Voters could decide whether corrupt officials lose their pensions
by Jeff Adelson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Baton Rouge -- The Louisiana House approved bills Tuesday that would allow voters to decide whether judges can strip state pensions from future public officials and employees convicted of corruption. House Bills 9 and 10 are the latest versions of proposals Rep. Tony Ligi, R-Metairie, has pushed unsuccessfully twice over the past five years, calling for a referendum that would allow the benefits to be curtailed and a law to implement the punishment. The unanimous vote in favor of the bills is a far cry from the previous efforts, neither of which made it past the House floor. The version that is now headed to Senate is more narrowly tailored than previous efforts, something Ligi said came after consultation with the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, a perennial opponent of the measure. If the measure passes the Senate, voters will decide in the Nov. 6 election whether it becomes part of the Constitution and state law.