Bill Text: MS HC27 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Constitution; amend to prohibit person convicted of voting crime from holding public office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2010-02-02 - Died In Committee [HC27 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2010-HC27-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Constitution
By: Representative Moak
House Concurrent Resolution 27
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 44, MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890, TO PROHIBIT A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME RELATED TO VOTING OR VOTER REGISTRATION FROM HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That the following amendments to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 are proposed to the qualified electors of the state:
Amend Section 44, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, to read as follows:
"Section 44. (1) No person shall be eligible to a seat in either house of the Legislature, or to any office of profit or trust, who shall have been convicted of bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime; and any person who shall have been convicted of giving or offering, directly, or indirectly, any bribe to procure his election or appointment, and any person who shall give or offer any bribe to procure the election or appointment of any person to office, shall, on conviction thereof, be disqualified from holding any office of profit or trust under the laws of this state.
(2) No person who is convicted after ratification of this amendment in another state of any offense which is a felony under the laws of this state, and no person who is convicted after ratification of this amendment of any felony in a federal court, shall be eligible to hold any office of profit or trust in this state.
(3) This section shall not disqualify a person from holding office if he has been pardoned for the offense or if the offense of which the person was convicted was manslaughter, any violation of the United States Internal Revenue Code or any violation of the tax laws of this state unless such offense also involved misuse or abuse of his office or money coming into his hands by virtue of his office.
(4) No person shall be eligible to hold any office in this state who shall have been convicted in any court of this state or any other state or in any federal court of any crime relating to voting or voter registration, whether felony or misdemeanor."
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the amendment in this resolution shall be submitted to the qualified electors at an election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2010, as provided by Section 273 of the Constitution and by law.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of the amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This amendment provides that any person who has been convicted of any crime relating to voting or voter registration, whether felony or misdemeanor, in any state or federal court within the United States, is not eligible to hold any public office within the State of Mississippi."
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this resolution, immediately upon adoption by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.
