Proposal would crack down on felon politicians

By Tim Martin Associated Press Writer LANSING (AP) -- Public officials convicted of felonies related to their government jobs would be banned from seeking public office for 20 years under a proposal moving through the Michigan Legislature. The Senate approved the proposed constitutional amendment last Thursday by a 35-0 vote. If approved by at least two-thirds of the members in the state House, the proposal would go on the statewide November ballot for voters to decide. The measure comes as former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is in prison for violating probation stemming from his conviction for lying under oath about an affair with his chief of staff. But the bill's backers say the measure is not designed to single out any one person and is instead aimed at setting standards for public officeholders at all levels. "The intent here is to do the right thing," said state Sen. Tupac Hunter, a Democrat from Detroit and the proposal's chief sponsor. "The intent is to go before the people and tell them we are serious about having an honest government free of corruption on all levels, from the state to the county to the city to the local school district." Hunter didn't mention Kilpatrick or any other individual while addressing the legislation on the Senate floor or during an interview afterward with The Associated Press. Kilpatrick may be the most high-profile recent case, but other former officeholders would be affected by the proposal. The measure would prohibit people from being elected or appointed to any state or local elective office, or from holding a public job that deals with policymaking or control of public assets, if convicted of certain felonies in the previous 20 years. The felonies would involve dishonesty, deceit, fraud or a breach of public trust connected to a person's public employment. A similar breach of public trust provision already exists in the state constitution for members of the Michigan Legislature. ---------------- The proposal is Senate Joint Resolution V. Published: Mon, Jun 14, 2010

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