It’s amazing to me how low the Republicans will go. Gov. Bob Riley (R-AL) used a pocket veto to kill an ethics package that was approved 101-0 in the Alabama House and 30-0 in the Senate.
Bob Riley let a Sunday deadline slip by without signing an ethics bill that had passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, effectively killing it. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Marcel Black (D-Muscle Shoals) would have expanded the definition of lobbyists who were required to register with the State Ethics Commission to include those who attempt to influence the awarding of state contracts that don’t require competitive bidding.
Democratic leaders are accusing Riley of vetoing the bill in order to shield his own children, who are rumored to lobby him on behalf of entities looking to secure no-bid contracts.
His staff never complained about the bill when it was being considered and never indicated that he would veto it. His lame explanation is that the bill is redundant and would cover too many people.
It’s the utter shamelessness of this that is so breathtaking. Republicans are just corrupt to the core.
