The Alabama Republican Party has passed a proposed rule to prohibit some candidates from accepting contributions from the Alabama Education Association.

The Republican State Executive Committee, with 343 members voting, initially tabled the proposal by Chairman John Wahl by 53% to 47%. Later, the committee reconsidered and passed the proposal by 68% to 32%, with 297 members voting.

The committee is meeting Saturday morning at the Renaissance Hotel conference center in Montgomery.

Wahl proposed the amendment to a Republican Party rule that already prohibits the party from taking money from the National Education Association or its affiliates, which include the AEA.

The current rule says “officeholders and candidates are strongly admonished” not to take contributions from NEA affiliates, calling the organization “a veritable adjunct” of the Democratic Party, and says “failure to heed this admonition shall be regarded negatively by the state committee.”

Wahl’s proposal would have prohibited candidates for state and local boards of education and for county superintendent positions from accepting AEA contributions.

It would not have applied to candidates for the Legislature or statewide office. According to the Alabama Policy Institute, the AEA’s political action committee, AVOTE, gave $1.48 million to members of the Alabama House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, during the 2022 election cycle.

Wahl said his purpose is to end what he called a conflict of interest because school board members regulate the education employees who are members of the AEA. Wahl said his proposed rule followed the same concept as a prohibition on candidates for the Public Service Commission accepting campaign contributions from the utilities they regulate.

The committee rejected several proposals to amend Wahl’s rule. Some suggested expanding it to cover legislators. Others were opposed to the rule overall.

State Rep. Ron Bolton of Tuscaloosa County, a member of the committee, said he opposed putting restrictions on who candidates can accept money from. Bolton said that should be left to the discretion of candidates. Bolton said he does not accept campaign money from gambling interests but said that is his decision. He said it was wrong to assume that somebody who accepts money necessarily is influenced in their decisions.

“If we start telling everybody in government what they can and can’t do we’re going to have to look at where we draw the lines,” Bolton said. “Just because AEA gives a person money doesn’t mean they punch their buttons.”

After the initial vote to table Wahl’s proposal passed, the committee moved on to consider other matters. Later, State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, who is chairman of the party’s bylaws committee, proposed the rule for a second time.

“I think this sends AEA a message if we pass this today,” Sorrell said.

There were objections to reconsidering the rule. But the committee voted to end the debate by 77% to 23%, then voted to approve the rule.

Saturday morning’s meeting follows former President Donald Trump’s speech at a state GOP fundraiser on Friday night.

Wahl said the sold-out dinner drew a crowd of 2,700 and raised $1.2 million, which he said was the most ever for a single-event fundraiser for the party.