State Rep. Shane Baker, R-Somerset, has filed two pieces of legislation which are designed to narrow qualifications for candidates running for local and state office.
House Bill 186 focuses on local elected offices, while HB 259, a proposed constitutional amendment, is for state offices.
“Our republic is built upon the loyalty of its elected officials to the Constitution of the United States and to the Americans they represent,” Baker said. “The responsibility of governing our great nation is delegated to elected officials from city and county government all the way up to the president in the White House. Our officials must understand our nation, its culture, and the values that make America a ‘shining city upon a hill.’ We are a beacon of freedom and hope to the entire world, and this honor is contingent on the quality and commitment of those we elect to office across the board.”
HB 186 would require candidates for local offices to be natural-born citizens of the United States and hold citizenship solely in the United States. HB 259 would propose amending the state constitution to require candidates for state and countywide office to be natural-born citizens of the United States and solely a United States national.
“These measures work hand in hand to protect our communities and preserve our state,” Baker added. “Our founders believed it necessary for our president to be a natural-born citizen of this nation, and now we see the necessity for this to extend to other elected offices. We have seen first-hand the consequences of foreign leadership in states like Minnesota, and soon we will see how it takes shape in one of America’s greatest cities — New York. We must ensure that our elected officials are loyal to the United States of America, its constitution, and the Americans they represent.”
For more information on HB 186 and HB 259, go to legislature.ky.gov or click here.
(Photo: State Rep. Shane Baker (r), courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
