Legislator Files: Operating & Voting

What’s happening? A Virginia legislator, who is also a surgeon, was fined by the medical board for operating while participating in 2 virtual committee hearings and voting.

Why is this important? The legislator said the surgery patients consented to her legislating while operating.

How will this be important? “Many state lawmakers across the country balance their legislative duties with full-time jobs. The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies the Maryland General Assembly as a “hybrid” model of government, meaning lawmakers there make more money than their counterparts in other states but “usually not enough to allow them to make a living without having other sources of income.””

Route Fifty | State Lawmaker Accepts $15,000 Fine for Legislating from Operating Room