790 Former Felons Can Vote Again - news coverage

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, by Stephenie Steitzer and  Tom Loftus

790 felons can vote again

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Steve Beshear has restored the voting rights of 790 felons after streamlining the process implemented by his predecessor, Ernie Fletcher. Beshear said in March that he was eliminating steps Fletcher imposed, including requiring felons to obtain three recommendations and to write a letter saying why they deserved to have their rights restored.

"As governor, I have re-instituted the process that previous governors — with the exception of Gov. Fletcher — had used to restore felons' rights," Beshear said.

Those rights include the right to vote and to run for public office, said Les Fugate, spokesman for Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

The restoration does not erase convicts' records or permit them to own weapons.

Fletcher restored the rights of 1,098 felons during his four years as governor, according to Grayson's office.

That compares to 7,254 convicts who had their rights restored under former Gov. Paul Patton — the first governor in modern times to serve two terms — and 1,536 under former Gov. Brereton Jones.

Beshear said his policy still requires confirmation that a felon has fulfilled all sentencing requirements. In addition, he is extending to 30 days, from 15, the time given prosecutors to object.

"So far 56 applicants have been turned down based on the input from prosecutors," he said. "At the same time, those whose rights have been restored have served their time and paid their debt to society."

Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Larry Cleveland said he doesn't oppose restoring the rights of offenders who have "served their time and re-entered society and (are) working and leaving their old life behind."

that seems to try to play on people's fears of former felons. 

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