A New Jersey lawmaker wants voters to decide whether elected officials accused of a crime should be removed from office immediately.

Current New Jersey law doesn’t allow elected officials to be ousted until they’re convicted. Senator Shirley Turner is proposing a constitutional amendment that would suspend indicted officials without pay and temporarily replace them until they’re convicted or exonerated.

 “Otherwise a bogged down, stagnant, and also demoralizing effect occurs if elected officials are in office and they’re distracted by trying to work on their defense.”

Turner says she’s not sure whether the legislature will approve the amendment.

“Well that’s hard to say because we as elected officials we don’t do a good job of policing ourselves, we’re good at policing other people.”

Even if  lawmakers do pass it the proposal would not be on the ballot until November of next year.