The AG has been asked for an opinion on the controversial hiring of former Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper by the city's Power Board:

Five board members agreed in December to hire Piper to the CDE Lightband superintendent job, a position that had been held on an interim basis since mid-2009. Two CDE board members did not attend the meeting. The board members were all Piper appointees, and the hiring ran afoul of a city ordinance that puts employment restrictions on former elected officials.New Mayor Kim McMillan sent the delegation a letter last week asking that they request an opinion.

"Clearly there are questions here that need answers: legal questions, governing questions, and most important, ethical questions," State Sen. Tim Barnes said in a released statement. "When an elected official agrees to take a six-figure government job while still in office, there should be all kinds of questions."