Official married to worker: run yes, vote no.

Pioneer Press Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:29:24 -0600
Board member's conflict resolved

A Mounds View school board member should be able to keep her post after the Legislature clarified the state's conflict-of-interest rules. Voters elected Susan Murphy to the school board in November. Murphy is married to a custodian in the district, and the board is going to negotiate his union's contract. She had agreed to abstain from voting on the contract and not take part in the confidential discussions, but the school district's attorney said she needed to resign or be removed from the board. State law prohibits public officials from having a direct, voluntary financial interest in most contracts with their government agency, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota. Democratic Sen. Don Betzold, of Fridley, and Rep. Paul Gardner, of Shoreview, introduced the bill in February that cleared up the conflict-of-interest case. "The fact that she's married to an employee should not have prevented her from running for the school board. It certainly would prevent her from voting on issues she may have a conflict of interest on," Betzold said. The bill heads to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for his signature. The ACLU took on Murphy's case, arguing that the election should not be undone because Murphy is married to a school district employee. The Minnesota School Boards Association also backed the clarification.

[[keywords: Officials;Metro;]]