Solomon, Kenyatta introduce legislation to require elected officials convicted of felonies to resign

HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 -- State Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Phila., is partnering with Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, also D-Phila., to introduce a constitutional amendment that would require elected officials to resign upon conviction of a felony.

“As public servants, we must be held to the highest of standards,” Solomon said. “The people we serve deserve elected officials they can rely on and have faith in -- they lose all of that once the individual is convicted of a crime.”

Solomon said that the publicity created from these often high profile cases steers attention away from serving the public.

“As elected officials, we owe the constituents that we represent service that improves their quality of life,” Kenyatta said. “They put their trust in us and deserve to be represented by honorable, law-abiding officials committed to doing just that.”

Under current case law, an elected official does not have to resign until they are formally sentenced.