Riley bill bans 'double dipping'
throughout state government
MONTGOMERY - The ban passed by the State Board of Education against double dipping in the state's two-year college system would be extended to cover employees of all state agencies, four-year universities and K-12 schools under legislation Governor Bob Riley submitted to the Legislature today.
The legislation would also prohibit legislators and other elected state officials from contracting for work with a state agency or public education institution. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Duwayne Bridges and has already garnered the support of 20 bipartisan cosponsors.
Many states already outlaw double dipping, the governor noted.
Eleven states have absolute bans on double dipping. Nineteen others have some form of restrictions against double dipping. Louisiana just strengthened its ban on double dipping last week to bar legislators from contracting with the state. So now 41 states restrict legislators from having a contract with state government.
"It' well past time for Alabama to join these other states that understand double dipping is wrong and bad for the taxpayers,"said Governor Riley. "This reform will bring a higher level of integrity, honesty and accountability to state government. The people of Alabama have a right to know where their legislator stands on this issue.
"Some opponents of reform have claimed the policies are discriminatory if they apply only to employees of the two-year system," the governor remarked. "So I call upon these opponents to help me pass this ban in the Legislature so it applies to everyone."
Not only is double dipping bad for taxpayers, it is also unfair to state and education employees who are not elected officials, he continued. That's because of the perception that powerful elected officials receive special consideration for state jobs and promotions and get special treatment when it comes to absences and accountability to superiors for performance at work, he added.
"Any time elected officials are allowed to draw two state salaries, they essentially become taxpayer-funded lobbyists for the government agency they work for," he argued. "That's wrong. It's a conflict of interest and it must be stopped."
The State Board of Education adopted reforms last year that prohibit double dipping in the two-year college system. The policies went into effect this week after being cleared by the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Last month, the Louisiana Legislature passed a new law that strengthens its existing law against double dipping. The new law prohibits contracts between state government and public officials. Other states, including Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Texas, have similar prohibitions against elected officials holding jobs with taxpayer-funded agencies. According to a recently released report of the National Conference of State Legislatures, 11 states have absolute bans on legislators holding any employment at the state level. Nineteen other states have some form of prohibition or restriction against double dipping.
The End to Double Dipping Act introduced today would apply to legislators and statewide elected officials employed by or contracting with state agencies and public educational institutions, including city and county boards of education, public two-year colleges, and four-year public universities.
Existing state law already prohibits uniformed service members and federal officials from holding state office. Federal employees and state employees working for federally-funded state and local government programs are barred from campaigning for elected state office by the federal Hatch Act.
Under the bill, legislators currently working for state agencies and public schools and colleges would be able to continue their jobs for the remainder of their current term of office only. After the 2010 elections, anyone who wins re-election will have to choose between the two jobs.
