Post by ferryfast admin on Aug 10, 2011 10:11:34 GMT -5
Former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley registers as lobbyist
Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 8:25 AM
David White --
The Birmingham News
blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/08/former_alabama_gov_bob_riley_r.html
MONTGOMERY -- Former Gov. Bob Riley, whose last day in office was Jan. 17, has registered as a lobbyist with the state Ethics Commission and said Tuesday that the focus of his lobbying efforts will be education reform and economic development.
"I want to ... do everything we can do to continue to improve education, economic development, all the things that we've been doing for the last 14 years," said Riley, 66, who was a member of Congress for six years before serving eight years as governor.
He said he set up his lobbying effort, Bob Riley and Associates, "to be a partner with, or help when I can, this administration, the governor, and the Legislature" especially in economic development and education reform.
Riley said he supports charter schools and merit pay for teachers, and he plans to form an education foundation involving Democrats and Republicans alike to help Alabamians more fully debate those and other issues, such as consolidating public schools in rural areas.
"We're going to be very active in trying to push education reform," said Riley, a Republican.
Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, leader of the state House of Representatives, said, "There has been no greater champion for education reform and economic development than Bob Riley, and I'm glad to know he'll continue to be an advocate for moving Alabama forward in those areas."
Riley said his new company also would have "a political component," and that he would be highly supportive of people who "share the philosophies that the Republican Party and I, in general, have espoused for 14 years."
Riley said he has no plan to run for governor again, or to try to be a "surrogate governor" now that Republican Gov. Robert Bentley sits in his old office.
"I want to work with Governor Bentley and the Legislature to see if I can help them," Riley said. "It was the greatest experience in the world to be governor of this state. But it did instill in me the recognition of the potential that this state has. I just want to help whenever I can to take us to that next level."
State Ethics Commission Director Jim Sumner said state law bars Riley from lobbying the governor's office until he's been out of office at least two years, but Riley is free to lobby other executive offices, the Legislature and regulatory boards.
Riley reported on his Ethics Commission lobbyist registration statement that he represented two clients starting in June and three more starting in July. He said his clients include Austal USA, which is building warships for the Navy at its shipyard in Mobile.
Austal connection
The state in 2005, when Riley was governor, gave Austal USA a $5 million economic development grant, a state finance department official said.
Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, minority leader in the state Senate, questioned the appropriateness of Riley getting paid to lobby for a company that received state incentives when he was governor. "It could be a conflict of interest," Bedford said.
Riley, when asked if he and Austal USA had any agreement for the company to hire him as a lobbyist after he left office, replied, "Absolutely not."
Riley said he didn't look at the lobbying company as a money-making enterprise, but plans to use retainers or other lobbying fees to help pay for work he hopes to promote in education reform and industry recruitment.
"It'll all go into doing all the things that I want to do," he said.
"Most of the focus is going to be, when I'm not doing something for one of these clients, going out and building this (education) foundation," Riley said.
Riley on his lobbyist registration statement also listed EADS North America as a client. EADS in February lost a competition with Boeing to build new refueling tanker aircraft for the Air Force. EADS had planned to assemble its tanker in Mobile if it had won.
Riley also reported that he represented Gulf Coast Asphalt Co., based in Houston; Brett Real Estate, Robinson Development Co. in Saraland; and VT Systems Inc. in Alexandria, Va., parent of a company that operates an aircraft maintenance facility in Mobile.
Riley said he anticipates consulting with his clients on economic development, and he said he might lobby legislators on behalf of specific bills supported by his clients.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email White at dwhite@bhamnews.com.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 8:25 AM
David White --
The Birmingham News
blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/08/former_alabama_gov_bob_riley_r.html
MONTGOMERY -- Former Gov. Bob Riley, whose last day in office was Jan. 17, has registered as a lobbyist with the state Ethics Commission and said Tuesday that the focus of his lobbying efforts will be education reform and economic development.
"I want to ... do everything we can do to continue to improve education, economic development, all the things that we've been doing for the last 14 years," said Riley, 66, who was a member of Congress for six years before serving eight years as governor.
He said he set up his lobbying effort, Bob Riley and Associates, "to be a partner with, or help when I can, this administration, the governor, and the Legislature" especially in economic development and education reform.
Riley said he supports charter schools and merit pay for teachers, and he plans to form an education foundation involving Democrats and Republicans alike to help Alabamians more fully debate those and other issues, such as consolidating public schools in rural areas.
"We're going to be very active in trying to push education reform," said Riley, a Republican.
Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, leader of the state House of Representatives, said, "There has been no greater champion for education reform and economic development than Bob Riley, and I'm glad to know he'll continue to be an advocate for moving Alabama forward in those areas."
Riley said his new company also would have "a political component," and that he would be highly supportive of people who "share the philosophies that the Republican Party and I, in general, have espoused for 14 years."
Riley said he has no plan to run for governor again, or to try to be a "surrogate governor" now that Republican Gov. Robert Bentley sits in his old office.
"I want to work with Governor Bentley and the Legislature to see if I can help them," Riley said. "It was the greatest experience in the world to be governor of this state. But it did instill in me the recognition of the potential that this state has. I just want to help whenever I can to take us to that next level."
State Ethics Commission Director Jim Sumner said state law bars Riley from lobbying the governor's office until he's been out of office at least two years, but Riley is free to lobby other executive offices, the Legislature and regulatory boards.
Riley reported on his Ethics Commission lobbyist registration statement that he represented two clients starting in June and three more starting in July. He said his clients include Austal USA, which is building warships for the Navy at its shipyard in Mobile.
Austal connection
The state in 2005, when Riley was governor, gave Austal USA a $5 million economic development grant, a state finance department official said.
Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, minority leader in the state Senate, questioned the appropriateness of Riley getting paid to lobby for a company that received state incentives when he was governor. "It could be a conflict of interest," Bedford said.
Riley, when asked if he and Austal USA had any agreement for the company to hire him as a lobbyist after he left office, replied, "Absolutely not."
Riley said he didn't look at the lobbying company as a money-making enterprise, but plans to use retainers or other lobbying fees to help pay for work he hopes to promote in education reform and industry recruitment.
"It'll all go into doing all the things that I want to do," he said.
"Most of the focus is going to be, when I'm not doing something for one of these clients, going out and building this (education) foundation," Riley said.
Riley on his lobbyist registration statement also listed EADS North America as a client. EADS in February lost a competition with Boeing to build new refueling tanker aircraft for the Air Force. EADS had planned to assemble its tanker in Mobile if it had won.
Riley also reported that he represented Gulf Coast Asphalt Co., based in Houston; Brett Real Estate, Robinson Development Co. in Saraland; and VT Systems Inc. in Alexandria, Va., parent of a company that operates an aircraft maintenance facility in Mobile.
Riley said he anticipates consulting with his clients on economic development, and he said he might lobby legislators on behalf of specific bills supported by his clients.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email White at dwhite@bhamnews.com.