Senate Democrats block Republican move to expel Rod Wright

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a move to expel their Democratic colleague Sen. Rod Wright by sending a Republican proposal to the Rules Committee, where it could permanently stall.

Sen. Steve Knight, a Republican from Palmdale, introduced a resolution to expel Wright from the Senate because a jury found him guilty of eight felonies last month for lying about living in the district he represents.

“This will be precedent-setting,” Knight said as debate on his measure was being quashed on a 21-13, mostly party-line vote.

“We have gone past any time period where someone has been convicted of a felony and not resigned.”

Wright went on a paid leave of absence on Tuesday and has been removed from his committee assignments, causing Democratic Senate leader Darrell Steinberg to say the move to expel Wright would “make zero practical difference.”

Permanently expelling Wright is premature, Steinberg said, because the action couldn’t be undone and Wright is planning to ask the judge to overturn the jury’s guilty verdicts. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 16.

Via: Sacramento Bee

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Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/27/6195891/senate-democrats-block-republican.html#storylink=cpy