February - The Alabama Senate is thus far more Productive in this 2009 Regular Session

February 26, 2009

By: Senator Ted Little

February 23, 2009

In 2006, you didn’t just elect me to public office to bring back money from Montgomery to our district, but I am proud that within the last week, I have presented Community Service Grants, budget grants and budget allocations to governmental and educational entities in our district well over half a million dollars (the accounting of these grants are available on our website).

My W-2 form from the State of Alabama for the tax year 2008 shows that you, the taxpayer, paid me the gross amount of $52,442.00.  I receive no legislative retirement nor do I receive legislative healthcare.  Consequently, you’re entitled to know what I and other legislators make from your tax dollars as you have to judge whether or not the pay is reasonable. 

Today, I’d like to emphasize two bills:  one being Senate Bill 411 and the other being Senate Bill 250.  I am the chief sponsor of both bills, and the first pertains to unconscionable price fixing during declared states of emergency.  This legislation would further define the maximum of an increase in products during a declared emergency when Alabamians are trying to survive, and many times with little notice.  My legislation would say that vendors of plywood, batteries, gasoline, hotel rooms and the like would not be able to raise their prices in a declared state of emergency by the Governor more than ten percent than what they have averaged for those same products in the last 30 days.  I believe that by giving the law more clarity, the Attorney General’s office will be more successful in becoming a watchdog agency in order to prevent the kind of price gouging in emergency situations that we’ve known in the past.

A second piece of legislation that I’m quite interested in is Senate Bill 250, pertaining to ethics.  It would expand the definition of a “lobbyist” to include persons seeking to obtain a contract with Alabama state government on behalf of a third party.  Presently, the term “lobbyist” pertains to individuals who are lobbying in the legislative arena.  Of course, each year these lobbyists have to comply with Ethics Commission standards, and they must be on record so that all who desire to know can be aware of their lobbying activities.  We’re finding, though, that there are many transactions that take place with other entities of government whereby individuals are actually trying to assist, for a fee, others in order to pick up contracts, but never having to report their position, thus hindering for the public at large from knowing the type of activities that they deal in.  In my opinion this bill, if passed, will give a great deal more transparency in government and certainly will offer more sunshine in to the way the system is working, and I think that can be nothing but healthy for the taxpayers of this state.

            I look forward to our next column where I plan to update our readers on how the federal congress’ recent passing of the near $800 billion “Recovery and Reinvestment Enactment” will affect Alabama.

Senator Ted Little can be reached at 334-887-3472, 1-800-835-4885, tedlittle@mindspring.com or www.tedlittle.com