By JT Aregood • 12/12/16 12:18pm
Assemblyman Rob Karabinchak, who sponsored the bill along with Assembly Speaker Vince Prieto. New Jersey Legislature
Hopefuls with criminal convictions could soon be barred from running for local New Jersey school boards. A legislative committee advanced a bill to force would-be school board candidates to submit an affirmation to the state that he or she has not been convicted of any first or second-degree crime on Monday.
Those disqualifying convictions would include endangering the welfare of a child; drug possession or distribution; robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, stalking, kidnapping, arson, manslaughter and murder; terroristic threats; criminal restraint; perjury, and bias intimidation.
Assembly sponsor Robert Karabinchak said in a statement after the committee vote that he believes the new requirement would help protect students in the state.