March 12 in Frankfort: Raising Voices, Protecting Voting

We are committed to a Kentucky where the voices of ordinary people are heard and respected in our democracy, because our democracy works best when everyone has a voice and a vote.

Monday, March 12 will be a flash point for raising our voices, and protecting the ability to vote.

Raise our voices, Monday, March 12, 5:00 on the Capitol steps. Join Kentuckians showing up to say “funding first and fair" at the United We Stand Rally. SB 1--the bill that breaks the promise made to state employees, lowers their paychecks, and devalues their public services--did not get called up on the Senate floor as expected on Friday. (Teachers showed up in force!) But we’ve got to keep at it. They're still trying to pass a bad bill, and they'll soon turn to the state budget. Legislators need to hear from you that now is the time to raise the revenue we need by closing loopholes for the wealthy and corporations. 

Protect voting, our democracy by attending the Voter ID hearing, 2:00 Monday. HB 215, a Voter ID bill, is getting heard in the House Elections Committee meeting at 2:00. HB 215 would require a government or school issued photo ID to vote. Evidence is clear that laws requiring state-issued photo IDs have a disproportionate negative impact on the young, elderly, poor and people of color. (The Brennen Center has more information about Voter ID laws.) It's important to show legislators how much we value our democracy and the right to vote. 

The current voter ID law in Kentucky is not broken and does not need fixing. It requires each voter to validate his or her identity, but it does not create unjust barriers to the ballot box. Our current system strikes an important balance.

Adopting more restrictive voter ID rules in Kentucky would be an unnecessary and unacceptable step backwards. Kentuckians do not want to go backwards by unjustly restricting the right to vote. Rather, we must go forward together. The legislature should start by passing HB 376, a constitutional amendment restoring the right to vote to people who have served their full sentence for a felony conviction.

Congressman John Lewis has said, “The right to vote is precious, almost sacred.” Now is the time to protect this right, and to protect our Commonwealth, by exercising our rights to assemble and speak out.