Florida Governor Is Hoping to Restore Felon Voting Rights

[Judi Lynn]

Source: N.Y. Times

Florida Governor Is Hoping to Restore Felon Voting Rights
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
Published: April 3, 2007

MIAMI, April 2 — Hinting that a remarkable turnaround in state policy was near, Gov. Charlie Crist said Monday that he hoped to persuade members of the Florida cabinet this week to end the practice of stripping convicted felons of their right to vote.

Florida is the most populous of three states whose constitutions require withdrawal of voting rights from all convicted felons, and it has the nation’s largest number of disenfranchised former offenders. The other two states are Kentucky and Virginia.

Felons in Florida who have served their prison and probation time can apply to have their voting rights reinstated, but the process can be time consuming and complex. Only a few hundred have their rights restored each year in Florida, where the American Civil Liberties Union says 950,000 remain disenfranchised.

Mr. Crist, a Republican, said that to win the support of some cabinet members, he might require former felons to pay whatever restitution they owe to victims before regaining their rights. Some civil rights groups, including the A.C.L.U., oppose such a compromise, but Mr. Crist said he had little choice.




Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/us/03voting.html?ex=1333252800&en=8834606b2e61c726&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[Up2Late]

1. First it's Voting machines with and Audit trail and now this! Oh the Humanity!

:sarcasm: What's next? Fair trials for the Poor and the non-White people of Florida!?! :sarcasm:

[jpak]

Gee - there might be some sanity and justice in Post-JEB Florida

ya think????

[Captain Hilts]

2. If you've "paid your debt to society," you've paid your debt to society. Allie, allie in come free

[youngdem]

3. Makes sense now that so much of his constituency are felons

[cali]

5. What makes no sense

is your comment. This is a good thing, and in fact, Crist has been the anti-Jeb. Quite a surprise.

[Lochloosa]

8. Maybe the sarcasm tag was left off...but I do agree Crist has

been a breath of fresh air for Florida.

It's nice to have a Gay Governor:sarcasm:

[youngdem]

12. Perhaps you should follow up on Mr. Crist's 'accomplishments'

They are window dressing, and none of his middle of the road policies are actually passing...

His felons being allowed to vote thought will pass too, when his fellow Repukes realize that he might be serious. The Republican party will never enfranchise those already out, because they come from a Democratic demographic.

My comment makes perfect sense, since most of the current flock of Repuke leadership are all either under indictment or should be.

Take your shitty mood somewhere else.

[jody]

4. If convicted felon's civil rights are restored without limitations then RKBA is automatically

restored per SCOTUS decision.

That's interesting because the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) is a basic civil right.

[w4rma]

6. Good. Ex-felons are ex-felons because they are no longer felons. They have served their time. (nt)

[pokercat999]

7. Exactly they've "paid their debt" the slate should be

wiped clean. How can someone that sold less than an ounce of marijuana when they were 20 years old still be a convicted felon when they are 40, and have no rights? Wants to make you say "fuck you america" and set off a IED maybe.

[spotbird]

9. I registered voters

in a state where felons can vote, but with certain restrictions. Most believed they were ineligible, but there are an enormous number of felons in poor neighborhoods. They normally shared details of their crimes, which were typically drug related.

This is a surprising move for a Republican. I wonder what the ulterior motive is?

[hippiechick]

14. Ulterior Motive:

"I gave you the right to vote, so vote for me and my friends!"

[Acadia Blue]

10. I will never be a rePIG but this guy has some common sense.

[Doctor_J]

11. WTF is going on down there?

Does he realize that cleaning up the voting might result in him having to work with a Dem legislature? How in hell can this be "Papa Doc" Bush's protege'?

[MasonJar]

13. I am embarrassed that Kentucky is one of the other two, but who can be surprised since we

are the address of McConnell and Bunning.

[SKKY]

15. And Virginia, another of the four Commonwealths...

...I didn't know that about Kentucky, and being born and raised there, I feel I should have. Although, being from Louisville, we don't have a great deal in common with the rest of the state, save for Lexington.

[seasat]

16. The biggest holdup is Bill McColon (spelling intentional)

The bottom feeding Repug that we have as attorney general in Florida is leading the charge against restoring voting rights. The idiot is arguing that those who break the law shouldn't make the law. Heck, if that was true, half the Repugs wouldn't be in office. Regardless of who these folks will vote for, it is a moral obligation to restore their voting rights after they have paid their debt to society.

This law was enacted as part of the Jim Crow laws to deny blacks their right to vote. Florida will be in shame until we overturn this reflect law of the South's racist past.

I regret that we didn't run a stronger candidate against this idiot in the last election. Hopefully, we'll be able to field a good Democrat against him in the next election.