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House Members Unveil Future Bill

Today Representative Mike Hill (Columbiana), and five of his fellow members of the House of Representatives, Blaine Galliher of Rainbow City, Neal Morrison of Cullman, Jimmy Martin of Clanton, Cam Ward of Alabaster and Leslie Vance of Phenix City announced a bipartisan bill they will co-sponsor in the upcoming legislative session.

Representative Hill has drafted a bill that will prevent elected officials from using tax dollars to purchase public service announcements within six months of an election.

Hill said he hopes his bill will put an end to what he referred to as “self promotion at the taxpayer’s expense, government waste and personal and political gain,” for elected officials.

Secretary of State Nancy Worley has drawn criticism and ethics complaints filed against her for using federal tax dollars to run such public service announcements costing taxpayers more than one half a million dollars.

Other elected officials have run similar ads in the past, but are not running any prior to the November General Election.

“This is an issue of protecting the taxpayer’s money and giving all candidates a fair and level playing field at their own expense, not the tax payers’,” said Hill.

Martin said, “This is a bipartisan effort aimed at what is fair and right. Taxpayers should not pay to promote any one person at any time, but especially during an election year.”

“The purchase of public service ads with tax funds and their being placed strategically prior to an election if not illegal is certainly unethical,” said Vance. “It should be stopped immediately.”

Ward, who once worked in the Secretary of State’s office said the  attempt to promote oneself prior to an election is one thing, but at the taxpayer’s expense is quite another. “It’s a bad business decision at the expense of Alabama taxpayers, not to mention a poor judgment call,” Ward concluded.

Earlier this year, Representatives Galliher and Morrison, both members of the Contract Review Committee attempted a bipartisan effort to put a halt to Worley’s ads, but she continues to run them at a cost to the taxpayers that exceeds half a million dollars.

“She showed a total disrespect for the law and the committee when she intentionally ignored the process we suggested and ran the ads in spite of our recommendation,” Galliher said. “It’s just wrong.”

The bipartisan group of legislators called on Worley to stop the ads immediately in the best interest of good government.  “It is obvious that this is not in the best interest of the people of this state and is a total waste of tax dollars,” said Galliher. “You can educate voters without your name, voice or picture being portrayed on all the ads.”  The point was also made that public service announcements are generally placed by radio and television stations free, but Worley intentionally purchased and placed hers.

“Just because this is a bill for the future, doesn’t mean the ethical principle behind it should not be followed today,” said Hill.

“We as a bipartisan group are calling on Secretary of State Worley and any other elected official who is considering running ads paid for at the taxpayer’s expense, regardless of party affiliation to stop wasting the taxpayer’s money for political gain,” Galliher concluded.