ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, SportsSewer creditors want Alabama Supreme Court to weigh in on bankruptcy

Jefferson County's creditors want the Alabama Supreme Court to weigh-in on the county's eligibility for bankruptcy protection.

Wednesday was the deadline for attorneys to submit questions for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Thomas Bennett to consider.  Attorneys for the creditors want Bennett to first ask the state's highest court if Jefferson County has the correct type of debt to qualify for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

Jefferson County's debt is in the form of warrants, but creditors argue it must be from bonds.

Kenneth Klee who is representing the county says the county has issued bonds in the passed and passed a resolution last July authorizing the commission to issue more. He says that's enough to satisfy the state bankruptcy law.

Bennett is already considering a request by creditors to dismiss the bankruptcy.

The county filed bankruptcy in November for more than four billion dollars after months of negotiations with sewer creditors failed to reach a settlement.