Three months ago, former House Speaker Mike Hubbard was removed from office. The four Republican candidates vying for his vacated House District 79 seat were asked to address the topics that ended up being Hubbard's downfall: money in politics and the influence of big business in Montgomery.
At a forum in Auburn Wednesday night, the candidates were asked for their position on accepting money from 501(c)(4) political action committees. Two candidates, Jay Conner and Joe Lovvorn said they accepted money from PACs this campaign cycle.
Lovvorn, a real estate broker and battalion chief with the Auburn Fire Division, has accepted more than $20,000 in contributions from PACs in the state, but he said those contributions won't affect his decision-making if he gets to the Statehouse in Montgomery.
"We've accepted PAC money," Lovvorn said. "We've only accepted from groups that I would stand behind. ... Any group or individual is not going to influence my decision. I've got 163 supporters financially for this campaign,163. If that's not a broad cross-section of this community, this district, then I don't know what is."
Lovvorn has accepted contributions from several PACs, including BIPAC, SAVE PAC, TRUKPAC and NEW PAC, but all of those contributions originated from citizens in the district who wanted their organizations to support him, he said.
"There's not one main PAC that has given an exorbitant amount of money," Lovvorn said. "It's a large number of people throughout this community that you are members of every day, groups that you lobby and pay into. I appreciate that support."
Conner, who filed his campaign finance disclosures late, said he accepted $250 from a restaurant PAC. He said a friend of his is on the board of the PAC.
"You know what we just went through," Conner said. "We took a really bad beating, and a black eye, because of money, and it wasn't necessarily campaign money. ... What I decided to do is not do that. I can raise a little bit of money, buy some signs."
Conner wasn't required to file any financial disclosures until this week because he hadn't raise enough money to reach the $1,000 required threshold for filing.
Sandy Toomer, an Auburn businessman and owner of Toomer's Coffee Roasters, said PACs and their contributions have a negative impact on state government. He held up a packet detailing a list of PACs and other lobbyist activist organizations in Montgomery.
"Alabama is one of only five states that has unlimited financial contributions," Toomer said. "When you take PAC money, I don't care what they say, they're searching for two things. They have expectations. They want access."
In the 2014 election cycle, Toomer took contributions from two PACs in his race against Hubbard, the then-incumbent. Both Toomer and candidate Brett Smith said they haven't and won't take any money from PACs.
"I want you to know, when you go on Sept. 13, when you go to the ballot box, that I will be representing each and every one of you in the district," Smith said. "There's not going to be any one that has my ear. There's not going to be any special groups that wants returned favors. ... That's why I made the goal to not have any outside influence.
Lovvorn said he had been criticized by his opponents for his successful fundraising, but it shouldn't be taken as a negative. He also said he understands the concerns of voters.
"People are looking for honesty and integrity at every level of government," Lovvorn said. "We've got political healing that needs to happen. ... I've laid my life on the line for this district [as a firefighter]."
Hubbard, the man whom the candidates are campaigning to replace, was found guilty of 12 felony ethics violations in June. A Lee County jury found him guilty of accepting illegal investments into his business, voting on legislation in the House despite conflicts of interest and setting up illegal "consulting" contracts with several organizations with business before the Legislature.
But money in politics wasn't the only topic discussed at Wednesday night's forum. The candidates also discussed the state's beleaguered General Fund, a topic of conversation made common over the past several years.
This year, the Legislature was tasked with funding an $87million shortfall in appropriations for the state's Medicaid Agency. Lovvorn and Smith said the best course of action would first be to cut "fraud and abuse."
"If we waste one dollar that doesn't go toward someone's healthcare, that's a tragedy," Smith said. "That's what the money's for. There are people, the children, the elderly, who are in need of those funds. If we're wasting one dollar, it's a tragedy."
Toomer said Medicaid helps the underprivileged, but its effects stretch far wider than just that demographic. Toomer said medical practices across the state are suffering because of Medicaid's shortfalls.
"It also affects people on the other side of the equation," Toomer said. "Many doctors are having to turn away Medicaid patients. There is less care."
He said one of his first priorities would be fully funding Medicaid by also searching for waste and abuse. Toomer also said the lottery would be a temporary fix, but he would bring in a Medicaid fraud and abuse task force.
And, if the people wanted it, he would consider accepting federal funding for a Medicaid expansion in the state.
"There are a lot of answers thrown out there, but frankly none of them are right," Toomer said. "Once I get to Montgomery, then we'll see where we can move a little bit around. We're losing that federal matching right now. Once we get that fixed, we can talk about Medicaid expansion."
Conner said the Legislature fixed the shortfalls with BP money this special session, but they're only temporary fixes.
"These are kids," Conner said. "They can't take care of themselves. If we don't fully fund Medicaid... In every system you're going to have fraud and abuse ... but you can't just not do it. That's what they chose to do in the last regular session."
Toomer and Conner were the only two candidates on the stage Wednesday who said they would consider voting for the Medicaid expansion.
"That's great, that [the BP money] may work out for a couple of years, but then where are we?" Conner said. "Then we're in the same boat, in the same place. ... Not expanding Medicaid when we had the opportunity was because it was ObamaCare ... but that's why you do it? You say no. That's what they say is no. I say work it out."
The primary is scheduled for Sept. 13, and the general election is set for Nov. 29, unless there is a need for a run-off. In that case, the general election would be moved to Feb. 7, 2017.
Check out The Plainsman's comprehensive coverage of the House District 79 election
- Read a profile on House candidate Jay Conner
- Read a profile on House candidate Brett Smith
- Read a profile on House candidate Sandy Toomer
- Read a profile on House candidate Gage Fenwick
- Read a profile on House candidate Joe Lovvorn
- Candidates talk issues, trust in forum
- Lovvorn refunds $10,000 donation
- House candidate: 'We should concentrate on making our state better' not fighting the federal government
- Fourth Republican announces candidacy for House seat
- Third candidate announces plans to run for Auburn's House seat
- Two hopefuls announce plans to run for Hubbard's vacant seat
- Election announced to replace Hubbard
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