Montgomery, AL – All seven of Republican Gov. Bob Riley's ethics bills have cleared their first votes in the Legislature.
A House committee approved three of Riley's bills, including one to stop the hiding of campaign donations by transferring them between political action committeea.
The Senate Ethics Committee, which includes all 35 senators, approved four of Riley's bills. They include a bill limiting gifts to public officials to $25 on one occasion and another giving subpoena power to the State Ethics Commission.
The seven bills will be up for votes Friday in the House and Senate.
The Senate committee also passed bills by Democratic Sen. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile that would allow the Legislature to void state contracts that were not bid and that would raise money for the Ethics Commission by increasing the costs for lobbyists to register with the commission.
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