Michigan voters could ban criminal public officials

[Bozita]

Source: AP

Michigan voters could ban criminal public officials
Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 9:48 PM Updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 9:56 PM
The Associated Press

In the aftermath of high-profile government scandals in Detroit, Michigan voters will get the chance in November to decide if public officials convicted of committing certain crimes should be banned from office.

The Michigan House approved a proposal Thursday to amend Michigan's constitution to ban public officials convicted of felonies related to their jobs from serving for 20 years. The measure, which passed on a 91-13 vote, already passed the Senate, and voters will have to make a final decision in the fall.

The proposal comes less than two years after then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigned as part of pleas in two criminal cases after he lied on the witness stand in a whistle-blowers' trial about an affair with his top aide. He's now in prison on a probation violation.

The measure's sponsor, Democratic Sen. Tupac Hunter of Detroit, has said the proposal is aimed at setting standards for all public officeholders at all levels in Michigan, not any one person.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/06/michigan_voters_could_ban_crim.html

[davidinalameda]

1. this seems like a no-brainer

they should be banned for life