Senate bills introduced to prevent felons from holding office
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
LANSING--State Sens. Mark C. Jansen and Tupac A. Hunter today introduced legislation to implement Proposal 10-2 should it gain approval from voters this fall.
Proposal 10-2 would prohibit certain convicted felons from holding elected office or being appointed to some public positions.
“I'm pleased to partner with Senator Hunter to implement Proposal 10-2 should the voters support it,” said Jansen, R-Gaines Township. “Integrity is of utmost importance for our public officials who have the responsibility to impact public policy or appropriate taxpayer dollars.”
Felonies covered under the proposal include those involving deceit, fraud or breach of public trust related to a candidate’s official capacity while holding an elected office or a position in local, state or federal government.
Anyone convicted of such a felony in the previous 20 years would be prevented from holding elective office in Michigan. In addition, they could not be appointed to or hold a position in which they make public policy or have discretionary authority over public assets.
Jansen’s bill would prohibit a public employer from hiring or transferring a person to a policy-making position or one that has discretionary authority over assets unless that person submits an affidavit stating they have not been convicted of any felony outlined in Proposal 10-2. If the employer has reason to believe that a current employee has been convicted of such a felony, the employer must conduct an investigation.
“Proposal 10-2 will give voters the chance to clean up government and say, once and for all, that they will not tolerate politicians who use their office or their jobs at the expense of the people they serve,” said Hunter, D-Detroit. “With passage of these bills we will be ready to implement the provisions of Proposal 10-2 should the voters choose to keep convicted felons who have misused their elective office from holding an elected position again.”
Hunter’s bill prevents the secretary of state from including a candidate on a ballot unless the candidate files an affidavit with the secretary of state declaring they have not been convicted of a felony outlined in the proposal.
Anyone submitting a false affidavit under either bill would be guilty of perjury.
Voters can vote on Proposal 10-2 at the general election on Tuesday, November 2. The polls are open across Michigan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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