Lauzen: Ban felons from county boards

• Reprints

Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

A new bill introduced by state Sen. Chris Lauzen would ban people with felony records or behind on their taxes from serving on county boards.

Lauzen calls the bill common-sense legislation.

“I think if we’re going to apply the taxes, I think we should pay them,” the Aurora Republican said. “This is a logical piece of legislation. If anyone wants to know why people are so angry... it is because it seems like there are two sets of rules.”

If approved, Senate Bill 3944 would make anyone convicted of a felony anywhere in the United States or anyone with tax or other debt to the county not eligible to serve on the county board.

Lauzen said the bill was inspired by similar legislation introduced by state Sen. Kay Hatcher, R-Yorkville. That bill would ban anyone with a felony record from serving on a Fire Protection District.

Lauzen believes the natural amendment to his bill would be to make Illinois legislators ineligible to serve if they are convicted of a felony or don’t pay their taxes.

Lauzen bristled at the suggestion that voters would naturally weed out candidates with felony records or unpaid taxes.

“I just don’t think that’s what people want,” Lauzen said. “People are sick and tired of two sets of rules. If regular people have to pay their taxes, why shouldn’t (legislators)?”

If someone were convicted of a felony or fell behind on taxes while in office, Lauzen was not sure whether the bill should bar them from running again or immediately disqualify them from office.

Lauzen was adamant that this bill was not related to a situation that Kane County Board member Cathy Hurlbut, an Elgin Republican, ran into last year. Hurlbut paid the taxes on her Elgin law office and her home late in 2009.