lobbying the legislature reveal their donors, and if that core of Republicans senators continues to oppose efforts to make government more open and accountable, there could be another filibuster and another embarrassing session.

To keep that from happening, senators who supported this secrecy should abandon their delaying tactics, allow an up-or-down vote on the bill and let some sunshine illuminate that little corner of the legislative process.