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Bill would bar many legislators from holding local offices simultaneously, with small‑community exceptions
Summary
Representative Barbara Ehart presented House Bill 362 to prevent legislators from serving as mayors, city council members, school board members or in certain highway districts at the same time, with exemptions for very small jurisdictions and a delayed effective date of Jan. 1, 2026; the committee voted to send the measure to the floor.
Representative Barbara Ehart told the committee House Bill 362 would limit the ability of state legislators to simultaneously serve in local elected offices — including city councils, mayoralties, school boards and certain highway districts — because such dual service can create divided loyalties and concentrated local power.
Ehart said the bill includes exemptions for very small jurisdictions: cities with populations under 1,000, school districts with extremely low enrollment (her example was fewer than five students) and highway districts located primarily in counties with populations under 10,000. She also said the measure delays enforcement for current dual‑officeholders until Jan. 1, 2026 to allow time for planning.
Members opposed to the measure pointed to existing conflict‑of‑interest mechanisms such as Rule 80 and said the bill could reduce local representation by removing experienced local officials from legislatures. Representative Akiles argued the measure could create unequal application across jurisdictions and raise constitutional questions; other members asked whether existing disclosure and recusal rules would be sufficient.
Representative Scogg moved that the committee send House Bill 362 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee approved the motion on a voice vote.
The bill’s sponsor and proponents said the change is intended to reduce divided loyalties when state funding, regulatory or policy decisions affect local governments where a legislator also serves in an official local role. Opponents said recusal and disclosure tools already exist and that enforcing the restriction will disproportionately affect certain communities.
