Republican Senate Majority Leader fast tracks bill to allow in-session lobbyist checks
Republican leaders want to take their bribes in a little faster, if you please ...
http://bloggingblue.com/2014/03/republican-senate-majority-leader-fast-tracks-bill-to-allow-in-session-lobbyist-checks/
Of course Sen. Scott Fitzgerald wants lawmakers to be able to accept contribution checks from lobbyists while the legislature is still in session.
As the legislative session winds down, the state Senate’s leader is putting on the fast track a bill to rewrite campaign finance law to allow lobbyists to hand off clients’ campaign checks to lawmakers and other elected officials during the legislative session. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) is promoting the bill alongside one that would address when groups running political ads must disclose their spending. Supporters say that measure would simply put existing rules in law; opponents contend it would make it easier for groups to avoid disclosure.
Fitzgerald and Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) introduced the bills late Monday and Lazich — the chairwoman of the Senate Elections and Urban Affairs Committee — held a hearing on it Wednesday. She plans a committee vote on it Thursday, prompting protests from Democrats who said the measure was moving too quickly.
Yeah, because what could possibly be shady about lobbyists being able to make campaign contributions to legislators at the very same time those legislators may be taking action on bills the lobbyists have an interest in? This just cements what so many of us already know: Republicans care more about their campaign coffers and currying influence to their contributors than they do about doing the work their constituents elected them to do.
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i need a beer now......