Transparency in the Alabama government

Official State of Alabama Portal
URL: http://www.alabama.gov/portal/index.jsp

Description:
 * Provides access to a variety of information about Alabama and its government; offers online services, including license registration, background checks for qualified employers, and payment services.

Executive Budget Office
URL: http://budget.alabama.gov/Default.aspx

Description:
 * According to the website:
 * "The mission of the EBO is to effectively prepare the Governor's budget proposal, properly administer and supervise the execution of legislative appropriations, estimate revenues for budget preparation and administration, and assist in the drafting of the budget appropriation bills."


 * Provides copies of the Executive Budget Document and lists of appropriations and state receipts in pdf format.

Alabama State Legislature
URL: http://www.legislature.state.al.us/

Description:
 * Web portal for state legislative information.

Lobbying disclosure information
URL: http://ethics.alabama.gov/news2.aspx

Description:
 * State of Alabama Ethics Commission website allows access to a database of registered lobbyists.

State campaign disclosure information
URL: http://www.sos.state.al.us/vb/inquiry/inquiry.aspx?area=Campaign%20Finance

Description:
 * Search information filed with the Alabama Secretary of State under the Fair Campaign Practices Act.

Proposed legislation
To track bills, start here (site uses frames)

SB202

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Orr)
 * Requires campaign finance reports to include contributor's occupation and the name of the contributor's employer for contributions over $100

See also HB288 (bill text) (Sponsor: Ball), which appears to be a related bill in the House

SB204

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Orr)
 * Requires the Comptroller establish and post online a searchable database of state expenditures, including contracts and grants; requires state agencies to cooperate with the Comptroller

SB205

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Orr)


 * Requires campaign or political action committees to file contribution and expenditure reports regardless of whether the candidate faces opposition in a primary, special, runoff, or general election

See also HB283 (bill text) (Sponsor: Ball), which appears to be a related bill in the House

SB206

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Orr):
 * Provides for an electronic campaign finance reporting system to be phased in over 4 years; reports of contributions or expenditures in an amount greater than $25,000 will need to be filed electronically

See also HB247 (bill text) (Sponsor: Ward), which appears to be a related bill in the House

Also see HB73 (bill text) (Sponsor: Ward), which is similar but sets the bar at $100,000 rather than $25,000

SB207 - Campaign Finance Transparency Act

(bill text) (Sponsor: Orr)
 * Bans contributions from one political action committee to another, but continues to allow a political action committee that is not a principal campaign committee to contribute to a principal campaign committee

See also HB154 (bill text) (Sponsor: McLaughlin), which appears to be a related bill in the House

SB208

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Orr)
 * Requires disclosure of the names of public officials or spouses of public officials who are employed by the state or have contracts with the state, a county, or a municipality

See also HB295 (bill text) (Sponsor: Ball), which appears to be a related bill in the House

HB235

(Bill text) (Sponsor: Gipson)
 * Revises the Ethics Law to strengthen disclosure requirements, increase the power of the Ethics commission and place additional restrictions on lobbyists

More legislative information
For more on transparency legislation, see the Alabama transparency legislation webpage at Sunshine Review.