Getting on with the business of getting on with business seems the watchword of the new Alabama Legislature. At last that’s what the Republican-controlled government said when a majority of its members were seeking office earlier this year.

It now appears the newly elected members of this body will have their opportunity to turn rhetoric into reality.

Gov. Bob Riley says he will convene a special session of the Alabama Legislature to consider strengthening ethics laws, which heretofore have resembled a paper tiger rather than true reform in the conduct of government.

Newly elected Republican members of the House and Senate have met in their caucuses already to discuss their agendas and how to accomplish them. It is likely ethics legislation has been a primary topic of those discussions.

We see the opportunity for action in several meaningful ways, including giving subpoena power to the State Ethics Commission, restricted spending by lobbyists on entertainment of public officials and frequent financial reporting of campaign contributions by candidates.

But to see the degree of success to prove the GOP-led Legislature is serious about ethics reform, the leadership needs to come up with a game plan and stick to it during this special session.

There’s also a bit of trepidation in this endorsement of moving into special session. Such quick movement indicates the GOP, which is in command of both houses for the first time since Reconstruction, could be angling to take care of some old political grudges.

Turnabout, in this case, is not fair play — at least not toward making Alabama a stronger state.

And, instead of fighting the special session, those who remain Democrats should embrace it, study the ethics legislation and work toward a reasonable compromise on issues that might seem improbable.