Bevin’s Voting Rights action unnecessary, reverses positive steps forward

Gov. Matt Bevin’s action Tuesday to take away automatic voting rights restoration to an estimated 150,000 Kentuckians was unnecessary and sets back progress toward a healthy democracy, KFTC leaders say.

“We’ve been working with Democratic and Republican House leaders for a permanent legislative solution to this issue for a decade,” said Dana Beasley Brown, chairperson of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. “We’re glad that Gov. Bevin supports this approach. But until Republican leaders in the Senate stop blocking the needed legislation we need interim solutions like the executive action taken by Gov. Steve Beshear in November.”

In November Beshear established new protocols for making automatic the restoration of voting rights for former felons if they met three requirements – they had fulfilled their sentence, have no pending criminal charges, and had not been convicted of a violent or sexual offense, bribery or treason.

The new protocols streamlined the review and eliminated the requirement of an individual pardon from the governor, which could take months or never be granted.

“[D]isenfranchisement makes no sense. It makes no sense because it dilutes the energy of democracy, which functions only if all classes and categories of people have a voice, not just a privileged powerful few,” Beshear said in November. “It makes no sense because it violates the principles of fairness.”

On Tuesday, Bevin rescinded Beshear’s executive order.

“If Governor Bevin does support a legislative solution, as does KFTC, there is still no reason to reverse Beshear’s action,” said a KFTC statement. “There is no justification for prolonging this injustice – or in this case reinstating an injustice for 150,000 Kentuckians – while there is no guarantee that his own party’s legislative leaders will agree to a legislative solution. Bevin’s action was unnecessary.”

KFTC member Mantell Stevens said he was shocked and hurt to learn of Bevin’s action. “I don't know why anybody in their right mind wouldn't want anybody to have the right to vote,” said Stevens, who lost his right to vote in 2000 after spending 30 days in jail and three years on probation for a drug possession charge.

“The only thing I needed to do was get it notarized,” he told The Courier-Journal. “It’s really weird because I’m literally sitting here looking at the envelope. It’s stamped.”

“The new process had given a lot of people hope, and was working,” said Beasley Brown. “People were excited for the opportunity to fully participate in our democracy.”

KFTC STATEMENT ON RESCISSION OF VOTING RIGHTS

For almost one whole month, since Governor Beshear’s Executive Order established new protocols for restoring voting rights for former felons, Kentucky enjoyed the promise of a more just democracy and a restorative justice and electoral system. Tens of thousands of Kentuckians were offered the opportunity to rejoin our democracy.

During his campaign and even in his press announcement, Governor Bevin proclaimed his support of restoration of voting rights. And yet, two weeks into his term – three days before Christmas – he chose to unilaterally strip automatic restoration of voting rights from as many as 150,000 Kentuckians. His press statement was titled “Governor Bevin fulfills his commitment to People of Kentucky," yet his action is exactly the opposite of his campaign position. Kentuckians are left to wonder, what commitment was he fulfilling, and to whom?

If Governor Bevin does support a legislative solution, as does KFTC, there is still no reason to reverse Beshear’s action. There is no justification for prolonging this injustice – or in this case reinstating an injustice for 150,000 Kentuckians – while there is no guarantee that his own party’s legislative leaders will agree to a legislative solution. Bevin’s action was unnecessary.