Reply #8: AL: Riley in charge of voter database

[EFerrari]

Riley in charge of voter database

By Bob Johnson
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY — A federal judge put Republican Gov. Bob Riley in charge of developing an overdue statewide voter registration database Wednesday and turned aside objections by the Democratic Party and the mostly black Alabama Democratic Conference.

U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins gave Riley the title of "special master" in the voter database project, replacing Democratic Secretary of State Nancy Worley.

At a hearing in which Worley and former Secretary of State Jim Bennett exchanged barbs, Watkins said he would issue a formal order detailing Riley's duties in about a week.

Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham and ADC Chairman Joe Reed had sought to intervene, contending partisan politics was behind the Justice Department's lawsuit and the call by the agency and GOP Attorney General Troy King to replace Worley with Riley in an election year for both.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060803/riley.shtml

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." :(