Eight months after his time as Madison alderman and council president ended, Austin King is still fighting what he considers the good fight -- 1,000 miles away.

King 's one, four-year term as alderman in the college student-dominated 8th District ended in April. His last year was spent as council president. He chose not to run for re-election, saying he planned to go to law school.

Well, law school was put off for at least a year, the now 26-year-old King said Thursday from his new home in New Orleans, but he continues to work on some of the same issues he did while he was one of Madison 's most liberal and outspoken council members.

King is now national director for the financial justice center for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN. In that role he 's been working to stem predatory lending and lobbying banks and financial institutions to lower interest rates. He also is working with ACORN representatives in other states to raise minimum wages and expand the use of the federal earned income tax credit.

As an alderman, King was able to push through an increase in Madison 's minimum wage. He also advocated for mandatory paid sick days for workers and to force landlords to install energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs -- two initiatives that were not successful.

He said he had "no regrets " about his time on the Madison council, though he hoped the light bulb and sick leave measures would become city ordinances. The light bulb ordinance may still: A similar proposal made in October by Alds. Brian Solomon, 10th District, and Larry Palm, 15th District, was referred to several committees.

As to how he found himself in New Orleans -- a far cry culturally and climatically from Madison -- he blames love.

"I chased my girlfriend down here, " he said. She is in a teaching program in the city.

King said he "absolutely " still intends to go to law school, and has already applied at some. Madisonians who miss his passion for public service might get a chance to see him again in a year or two: He plans to apply at UW-Madison as well.

Meanwhile, he said he has no intention to run for office in New Orleans.

"I lack the requisite accent to be taken seriously as a candidate, " said the native of suburban Milwaukee.

-- Chris Rickert

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