U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions was confirmed as President Trump’s attorney general on February 8, 2017.

To fill the Senate vacancy, Gov. Robert Bentley has appointed state Attorney General Luther Strange to succeed Sessions. Bentley’s appointee will serve the U.S. Senate with 22 months of incumbency until the next general election.

Some controversy surrounds Bentley’s appointment; state Auditor Jim Ziegler filed a written request with Bentley opposing his decision to appoint a replacement and hold off with special elections until November 2018.

Ziegler cited Alabama code stating a special election could only be delayed until the next regular election if the senate vacancy occurred within four months of the next regular election.

Photo of Senator Luther Strange from the State of Alabama website.

According to a memorandum from the Alabama House Bill Clerk, lobbyists and state agency representatives will be issued identification badges.

After registering with the Ethics Commission, a lobbyist or state agency representative must sign up with the Alabama House to receive the new badges.

Badges may be acquired by calling House Bill Clerk Dildred Bass at (334) 242-7616, or in-person at Bass’s office located in the Alabama State House, Office of the Clerk, Room 504-B.

Lobbying

“Gun Control Advocates Find a Deep-Pocketed Ally in Big Law” by Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Ben Protess for The New York Times

“Bob Dole Worked Behind the Scenes on Trump-Taiwan Call” by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Eric Lipton for The New York Times

Alabama: “Ethics Commission Pulls Opinion Over Nonprofit Concerns” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Florida: “Hillsborough County to Copy Richard Corcoran’s Proposal to Ban Texting by Lobbyists?” by Mitch Perry for Florida Politics

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Campaign Contribution Limits Approved by Missouri Voters Last Month” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ethics

“Trump Adviser’s Son Removed from Transition after Spreading Conspiracy Theory” by Greg Miller for The Washington Post

“Trump’s Top Conflict Critics Take Over Watchdog Group” by Darren Samuelsohn for Politico

California: “Ex-LAPD Sergeant Broke City Rules by Leaking Recording of ‘Django Unchained’ Actress, Ethics Group Says” by Kate Mather for Los Angeles Times

Missouri: “Nine Face Corruption Charges, Including ESL Councilwoman, Board of Review Member” by George Pawlacyzk and Beth Hundsdorfer for Belleville News Democrat

Legislative Issues

South Carolina: “South Carolina Lawmakers Change Rules to Limit Obstructions” by Robert Kittle and John Hart for WJBF

A special election has been called to fill House Rep. Oliver Robinson’s District 58 seat. Robinson decided to retire so his daughter can serve as House liaison for Gov. Robert Bentley.

A special primary election will be held on March 7, 2017, and the special general election will be held on May 23, 2017, provided a runoff is not required.

Robinson’s resignation was effective on December 5, 2016.

Photo of Oliver Robinson from the Alabama Legislature directory.

Lobbying

“How Exactly Do You ‘Drain the Swamp’? Here Are 4 Ways It Could Be Done.” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

Campaign Finance

“Justin Trudeau Faces Criticism Over Fund-Raisers in Canada” by Ian Austen for The New York Times

Ethics

“News Outlets Rethink Usage of the Term ‘Alt-Right’” by Sydney Ember for The New York Times

“The Controversial Legal Theory That Could Get Trump Sued” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

“Trump Names White House Counsel as Potential Conflicts Loom” by Jennifer Jacobs and Toluse Olorunippa for Bloomberg.com

Alabama: “Bodyguard: Alabama governor spent anti-terror funds on staff” by Tim Lockette for The Anniston Star

Missouri: “Could 2017 Be The Year That Ethics Reform Takes Hold in Missouri?” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Elections

“How Stable Are Democracies? ‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red’” by Amanda Taub for The New York Times

“Trump’s Baseless Assertions of Voter Fraud Called ‘Stunning’” by Andrew Restuccia for Politico

“For Trump Son-in-Law and Confidant Jared Kushner, a Long History of Fierce Loyalty” by Shawn Boberg for The Washington Post

Gov. Robert Bentley is considering a special session to address funding for four new super prisons. Bentley may call the special session within or right before the 2017 session.

Despite Bentley’s failure to pass his $800 million prison plan last year, he hopes a special session will address the issues of overcrowding and violence against officers at state prisons.

Lobbying

“U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue Announces Revamp of Group’s Lobbying Arm” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

“Trump Team Sets Broader Limits on Lobbying by Former Staff“ by Michael Shear and Eric Lipton for The New York Times

Alabama: “Strange’s Office Asked Groups for Input on Ethics Law” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Florida: “Senate, House Differ on Lobbyist, Budget Rules” by Brandon Larrabee (News Service of Florida) for Sunshine State News

Campaign Finance

Maine: “Maine Ethics Commission Proposes New Campaign Finance Rules” by Christopher Cousins (Bangor Daily News) for Maine Sun Journal

“Federal Prosecutors Open Criminal Grand Jury Probe of Thornton Law Firm Donations” by Andrea Estes (The Boston Globe) and Viveca Novak for Center for Responsive Politics

Ethics

“Rudolph Giuliani’s Business Ties Viewed as Red Flag for Secretary of State Job” by Mark Landler, Eric Lipton and Jo Becker for The New York Times

New York: “Cuomo to Limit Campaign Cash, Create Watchdogs” by Jon Campbell for The Journal News

Elections

“Political Divide Splits Relationships – and Thanksgiving, Too” by Sabrina Tavernise and Katharine Q. Seelye for The New York Times

“Rights Groups See ‘Unprecedented’ Support in Wake of Election” by Sandhya Somashekhar for The Washington Post

A special primary election in Alabama will be held to fill Darrio Melton’s vacant seat in the House of Representatives for District 67.

The vacancy is a result of Melton’s successful bid to be the mayor of Selma.

The special primary will be held January 31, 2017, and the special general will be held April 18, 2017, provided a runoff is not required.

Voters approved Amendment 6, also known as the Alabama Impeachment Amendment. Effective January 1, 2017, the Constitution of Alabama will require a supermajority, or two-thirds, vote of state senators present to convict and impeach a state official.

The current impeachment article did not specify how many state senators would be required for impeachment.

On September 22, 2016, Secretary of State John Merrill certified Republican Joe Lovvorn as the winner of House District 79. As a result, the special general election scheduled for November 29 has been canceled.

Originally, Lovvorn was supposed to face Libertarian Gage Fenwick, but Merrill’s office stated Fenwick failed to get enough signatures to qualify for ballot access.

On September 27, 2016, a federal appeals court upheld the ban on transfers between political action committees, or PAC-to-PAC transfers.

The Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) sued to overturn the ban arguing the prohibition of PAC-to-PAC transfers was a violation of freedom of speech and due process.

In the opinion, written by U.S. Circuit Judge Beverly Martin, the court found the ban to be closely drawn “to meet Alabama’s interest in preventing quid pro quo corruption (or its appearance) as applied to the ADC here.” In turn, the ban survives constitutional scrutiny.

The special general election for House District 79, former House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s seat, will be on November 29, 2016.

Alabama Republicans selected Joe Lovvorn as their candidate in the September 13 special primary. Because Lovvorn won a majority of votes, no special runoff election is needed.

Lovvorn will face Libertarian candidate Gage Fenwick in November.

The first special session of 2016 adjourned sine die on September 7, 2016. Gov. Robert Bentley’s lottery proposal failed in the Senate. Instead, the Legislature approved House Bill 36 to use part of the BP oil settlement to provide funds for the Alabama Medicaid Agency.

Despite legislators attempts to use the special session to revamp the ethics laws, House Bills 10, 11, and 32 were not passed.

On September 1, 2016, the Alabama Ethics Commission unanimously approved an opinion clarifying when a state employee may seek private employment.

The opinion stated no public employee may ask a lobbyist for a job or a job interview, but may seek employment from principals without quitting their current jobs. As always, state employees must be aware of any conflicts of interest that may emerge in the pursuit of private sector employment.

The opinion will be effective following a 30-day public comment period on October 1, 2016.