On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed the Hatch Act Modernization Act into law. S2170 permits most local and state government employees to run for partisan office, even if part of their salary or other compensation is subsidized by federal funds. The act also treats employees of the District of Columbia as local employees, rather than federal employees, for purposes of the Hatch Act.
The Hatch Act, passed in 1939, prohibits federal employees from running for partisan office, and until this bill was signed, also prohibited certain local and state employees from running for partisan office as well.
“Modernization” Act? Not “Evisceration Act?”
Or how about the “Hatch Act Hatcheted Act?”
I believe this used to be referred to as “double dipping,” and was widely scorned. This president will stop at nothing to allow every last bit of our integrity collapse.
It still unconstitutionally restricts the rights of federal employees, so I would disagree with the above poster that the changes do quite so much. They’re a step in the right direction, but still lacking in evisceration. Employees should be restricted from partisan political activity on the job, or using government resources still, or coercing subordinates into or against political activity, but otherwise the provisions of the act should be removed.
I whole-heatedly agree!!!
I was fired from the Postal Service 5/16/14 because of this law. I did not know about this law other than “no hats, t-shirts buttons or bumper stickers.
I ran for Congress in 2012 & 2013 in Illinois 2nd District asan Independent. I have an article in the Woonsocket Patch dated 9/27/12 where the Office of Special Counsel Spokesperson Ann O’Hanlon said in at case in Provdence, Rhode Island, that federal employees can run as independents just not as a registered Democrat.
There was a complaint-less complaint against me where no one stepped up to sign the form with their name and this Office of Special Counsel pressed on anyway, mysteriously my attorney Andrew Finko abandons the case and would not answer the MSPB. Thus my rights to have my side address the charges is waived.
The OSC loaded up the complaint saying all types of lies how I was fully informed. I never heard of this law outside what I said above.
With the statement in the Patch article that was relying on to show that the law as said by the OSC Spokeswoman was all I had to go on and she said clear as can be that federal employees can run but only as independents in partisan elections. So I kept telling them this and I said what is the problem?!!! I am doing just what YOU said is permissible. They act as if this article is not online for all to see.
I am now with unemployed and I need help as I am not a criminal and I am law abiding.
My email is marlew7@aol.com
708-287-7531
This is so wrong as the MSPB won’t even consider what the OSC & the Postal Service did wrong and not informing me of this law in the first place.
I mean, who gives up their federal job knowing they are going to lose it on purpose?!!!!
I did not know and through this article that OSC won’t even say it was wrong or our spokeswoman spoke wrong. None of that. Just make an example out of him.
Anyone want to help me please call ASAP. I have to appeal the MSPB decision by July 15th 2014 to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.
Marcus Lewis
708-287-7531
marlew7@aol.com
Here is the article I relied upon.
http://woonsocket.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/brien-to-announce-hatch-act-complaint-against-casey-a79c691666d