By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – Alabama's two-year college system has paid more than 36 state lawmakers or their relatives in recent years, records show. And that includes several legislators with paychecks from two different colleges. Most of those jobs or contracts went to legislators after they were elected, The Birmingham News is reporting. One quarter of the 140 members of the current Legislature, elected since 2002, has financial ties to the system, the newspaper says in a story that's part of a series examining the colleges' finances and contracts. Records show there are 28 legislators who were on community college payrolls; five whose wives were on payrolls; two legislators whose businesses received work; one whose brother was on the payroll; and one legislator whose business and wife were paid. The News obtained the pay information on legislators from system payroll records, vendor payments, contract records compiled for the state school board and financial disclosure forms filed by legislators.