A Sacramento City Councilman hopes to give potential contract labor and business owners with criminal backgrounds a better chance at being hired by the city.
California State law prohibits government agency applications from asking people if they have been convicted of any crimes.
According to Sacramento City Councilman Larry Carr, people bidding to be vendors and companies bidding on city contracts should be treated the same way — at least through the first round of considerations.
"We want everyone in this city to benefit from the growth, the expansion," Carr says. "And all of the exciting things that are going on here and that includes people who may have made a mistake at one point in their lives."
Carr says the ordinance would likely include exceptions for some contracts.
"This ordinance does not direct that an employer hire anyone," Carr says. "If they are interested in that person — they think the person might be qualified — then they can delve into their criminal record history and give the person a chance to explain what happened and what they've done since then to turn their life around."
A council committee is expected to consider the idea Tuesday.
If the council's Law and Legislation Committee approves the ordinance, it would likely be considered by the full council in two weeks.
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