LANSING – A push is underway to end the revolving door for elected officials who want to become paid lobbyists.

Some legislators and advocacy groups want a “cooling-off” period before legislators, governors, and other elected state officials can become lobbyists. The proposal would require a minimum one-year span between an official’s time in office and when he or she can become a lobbyist.

“The idea is that a legislator in his final term needs to be thinking about what’s best for his constituents rather than thinking about what will get him a job after leaving Lansing,” said Rep. Marc Corriveau, D-Northville, the primary sponsor.

Becoming a lobbyist doesn’t necessarily mean an ex-legislator is corrupt, Corriveau said. But the time off would deter people from acting with lobbying interests in mind while still in office, he said.

The period might help restore people’s faith in government, he said.

Special interest groups often spend large amounts of money in campaign contributions in an attempt to sway government opinion. If an elected official has a job lined up with such a group, there’s potential he or she could begin pushing its agenda while still in office, according to Corriveau.

“The cooling off period would be enough time to stave off the implication that foul play happens,” he said.

An argument against the bill is that it infringes on people’s freedom to seek employment.

“We don’t want to keep people from getting jobs,” Corriveau said, “so we don’t want to make it too oppressive. I think this year is enough time to separate it.”

The idea is supported by former Rep. Clark Harder, who is now executive director of the Michigan Public Transit Association (MPTA). As his term was coming to an end in 1998, he was considering his future, Harder said.

“In the last three to six months of my tenure, I began thinking of what I’d do because I needed to work,” he said.

Harder said he worked for about a year in public consulting positions before joining the MPTA, a public transportation advocacy group.

Taking time off between being in office and working for the organization was a good thing, Harder said.

“No one should walk away from the Legislature and the next day start lobbying,” he said.

Rich Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said he feared that politicians “could compromise the public interest in order to advance their future job possibilities.

“Particularly, legislators who control the legislative calendar,” he said. “They could do a favor for a prospective employer.”

The Campaign Finance Network is a nonprofit organization that researches and reports on the use of money in politics, including lobbying and campaign contributions.

Twenty-eight states and Congress have similar regulations in place, and several require a minimum two-year buffer before public officials can become lobbyists, Robinson said.

“We’re in the minority by not addressing the situation at all,” he said.

The House-passed measure is awaiting Senate action.