By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Permission for Alabama legislators to hand out millions in grants before they stand for election now rests with the Alabama Supreme Court. The state's highest court spent an hour today (Tuesday) listening to arguments about the constitutionality of the Legislature's community service grants law. An attorney for the governor and attorney general argued that the law is constitutional because the governor has no role in approving the grants. An attorney for the Legislature argued that the law is constitutional because four other members of the executive branch of government do review the grants. Attorneys on both sides of the case are hopeful the court will rule quickly. Legislators have more than 13 (M) million in grants they would like to distribute before the election in November.