Alabama House committee resets, approves revolving door ban

Sen. Marsh: Democrats' amendment jeopardizes revolving door bill Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said that Democrats' amendment to his revolving door bill jeopardizes it by going beyond the original scope of the bill.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- An Alabama House committee today approved a substitute bill that would ban lawmakers from serving as lobbyists for at least two years after leaving office.

The so-called "revolving door ban" would set a two-year clock at the end of a lawmaker's term before he or she could lobby the Alabama Legislature. Lawmakers who leave office early would have to wait until the end of their term before the two-year period would begin.

The substitute replaces a heavily amended bill by Sen. Pro Tem Del Marsh and mostly restores to the bill to how Marsh had designed it.

Early in the session, Senate Democrats amended the revolving door ban to include a wide-swath of reforms that some lawmakers said were too restrictive to be practical.

Those other reforms included banning the family members of elected officials from working for companies that do business with the state or working for a state board or agency.

The revolving door ban now goes to the Alabama House for consideration.