Clarification and Correction: ALGOP Did "Not Endorse" HB392
Publishers Note: Elected Executive Members and Steering Committee Members of the Alabama Republican Party contacted the original author of the article to express concerns over party division on the Public Service Commission bill. Therefore, there was no need to contact party headquarters for more information before publishing our original article. The below information has been published as a courtesy to ALGOP staff members by our managing editor.
Yesterday, on February 11, ALPolitics.com published an article entitled “Alabama Republican Party Divided Over Public Service Commission Appointment Bill,” which dealt with reports made to this outlet by Alabama Republican Party (ALGOP) Steering and Executive Party members. Those members told ALPolitics.com staff that a press release from ALGOP, which quoted Acting ALGOP Chair Joan Reynolds — that some perceived as endorsing a package of bills that included changing the Public Service Commissioners from popularly elected to appointed positions — was done without input or consultation from the Steering or Executive Committees.
ALPolitics.com was contacted today by ALGOP Director of Legislative Affairs & Communications Jeannie Negrón Burniston, who expressed her concern that the press release did not, in fact, endorse the appointment of PSC Commissioners. She was also concerned “that the Party was not contacted for comment before publication” with “(T)he result is a narrative suggesting the Party adopted a position it simply did not take.”
To clarify and correct any misapprehensions or misunderstandings which may have arisen, ALPolitics.com acknowledges that no contact was attempted or initiated with either Acting Chair Reynolds or Director Burniston prior to publication of the article in question.
Furthermore, the press release from ALGOP, entitled “ALGOP Praises Utility Reform Package,” as sent out from an official algop.org email address and containing several quotes from Acting Chair Reynolds, does NOT endorse HB392 or SB268 — the twin bills that would change the selection of PSC Commissioners from elected to appointed.
We apologize for any misperceptions, inconveniences, awkwardness or perceptual disturbances that may have arisen because of our reporting.
The initial press release article contained a direct copy/paste of the email we received, and may be found HERE. A screenshot of the email containing the release, with the sender and personal information redacted, is attached below.
The article “Alabama Republican Party Divided Over Public Service Commission Appointment Bill” may be read at THIS LINK.”
A link to this Clarification and Correction will be appended to each of the above articles.
