LANSING (AP) -- A Democratic Michigan lawmaker is launching an effort to prevent employers from asking about a person's criminal background on job applications.
Democratic Representative Fred Durhal of Detroit introduced a bill this week to remove the question of previous felony convictions from job applications. He said Thursday the question unfairly puts people trying to turn their life around at a disadvantage.
He says it will give people a chance to explain their conviction in person during an interview, rather than being turned away immediately. Employers would still be able to perform background checks to find convictions.
A similar measure introduced last year didn't make it through the Legislature.
He says 43 cities and counties, including Detroit and Kalamazoo, have adopted similar measures.
(Copyright ©2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
