Disenfranchisement: News/Updates (March 2, 2007 Edition)

[From our friends at The Sentencing Project] Florida: Continued Debate on Restoring the Vote Gov. Charlie Crist postponed a vote this week that would have allowed most formerly incarcerated individuals voting rights upon completion of sentence. The Florida Board of Executive Clemency was expected to vote in favor of the long-awaited change, but Crist did not want to isolate fellow Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum as the lone vote, according to the Miami Herald. “Obviously, I favor the restoration of civil rights and I am optimistic we will be able to get to that point, but I want to build a consensus before we go there,” said Crist following the state clemency board meeting. Prior to the postponement, Attorney General McCollum submitted a list of four recommendations to Crist and the board to reduce the backlog of formerly incarcerated individuals interested in regaining their civil rights, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The list suggested more frequent clemency meetings in addition to drafting a list of those not eligible for civil rights restoration without a hearing. A Tallahassee Democrat opinion editorial discussed the various restrictions imposed on formerly incarcerated persons and the resources necessary for rehabilitation, as pointed out in former Gov. Jeb Bush’s Ex-Offender Task Force report. Author Mark Schlakman also highlighted the necessity of re- enfranchisement both for reintegration and public safety. Alabama: Attorney General Defends View, ‘Sets the Record Straight’ In response to various newspaper editorials and letters to the editor, Alabama Attorney General Troy King defended his view in a Montgomery Advertiser guest column advocating that all persons completing a sentencing should have to apply to have their rights restored. He wrote: “Regardless of what editorialists say, ‘all the conditions of a sentence’ have not been met when a convicted felon completes his or her prison sentence. The suspension of voting rights is not a separate punishment, but part of the original sentence. I have proposed that we return to a more simple and workable solution by removing the civil and political rights of anyone who is convicted of a felony. The Advertiser should be ashamed of its willingness to cheapen democracy by advocating the automatic restoration of rights to felons. The rest of us should refuse to help them.” National: Disenfranchisement Reform Taking Hold "Momentum for felony disenfranchisement reform began 10 years ago. Since 1997, 16 states have taken steps to reform disenfranchisement laws and more than 600,000 people have regained their voting rights," states Kara Gotsch, director of advocacy for The Sentencing Project, in a column featured on Tompaine.com. She notes that policymakers have introduced legislation addressing felony disenfranchisement in 20 states this year, and voting rights advances are expected in Maryland and Florida. Gotsch's piece also highlights the disproportionate racial impact of disenfranchisement policies and emphasizes the benefits of restoring the right to vote upon release from prison. The Washington Informer featured a summary of recent efforts in vote restoration around the nation, including a recent meeting of Maryland African Methodist Episcopal church leaders and state legislators considering re-enfranchisement to formerly incarcerated individuals. Maine: Disenfranchisement Bill is Too Lenient, Columnist Says Representative Steve Hanley is the first Democrat to sponsor legislation denying prison inmates the right to vote in Maine by way of a bill banning voting rights to persons convicted of murder and Class A and B offenses. Kennebec Journal columnist George Smith praised Hanley’s efforts, yet said his bill is too lenient and suggested that all offenders, currently or formerly incarcerated, should not possess the right to vote. Because the legislation requires a constitutional amendment, the bill must win the votes of two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate, which is not considered likely. Vermont is the only other state that allows incarcerated individuals the right to vote. Kentucky: Students Take a Stand in Opposition of Disenfranchisement Students at the University of Kentucky, along with disenfranchised residents, participated this week in Restoration of Voting Rights Lobby Day in support of HB70, which would allow citizens to vote on whether or not to restore some felons' voting rights. If passed, residents will vote in 2008 on whether to change the Kentucky Constitution to allow persons convicted of non-violent crimes to vote after they complete their sentence. See the Kentucky Kernel. Contact Information: Email: [email protected] web: http://www.sentencingproject.org