After we posted Carpetbagger Bob Barrett's bid blown, Representative Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, tweeted at our editor:
@sallyjos he should resign now
— Rep. Rick hansen (@reprickhansen) September 8, 2016
It's a fair suggestion. If an individual isn't eligible to run in for office in a district because of failure to meet a residency requirement, she or he isn't eligible to hold office.
Not only is Barrett still representing the people among whom he doesn't live, but he's able to use state resources such as staff, facilities and the like. Moreover, it's likely he's still drawing a paycheck (the meager $31,000 and change annual salary is typically paid across twelve months.
At the Pioneer Press, David Montgomery sums up the issue in Lawmaker doesn’t live in district, MN Supreme Court rules; ballot won’t count:
State Rep. Bob Barrett doesn’t live in the legislative district he’s elected to represent, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
That makes Barrett an ineligible candidate for this November’s election — and pre-emptively nullifies the vote in Barrett’s District 32B. That’s because Barrett was found to be ineligible less than 80 days before the Nov. 8 election. Under a 2015 law, if a legislative candidate is tossed off the ballot this late, the seat will be filled in a February special election.
Barrett should do the right thing and resign, as he has been caught in a falsehood.
Photo: We fixed Bob's banner.
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