We all roll our eyes when a state legislator retires and then it turns out that they are taking a position within a state agency that they, as a legislator, used to oversee or fund. It is even worse when a retiring legislator takes a position that they voted to create.
Talk about creating your own jobs plan.
House Bill 217 seeks to end this practice in order to restore a shred of public confidence in the General Assembly. The bill would prohibit a former legislator from being appointed to or employed in a position in a State agency for 1 year after the former member’s final term of office if either of the following applies: (1) The position was created during the former member’s final term of office or (2) The compensation for the position was increased, other than by an appropriation by the General Assembly that applies to all similarly situated State employees, during the former member’s term of office and the former member did not hold the position during the former member’s term of office.
Existing law provides that a former member who knowingly or wilfully violates this Act is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by imprisonment of not more than 1 year and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
WHERE IS THE BILL NOW? House Administration 6/13/19
DEMOCRATIC SPONSORS – Bennett, Lockman, Bush, K.Williams
REPUBLICAN SPONSORS – Delcollo, Hocker, Wilson, Briggs King, Collins, D.Short, Michael Smith, Yearick
YES VOTES – HOUSE — ||| SENATE —
NO VOTES – HOUSE — ||| SENATE —
ABSENT –
This bill MUST pass!
I wish the waiting period was longer than a year, but this is a very good start.