Bill Allowing Government Workers to Run for Office Without Resigning Passes Despite Three Lawmakers Abstaining

When it was time to vote for Bill 36-0134, legislation allowing government employees to run for political office without having to resign their posts, three lawmakers chose to abstain instead of recording an opinion on the measure.  Senators Carla Joseph, Alma Francis Heyliger, and Ray Fonseca exercised the option not to vote for the bill, authored by Senator Marise James.  Discussion about allowing government employees to run for political office while still actively employed is not novel. In July, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. attempted to introduce legislation to that effect, but was informed by the Legislature that Sen. James’s bill had preempted him.  Indeed, it is not the first time that James has proposed such legislation. In 2023, she and former senator Donna Frett-Gregory co-sponsored Bill 35-0032, allowing for the same. The short title of the two bills is identical. They both allow active government employees to contest elections “unless specifically prohibited by federal or o...