Ethics Law Bars Alabama Teachers From Accepting Gifts

The AP (12/8) reports on a new ethics law in Alabama under which a teacher "who accepts a Christmas ham or a $25 gift card from a student" could face "up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine. ... The law, which took effect earlier this year and is considered one of the toughest in the country, limits what public officials and employees can receive as gifts to a 'de minimis' value, but it doesn't define that amount. With most schools about to get out for the holidays, the State Ethics Commission has been flooded with calls about what students can give." The state Ethics Commission announced on Wednesday that "'hams, turkeys or gift cards with a specific monetary value are not permissible.' Items of nominal value, such as homemade cookies, coffee mugs and fruit baskets, are acceptable."