General Assembly OKs Bill to Let Classified State Employees Run for State Elected Office
Thursday, June 23, 2022
The Rhode Island General Assembly on Wednesday approved legislation introduced by Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence) and Sen. John Burke (D-Dist. 9 West Warwick) that would allow classified state employees to run for state elective office.
The bill (2022-H 7213A, 2022-S 2215A) would allow a classified employee to seek the nomination of or to be a candidate for elective state office, provided that position is not fully funded by federal loan or grant money.
“It is profoundly unfair that classified employees are banned from running for state office while unclassified and non-classified employees are not,” said Diaz. “A secretary, clerk or cook should have just as much right to run as a college professor. The law as it stands now is not only unfair, but it’s classist and potentially racist, since people of color are more likely to hold classified positions.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe act would also provide that if the employee is elected, they must resign their position prior to assuming or holding elective office.
“An unclassified employee, such as a department director, or a non-classified employee, such as a college professor, can run for office without having to quit their jobs in order to run,” said Diaz, who had to resign from her state job when she first ran for state representative in 2004. “It’s time we afford the same consideration to classified employees as well, especially since they’re the ones who can ill afford to quit their jobs. If they lose, there’s no guarantee they’ll get their old jobs back.”
Both the American Civil Liberties Union and Rhode Island Council 94, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, testified in favor of the bill.
“This is simple legislation to make sure we treat all state employees fairly,” said Burke. “As long as it doesn’t violate the federal Hatch Act, which limits the political activities of certain state employees, then there is no need to unfairly single out classified employees who choose to run for office, as long as they relinquish those positions upon being elected.”
The measure now moves to the governor’s office.
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