CA Considers Bill to Withhold Pay from Lawmakers Facing Criminal Charges

California legislators considered a new law on Tuesday that would stop state lawmakers facing criminal charges from receiving paychecks, a commonsense measure that many Californians may have already assumed was in place. 

Three California Democrats–Ron Calderon, Roderick Wright, and Leland Yee–are facing criminal charges involving corruption charges, gun-trafficking, and bribery yet still receive what Reuters says is “tantamount to a paid holiday for bad behavior.” 

Currently, the only way under California law to stop legislators from drawing taxpayer-funded salaries is to have them expelled. Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown has called for all three of his fellow Democrats to resign, but all have refused to do so. 

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg introduced the bill but says it would not be retroactive, thereby allowing all three Democrats to keep bagging a paycheck on the backs of California taxpayers.