SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California voters are considering whether state lawmakers should be able to suspend their colleagues’ pay along with their voting power when they are accused of wrongdoing while in office.
Lawmakers placed Proposition 50 on Tuesday’s primary ballot after suspending Democratic Senators Leland Yee, Ron Calderon and Rod Wright as they faced felony accusations in 2014.
A state law prohibiting lawmakers’ pay from being reduced meant the three Democrats continued receiving paychecks while on suspension.
Opponents argue the measure is an ineffective political maneuver that cannot fix legislators’ rare criminal behavior.