Leaders play role of legislators, soldiers
Legislators who are called to service cannot remain politically active.
Published Nov. 3, 2006
When a legislator is called into military service, it can cause a conflict of conscience.
"It's a two-edged sword; I love being a legislator, and I love being in the reserves," said Texas State Rep. Frank Corte. "I like serving both places, and before 9/11, I could do my reserve duty in the summer when the legislature wasn't in session. But now that more soldiers are being called up, it's harder to keep them separate."
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, legislators who are called into service in the military reserves are prohibited from active political activity, such as voting in, or campaigning for, the state legislature.
A survey in August by the NCSL found 57 state legislators who are members of their state's national guard or military reserves.
Eight of those 57 are on active duty.
The survey found that 30 of the 57 reservist legislators have been called into active duty while serving in their legislature, and seven of those 30 have been activated more than once.
The survey also stated that 30 of the 50 state legislatures have a member serving in the national guard or reserves.
In 2003, Texas legislators passed a law allowing legislators and other state officials to request a replacement to be appointed in their place.
"I think serving the public as a legislator is really important, and I think being in the reserves is important," Corte said. "I don't think being in the reserves should be a matter of convenience. At the same time, you have to think about what you do for constituents when you're abroad."
Corte asked that his wife, Valerie, be appointed in his place while he was away during a special session of the Texas Legislature earlier this year.
Frank Corte said he was activated in December of 2005, left in February of 2006 and returned in August.
"Sometimes in debates, they would say things like, 'That's in section 42,' and I'd be like, 'What's section 42?'" Valerie Corte said. "But my husband has a great staff. They have instant messaging on the house floor, so I could send them my questions, and they could help me."
Gov. Matt Blunt is a member of the naval reserves, holding the rank of lieutenant commander, according to his Web site.
Blunt was called into active duty during his term as Missouri Secretary of State.
According to previous Maneater reports, former Sen. Jon Dolan, R-Lake St. Louis, was on active duty in Cuba when the legislature went into special session to override two vetoes by former Gov. Bob Holden in 2003.
He was allowed to return to Missouri and vote in the session, which caused some controversy.
"The mere fact that he was on active duty and that he was provided a leave from Cuba to cast a vote is a mockery to all those soldiers who have to stay in place regardless of the crisis in their families," former Sen. Mary Bland, D-Kansas City, said in a previous Maneater report.