Yesterday Democrat State Senator Virgil Smith started serving his jail sentence but did not resign from his office.

Since he did not resign State Senator Smith will continue to collect his $71,685 salary and all his benefits while in prison.

Does this sound right to you?

Democrat State Senator Smith was already given what many believe is a light sentence of only 10 months for pulling a semi-automatic rifle on his ex-wife and shooting up her car after beating her.  Senator Smith pleaded guilty to a felony count of malicious destruction of personal property of $20,000 or more.  Now we find out he is going directly to prison and still is allowed to collect his salary and benefits, what is this monopoly?  Like I have stated many times politicians treat our taxpayer dollars as monopoly money.

As being reported by the Detroit Free Press and many other media sources the original plea deal agreed upon was that he would have to resign from his seat but Wayne County Circuit Judge Lawrence Talon said that Senator Smith could be “expelled, voted out of office or resign, but requiring him to step down violates the state constitution.”

In the Detroit Free Press article Bill Ballenger, a former state Senator himself and editor of the Ballenger Report, was quoted stating:

“The idea of someone serving while being convicted and sentenced on a felony charge, it’s never happened in Michigan,”

If State Senator Smith does not resign an expulsion hearing could begin when the state Legislature returns from their 2 week spring break on April 12th.

The Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said last week an expulsion hearing will have to happen if Smith doesn’t resign.

In the history of our Michigan legislature only four lawmakers have been expelled, they are:

  • Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell, who was expelled in September after getting caught up in a sex scandal and cover-up
  • David Jaye, R- Washington Township, in 2001 after three drunken driving convictions and claims that State Senator Jaye assaulted his fiancée
  • Monte Geralds, D-Madison Heights, in 1978, after an embezzling conviction
  • Milo Dakin of Saginaw in 1887 after he was accused of attempting to bribe his colleagues over changes to the Saginaw city charter.

My concern is that Democrat State Senator Smith does not even have the decency to resign and Michigan’s Democrat party does not have the decency to put pressure on him to resign.  During the entire affair the Michigan Democrat party has not called for his resignation yet only stated that the legal process should be played out.  Even after the legal process was played out they still did not vocally state he should resign.  Yet this same Democrat party immediately called for the resignation of two Republican state representatives after their sexual affair was uncovered and the legal process had not even begun.

What is worse a sexual affair and cover-up or someone pulling a semi-automatic rifle, pointing it at them and then eventually firing 20 rounds into their car which they were standing by?

We as citizens of Michigan have to ban together regardless of what party we may be affiliated with and rise up together and say we are no longer going to except this type of behavior from our political parties.

Let's talk about this today on The Live with Renk Show, which airs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, to let me know your thoughts at (269) 441-9595.

Or please feel free to start a discussion and write your thoughts in the comment section

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