AL Supreme Court Upholds Double-Dipping Ban

I know we've all been thinking of other things, but may I have your attention for a few moments?

If you will recall, the state school board approved a policy that prohibits employees of the two-year college system from serving in the Legislature at the same time. This was challenged and overturned in a Montgomery court... Meaning that it would allow Legislators to work in the two-year college system.

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled 8-0 today that the school board's policy was legal and "did not change the requirements for running for elected office in Alabama."
http://blog.al.com/wire/2010/10/alabama_supreme_court_upholds.html

The court ruled 8-0 Friday that the policy is constitutional and did not change the requirements for running for elected office in Alabama. The ruling overturned a decision by a Montgomery court that found the policy unconstitutional and in violation of the state’s Fair Dismissal Act.

The ruling means legislators who work in the two-year college system will have to decide between the two jobs.

There you go. It's a far cry from a law or Constitutional limitation, but it is a start. Too bad it's temporary (it can be reversed at any time) and only narrowly applies to the two-year college system. I'd like to see it expanded so that nobody receiving a paycheck from a government-run entity could be a sitting legislator.

Another good ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court.


Oh, and Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn), Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, had this to say about the unanimous ruling:

Today’s unanimous decision by the Supreme Court should leave little doubt that the practice of double-dipping should come to an end once and for all. While we recognize that there are good and honest legislators that do work in the two-year college system, the abuses and corruption by others created a breakdown in the public’s trust in government – we hope that eliminating even the appearance of a conflict of interest will go along way to begin restoring that trust.”

Personally, I think he misses the point. It is wrong for one person to get paychecks for two jobs from the same employer (the state). Period. The fact that some have abused the system and not really worked at the schools they were supposed to work at is irrelevant to the main point while at the same time being a nice illustration as to how easy the system is to abuse.

So let's hope the Republicans, if they take the Legislature, will be a little more intelligent about this issue.