Special session filibuster in Alabama House continues into second day

Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 12:00 AM

A filibuster in the Alabama House of Representatives stretched into Wednesday morning on a bill that would stop teachers from paying dues to the Alabama Education Association by payroll deduction.

Democrats staged a filibuster that lasted more than 12 hours and stretched into the early hours of Wednesday to try to block a vote on the bill.

"I know you're thinking wear them down, but we just changed our tires. We're ready to go," House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, said.

The legislation would prohibit payroll deductions from the paychecks of state, local and public school employees for political action committees or for dues to membership organizations that use the funds to influence elections. The bill would also affect the Alabama State Employees Association.

Republicans argued it was improper to use public payroll resources to collect dues for those organizations. Democrats argued that the bill is about political retaliation.

House Republicans were six votes short on a motion Tuesday to cut off debate and force a vote on the bill. Six Republicans joined with Democrats in refusing to end debate, striking the ire of some of their fellow Republicans.

"This bill is being killed by rino (Republicans in name only) Republicans," said Senate President pro-tem?Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said. Marsh is the sponsor of the controversial bill.

The Senate adjourned Tuesday night and will reconvene at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Earlier Tuesday, the Senate gave final approval to the first of seven bills Gov. Bob Riley asked them to pass in the special session on ethics reform.

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Jury continues deliberations in federal bribery trial of Tuscaloosa contractor

Published: Monday, November 08, 2010, 8:45 PM

TUSCALOOSA -- Jurors will return Tuesday to continue deliberations in the federal bribery trial of Tuscaloosa contractor Roger Taylor.

Jurors began deliberations this afternoon after hearing final arguments in the trial that began Oct. 25.

Taylor is charged with bribing former Alabama two-year college chancellor Roy Johnson by paying $92,286 for appliances, doors and windows, and some contractor
costs on a house Johnson built in 2004 in Opelika. Taylor's firm, Hall-Taylor
Construction, got contracts for managing construction projects at two-year
colleges during Johnson's tenure as chancellor.

Taylor said the payments were a loan. He faces one count of conspiracy, five counts of bribery, and two counts of obstruction of justice.

Before leaving today, jurors asked Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace
Blackburn three questions.

One question was why Joanne Jordan, a former interim president of Southern Union
State Community College, and Jimmie Clements, a long-time friend of Johnson who
had contracts with the two-year college system, did not testify. Both Jordan and
Clements names were mentioned in Taylor's trial.

Jordan was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to state
charges in the two-year scandal. Clements faces state charges in connection with
the two-year college probe.

Blackburn told jurors that they were to consider the evidence and they should not speculate what any person who has not testified would say.

Jurors also asked was the fact that there had been 15 indictments before Taylor mentioned in court, and whether they had access to Johnson's grand jury testimony. Blackburn told them "no" to both questions.

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