House committee passes Ward’s election bill

Published 3:53 pm Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Alabama House of Representatives Committee on Constitution and Elections passed a Cam Ward-sponsored bill aimed at making candidates’ financial information more accessible.

The committee passed the bill, which is sponsored by Ward, R-Alabaster, during its Jan. 27 session. The bill will now be considered by the full House.

If passed, the election-reform bill would require all candidates for state offices who raise more than $100,000 in campaign contributions to file their financial disclosure forms online.

Posting the forms on the Internet will allow Alabama citizens to more easily access campaign contribution information, Ward said. The filing requirements would phase in over a four-year period if the bill passed.

“I believe if we have more transparency in the way candidates report the sources of their campaign contributions, we will see an improved ethical climate in Alabama,” Ward said. “House bill 141 will be a step toward achieving that objective.”