Bentley returns to sound principle while others foolishly resist

Details: 17 May 2013; Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 08:53; Published Date

By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter

MONTGOMERY—In what might be considered deja vu all over again, the governor visited several of Alabama’s radio talking-heads to find support for his executive amendment to the Alabama Accountability Act (AAA). The thrust of Gov. Bentley’s argument is that the state needs a two-year delay in offering tax credits to those in failing schools.

Political observers will remember that just a fews months ago the Governor joined the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tem in a victory lap at the same shows. At the time Speaker Hubbard, used his favorite pollsters McLaughlin & Associates to produces a glowing acceptance of the AAA.

However, since those heady days, it has become apparent that the bill is not receiving the universal appreciation Hubbard and Marsh had promised Bentley. Instead, school boards in heavily conservative districts like Madison, Baldwin and Elmore Counties have called for the repeal of the AAA. Today, the trumpet of victory has become a muted tin horn. Hubbard and Marsh have stuck the governor with a skunk, and he wants to give it back.

In his appearances, the governor talked about the need to be fiscally responsible. At the time of the grand switch-a-roo, I asked the question that was on the minds of many real conservatives:

“How is it fiscally responsible to pass a bill without knowing much it is going to cost?”

In February and March, that question was dismissed by almost everyone including the radio cabaret.

Often mistaken but never in doubt, the so-called conservatives and their lapdogs pushed ahead without a moment's hesitation and without a clue.

It has become apparent that Bentley has come out from under the ether only to realize that Hubbard and company lied to him once again.

On the airwaves, Bentley sounded like the man the people elected governor and not the one who has been sucker-punched by Hubbard time and again. The governor says he is in favor of giving schools flexibility while taking time to find a responsible way to offer choice.

Marsh is saying the Governor's amendment is DOA—his egos is too invested to backdown. And, sadly, he nor Hubbard respect this governor. Hubbard, looks at Bentley and sees a man standing in his way. As for Marsh, it is anyone’s guess as to his motivation.

Bentley also said he didn’t believe that the tax-credits should go to kids already in private schools, which would deny millionaire legislators from taking their tax breaks. It seems that AEA Boss Mabry’s “No rich child left behind,” is dawning on the Gov.

I noticed that none of the talking heads are calling Bentley a “whore,” a “ho” or an “ape,” for wanting to delay the AAA. They however could not show that same respect to a black circuit court judge.

Governor Bentley is a good man, who has too often listened to bad ones like Hubbard and company. Perhaps the governor has realized that for evil men to prosper, good men simply need to do nothing. Our state deserves real-conservatives with real reforms and not more corporatists.

The Hubbard, Marsh faction of the republican party is a morally bankrupt band of crony-capitalists. They strut and posture, drunk on power and greed. But in reality they are like a dog returning to its vomit they are foolish in their folly.

2014 is right around the bend, and conservatives will be blowing the trumpets to rally the troops to oust Hubbard and his kind. Then the victory laps will be real, because the people will have taken back the state.

It looks like Governor Bentley is once again joining the fight. Welcome back sir, we've missed you.

Roby, Bachus, and Sessions Comment on IRS Scandal

Details: 17 May 2013; Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 08:55; Published Date

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery responded to the resignation of Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service Stephen Miller following revelations that under his leadership his agency was involved in the targeting of conservative groups, including some Alabama residents, with extraordinary scrutiny from 2010-2012.

Miller was also the Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement which oversaw the part of the agency responsible for reviewing the applications of groups applying for tax-exempt status. Rep. Roby said that the scandal hits home for her because one of the groups that was targeted by the IRS is from her Congressional District, the Wetumpka Tea Party.

Rep. Roby said, “The resignation of the acting IRS Commissioner is a positive step, but I doubt that alone will restore Americans’ faith in this Administration. Who can blame us for being skeptical about what we are told by those who pull the levers of power in Washington?”

In a letter to President Barack H. Obama, U.S. Senator Jeff Session (R) from Alabama named Miller specifically for being untruthful to the Congress. Sen. Sessions wrote, “In response to questions raised in 2012 on this issue by Republican Senators, Steven T. Miller, the Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement at the IRS, specifically (and falsely) stated that there was an unbiased, technical screening process used to determine which applications for 501(c)(4) organizations merited further review. In two separate letters to Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, Mr. Miller failed to note that explicitly political screens were used in reviewing applications, despite the fact the practice was apparently well known within the IRS as early as 2010.”

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R) from Vestavia said, “The revelations about the IRS singling out conservative groups for special tax scrutiny and the Justice Department’s seizure of the phone records of reporters raise troubling issues regarding free speech and the right of Americans to engage in political activity without fear of government retribution. We must have all the facts and full accountability from bottom to top. My concern is that, far too often, we have not had the accountability and promised transparency from this Administration that the American people need and deserve.”

Changes to Accountability Act may be "DOA," according to Marsh

Details: 17 May 2013; Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 06:56; Published Date

By Beth Clayton
Alabama Political Reporter

MONTGOMERY--Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) said that he will not allow HB658, the bill to change certain portions of the Alabama Accountability Act, to come to a vote with Governor Bentley's executive amendment attached.

Monday will be the last day of the 2013 regular session. Marsh has said that, even if the bill passes through the House, it will not be brought up for a vote in the Senate.

"As far as I'm concerned at this point what the governor wants is DOA in the Senate," Marsh says.

Bentley's press secretary, Jennifer Ardis, says that legislators have supported the Governor's plans. Delaying the implementation gives the state time to pay back the $432 million to the Education Trust Fund before taking on the expense of the Accountability Act.

Furthermore, delaying implementation allows the failing schools time to improve, Ardis says.

If the Governor attaches the executive amendments, it will effectively kill HB658, leaving HB84, the original Alabama Accountability Act from February 28, in place.

This means that the definition of a failing school will remain at the current definition and the tax credits for donations will remain at 50 percent, among other changes.

House Minority Leader Craig Ford (D-Gadsden) says the solution has always been to repeal the bill. "Delaying it doesn't accomplish anything, it just puts it off until after the next election," Ford says.

Ardis says that the Governor will continue to work with legislative leaders to find a solution.

Shelby County Republican Executive Committee Conducts Business Meeting

Details: 17 May 2013; Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 09:39; Published Date

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

On Tuesday, the Shelby County Republican Executive Committee met to conduct party business and discuss strategy in Pelham.

The Shelby County Republican Executive committee voted to fill two vacancies on their committee.

Steve Johnson from Greystone was added to the executive committee.

Johnson said, “Thank you very much for welcoming me to this community. I have been very involved in the Tea Party and the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.”

The executive committee also voted to add Michael Smith. Smith has been an active member of both the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans and the Shelby County Young Republicans as well as the Alabama minority GOP. Smith said, “Thank you very much and I look forward to becoming more involved.”

Chairman Freddie Ard said that the Executive Committee had more vacancies to fill.

Shelby County Communications Director Laura Joseph presented proposed changes to their bylaws to the executive committee.

The Shelby County Young Republicans are getting organized. The Shelby County Teen Republicans have recently built a Habitat for Humanity house. The Shelby County Republican Women are meeting on Saturday. State Auditor candidate Adam Thompson will be their featured speaker.

Chairman Freddy Ard said that there were two resignations on the Shelby County Republican Steering Committee. The vacancies were for zone 4 and zone 5. The zones currently correspond to the 9 Shelby County Commission districts.

Alabama State Senator Jerry Fielding (R) from Sylacauga announced that he was seeking re-election to the Alabama Senate. Fielding said that he was a judge in Talladega County for 26 years before running for the Senate in 2010. The legislative reapportionment and redistricting process means that southern Shelby County will be in Fielding's district next year. Fielding also announced that Trip Skipper would be helping him with his campaign. Skipper was formerly a senior adviser to Congressman Mike Rogers (R) from Saks.

The executive committee heard from Adam Thompson who is running for state auditor in 2014. Thompson said that Auditor is not an exciting office but it is a very important office. He is currently the deputy chief of staff for Secretary of State Beth Chapman. Thompson also worked for Chapman when she was the state auditor.

Thompson explained that the auditors office has nothing to do with money. Instead the Auditor is responsible for keeping track of over $2 billion in state assets: cars, trucks, desks, anything else the state owns. Every state agency is audited every 2 years to make sure it still has its equipment. The Auditor's office has less than ten employees and a budget of less than $ one million.

Republican National Committee man Paul Reynolds said that the State Executive Committee had accepted Senior Vice Chairman George Williams recommendation for a new Alabama Republican Party Minority Outreach Director. Reynolds said, “These two guys can do more good to reaching out to the minority community than this ground could in 50 years.”

Reynolds said that the Romney campaign had a hard hitting campaign ad on Benghazi and somebody at the top nixed it so it never aired, but the Republican National Committee (RNC) would like to get that ad and run it now after the recent revelations of just how badly the Benghazi situation was handled by the Obama administration.

Reynolds said that RNC Chairman Priebus said we had a pretty good six month campaign but Obama had a fantastic four year campaign. Reynolds said that Hugh Mcinissh has a case before the Alabama Supreme Court questioning Obama's American citizenship. Reynolds said that he voted against supporting that effort because Williams convinced him that it would do the party harm in the minority community.

Reynolds warned the committee not to let the media set your thinking and don't let the media divide one faction of the Republican Party with another.

Reynolds said that the Republican Party can not undo the damage that Obama has done to the country but in 2014 when we vote on the members of Congress and the Senator who are up for election we can put the administration adrift for the final two years. Reynolds expressed concern that the country we inherit from Obama in 2017 could be “just bones.”

Reynolds said, “I do not think that Common Core is going to be the law of Alabama after 2014.” Reynolds said that some positions on the state school board come up in 2014 and that could help overturn Common Core in Alabama.

Reynolds said that the RNC is still trying to undo some of the changes that Romney's people had spearheaded. “The candidate has a lot of authority. When he wins the last primary he begins to consolidate things.”

Rumors of threats and intimidation: The aftermath of Gulf State Park Bill

Details: 17 May 2013; Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 09:57; Published Date

by Susan Britt
Alabama Political Reporter

MONTGOMERY—The Gulf State Park bill has been signed into law. Yet, rumors of treats and intimidation continue to circulate in Montgomery.

Rep. Joe Hubbard, a Democrat from Montgomery, and his former law partner Baron Coleman both opposed the Gulf State Park bill. “I thought it was bad politics, and I opposed it from the first day I read about it,” said Coleman, who denounced the bill on the popular political program “The Capital Buzz.” Coleman was substitute-hosting for host Mark Montiel the day before the Senate and House versions of the Gulf State Park legislation were set for committee hearings.

Coleman said he found the legislation controversial, and he addressed it extensively on the program. Later that day, a lobbyist working against the bill contacted Coleman and said he heard the program and needed someone to speak out against Rep. Steve McMillan’s version of the bill in the House Economic Development and Tourism committee, because the Senate committee was scheduled at the same time.

Coleman said all necessary papers were filed with the ethics commission and all disclosures were made to the committee. “I told the committee who I was, who I represented, and even pointed out that my law partner at the time was on the committee. My contract lasted for the length of that committee meeting, about an hour or two. That was it. I made my remarks, and my involvement with this bill expired when the committee adjourned.”

Coleman was quick to point out that Hubbard voted against him in the committee. “He amended the bill to resolve the concerns of the members and voted it out [of committee] and to the House floor. I, unfortunately, was on the opposite side of [Hubbard]’s vote, the losing side.” Coleman said that was the end of his involvement with the bill. For him, it was. For Republican strategists in the back halls of the Alabama Statehouse, it was not.

Hubbard said he was on the receiving end of threats and intimidation as a separate bill, Sen. Trip Pittman’s version of the Gulf State Park bill, made its way through the House Economic Development and Tourism committee, almost two months after McMillan’s version of the bill passed out with Hubbard’s help.

Hubbard said the threats came from republicans who tried to insinuate an improper relationship, or ethical violation had occurred because Coleman had lobbied in opposition to the Gulf State Park Bill.
Threats and bullying have been reported by democrats and republicans alike in the House where Speaker Hubbard is said to use any means necessary to have his way.

“I was outraged,” said Hubbard. “I was doing everything in my power to make sure that this bill ensured transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayers’ money, and here I was being threatened on the eve of the vote. They knew good and well that nothing Baron or I did even approached the line of impropriety, much less crossed it.”

Hubbard said, despite warnings from numerous fellow legislators who had heard the rumors of retribution, he opposed the bill on the House floor. “It was clear to me the fix was in,” said Hubbard. “Countless legislators I consider friends urged me to stand down, that one bad bill was not worth an ethics complaint. But I felt compelled to raise these issues of transparency and accountability to the people.” During the debate, Hubbard even urged McMillan not to take the debate personally, and McMillan replied, “You’re the one who should want to avoid this becoming personal.”

Hubbard explained his opposition to the bill as one more of form than substance. “I agree with many of my colleagues and much of the public that something needs to be done with our state’s most valuable piece of real estate. I just wanted to make sure that the process was as open and transparent as possible. I had and still have significant concerns about the bill that ultimately passed and was signed into law. It bypasses our state bid laws and gives the Governor or his successor sole discretion in choosing a contractor and assigning a 70 year lease on the crown jewel of our state’s park system. I wanted to see more transparency, more openness.”

Hubbard said his amendment to the House version of the bill in the first committee hearing moved the bill toward transparency by requiring requests for proposal to be issued and prohibiting anyone from unilaterally awarding a contract. “The openness of the process was what concerned the committee. We fixed that issue with my amendment, but when the Senate version of the bill made its way to the House floor, all those protections over the transparency of the process had been stripped out. I had no choice but to oppose it.”

On May 2nd, the bill passed the House 75-24. It had already passed the Senate and was sent to Governor Bentley, who promptly signed it into law.