Montgomery, AL – The Alabama House has passed a bill that would allow the state Ethics Commission to subpoena witnesses or records when investigating suspected ethics violations by public officials.
The House on Thursday voted 93-1 for the bill, which has run into difficulties in previous legislative sessions.
The measure was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery. Republican Rep. Cam Ward of Alabaster is sponsoring a similar bill, but the Holmes' version was passed and sent to the Senate after Republicans agreed to support it.
Speaker Seth Hammett said there have been a number of proposals over the years to give the ethics commission the power to subpoena witnesses and records. But he said the vote Thursday was the first time one of the bills had passed.
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